Eight More States Ratify Arms Trade Treaty at Event Commemorating

 

Its Opening for Signature in 2013

 

NEW YORK, 4 June (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — On 3 June 2013, the Arms Trade Treaty was opened for signature in New York.  Since then, 118 States have signed this historic treaty that sets common international standards for the regulation of the global arms trade.  It is a rare occurrence that a treaty is signed by so many States in such a short period of time.  This signifies the importance that States attach to it.

On 3 June 2014, eight of the signatories, namely Australia, Austria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Samoa jointly deposited their respective instruments of ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty at an event held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, which also marked the one-year anniversary of the Treaty’s opening for signature.

That joint deposit brought the number of ratifications to 40, just 10 short of the 50 needed for the Treaty to enter into force 90 days later.

Speaking at the event, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, said that the rapid pace of signature and ratification is testament to the collective will of the international community to put an end to irresponsible transfers of conventional arms and their diversion.

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For information media • not an official record