UN's Arms Trade Treaty Blocked By Iran, North Korea, And Syria

Photo: United Nations

Iran, North Korea, Syria Block UN Arms Trade Treaty -- Reuters

* Draft treaty could go to UN General Assembly vote soon
* Iran's UN envoy says arms treaty has "many flaws"
* Delegates, rights groups blame U.S. for consensus requirement
* Oxfam: 3 countries hold world hostage on arms trade rules (Rewrites with treaty blocked, U.N. vote expected)

UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Reuters) - Iran, Syria and North Korea on Friday prevented the adoption of the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade, complaining that it was flawed and failed to ban weapons sales to rebel groups.

To get around the blockade, a number governments called on Peter Woolcott of Australia, the president of the U.N. Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, to submit the draft treaty to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and request a swift vote on it in the General Assembly.

U.N. diplomats said the 193-nation General Assembly could put the draft treaty to a vote as early as Tuesday. Britain supported the call for an assembly vote on the draft very soon.

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More News On The UN Arms Trade Treaty

Iran, N. Korea, Syria block U.N. arms trade treaty -- USA Today/AP
UN Arms Trade Pact Stalls as Iran, N. Korea, Syria Object -- Bloomberg Businessweek
UN members fail to agree on arms treaty -- Al Jazeera
Iran, North Korea, Syria Block Adoption Of UN Arms Trade Treaty -- Radio Free Europe
Iran, DPRK, Syria block small arms treaty -- The Australian
Iran, North Korea block international arms trade treaty -- Al Arabiya
UN: Iran, North Korea and Syria cynically block lifesaving arms treaty -- Amnesty International

WNU Editor: India was also prepared to block the treaty.