National Rifle Association not happy with the new push for the arms trade treaty at U.N.

United Nations – New York – July 14 2011 – National Rifle Association (NRF) Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre during a meeting of the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) at the Headquarters in New York.
Credit: Luiz Rampelotto/Europa Newswire

Photo by: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire

United Nations, December 28 2012

National Rifle Association, has vowed to fight a UN draft international treaty to regulate the  global arms trade and dismissed suggestions that a recent Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting bolstered the case for such a pact.

Arms Trade Treaty

The global trade in conventional weapons – from warships and battle tanks to fighter jets and machine guns – remains poorly regulated. No internationally agreed standards exist to ensure that arms are transferred responsibly.

Many Governments have voiced concerns about the absence of globally agreed rules to guide their decisions on arms transfers. In 2006, they have embarked on a preparatory process to negotiate a robust legally binding instrument to establish high common standards for international trade in conventional arms. This process paved the way for the United Nations Conference on an Arms Trade Treaty that was held in July 2012 at the United Nations in New York.

Despite the efforts put forth by Governments during the four-week intensive negotiations, the Conference in the end could not reach an agreement. It is envisaged that the General Assembly of the United Nations will soon decide to convene another conference in March 2013 to conclude the work begun in July 2012. The United Nations is steadfast in its resolve to support negotiations on a robust arms trade treaty.

Source: United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)