Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
UN Arms Trade Treaty
This is copied directly from the UN webpage: http://www.un.org/disarmament/ATT/
I have bolded one sentence.
The ATT will not:
•Interfere with the domestic arms trade and the way a country regulates civilian possession
•Ban, or prohibit the export of, any type of weapons
•Impair States' legitimate right to self-defence
•Lower arms regulation standards in countries where these are already at a high level.
An Arms Trade Treaty will aim to create a level playing field for international arms transfers by requiring all States to abide by a set of standards for transfer controls, which will ultimately benefit the safety and security of people everywhere in the world
•Interfere with the domestic arms trade and the way a country regulates civilian possession
•Ban, or prohibit the export of, any type of weapons
•Impair States' legitimate right to self-defence
•Lower arms regulation standards in countries where these are already at a high level.
An Arms Trade Treaty will aim to create a level playing field for international arms transfers by requiring all States to abide by a set of standards for transfer controls, which will ultimately benefit the safety and security of people everywhere in the world
That should take care of the fears of those who think the UN will somehow effect US private gun ownership. At the same time, it does no harm to closely follow the negotiations and to see what they produce. I will be watching the news and the UN website for information and will post developments.
Personally I am pessimistic that the treaty will actually have any real-world effect. Most governments are dictators and if a dictator wants guns, he will get them. And if an organization wants to supply guns to some rebels, if they have the money, they will get them. All it will take is a few extra bribes and all the paperwork will appear to be in order and the inspectors will look in the wrong crates, inspect the wrong ship, etc. Or they will make their own, as they do in home shops in Pakistan.
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
