Eighteen countries, including five of the world’s biggest arms exporters, ratified a landmark treaty on Wednesday regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade.

The countries’ ambassadors handed over the documents at a UN ceremony on the first anniversary of the general assembly’s adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, which is aimed at stemming a global illegal weapons trade estimated to be worth between $60 billion (£36bn) and $85 billion (£51bn).

The new ratifications bring the total to 31 — over half of the 50 needed for the pact to enter into force.

Five of the world’s top 10 arms exporters — Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain — turned in their ratification documents at the ceremony.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia also submitted ratifications.

UN deputy secretary-general Jan Eliasson urged all 193 UN member states to sign and ratify without delay.

“Every day, we witness the human cost of the irresponsible transfer of weapons,” Mr Eliasson said.

“Civilians are still being killed, maimed or driven from their homelands because weapons and ammunition remain in the hands of warlords, terrorists, human rights abusers and organised criminal gangs.”

Co-chairwoman Anna Macdonald of the Control Arms Coalition, which includes hundreds of non-governmental organisations in over 100 countries, said the most powerful argument for its speedy implementation was “the call of the millions who suffer from armed violence around the world.”

Noting that June 3 would mark a year since the treaty was opened for signatures, she urged countries that have signed to ratify quickly so the treaty could come into force on June 3 2014.

She also cautioned that ratifying the treaty was not enough because the key was to end “business as usual.”

Ms Macdonald said: “All the governments ratifying here today can also act to show that these are not just words on paper and a photo in the press.”

And She told politicians: “All governments are responsible for the arms trade and all governments need to act to ensure it is brought under control.”