FG ratifies UN Conventions on arms, hostages, terrorism

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday in Abuja ratified three
United Nations Conventions on arms trading, hostage taking and
terrorism.
The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, announced this when he
briefed State House Correspondents on the outcome of FEC meeting
presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential
Villa.
The minister said the ratification was part of Nigeria’s commitments
to global peace and security.
Maku said: “Following a memorandum presented by the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, Council ratified the Arms Trade
Treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly on April 2, 2013.”
He said the treaty would regulate the transfer of conventional arms in
order to control access by non-state actors.
Maku said Nigeria, as coordinator of the African group, played major
role in ensuring the inclusion of the concerns of Africa in the final
document.
He said the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), also brought a memo to Council for the
ratification of the two other UN conventions.
The conventions are: the UN Convention against Taking of Hostages
adopted in December 1979, and the International Convention for the
Suppression of Terrorists Bombings, adopted December in 1997.
Maku added: “In order to attain and maintain global standards, the
council approved the ratification/accession to the two conventions.
“The Council also directed the attorney general of the federation and
minister of justice to prepare the instruments of the
ratification/accession of the two conventions.”
Maku explained that the two conventions were aimed at containing the
incidence of hostage taking and the heinous crime of bombings by
terrorists.
“They are crucial in stabilising security within the country and in
the sub-region,” Maku said.