Kazakh parliament ratifies Arms Trade Treaty
ASTANA. Oct 12 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's Senate on Thursday adopted a law on the ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty, an Interfax correspondent reports.
The treaty was adopted by the majority of UN member-nations on April 2, 2013 in New York. It is aimed at establishing common international standards of regulating international trade in conventional armaments and also the prevention and eradication of illicit trade and illicit transfer of conventional armaments.
"The treaty applies to all types of conventional armaments in the framework of the following categories: tanks, armored vehicles, heavy-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, combat helicopters, war ships, missiles and missile launchers, small arms and light weapons," the lower house's opinion on the bill said.
In line with the agreement, every member-state develops and uses a national system of control, including a national control list, to enforce the provisions of the treaty and appoints a national contact center for information exchanges on issues related to the implementation of the treaty.
Provisions of the law define cases of bans on the transfer of conventional armaments, ammunition and destructive agents, parts and components.
"Each signatory country keeps a national register of the issue of permits for exports or actual transactions related to the export of conventional armaments and annually produces a report for the previous year containing information about permitted or actual exports and imports of conventional armaments," the lower house opinion says.
Within the framework of the treaty, participating countries set up a voluntary fund to render assistance to countries requiring international help with treaty enforcement.
For effective treaty enforcement, a secretariat is founded which convenes a conference of member-states.
As Deputy Defense Minister Talgat Mukhtarov said earlier, the treaty will not affect Kazakhstan's export agreements.
"The treaty is fully aimed at banning and preventing the illicit turnover of arms. Hence the treaty specifically indicates that its provisions by no way influence lawful deals of a state on matters of armaments (including their exports)," he said.
In line with legislative procedures, the bill is considered approved by parliament as a whole and submitted to the president for signing.