Cheers filled the United Nations assembly chamber as the votes were tallied for the first-ever treaty to regulate the global trade in conventional weapons, which include tanks, helicopters, and guns. The treaty passed in a landslide vote, with only Syria, Iran, and North Korea voting against it and 23 countries abstaining. Also criticizing the treaty was the National Rifle Association, which is threatening to block ratification in the Senate. The treaty would bring more transparency to global arms sales and require states selling weapons to vet countries for human-rights abuses, terrorism, and organized crime.
