The first paragraph of article 5 of the Arms Trade Treaty states that the treaty must be implemented in a “consistent, objective and non-discriminatory manner, bearing in mind the principles referred to in this Treaty.”
The non-discrimination issue is very broad, and the treaty provides for a lot of flexibility. It really comes down to the facts and situation. As Ms. Gilmour mentioned, the situations are not the same in Canada, the United States, and other countries.
Russia and China have very similar situations, with a difference at the political level only. The non-discrimination provision takes into account the facts. The treaty does not merely require that all countries be treated the same, because the facts are different.