Iran, N Korea block UN weapons treaty
30 March 2013 7:02 AM IST
Iran and North Korea blocked agreement on Thursday on the first treaty over the $80 billion a year conventional arms trade, forcing last-ditch talks to save the UN-brokered accord.
Diplomats from the two isolated states raised flags of objection on the last day of the final session of the seven-year-old negotiating process, just as the conference chairman was about to declare the treaty sealed.
Syria also protested over the final treaty text but said it would not block the accord, which has been at the center of intense diplomatic efforts to get the United States, Russia, China and other major arms producers to agree.
The draft treaty would cover tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, as well as small arms and light arms.
The UN estimates that 500,000 people are killed in armed violence each year and rights groups blame the uncontrolled flow of weapons for many of the deaths.
Diplomats from the two isolated states raised flags of objection on the last day of the final session of the seven-year-old negotiating process, just as the conference chairman was about to declare the treaty sealed.
Syria also protested over the final treaty text but said it would not block the accord, which has been at the center of intense diplomatic efforts to get the United States, Russia, China and other major arms producers to agree.
The draft treaty would cover tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, as well as small arms and light arms.
The UN estimates that 500,000 people are killed in armed violence each year and rights groups blame the uncontrolled flow of weapons for many of the deaths.
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