Iran, N Korea, Syria block UN arms treaty

Iran, North Korea and Syria have blocked adoption of a UN arms treaty that would regulate the $70 billion conventional arms trade around the world, saying it fails to ban sales of weapons to groups that commit “acts of aggression”.

Iran, North Korea and Syria have blocked adoption of a UN arms treaty that would regulate the $70 billion conventional arms trade around the world, saying it fails to ban sales of weapons to groups that commit “acts of aggression”.

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The text of the first international treaty on arms trade needs support from all 193 UN member states for its approval.

The draft text came up for approval on Thursday after the UN members failed to adopt it in July last year even after month-long negotiations.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon expressed disappointment on the failure of the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty to reach an agreement on the text, which for the first time would have regulated the international arms trade.