The voting board at UN General Assembly depicting the result of the vote on Towards an Arms Trade Treaty.

Overwhelming support for better control of the international arms trade was reiterated at the General Assembly when 153 states voted to adopt the Resolution Towards an Arms Trade Treaty.

The number of Yes votes increased from 139 at the UN First Committee (Disarmament and Security) to 153 this time; the number of abstentions was unchanged at 24 and the only No vote was lodged by the US.

“Given the overwhelming amount of support from the international community for an Arms Trade Treaty, it’s disappointing that the US remains steadfast in its opposition. While we’re confident that the US position won’t significantly undermine this important process, we’ll certainly be strongly urging the US to reconsider and engage with the international community on international arms controls,” said Rebecca Peters, Director of IANSA.

More states were present at the General Assembly than the First Committee and two states changed their votes from abstain to Yes (Cuba and Djibouti). Click here to find out how your country voted.

Reuters report: UN seeks new treaty restricting global arms deals

Control Arms press release: UN General Assembly votes for historic Arms Trade Treaty proposal