United States President Donald Trump has on Friday announced Washington will withdraw itself from an international arms pact inked back in 2013 by former President Barack Obama but opposed by US conservative groups and the NRA.
During an annual meeting of the Nationa Rifle Association (NRA), Trump told members of the arms treaty that he intended to revoke American status as a signatory of the Arms Trade pact, which the US Senate never ratified. Trump told thousands, “We’re taking our signature back,” according to Dawn news reports.
The NRA has long opposed the signed arms treaty which regulates around $70 billion business in the conventional arms, seeking to prevent weapons from hands of human rights abusers. The group argued that it would undermine the domestic gun rights, which the Obama administration had rejected.
The US president added the United Nations (UN) will receive a formal notice of the US withdrawal from the arms pact soon.
The 193-nation UN General Assembly had approved the arms pact in April 2013 and the world’s number one arms exporter, the US, voted in favour of the pact despite fierce opposition from several US conservative parties and the NRA.
Trump’ announcement immediately drew strong rebuke from a few international human rights groups. Oxfam America President Abby Maxman said, “The United States will now lock arms with Iran, North Korea and Syria as non-signatories to this historic treaty whose sole purpose is to protect innocent people from deadly weapons.”