Argentina is president of the treaty conference, which includes all 193 member states of the UN. Iran was elected one of the 15 member states on the General Committee. US Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican of Florida, was incensed at that. “Even as the Iranian regime funnels weapons to Assad and his thugs to butcher the Syrian people, the UN did nothing to block Iran from being elected to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty. Every week, it seems the UN finds a new way to hit bottom,” she said. Of course, the UN did not pick Iran; it was the Asian caucus that chose Iran as one of it representatives on the committee. Basically, the Asian states parcel out committee memberships and Iran is going to get some memberships each year. Some suggested the fact that it got this committee means most Asians don’t think the treaty confrence will amount to much.
