US will never ratify UN Arms trade treaty, says Trump

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) told the member states of the United Nations that his country will never ratify UN Arms trade treaty that set rules for sales and transfers of small arms, missile launchers and warships.

Addressing the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, Trump said, "There is no circumstance under which the United States will allow international entities to trample on the rights of our citizens, including the right to self-defence. That is why this year I announce that we will never ratify the UN Arms trade treaty, which would threaten the liberty of law-abiding US citizens."

In April, the US officially withdrew from a global arms treaty, also known as the UN Arms Trade Treaty. Trump, had then, signed a document urging senators to return the Obama-era pact to the White House, saying, "Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone. We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedoms. And that is why my Administration will never ratify the UN Arms Trade Treaty."

On Tuesday, the President said that the United States would always uphold its constitutional rights to keep and bear arms.

He said "we will always uphold our second amendment (to the United States Constitution)" that protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms on the US soil.

"The core rights and values that America defends today were inscribed in the country's founding documents. Our nation's founders understood that there will always be those who believe they are entitled to will power and control over others," the President added.

The UN treaty, which came into being during the former George W. Bush administration, was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations and signed in 2013 under former President Barack Obama but was ratified by the U.S. lawmakers.

The treaty seeks to prevent illicit arms transfers that fuels conflicts, making it harder to conduct weapon sales in violation of arms embargoes.

Nearly 100 countries, including the US allies in Europe, have ratified the treaty while more than 30 others have signed but not ratified. Countries that have shunned the treaty entirely include Russia, North Korea and Syria, according to The Washington Post.

( With inputs from ANI )