(VOVworld) - The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday voted 154 to 3 to approve a treaty on conventional arms trade management covering 80 billion USD a year. This historic document will reduce the trading of conventional weapons used by governments to conduct war, genocide, and other large-scale violence. Syria, North Korea, and Iran voted against the measure last week, saying it denies small countries the right to purchase weapons for defense purposes. Russia, along with 22 other countries, abstained from voting due to concern over several points seemed unclear, including the definition of genocide.

Delegates at the United Nations applauded the passage of a treaty on weapons trade. (Photo: AFP)

This is the first major global arms treaty since the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The new treaty enjoins governments to control their weapons exports through specific regulations. The treaty will be signed on June 3^rd and will take effect once 50 of 193 UN members ratify it.

Nhat Quynh, VOV correspondent in the US