A key UN General Assembly committee adopted a resolution late Friday paving the way for negotiations on a first-ever treaty on preventing and punishing crimes against humanity after Russia dropped amendments that would have derailed the effort. The resolution was approved by consensus by the assembly's legal committee, which includes all 193-member UN nations, after tense last-minute negotiations between its supporters and Russia that dragged through the day. There was loud applause when the chairman of the committee gaveled the resolution's approval. It is virtually certain to be adopted when the General Assembly puts it to a final vote on Dec 4. Today's agreement to start up negotiations on a much-needed international treaty is an historic achievement that was a long time coming, Richard Dicker, Human Rights Watch's senior legal adviser for advocacy, told The Associated Press. It sends a crucial message that impunity for the kinds of crimes inflicted on civilians in Ethiopia, Sud