LONDON, March 16 (UPI) -- British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has vowed to lead a global drive for a treaty controlling the $15 billion a year trade of conventional weapons.
Warning one person is shot dead every minute in the world, Straw said "more misery and destruction" was caused by small arms than by tightly controlled weapons of mass destruction.
Speaking at a London conference, Straw said legally binding controls could be drawn up to match those already in place for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
He promised to raise the matter at the June meeting of the Group of Eight politically powerful nations, which he will chair.
"The new treaty needs to include a wide range of signatories, including the world's major arms exporters. I certainly don't underestimate the difficulties of that," he said.
Though he acknowledged some nations could be skeptical initially, Straw said for the control treaty to work, it would need to include as many countries as possible.
The treaty should cover weapons of all sizes, he said, adding: "We don't want to leave gaps between weapons of mass destruction and small arms, which unscrupulous nations and exporters can exploit."
