Arms Trade Treaty
The United States reversed policy on Wednesday and said it would back launching talks on a treaty to regulate arms sales as long as the talks operated by consensus, a stance critics said gave every nation a veto.
The decision, announced in a statement released by the U.S. State Department, overturns the position of former President George W. Bush’s administration, which had opposed such a treaty on the grounds that national controls were better.
Update: I somehow missed the first pass, but turns out the story is a month old and covered by David.
November 12th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I guess sometimes dithering can have its merits.
November 12th, 2009 at 10:51 am
This is the start. US would never veto a consenus.
man I wish someone in Foggy Bottom would get a clue.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Actually, the US has used the consensus requirement as a way to stall and block progress.
That is the reason why Canada in 1997 and Norway in 2007 took the processes on the landmine ban and cluster bomb ban treaties out of the UN and the consensus-based negotiations.