by Joseph P. Tartaro
Executive Editor

Seven countries in early October launched a new campaign for the United Nations (UN) to start negotiations on a binding new treaty regulating the global trade in small arms, and the US responded with a shift in its policy of opposition on Oct. 14.

John Duncan, Britain’s ambassador for multilateral arms control and disarmament, said the on-going four-week meeting of the General Assembly’s disarmament committee will be “pivotal” in deciding whether to launch formal negotiations on a new Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Duncan said, according to Associated Press, that after three years of discussions, Britain, Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Japan and Kenya have proposed a resolution establishing negotiations to draft and agree on a treaty.

Many other countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America are backing the campaign to launch negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty.

The idea of a treaty “is still contentious,” Duncan said. But supporters are hoping the disarmament committee will support the resolution and the 192-member General Assembly will approve the measure later this year. That would pave the way for negotiations leading up to an international conference in 2012 that would hopefully adopt the new treaty.

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