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The disarmament committee of the UN General Assembly has mentioned that it is ready for holding talks for the implementation of an arms trade treaty, with support from the largest arm traders of the world.
The committee voted 153-1 to adopt a timetable whereby negotiations would begin for a "strong and robust" treaty that would regulate global sale of weapons worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Zimbabwe was alone in opposing the resolution.
Some of the countries which refrained include Belarus, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Yemen. Some of the major arm dealers of the world include US, Britain, France and Germany with China and Russia topping the list. US, Britain, France and Germany are also abiding by the UN resolution.
Urging for a faster completion of the treaty, the resolution has called for speeding up the negotiation process with several sessions slated to be held during 2012.
It called for control systems of the arms trade that are of the "highest possible standard" with the assistance of all states, particularly the arms manufacturers.
The negotiations should address the "problems relating to the unregulated trade in conventional weapons and their diversion to the illicit market, considering that such risks can fuel instability, transnational organised crime and terrorism, and that international action should be taken to address the problem", it said.
The committee will send the adopted resolution to the 192-nation assembly for a final approval, which is expected, before the timetable for negotiations would begin.
