Welcome
Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle regrets failure of negotiations on arms trade treaty
In the wake of yesterday evening’s failure to reach agreement in New York on a global arms trade treaty, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today (28 July) issued the following statement:
I greatly regret the failure of the efforts to achieve an international arms trade treaty.
During the difficult negotiations in New York Germany pushed to the last for a treaty that would set the highest possible standards.
Germany will now press for a new round of negotiations on a globally binding arms trade treaty to start as soon as possible.
With the envisaged treaty, the international community is seeking for the first time to agree on globally binding rules for the trade in conventional weapons. This was the purpose of the intergovernmental conference in New York held under UN auspices and attended by some 193 countries. It was the culmination of a ten-year negotiation process originally instigated by civil society.
