The Federal Executive Council (FEC) 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.
“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: UN Convention against Taking of Hostages adopted in December 1979, and the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorists Bombings, adopted December in 1997.
“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’’, he said.
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.’’
