OFF THE WIRE
(Reuters) - Hours
after U.S. President Barack Obama was re-elected, the United States
backed a U.N. committee's call on Wednesday to renew debate over a draft
international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional
arms trade.
U.N. delegates and gun control
activists have complained that talks collapsed in July largely because
Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney if his
administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge Washington
denies.
The month-long talks at U.N. headquarters broke off after the United States - along with Russia and other major arms producers - said it had problems with the draft treaty and asked for more time.
But
the U.N. General Assembly's disarmament committee moved quickly after
Obama's win to approve a resolution calling for a new round of talks
March 18-28. It passed with 157 votes in favor, none against and 18
abstentions.
U.N. diplomats said
the vote had been expected before Tuesday's U.S. presidential election
but was delayed due to Superstorm Sandy, which caused a three-day
closure of the United Nations last week.
An official at the U.S. mission said Washington's objectives have not changed.
"We
seek a treaty that contributes to international security by fighting
illicit arms trafficking and proliferation, protects the sovereign right
of states to conduct legitimate arms trade, and meets the concerns that
we have been articulating throughout," the official said.
"We will not accept any treaty that infringes on the constitutional rights of our citizens to bear arms," he said.
U.S.
officials have acknowledged privately that the treaty under discussion
would have no effect on domestic gun sales and ownership because it
would apply only to exports.
The
main reason the arms trade talks are taking place at all is that the
United States - the world's biggest arms trader accounting for more than
40 percent of global conventional arms transfers - reversed U.S. policy
on the issue after Obama was first elected and decided in 2009 to
support a treaty.
'MONTHS AWAY' FROM DEAL?
Countries that abstained included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, Belarus, Cuba and Iran. China, a major arms producer that has traditionally abstained, voted in favor.
Among the top six arms-exporting nations, Russia cast the only abstention. Britain, France and Germany joined China and the United States in support of the resolution.
The measure now goes to the 193-nation General Assembly for a formal vote. It is expected to pass.
The
resolution said countries are "determined to build on the progress made
to date towards the adoption of a strong, balanced and effective Arms
Trade Treaty."
Jeff Abramson, director of Control Arms, a coalition of advocacy groups, urged states to agree on stringent provisions.
"In Syria,
we have seen the death toll rise well over 30,000, with weapons and
ammunition pouring in the country for months now," he said. "We need a
treaty that will set tough rules to control the arms trade, that will
save lives and truly make the world a better place."
Brian
Wood of Amnesty International said: "After today's resounding vote, if
the larger arms trading countries show real political will in the
negotiations, we're only months away from securing a new global deal
that has the potential to stop weapons reaching those who seriously
abuse human rights."
The treaty would require states to make respecting human rights a criterion for allowing arms exports.
Britain's
U.N. mission said on its Twitter feed it hoped that the March
negotiations would yield the final text of a treaty. Such a pact would
then need to be ratified by the individual signatories before it could
enter into force.
The National Rifle Association, the powerful U.S. interest group, strongly opposes the arms treaty and had endorsed Romney.
The
United States has denied it sought to delay negotiations for political
reasons, saying it had genuine problems with the draft as written.
(Editing by Xavier Briand)
