Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOSEPH CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
Assemblyman JASON O'DONNELL
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Urges President and US Senate to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty proposed by United Nations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution urging the President, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, to support and ratify the Arms Trade Treaty proposed by the United Nations.
Whereas, On all continents around the world, the availability of unregulated conventional weapons has become a global problem, facilitating human rights violations, political repression, crime, and terror in civilian populations; and
Whereas, The United Nations General Assembly has recognized that the illicit circulation of conventional weapons and ammunition destabilizes nations, impacts security, and slows development in all regions of the world by enhancing the power of extremists, gangs, pirates, and terrorists with unlawfully acquired firepower; and
Whereas, In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 61/89, which requested that member nations submit their views on the feasibility of creating an Arms Trade Treaty; and
Whereas, After receiving feedback from member nations, the United Nations General Assembly held a Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in July 2012, to start negotiations for a legally binding treaty to establish common standards for the international trade of conventional arms; and
Whereas, Although the Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty concluded its four-week session without an agreement on the treaty text, the member nations have agreed to reconvene in March 2013, to finalize the text of the Arms Trade Treaty; and
Whereas, With the average death rate from conventional weapons, like guns, at over 100,000 people per year in the United States and the United States trade in conventional weapons composing 40 percent of the global market, making the United States the largest conventional arms trader in the world, the outcome of the Arms Trade Treaty and the effort to prevent the irresponsible transfers of conventional arms directly affects the lives of the American people; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Governor and the Legislature of the State of New Jersey urge the President to sign, and the United States Senate to ratify, the Arms Trade Treaty when proposed by the United Nations.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and the United States Senators elected from this State.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the President and the United States Senate to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty proposed by the United Nations. Around the world, the availability of unregulated conventional weapons has become global problem. The United Nations General Assembly has recognized that their circulation destabilizes nations, impacts security, and slows the development of emerging countries. Thus, in 2006, the United Nations General Assembly requested member nations to submit their views on an Arms Trade Treaty that would set standards for trade in conventional weapons. The United Nations General Assembly held a Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2012.
Although the Conference concluded without an agreement on the treaty text, the member nations have agreed to reconvene in March 2013. With the average death rate from conventional weapons, such as guns, at 100,000 people per year in the United States and the United States trade in conventional weapons composing 40 percent of the global market, the outcomes of the negotiations of the Arms Trade Treaty and the effort to prevent the irresponsible transfers of conventional arms directly affects the lives of the American people.