UN chief concerned about limited progress in arms trade negotiations

UNITED NATIONS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday voiced his concern over the "very limited progress" in the ongoing international negotiations towards a treaty regulating the global conventional arms trade, a UN spokesman told reporters here.

"The secretary-general has been following closely the work of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Conference. With two days left before the scheduled end of the conference, he is concerned about the very limited progress in the negotiations," Ban's deputy spokesperson Eduardo del Buey said at a daily briefing.

"The secretary-general appeals to delegations to show flexibility and work in good faith towards bridging their differences," he said.

The first UN conference on ATT, a four-week gathering that began at UN headquarters in New York on July 2, has drawn 193 UN member states and civil societies to negotiate an important initiative regarding conventional arms regulation within the UN.

The spokesman noted that Ban remains hopeful that the conference will yield a robust and legally binding treaty, which will have a real impact on the lives of millions of people suffering from the consequences of armed conflict, repression and armed violence.

Ban wants to remind delegates at the conference that "we owe it to all the innocent civilians who have fallen victim to armed conflict and violence, to all the children deprived of a better future and to all those risking their lives to build peace and make this a better world," said del Buey.

The UN chief stands ready to provide whatever assistance is required of him to bring the conference to a successful outcome, said the spokesman. Enditem

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)