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| Arms trade treaty failure is disappointing, says William Hague | Arms trade treaty failure is disappointing, says William Hague |
| (9 months later) | |
| The British foreign secretary, William Hague, has said he is disappointed by the failure of negotiations to secure a United Nations arms trade treaty but hopes it remains a possibility. | The British foreign secretary, William Hague, has said he is disappointed by the failure of negotiations to secure a United Nations arms trade treaty but hopes it remains a possibility. |
| More than 170 countries have spent the past month in New York negotiating a treaty, which needed to be adopted by consensus, so any one country could in effect veto a deal. Instead, officials on Friday decided to take no decision on a draft treaty. | More than 170 countries have spent the past month in New York negotiating a treaty, which needed to be adopted by consensus, so any one country could in effect veto a deal. Instead, officials on Friday decided to take no decision on a draft treaty. |
| This leaves the door open for further talks and a draft arms trade treaty could be brought to the 193-nation United Nations general assembly and adopted with a two-thirds majority vote. Diplomats said there could be a vote by the end of the year. | This leaves the door open for further talks and a draft arms trade treaty could be brought to the 193-nation United Nations general assembly and adopted with a two-thirds majority vote. Diplomats said there could be a vote by the end of the year. |
| "Over the last six years, the UK has played a leading role in building support for a strong arms trade treaty. In the last month, ministers and officials in London and New York and our diplomats overseas have worked tirelessly for a positive outcome," said Hague. "This is not the result we wanted. But we have made huge progress. The chair's draft treaty has our full support as well as that of the great majority of other states. But to be fully effective, the treaty will need very broad – ideally universal – participation. It is clear that more time is needed to reach the widest possible agreement." | "Over the last six years, the UK has played a leading role in building support for a strong arms trade treaty. In the last month, ministers and officials in London and New York and our diplomats overseas have worked tirelessly for a positive outcome," said Hague. "This is not the result we wanted. But we have made huge progress. The chair's draft treaty has our full support as well as that of the great majority of other states. But to be fully effective, the treaty will need very broad – ideally universal – participation. It is clear that more time is needed to reach the widest possible agreement." |
| One person every minute dies from armed violence around the world, and arms control activists say a convention is needed to prevent illicitly traded guns from pouring into conflict zones and fuelling wars and atrocities. They cite conflicts in Syria and elsewhere as examples of why a treaty is necessary. | One person every minute dies from armed violence around the world, and arms control activists say a convention is needed to prevent illicitly traded guns from pouring into conflict zones and fuelling wars and atrocities. They cite conflicts in Syria and elsewhere as examples of why a treaty is necessary. |
| While most states favoured a strong treaty, activists said there was a small minority of states, including Syria, North Korea, Iran, Egypt and Algeria, who opposed arms control throughout the negotiations. | While most states favoured a strong treaty, activists said there was a small minority of states, including Syria, North Korea, Iran, Egypt and Algeria, who opposed arms control throughout the negotiations. |
| But ultimately, arms-control activists blamed the United States and Russia for the inability to reach a decision on Friday, as both countries said there was not enough time left for them to clarify and resolve issues they had with the draft treaty. | But ultimately, arms-control activists blamed the United States and Russia for the inability to reach a decision on Friday, as both countries said there was not enough time left for them to clarify and resolve issues they had with the draft treaty. |
| "Moving forward, President Obama must show the political courage required to make a strong treaty that contains strong rules on human rights a reality," said Scott Stedjan, a senior policy adviser at Oxfam America, which fights poverty and other injustices. | "Moving forward, President Obama must show the political courage required to make a strong treaty that contains strong rules on human rights a reality," said Scott Stedjan, a senior policy adviser at Oxfam America, which fights poverty and other injustices. |
| The draft arms trade treaty under negotiation required countries to assess if a proposed arms export could be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian or human rights law. | The draft arms trade treaty under negotiation required countries to assess if a proposed arms export could be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian or human rights law. |
| It covered all conventional arms in the categories of battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms and light weapons. | It covered all conventional arms in the categories of battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms and light weapons. |
| The treaty would only have come into effect after it was ratified by 65 countries. | The treaty would only have come into effect after it was ratified by 65 countries. |
| "Today was the day for political courage – not delays and dithering," said Anna Macdonald, head of arms control at Oxfam. "Some 50,000 people lost their lives through armed violence during the course of these month-long negotiations. The out-of-control arms trade must – and will – be stopped." | "Today was the day for political courage – not delays and dithering," said Anna Macdonald, head of arms control at Oxfam. "Some 50,000 people lost their lives through armed violence during the course of these month-long negotiations. The out-of-control arms trade must – and will – be stopped." |
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