Arms treaty negotiations fail in U.N.

Munitions seized by Israeli authorities on a ship near Cyprus, are shown in the port of Ashdod in this Nov. 2009 file photo. / AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov

(AP) UNITED NATIONS - A U.N. treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade will have to wait after member states failed to an reach agreement, and some diplomats and supporters blamed the United States for the unraveling of the month-long negotiating conference.

Hopes had been raised that agreement could be reached on a revised treaty text that closed some major loopholes by Friday's deadline for action. But the U.S. announced Friday morning that it needed more time to consider the proposed treaty; and Russia and China then also asked for more time.

"This was stunning cowardice by the Obama administration, which at the last minute did an about-face and scuttled progress toward a global arms treaty, just as it reached the finish line," said Suzanne Nossel, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "It's a staggering abdication of leadership by the world's largest exporter of conventional weapons to pull the plug on the talks just as they were nearing an historic breakthrough."

A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, also blamed the U.S., saying "they derailed the process," adding that nothing will happen to revive negotiations until after the U.S. presidential election in November.

Chief U.S. negotiator Thomas Countryman refused to talk to several dozen reporters when the meeting broke up.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement Friday evening that the U.S. supports a second round of negotiations next year.

"While we sought to conclude the month's negotiations with a treaty, more time is a reasonable request for such a complex and critical issue," the statement said.

The draft treaty would require all countries to establish national regulations to control the transfer of conventional arms and to regulate arms brokers. It would prohibit states that ratify the treaty from transferring conventional weapons if they would violate arms embargoes or if they would promote acts of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

In considering whether to authorize the export of arms, the draft says a country must evaluate whether the weapon would be used to violate international human rights or humanitarian laws or be used by terrorists, organized crime or for corrupt practices.

Many countries, including the U.S., control arms exports but there has never been an international treaty regulating the estimated $60 billion global arms trade. For more than a decade, activists and some governments have been pushing for international rules to try to keep illicit weapons out of the hands of terrorists, insurgent fighters and organized crime.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was "disappointed" with the failure to reach agreement on a treaty text, which he described as "a setback." He said he remained committed to working with member states to peruse a "robust" treaty on controlling the conventional arms trade.

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[Mohavegreen]

I wouldn't mind this treaty IF it lacked interfering with the internal policies of other nations and went strictly after international law breakers. The UN has no business with interfering with the internal affairs of my country. That is why we have elected officials.

As for those that dislike firearms and want to rely on others to come save their butt, go live in a country that has banned private ownership of firearms and see where that ideology gets you. I might lay down my weapons the day society eradicates the criminal element once and for all. Until then, I'll do what I need to do to protect my Family, My Rights and My Country.

[Musiker63]

All I have to say to the UN and Hilary Clinton is this... You can have my weapons when you pry them from my cold dead hands. I will not cow down to an organization as useless as the United Nations, and I will not be a defenseless sheep because Hillary Clinton thinks I should be. I see a blue helmet on American soil... I consider it an act of aggression by a foreign invader. People cannot own firearms in England... People cannot own firearms in Australia, and yet gun crime is out of control in these countries... Is that the UN's utopian vision for the United States? Good luck with that...

[takacrat]

This Law will stop Nations that Lives by Rule of Law from helping groups that is fighting groups that has friends like Iran, N Koria, Russia that lives by Hate and Death

[Laggmonster8]

Since when has making something illegal stopped criminals from doing it? Are people really so naive that they think they can legislate away crime? They want the U.S. to more tightly regulate the sale of arms to other countries, which is perfectly reasonable. Now let's all drop all our domestic problems... our poverty, our "war on drugs", our crashing economy, our severe drought, and just stop those nasty old guns from going to people in other countries, because that's what's important right? We've been policing the world for so long they're starting to expect us to fix their problems for them. I've got a great idea though. How about people fix their social issues so that fewer people want to use guns to solve the issues for them?

[Bisky72]

How about something to keep the US government from shipping arms to mexicann drug dealers to blame the 2nd amendment in operation Fastt and Furiouss. Thousands have died. Many more than in that theater where
they sent in that nut after UN talks were failing.

[Bisky72]

Governments kill more people than all other causes combined and now a
wanna-be world government wants to disarm the worlds citizens like Hitler did to his people before his reign. NATO, the new world army, will have plenty of guns, hope they don't come after your resources tomorrow. The US 2nd Amendment arms the citizens to protect against tyranny by the few. Guess our constitution saved the day for now.
Guess that guy they sent into the theater when progress was stalling was for nothing.

[tryingtodogoodwork]

G'damned ignorant and arrogant Republicans. G'damned ignorant and arrogant NRA. Putrified examples of our species.

[tryntoprotectmyfamily]

Its people like you that think by citizens not having guns the tragic shooting that just took place would not happen. News flash. The guns are out their you will never get them all the only guns that would be takin is the guns that are registered, the guns that law abiding people have. just f.y.i if a person with a conceal carry permit had a gun that day and was in that theater the bad guy would not of had the chance to destroy so many lives. Its reasons exactly like this is why most Americans want their arms. How long did it take the police to get their? It would have took me a mear second to pull my gun and solve the problem. I beleave it would be a different story then it would not of made the paper just like the old man at the internet cafe that pulled his conceal carry gun and put down 2 shotgun weilding criminals 2 weeks ago. Are you to scared to protect your family by any means. I guess so thats why you want to depend on someone else to do it. Oh yeah guns are so bad thats why we always call the policeman with a gun to come help with our problems right?

[netjunkie1]

From the information I've read, it seems the NRA with help from the weapons manufacturers did stop the treaty.

As for the 2nd ammendment, we can't compare to the military's weapons to the paltry weapons allowed citizens of our nation.
It's an illusion that we could stand up to our own military. The militias of our country don't have battle tanks and sophisticated weaponry. We only have weapons some fools turn on themselves and give our constitution a bad rap.

[Spazmaster1]

Could you be more spammy?

[Ex-nuke]

Actually it was the millions of NRA members who vote that convinced 58 not 51 Senators that voting for any Treaty that infringed on our rights would be very much like resigning from office. Remember Clinton and his useless "assualt weapon ban" that didn't ban anything but cost a lot of people in Washington their cushy jobs? Democrats are all for "getting out the vote" and this treaty would do exactly that. But those aren't the voters they want to get out. So please, start a new "Conversation" on "Gun Control".

[occupy_cbs]

clydealan2: "No truth at all. The 2nd Amendment would have been untouched. Profits of arms dealers WOULD have been touched. Once again well funded right leaning lies have been fed to unthinking reactionaries and he posted some of the garbage above. For a group that supposedly believes in God the NRA has no problem trading innocent lives for profits".




Very true.......the NRA made sure that this U.N. arms deal would not go through with nothing but the usual republican political rhetoric against the U.N. -- and the lies against our 2nd Amendment!

[Alan_1969]

Those during Katrina found their 2nd Admendment rights violated. All the UN needs is a small crack and then they will try to force their way in and our government would let them.

[SD92040]

This was an underhanded, slimey backdoor attempt by the Obama administration to destroy the 2nd Amendment without having their fingerprints on it. Of course Obama claims it's only "Common Sense Gun Control".

[clydealan2]

Assuming you are another caring citizen like mtself and not a right wing plant I implore you to google UN Arms Treaty and read. Find out for yourself if your paranoia is justyified.