UN seeks new treaty restricting global arms deals

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 7 (Reuters) The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to let work begin on a new treaty to bolster arms embargoes and prevent human rights abuses by setting uniform worldwide standards for arms deals.

The vote in the 192-nation assembly was 153-1, with the United States casting the sole ''no'' vote.

Twenty-four other nations abstained, including major arms sellers China and Russia and emerging exporters India and Pakistan.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement, welcomed the launch of a process that could lead to a treaty regulating international trade in conventional weapons.

Unregulated trade in such arms ''currently contributes to conflict, crime and terrorism, and undermines international efforts for peace and development,'' Annan spokeswoman Marie Okabe said yesterday.

The measure would give incoming UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who succeeds Annan on Jan. 1, a year to explore and report back to the assembly on the feasibility and scope of a binding international treaty establishing uniform standards for arms deals.

The goal is to close loopholes created by the global marketplace. While many nations have rules on arms trades, nothing prevents a buyer from shopping around in search of the lowest standards, or sellers with no standards at all.

While there is no working text as yet, supporters hope the treaty will end up blocking deals that might fuel ongoing wars, violate UN arms bans, contribute to gross human rights violations or undermine a country's development by tying up its financial resources.

US President George W Bush's administration, a close ally of the US gun lobby, has said it was willing to endorse a set of voluntary principles guiding arms deals but would not back binding controls on transfers across national boundaries.

The idea of a new arms trade treaty was initially championed by Australia, Argentina, Britain, Costa Rica, Japan, Kenya and Finland.

''Significant support for the Arms Trade Treaty has come from some of the world's most gun-affected regions,'' said Rebecca Peters of the International Action Network on Small Arms. ''This indicates not only widespread recognition of the problem but also widespread political will to take action.'' Reuters AD VP0722