UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The first committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Friday to try to establish agreed standards on arms trade, British Ambassador John Sawers said.

    The resolution, which was initiated by Britain, received an overwhelming support at the Committee on Disarmament and International Security, with 145 member states voting in favor. Only the United States and Zimbabwe voted against, Sawers said.

    He expressed hope that "the next U.S. administration will look again at their approach on the arms treaty and recognize this has benefits for all responsible arms manufacturers and traders."

    "The only impact it will have will be to bear down on the irresponsible and illegal transfer and export of weapons," Sawers said.

    He said work on the initiative will continue in the future that there will be two conferences in March and July for negotiations on "the standards that will be part of an arms trade treaty."

    Sawers hailed it as "another step forward toward establishing a world in which arms are traded fairly and responsibility and with respect to the principles which underpin the UN Charter."

    He noted that U.S. defense companies are in favor of establishing standards for arms import, export and transfer.

    "They see the advantages because it gives them support in the standards that they are trying to uphold in their own production and export of arms," Sawers said.

    "So we do look to the next U.S. administration to reconsider this approach," he said. "It's not an ideological question."