Mexico Asks UN To Regulate Arms Trade

Mexico asked the UN to regulate the arms trade to prevent their diversion to illicit markets accountable to producers, approved traders and end users and include all conventional weapons, approved parts, components, ammunition and technology.

By participating in the UN Diplomatic Conference for the adoption of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT for its acronym in English) held in New York, the Mexican representatives expressed the view that although access and use of weapons by States is a necessity, trade and use can not occur without any international legal responsibilities.

For Mexico, “the regulation of international arms trade will be effective to the extent that the international community address the problem of diversion of weapons to the illicit market” and the Treaty must prevent diversion and misuse of weapons and “can not be a statement of good intentions “, but to establish legal obligations and rights for all its parts.

The international community has negotiated over the past six years international regulations on arms sales, while the basis for international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional weapons are based on resolutions of the UN General Assembly.

“Mexico attaches great importance to the adoption of a treaty with high standards and a broad scope to bring the shared responsibility of producers, traders and end users, and in regard to the inclusion of all conventional weapons, their parts, components, ammunition and technology, “the Foreign Ministry.

“In a world that regulates trade in all goods, to date there is no regulatory scheme for products that are designed and produced for the sole purpose of causing harm. This reality is ethically wrong, Mexico considers regulation essential for the international transfer of conventional arms which is the biggest business in the world, ” they said.-[source]