Much of what the United Nations aspires for is built upon the dreams of the righteous, the well-intended, the kinder human condition. But for all that it aspires to, it falls by the failings of governments, political allegiances and the basest of all — cold hard cash. Such is the case with the global arms treaty that is supposed to regulate the multibillion dollar business of selling weapons and munitions to wage war. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has heralded the treaty as a “new chapter” that would help prevent the transfer of weapons to “warlords, human rights abusers, terrorists and criminal organisations”.
What is encouraging is that 130 nations have signed the bottom line, vowing not to sell weaponry used to promote war crimes and genocide.
But what is equally disappointing is that the nations that are some of the world’s biggest arms peddlers have kept their pens in their inkwells and have neither signed nor ratified the treaty.
What about the US, China and Russia? Sorry, they are too busy selling in the $85 billion (Dh312.63 billion) market right now. The treaty is a nice idea — too bad that money gets in the way.
