ACCORDING to media news, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to approve a landmark treaty that tries to regulate weapons trade.

The reality is that illegal weapon trade has become a big threat to world security and peace these days and unfortunately big powers are using the illegal weapons trade to boost their falling economies.

It seems true that in the modern world several wars, conflicts, militias, warlords are alive, thanks to the big powers’ weapon industry. Now unmanned drones, fighter jets, missiles and bombs are killing more people every year than natural disasters.

Several billion dollars of illegal weapons trade has become a big threat to peace and security of the world.

Use of legal and illegal weapons is very common these days not only in the Third World countries but also in developed countries like the US, France and Germany.

Several bloody conflicts from Asia to Africa are getting all types of weapons through arms trade.

According to new estimates, 74,000 women and children lose their lives every year due to illegal weapons trade.

Unfortunately despite killing of a large number of people every year, the world community is sitting silent and doing nothing to minimise illegal and legal arms’ trade because illegal arms trade is providing enough support to the ailing economy of several countries, including the US.

Some big powers also have not yet signed landmines banning treaty due to personal benefits. Thousands of people lost their lives every year in war-affected countries due to landmines.

Use of cluster bombs and banned weapons against civilian population is very common these days and due to lack of interest of big powers the civilian casualties increased dramatically in war-affected countries.

In the last several years UN member-states have failed to agree on the common draft to regulate the multi-billion-dollar arms trade. However, now they have agreed to regularise weapons trade which is good for poor countries.

UMER FAROOQ     Jeddah