US set to lock horns over UN arms trade pact
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Buy SPH photosWASHINGTON (AFP) - Washington signalled on Friday a looming showdown at the United Nations (UN) next week when members will try again to hammer out the first international treaty on the US$70 billion (S$87 billion) global arms trade.
The first bid to draw up an arms trade treaty came close to agreement but deadlocked in July, when, despite years of preparatory work, the United States (US) asked for more time to pour over the draft text.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the administration of President Barack Obama supported a treaty, due to be debated at a 10-day conference at the UN starting on Monday.
But he warned that the US "would only be party to one that addresses international transfers of conventional arms solely and does not impose any new requirements on the US domestic trade in firearms or on US exporters".
