Despite the inability to pass any meaningful domestic gun control legislation, the US voted along with 153 other nation states on Tuesday to approve the first-ever treaty to regulate the global arms trade.

A 50mm machine gun mounted on an armored humvee. (Photo: Chris Devers via Flickr) “When you think of the huge economic interest and the political power in play for the big arms producers and exporters, this treaty is a tribute to both civil society who championed the idea to save lives and reduce human suffering as well as the governments who heeded that call,” said Widney Brown, senior director of International Law and Policy at Amnesty International.

The treaty seeks to regulate the international trade in conventional arms, revenues from which reports estimate will exceed $100 billion in the next four years.

Though the international treaty does nothing to regulate the domestic use of weapons in any country, it does require all countries to establish national regulations to control the transfer of conventional arms, parts and components and to regulate arms brokers. These include battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms and light weapons.

Click here for the full story.