United Nations,United States
Professor Targeted by US Gun Lobby Over Her UN Human Rights Report
Minnesota Daily (Minneapolis)
18 February 2010
The polarizing and powerful emotions surrounding gun ownership hit close to home Friday for University of Minnesota Professor Barbara Frey. Frey, director of the University's Human Rights Program through the Institute for Global Studies, was a special rapporteur on small arms for the United Nations from 2002 to 2006 and advocated for tighter gun regulation. Last Friday, Frey started to receive "hate mail" from people, she... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Obama, Clinton Join UN Treaty Push to Set Global Gun Trade Controls
Defense News (USA)
18 February 2010
The United States is working with other countries and the United Nations to impose uniform controls on international sales of conventional arms. But the U.S. State Department said it is likely to be years before an Arms Trade Treaty takes effect. The United States is committed to pursuing a "robust treaty" that sets "the highest possible legally binding standards" for international sales of conventional weapons, U.S. Ambassador... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Oxfam Chief Calls for Global Gun Trade Treaty to Protect Human Rights
Reuters AlertNet, Opinion
10 December 2009
Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland, is Honorary President of Oxfam International and heads the Ethical Globalisation Initiative. On the 55th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she calls for the creation of a new treaty to control the global trade in small arms. On this 55th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, threats of new... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
In 'Significant Shift' at UN, US Votes to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
Arms Control Today (USA)
10 December 2009
The Obama administration's voting record this year at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly marked a departure from the Bush administration in several key ballots. In other votes, however, the new administration's vote was the same as its predecessor's. The First Committee is responsible for drafting resolutions on arms control and international security issues. One of the shifts was on a resolution on disarmament... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Nations
Fear, Fundraising Drive US Misinformation Attack on UN Gun Trade Treaty
FactCheck.org (USA), Fact sheet
5 December 2009
International Gun Ban Treaty? Q: Has Obama found a "legal way around the Second Amendment"? A: The administration's agreement to talk about writing a United Nations treaty to regulate arms exports and imports is a far cry from banning possession of firearms, which Obama says he doesn't want to do and the Supreme Court has said can't be done anyway. FULL QUESTION Is this correct? Obama Finds Legal Way... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Nations
Colorado Ballot Would Warn Obama, Oppose Global Gun Trade Treaty
Washington Times
4 December 2009
DENVER -- Former Rep. Tom Tancredo, best known for his tough stand in Congress against illegal immigration, has taken up a new cause since his retirement from the House last year: defending American gun owners against international treaties. The Obama administration is moving forward on two treaties that Mr. Tancredo and other gun rights advocates see as a threat to the Second Amendment's right to bear arms. His response is a 2010... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Nations
Colorado Lawmaker Promotes Ballot to Oppose Global Gun Trade Treaty
Denver Post (Colorado)
1 December 2009
Former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo has proposed a 2010 ballot measure that would recommend to Colorado's top elected officials that they oppose gun restrictions. The Jefferson County Republican said he was prompted to act because the Obama administration has announced its intent to participate in negotiations on an international arms-trade treaty. The treaty would regulate international trade -- not domestic sales -- but Tancredo... ( gunpolicy.org )
India,United Nations
Rethink India's Decision to Abstain from UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Vote
Times of India, Editorial
13 November 2009
The past few weeks have seen a somewhat contradictory message emerging from New Delhi on the issue of arms trafficking. On the one hand, home secretary G K Pillai has stated Indian concerns about Maoists being supplied arms from China, albeit by private Chinese players rather than by Beijing. On the other, when the UN committee on disarmament and peace voted on a resolution last month calling for talks on a treaty to regulate the global... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
US Consensus Redline Rules the Global Gun Trade Treaty. Or Does It?
Disarmament Insight (Geneva), Blog
11 November 2009
The recent adoption of a United Nations resolution to produce legally binding international standards for the transfer of conventional arms is a real boost to the cause of international peace and security. Overwhelming support in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly for the negotiation of these new rules has set the scene for a series of preparatory meetings leading to the convening in 2012 of the United Nations Conference on the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
British, French Foreign Ministers Write: 'Time for an Arms Trade Treaty'
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Blog
11 November 2009
One of the great tragedies of our times is the uncontrolled spread of weapons, often from illegal markets, sometimes in violation of international embargoes. Up to a thousand people a day -- mostly women and children -- are killed by such arms, most of them in the world's poorest countries. These weapons fuel conflict, break down societies and prevent families climbing out of poverty. There is an urgent moral imperative to grip a global... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia,Venezuela,United Nations
Ten Countries Apply to Build Kalashnikov Assault Rifle Producing Plants
RIA Novosti (Russia)
10 November 2009
MOSCOW -- Ten countries have applied for licenses to construct plants to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles, a deputy CEO of Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Tuesday. Rosoboronexport is currently fulfilling a 2005 contract to build a Kalashnikov plant in Venezuela. "In the past few years, ten foreign states have applied to Russia for the creation of facilities on their territories to build licensed Kalashnikov... ( gunpolicy.org )
Gambia,West Africa,United Nations
West Africa, 153 UN Member States Promote Global Gun Trade Treaty
Daily Observer (Banjul)
9 November 2009
Every year, millions around the world suffer as a result of the non-regulation of the global arms trade. This year, on 30th October, 2009 at the United Nations, after years of discussions and debates, the vast majority of governments -- 153 in total -- agreed on a timetable to establish a"strong and robust Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) with the highest common standards to control international transfers of conventional arms, a press release... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
United Nations Global Gun Trade Treaty Takes Aim at Weapon Trafficking
Toronto Star (Ontario)
6 November 2009
In Kenya's lawless slums, you can rent a gun by the hour with no questions asked. In Somalia, teenagers boast of using assault rifles to terrify and rape women. In other parts of Africa, light weapons are supplied especially for child soldiers. For countries where gun violence is an epidemic, there is some good news. Major arms-dealing nations have joined a bid for a treaty that would rein in the $55 billion-a-year (U.S.) trade... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Nations
CNN: US, World Chronology of Media-reported Gun Homicide, Shootings
CNN
6 November 2009
Fri September 25, 2009 Four police officers, suspect shot in New Jersey raid Four police officers and a suspect were shot in a raid for firearms and narcotics early Thursday in central New Jersey, a local prosecutor's office said. Mon September 7, 2009 Police: Man shoots 4 family members, then himself A man shot his estranged wife to death, along with their son and grandson, before turning the gun on himself as police... ( gunpolicy.org )
India,United Nations,Russia,China
UN Gun Trade Treaty 'Likely Very Weak' as India, Russia, China Abstain
Times of India / TNN
2 November 2009
NEW DELHI -- Even as the crucial global arms trade and transfers (ATT) treaty, which seeks to regulate the $55 billion arms trade and promote democracy, found overwhelming support from 153 member countries at the UN on Friday, India was among the 19 who abstained from the meet. These 153 countries -- including top arms suppliers like US, Britain, Germany and France -- supported a UN disarmament committee resolution which will lead... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Praise for US, Jubilation, Caution as UN Agrees Global Gun Trade Treaty
Asian Tribune / Inter Press Service News Agency
1 November 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations, which is pursuing a proposal for "a world without nuclear weapons", will soon turn its attention to another new goal in the field of disarmament: creating a legally-binding treaty on conventional arms. The proposed new treaty, which is expected to be ready for a U.N. Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2012, will regulate the global trade in conventional arms, including fighter planes, combat... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Key UN Committee, US Diplomats Back Global Gun Trade Treaty
Associated Press
31 October 2009
A key General Assembly committee voted Friday to allow the U.N. to start negotiations on a new treaty regulating the global arms trade to help prevent the illegal transfer of guns that kill and maim thousands every day. John Duncan, Britain's ambassador for multilateral arms control and disarmament, hailed the 153-1 vote with 19 abstentions in the General Assembly's disarmament committee, saying the international community is now... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany,United Nations,Russia,China
Germany Backs Global Arms Trade Treaty, China and Russia Abstain
Deutsche Welle
31 October 2009
Germany, along with other key United Nations members, has backed talks on a global treaty to regulate the global trade of weapons. Two major arms suppliers, Russia and China, refused to support the measure. The United Nations resolution calls for talks aimed at agreeing a treaty to police the world's $55-billion (37-billion-euro) arms trade. The UN General Assembly's first committee on disarmament and peace passed the resolution... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States,Russia
US On Board, Russia Abstains in UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Talks
Reuters
30 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- The world's top weapons exporters agreed to back negotiations on a global treaty to regulate the world's $55 billion arms trade, but Russia refused to show support, diplomats said on Thursday. The deal came after negotiators from four of the top arms traders -- the United States, Britain, France and Germany overcame sharp disagreements on the wording of a U.N. General Assembly resolution that will guide negotiations... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Clinton Backs UN Global Gun Trade Treaty, Abandons Bush Opposition
Bloomberg (USA)
30 October 2009
The Obama administration voted today to support United Nations-sponsored talks on a treaty to regulate the $55 billion-a-year trade in conventional weapons, reversing prior U.S. opposition to negotiations begun in 2006. The General Assembly, consisting of all 192 UN member governments, adopted a resolution setting out a timetable for talks during the next two years on the proposed Arms Trade Treaty, including a UN conference to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Obama, Clinton Stir 'Perfect Storm' at UN for Anti-US Gun Control Agenda
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Blog
26 October 2009
The folks at United Nations headquarters in New York City, and our "allies" at Number 10 Downing Street in London, must be rubbing their hands with glee. Gun control groups here and abroad likewise are at last quietly cheering. Why? After a decade and a half of pushing unsuccessfully to secure America's support for a legally-binding, international instrument to regulate the marketing, transfer and brokering in firearms, they are now on the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Global Gun Trade Treaty Could Be Powerful Tool to Protect Children
Inter Press Service News Agency
25 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- The impact of global weapons trafficking on children and their recruitment as fighters should be on the agenda of talks for an international Arms Trade Treaty, say United Nations experts and non-governmental organisations. Formal negotiations on the treaty have not gotten off the ground since the vast majority of U.N. member states approved a proposal to target illicit small arms trafficking three years ago. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
Costa Rica,United Nations,United States
Costa Rica's Arias Celebrates US Support for Global Gun Trade Treaty
Daily News (Costa Rica)
20 October 2009
President Oscar Arias is viewing the United States' interest in an Arms Trade Treaty as one more trophy to put on his wall. The disarmament advocate celebrated a statement made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which announced the commitment of her country to the establishment of international standards for arms trading. Arias said the U.S. interest "is encouraging" because it represents "a radical" change from... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya,United Nations
Kenya Leads UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Against 'Merchants of Doom'
East African (Nairobi)
19 October 2009
Kenya is pressing within the United Nations for the start of talks on a binding global treaty to restrict the illegal transfer of small arms that take scores of lives in eastern and central Africa every day. The UN's disarmament committee will decide this month whether to endorse formal negotiations on such a treaty. Continuing in the leadership role it has played on this issue for several years, Kenya has joined Britain,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,Africa,United States
US U-turn on Global Gun Trade Treaty 'Great News for Africa' - IANSA
Xinhua
16 October 2009
Africa campaigners against gun violence hail the U. S. decision to join the negotiations for a comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty. In a joint statement issued in Nairobi, Kenya, the campaigners also urged governments to control deadly trade in weapons. "The U. S. decision to support strong global controls on the arms trade is great news for Africa," said Joseph Dube, Africa coordinator for IANSA, the global movement against... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Clinton Backs Global Gun Trade Treaty Only If Any One Nation Can Veto It
Washington Post
15 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced late Wednesday that the United States is prepared to begin negotiations on a global treaty regulating trade in conventional weapons but said Washington would sign the accord only if all other states agreed. The move marks a shift in policy from the Bush administration, which staunchly opposed U.N. negotiations to regulate the $55 billion-a-year arms trade. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
US Reverses Stance on Global Gun Trade Treaty, But Pushes Veto for All
Reuters
14 October 2009
WASHINGTON -- The United States reversed policy on Wednesday and said it would back launching talks on a treaty to regulate arms sales as long as the talks operated by consensus, a stance critics said gave every nation a veto. The decision, announced in a statement released by the U.S. State Department, overturns the position of former President George W. Bush's administration, which had opposed such a treaty on the grounds that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Statement of US Support for UN Global Gun Trade Treaty by Hillary Clinton
US Department of State (Washington, DC), Media release
14 October 2009
Conventional arms transfers are a crucial national security concern for the United States, and we have always supported effective action to control the international transfer of arms. The United States is prepared to work hard for a strong international standard in this area by seizing the opportunity presented by the Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty at the United Nations. As long as that Conference operates under the rule of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Oceania,South East Asia,United Nations
Asia-Pacific Countries to Discuss Arms Transfers, Gun Trade Treaty
Bernama (Malaysia)
12 October 2009
KUALA LUMPUR -- Representatives of 28 Asia-Pacific countries will begin a two-day seminar here tomorrow to discuss global transfers of conventional arms as well as controls, according to a statement. The seminar will be officially opened by officials from the European Union and the United Nations, and will be attended by high-level representatives of the relevant ministries of the participating states, international and regional... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
United Nations Meeting Strengthens Push for Global Gun Trade Treaty
Associated Press
11 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- Seven countries have launched a campaign for the U.N. to start negotiations on a new treaty regulating the global arms trade to help prevent the illegal transfer of guns that kill and maim thousands every day. John Duncan, Britain's ambassador for multilateral arms control and disarmament, said the four-week meeting of the General Assembly's disarmament committee, which started Monday, will be "pivotal" in deciding... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
NGOs Hold Gun Exporters to Account for Abuses, Seek Arms Trade Treaty
Inter Press Service News Agency
8 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- With 2,000 people dying daily in armed violence fuelled by irresponsible arms transfers, talks to create an international treaty regulating these weapons can no longer be delayed, says a coalition of NGOs in a new report "Dying for Action" published Wednesday. While nuclear disarmament is high on the U.N. agenda these days, 90 percent of casualties in conflict areas are caused by small arms such as submachine guns,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Claim: Armed Violence Kills 2,000 a Day
Reuters
7 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- More than 2,000 people around the world are dying from armed violence each day, on average, advocacy groups said on Tuesday, urging nations to launch negotiations on a treaty to regulate the arms trade. A report by the 12 groups was issued as a U.N. General Assembly committee began considering a draft resolution that would set a timetable for negotiations with the aim of concluding a treaty in 2012. RKBA The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Nations,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Drugs, US Guns 'Gravest Problem' Facing Caribbean, Latin America
Caribbean Life (New York)
7 October 2009
A former Antigua and Barbuda diplomat has warned that unless the United States put measures in place to curb the trafficking of weapons and drugs through the region, the situation will worsen. Sir Ronald Sanders, who twice served as the Caribbean nation's High Commissioner of London said the issue of drugs, arms and crime is "the gravest problem" facing the countries of the Caribbean and Latin America -- with the exception of Cuba.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Campaigners Press United Nations for Global Gun Trade Treaty
Agence France Presse
6 October 2009
LONDON -- Some 2.1 million people have died either directly or indirectly from armed violence over the last three years as talks on a global arms trade treaty have stalled, campaigners said Wednesday. More than 2,000 people have died from such violence every day since 2006, when governments agreed on the need to regulate the arms trade, said British charity Oxfam and 11 other non-governmental organisations. "Eight out of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria,United Nations
Nigeria Calls for Reinforced UN Fight Against Illicit Global Gun Trade
Xinhua
28 September 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- There is an urgent need for a rejuvenated fight against trafficking in small arms, a top Nigerian diplomat said at the General Assembly here Monday, stressing the ties between that trade and piracy and oil smuggling in the Niger Delta. "The proliferation of small arms in West Africa is fast turning the region into a major transit point for illicit drugs, thus also facilitating the growth of criminal syndicates,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations
America is Right to Oppose United Nations Global Gun Trade Treaty
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh), Editorial
15 September 2009
Conventional arms control, United Nations-style, won't stem the proliferation of guns that get into the wrong hands. More likely, it will only make bad situations worse. The United States was one of only two nations that voted against the U.N. resolution last year. Its support among member states could advance a legally binding U.N. treaty creating "common international standards" for the import and export of small arms and light... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany, United Nations
Gun Owner Dad Helped Son Buy Bullets Used in School Mass Shooting
Spiegel (Germany)
14 September 2009
Earlier this year, Tim K. killed 15 people and himself in a shooting spree that started at his former school in Winnenden, Germany. According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, the investigation files show that Tim's father went with him to a gun store to buy 1,000 bullets seven weeks before the shooting. Police investigators have found that the father of Tim K., the 17-year-old who killed 15 people and then himself in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
UN Mexico Meeting Tackles Global Gun Trade, Security, Development
United Nations
11 September 2009
MEXICO CITY -- Taking weapons out of the hands of those who used them would help save lives everywhere, but that alone would not stop the thriving global arms trade and make the planet safer, Alfredo Ferrariz Lubang, Regional Representative of the Bangkok-based Nonviolence International South East Asia, said as the sixty-second annual DPI/NGO Conference continued in Mexico City this morning. Speaking during a round-table discussion... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Central America, United Nations
Gun Treaty for the Americas Erodes US Sovereignty, Says Lobby Group
Green Bay Gazette (Wisconsin), Opinion
22 August 2009
DALLAS -- CIFTA -- the 1997 small-arms trafficking treaty drafted with the help of the Clinton administration -- is bad as a matter of principle and policy. When the United Nations tried to get the Bush administration to push the treaty through the Senate, it refused. John Bolton, then undersecretary of state for arms control, said the United States would reject any effort to regulate trade in non-military arms or any treaty that... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, United Nations
13 Nations Feed Guns to North Indian State, Arms Trade Treaty Needed
Morung Express News (Nagaland)
25 July 2009
DIMAPUR -- Poor regulatory mechanisms, looped policies and national fiscal interests in the arms trade are translating into human costs, fuelling conflicts in war-torn zones like the North East region of India. The United Nations' General Assembly has been reminded of the urgency for an international arms trade treaty and greater humane accountability. Scholar and peace activist from Manipur Binalakshmi Nepram in her speech delivered... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
United Nations Working Group Inches Towards Global Gun Trade Treaty
Inter Press Service News Agency
16 July 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations concluded an open-ended working group for an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Thursday, part of a lengthy and politically contentious process to nail down a basic framework for curbing deadly illegal weapons sales. "An open-ended working group in the U.N. is where all states can come to a meeting, it's an open invitation," Amnesty International spokesperson Brian Wood explained to IPS. "They... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations
US Demand for Handguns Fuels Spike in Global Gun Trade - Survey
Agence France Presse
9 July 2009
GENEVA -- Ballooning US demand and the handgun's surge in popularity drove up the global trade in small arms by more than a quarter between 2000 and 2006, a UN-backed study showed Thursday. Those weapons in the hands of civilians, security forces or armed groups were behind the deaths of 450,000 people, said the authors of the Small Arms Survey 2009. Pistols, revolvers, rifles and heavy machine guns accounted for 60 percent... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations
United States Observes International Small Arms, Gun Destruction Day
US Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Media release
9 July 2009
The United States is pleased to join in observing International Small Arms Destruction Day, initiated by the United Nations in 2001, as part of the United States' ongoing efforts to reduce armed violence and support the rule of law around the world. Since 2001, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs has invested over $110 million dollars to help destroy over 1.3 million small arms and 50,000 tons of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations
Permissive US Gun Laws Support 28 Percent Rise in Global Gun Sales
Bloomberg (USA)
9 July 2009
Permissive U.S. gun controls rewarded pistol, shotgun and sniper-rifle manufacturers worldwide after Americans spent more on buying and selling weapons than anyone else on earth, the Small Arms Survey said. The U.S. exported around 22 percent and imported around 27 percent of the world's small arms, light weapons and ammunition between 2000 and 2006, the Geneva-based group said today in its 344-page "Small Arms Survey 2009." The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Austria, Croatia, United Nations
US Demand for Handguns Drives 28 Percent Jump in World Gun Trade
Associated Press
8 July 2009
GENEVA -- American demand for handguns has fueled a 28 percent jump this decade in world exports of pistols, rifles, shotguns and other small arms, a global report said Thursday. The 2009 Small Arms Survey reported that the Untied States alone was responsible for about half of the worldwide increase in legal international gun sales between 2000 and 2006. The U.S. now accounts for over half of the world's imports of pistols and revolvers... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ghana, United Nations
Ghana Backs Global Gun Trade Treaty to Curb African Arms Trafficking
Ghana News Agency
7 July 2009
Mr Cletus Avoka, Minister for the Interior, on Tuesday said Ghana had a moral obligation to support other states on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that would ensure responsibility and fairness in the import, export, trans-shipment and transit of conventional weapons. He said that support would also ensure the guarantee of human rights including the economic, political and social rights of persons around the world. In a speech... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia, United Nations
Born on 6 July, 1947: The AK-47 Assault Rifle, an All-Purpose Killer
Wired (USA)
6 July 2009
1947: The AK-47, one of the world's first operational assault rifles and probably the most durable and enduring small-arms weapons ever made, goes into production in the Soviet Union. More than 60 years later, it remains the standard infantry weapon in numerous armies, and a mainstay in the arsenals of rebels, drug traffickers and terrorists worldwide. The AK-47 was the brainchild of self-taught inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov, the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, Rwanda, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa
Rwanda to Host UN Global Gun Control Meeting in Kigali, 8-9 July
United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs / UNODA (New York), Media release
3 July 2009
Rwanda will host a United Nations regional meeting on the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons for States of the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region and Southern Africa, on 8 and 9 July, in Kigali, the capital. The meeting is organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), through its United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) and in collaboration with the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ghana, United Nations
West African Arms Control Groups Promote Global Gun Trade Treaty
Daily Graphic (Ghana)
29 June 2009
The West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) has expressed grave concern over the misuse of arms worldwide. A statement issued by WAANSA to mark the Global Week of Action which fell from June 15-21, 2009, said armed violence and misuse of illicit small arms and light weapons continued to pose a serious challenge in Ghana. The week of action is set aside for civil society around the world to undertake activities... ( gunpolicy.org )
Tanzania, United Nations
Tanzania Promises to Tackle Global Gun Trade in East Africa and the UN
Arusha Times
27 June 2009
ARUSHA -- The government of Tanzania through Tanzania National Action Network on Small Arms (TANANSA), together with the international community of 80 countries, is taking action against the proliferation of conventional arms in order to make the world a safer place to live in. The country joined the global week of action against gun violence, organized by the International Action Network on Small Arms on June 15-21. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines, United Nations
Warning in Philippine Story '6yr-old Kills Soldier Dad with Own Handgun'
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Editorial
25 June 2009
Private First Class Apolonio Pacioles was home from the battlefield. He had managed to go on leave -- from the Army's 54th Infantry Battalion, based currently somewhere in Mindanao -- just in time for Father's Day. He returned to his house in Quezon City on Saturday, and he was up early the following day. At about 6 a.m, he asked his five-year-old son to do something for him: fetch his service firearm for him. A poignant passage... ( gunpolicy.org )
Oceania, United Nations, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea
United Nations Gun Chief Says Pacific Has Illicit Small Arms Problem
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave), Audio
25 June 2009
The United Nations is working to halt the daily toll of one-thousand people around the world killed by small arms. The job of halting the toll taken by small illegal weapons has now been placed in the hands of United Nations Ambassador, Pablo Macedo. Ambassador Macedo is Chair Designate for next year's United Nations Biennial Meeting of States on Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons. Speaker: United Nations Ambassador, Pablo Macedo... ( gunpolicy.org )
Oceania, Mexico, Australia, United Nations
Even Small Numbers of Guns Can Turn a Pacific Community to Chaos
PacNews / Pacific Islands News Association
25 June 2009
Guns in the Pacific region have the potential to create chaos, economic damage and social disruption, a just-completed conference has been told, reports Radio Australia. The meeting of Pacific Island officials in Sydney, Australia, was sponsored by the United Nations Disarmament Office and the Australian Government. It looked at the scale of the problem and initiatives to tackle it. It was chaired by Mexico's Pueblo... ( gunpolicy.org )
Oceania, United Nations
UN Meeting Tackles Gun Culture, Crime, Ammunition Curbs in the Pacific
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave) / Pacific Beat, Audio
24 June 2009
Guns have the potential to create chaos, economic damage and social disruption in the Pacific. That is the message heard at a 2-day meeting of Pacific Island officials that has just wound up in Sydney. The meeting, jointly sponsored by Australia and the United Nations Disarmament Office, looked at the scale of the problem and initiatives to tackle it. Speakers: Ambassador Pablo Macedo, Chair-Designate, UN small arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Oceania, Australia, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, United Nations
Guns Threaten Pacific Stability, Ammunition Controls on Way, UN Told
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave)
24 June 2009
Guns in the Pacific region have the potential to create chaos, economic damage and social disruption, a conference has been told. The meeting of Pacific Island officials in Sydney was sponsored by the United Nations Disarmament Office and the Australian Government. The two-day event, which has just wound up, looked at the scale of the problem and initiatives to tackle it. It was chaired by Mexico's Pablo Macedo,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Solomon Islands, Australia, United Nations
UN Gun Control Meeting Draws Delegates from 17 Nations of the Pacific
Solomon Star (Honiara)
22 June 2009
Solomon Islands is among countries taking part in the regional meeting on small arms in Sydney, Australia, starting today. The United Nations meeting on the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects for States of the Pacific region will be held today and tomorrow. The United Nations Office organizes the meeting for Disarmament Affairs, including... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sierra Leone, United Nations
Global Gun Trade Treaty 'Bedrock' to Curbing Gun Violence in West Africa
Concord Times (Freetown)
22 June 2009
FREETOWN -- Policy makers, including members of parliament, representatives from various ministries of government, the military, police and civil society organizations Wednesday discussed the arms trade treaty as bedrock to the maintenance of peace and stability in the country. The roundtable conference was organized by the Sierra Leone Network on Small Arms, SLANSA as part of this year's global week of action in raising awareness... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina, Brazil, United Nations
Global Gun Control Expert Pablo Dreyfus Killed in Air Crash [Espanol]
El Clarin (Buenos Aires), Obituary
22 June 2009
[Translated summary: World-renowned and respected gun control expert Pablo Dreyfus and his wife died in the recent crash of Air France 447]. Mensajes de todo Brasil llegan sin cesar, en homenaje al argentino Pablo Dreyfus, desaparecido en el accidente del avión de Air France. Son militares, diplomáticos, policÃas, curas, gobernadores, parlamentarios, ONGs y ciudadanos comunes, que envÃan agradecimientos por todo lo que ese porteño... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria, West Africa, United Nations
NGOs Urge Nigeria, West Africa to Support UN Global Gun Trade Treaty
Leadership (Abuja)
21 June 2009
ABUJA -- The West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), Nigeria chapter, has called on government to express vocal support for a comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in a move to broaden the base of the national assault against gun violence with reference to the restive Niger Delta region. The group's president, Mr. Dickson Orji, who made this call at a briefing to mark the global week of action on small arms and light... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States
Eight US Senators Push Clinton to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
Export Industry News (USA)
19 June 2009
A bipartisan group comprised of eight senators is urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a strong proponent of an international Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the interstate transfer of conventional weapons. The second session of the United Nations' Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Arms Trade Treaty is scheduled to convene at the United Nations July 13-17. The OEWG is tasked with creating international regulations... ( gunpolicy.org )
Gambia, United Nations
Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence Underway in Ghana
Daily Observer (Banjul)
17 June 2009
The Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, organised by the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) runs from 15-21 June 2009. In the course of this period, events are held in over 80 countries across the world, aimed at drawing attention to the human costs associated with proliferation and misuse of guns. Campaigners in The Gambia are also in the thick of things, joining their colleagues around the world... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, South America, Africa
Key Campaigners Against Global Gun Trafficking Lost in Air France Crash
Sunday Herald (Glasgow)
7 June 2009
Amid the media frenzy and speculation over the disappearance of Air France's ill-fated Flight 447, the loss of two of the world's most prominent figures in the war on the illegal arms trade and international drug trafficking has been virtually overlooked. Pablo Dreyfus, a 39-year-old Argentine who was travelling with his wife Ana Carolina Rodrigues aboard the doomed flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, had worked tirelessly with... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Global Arms Trade Treaty 'Not Gun Control,' Vows British Foreign Minister
Arms Control Today (USA)
1 June 2009
Bill Rammell serves as minister of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs in the United Kingdom. His responsibilities encompass the Middle East, including Iraq and Iran; counterterrorism; counterproliferation; the Far East and Southeast Asia; North America; drugs and international crime; and migration policy. Arms Control Today met with Rammell May 5 to discuss the United Kingdom's efforts on an arms trade treaty and other international... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations
Mean Men, Ammo, Weapons Galore: US Gun Show Buyers Fear Obama
Sydney Morning Herald
2 May 2009
Iit is the first day of "the Nation's Gun Show" in Virginia, a vast bazaar of weapons held each year just a half-hour's drive from Capitol Hill. Inside the cavernous Dulles Expo Centre, the size of two football fields, there are enough guns and knives to equip a small army. Signs at the doorways remind visitors and vendors to make sure all firearms are unloaded before entering. Inside, a couple of thousand men, many sporting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
World Arms Trade Up 20% in Five Years, Says Peace Research Group
Guardian (UK)
27 April 2009
The arms trade has expanded by more than 20% worldwide in the past five years, with the Middle East and Asian countries accounting for most of the increase, according to figures to be released today by the authoritative Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). The US was by far the largest arms supplier, accounting for 31% of global weapons exports over the past five years, with over a third going to the Middle... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Thailand, Russia, United Nations
Gun Runner Bout Has Thailand, Russia, US in 'Geostrategic Dilemma'
Far Eastern Economic Review
6 March 2009
BANGKOK -- Today marks the one year anniversary of alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout's arrest in Bangkok, a contested covert operation that has put Thailand in the geopolitical middle of the United States and Russia. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Bout will be extradited to the U.S., where he faces charges of conspiracy to provide weapons to a foreign terrorist organization. After Canada and Mexico, Thailand extradites... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United Nations
Kiefer Sutherland Narrates TV Documentary About Global Gun Trafficking
Canadian Press, TV review
3 March 2009
When Shelley Saywell was planning her documentary about guns, the authoritative voice of Kiefer Sutherland -- TV's freedom-fighting vigilante, Jack Bauer -- kept resonating in her head. "I kept hearing Kiefer's voice for some reason," says the Toronto-born filmmaker. The "24" star was in Africa last summer shooting "24: Redemption," the two-hour TV movie that aired in November, when he was contacted by Saywell to narrate... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Firearms a Global Growth Industry, Gun Running an 'Ongoing Tragedy'
Globe & Mail (Toronto), TV review
27 February 2009
You'll never get rich in the army or civil service, but untold wealth awaits those willing to deal in the arms trade, illegal or otherwise. By recent estimate, there is one gun for every 10 people on the planet, and every year manufacturers create eight million more. While most of the world buckles under an economic meltdown, guns are becoming a growth industry. The rarely covered issue of global weapon proliferation is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, United States, United Nations
Obama, Support Global Gun Trade Treaty - Oxfam, Saferworld, Amnesty
Times (UK), Letter
10 February 2009
Sir, President Obama's moves to cut America's stockpiles of nuclear weapons and to engage in a "legally binding arms reduction process" must be welcomed ("Obama to seek cuts in nuclear warheads", report, Feb 4). Cutting nuclear weapons will make the world a safer place in the long term, but in the short term the control of conventional weapons and small arms could have a massive impact on the lives of millions of people around the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Efforts to Reduce Global Gun Trafficking, Gun Love 'Pitiful,' Says New Film
New York Times, Movie Review
21 January 2009
"I'd rather lose one son than my gun, because with a gun I can save my family," declares a frightened Congolese villager in "Dealing and Wheeling in Small Arms," a depressing, scattershot survey of the spread of weaponry around the world, especially in Africa. This Dutch film, directed by Sander Francken, shifts abruptly back and forth between a ground-level view of how small arms have affected poor countries and a throw-up-your-hands... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, India
Terrorists Rely More on Easy-to-get Guns Than Less Accessible Weapons
Center for Defense Information, Web Page
15 January 2009
At 9 pm on 26 November 2008, gunmen began a series of coordinated attacks in the city of Mumbai, India, which terrorized the city and captivated the world. Using only small arms and grenades, roughly two dozen operatives from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Kashmir- based militant group, attacked Mumbai, paralyzing the financial and cultural center of India for 62 hours. In the end, nearly 200 were killed and 350 wounded. While much of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Global Gun Control Campaign Spotlights AK-47: 'Today's WMD of Choice'
Straits Times (Singapore)
25 December 2008
Terrorists used it in the recent attacks on Mumbai. Pirates have used it to attack merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden uses it as a background prop whenever he broadcasts another fiery denunciation of the United States and the West. Weapons of mass destruction such as the atomic bomb have stoked fears of a nuclear apocalypse. But when the history of the late 20th century is finally written, the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Global Gun Violence Prevention Campaign Moves Steadily in UN Process
En la mira / Latin American Small Arms Watch (Brazil), Newsletter
18 December 2008
The calm atmosphere of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly can seem much distance away from the slums of Brazil or the refugee camps in East Africa. This is misleading -- since guns cross borders easily, global coordinated action is an essential part of the solution. Campaigners against armed violence had high expectations for the 2008 First Committee, which met during October in New York. All UN Member States participate... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Flying Anything to Anybody: International Gun Runner, Man of Mystery Bout
Economist
18 December 2008
Viktor Bout knew, long before his plane lifted off from Moscow, that they meant to snatch him. For years he had hunkered down in the Russian capital, making only rare forays abroad. Western spies, the United Nations and do-gooder activists were after him. They said that he had smashed arms embargoes and struck deals with a remarkable axis of ne'er-do-wells: supplying weapons and air-transport to the Taliban, abetting despots and revolutionaries... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Critical Nations Stall as UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Creeps Forward
Arms Control Today (USA), December
1 December 2008
More than 140 countries voted at the UN First Committee to continue discussion next year on the creation of a global arms trade treaty, marking some progress on a resolution first passed in 2006. The United States voted against the measure and has not yet decided whether to continue its participation in the discussions. With or without the world's top arms trader, significant hurdles exist in reaching a legally binding instrument. Continued... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations
'Not Enough Americans Are Afraid' Says US Gun Lobby Chief LaPierre
Ashland Times-Gazette (Ohio)
18 November 2008
Historic victories for gun rights occurred in 2008, but the fight for firearm freedoms must continue to preserve the Second Amendment, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told a crowd on Monday at Ashland University. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down a handgun ban in Washington D.C., that affirmed the right to keep and bear arms, there is a battle for firearms ownership in America,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand, Russia, United States, United Nations
Merchant of Death Who Armed The World: BBC 'Full Story' on Viktor Bout
BBC Two / This World
17 November 2008
Viktor Bout, the man accused by Western governments of being the world's biggest arms dealer, has been held in a Bangkok jail since March, with the threat of extradition to the US hanging over his head. After more than 15 years of allegedly running guns to African warlords and Islamic militants he was arrested in Thailand after an elaborate sting organised by US agents. A former member of the Russian military, Mr Bout has... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
UN Gun Trade Conference Report: Moving a Small Arms Agenda Forward
Disarmament Times (USA)
16 November 2008
A wave of optimism swept over the United Nations small arms process in July, when progress on implementing the 2001 Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms in All Its Aspects received new momentum. (1) On 18 July, after seven months of preparation and five days of face-to-face discussions at the Third Biennial Meeting of States, 134 states voted to adopt a final outcome document outlining actions needed to counter... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Zimbabwe, United Nations
US, Zimbabwe Unite as Sole 'No' Voters on UN Global Gun Trade Treaty
Los Angeles Times
1 November 2008
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States and Zimbabwe united briefly Friday against the world to oppose creating a treaty that would control international sales of arms. In a United Nations General Assembly vote, 147 of its 192 members voted in favor of creating a global treaty that would impose rules on the import, export and transfer of weapons among nations. Only the U.S., long an opponent of such a treaty, and Zimbabwe voted against... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States, Zimbabwe
UN Votes for Global Gun Trade Treaty: 147 in Favour, 2 Against
Associated Press
31 October 2008
UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly endorsed the idea of an unprecedented treaty regulating the global arms trade Friday, despite opposition from the United States. Of the U.N.'s 192 member nations, 147 voted in favor of drafting the treaty. Only the U.S. and Zimbabwe voted against it, with the other nations absent or abstaining. Proponents say they hope to adopt a treaty within five years imposing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States
United States, Zimbabwe Alone in Opposing UN Global Gun Trade Treaty
Reuters
31 October 2008
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States and Zimbabwe may not be on the best of terms, but they had a rare moment of unity on Friday when their U.N. envoys joined forces to vote against establishing global arms trade standards. Nearly 150 nations voted in favor of drafting a legally binding arms trade treaty that would tighten regulation of, and set international standards for, the import, export and transfer of conventional weapons.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States
Lopsided UN Vote Kicks Off Negotiations for Global Gun Trade Treaty
Agence France Presse
31 October 2008
UNITED NATIONS -- A UN General Assembly panel on Friday overwhelmingly backed steps to draft a treaty establishing international standards for the arms trade. It endorsed a resolution urging UN member states to consider how to implement "the highest possible standards to prevent the diversion of conventional arms from the legal to the illicit market, where they can be used for terrorist acts, organized crime and other criminal activities."... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States
Landslide UN Vote Kicks Off Treaty to Set Global Gun Trade Standards
Xinhua
31 October 2008
UNITED NATIONS -- 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... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, United Nations
UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Faces 'Crucial Vote, Make-or-break Moment'
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Opinion
27 October 2008
In these days of giant bank bail-outs and financial calamity involving sums in the billions, 1,000 seems like a small number. Except it is the average number of people killed by small arms every day, and to me that number is devastating. Many of these deaths happen because armed weapons are too easy to buy and sell. There are at least 640m firearms in existence in the world today and up to 14bn bullets are manufactured every year,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, United Nations
UN Gun Trade Treaty: As of Last Week, 111 of 192 States Had Signed Up
Sunday Herald (Glasgow), Opinion
26 October 2008
Someone has just been killed. Soon their family will know. Their mother and father, or sons and daughters, or husband or wife will face the grief of a loved one lost, the expected future ended, and potential hardship as they face life without them. Today, as you are reading the Sunday papers and hopefully relaxing after your week, somewhere someone has been killed by firearms. Not just one person, but about 50 this hour and every... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, United Nations
'Global Treaty Against Guns' Could Slow US Weapons to World Criminals
Foreign Policy In Focus (USA)
23 October 2008
We've heard a lot about gun control and the second amendment in this election season. A McCain-Palin poster, featuring Alaska's 44-year-old governor with a big gun and the viewer in her rifle sights, is just one of the more graphic indications that gun control is a lightning-rod issue that distracts, distorts, and dismays. More than 200 years after our founding fathers enshrined the right to "bear arms" in our Constitution, we have... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland, Yemen, Switzerland, United States, United Nations
Global Gun Ownership: Finland, Yemen, Switzerland, USA - Keith Krause
Chicago Public Radio, Audio
23 October 2008
Last month, a 22-year-old student walked into his trade school in Finland and opened fire. He killed 10 people before shooting himself. The school massacre was the second Finland experienced in less than a year. Keith Krause is the Program Director of the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Switzerland. The Small Arms Survey puts... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Tutu Urges 192 UN Ambassadors to Support Global Gun Control Treaty
Agence France Presse
22 October 2008
NEW YORK -- South Africa's retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Tuesday appealed to UN member states to "end the slaughter" resulting from the uncontrolled small arms trade by backing a global arms trade treaty. In a message delivered to all 192 missions to the United Nations here, he pointed out that "in the last two years almost three quarters of a million people have died as a result of armed violence. "You can and must... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ukraine, Kenya, United Nations
Global Gun Trade Thrives: Recent Example 40,000 Kalashnikovs to Kenya
Time (World)
14 October 2008
PARIS -- Need to start a war? No problem. While stock markets gyrate and financial institutions (and even whole countries, like Iceland) teeter on bankruptcy, one global industry is still drawing plenty of high-end trades and profits: weapons. In a Paris courtroom last week, 42 officials went on trial for taking millions in kickbacks and organizing huge arms commissions from the Angolan government during the mid-1990s. In the dock... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Unchecked Gun Trade Fuels Conflict, Poverty: UN Treaty Seen As Urgent
Inter Press Service News Agency
11 October 2008
UNITED NATIONS -- With 1.3 trillion dollars spent every year on the world's militaries, countries enmeshed in conflict are often flooded by weapons which are then turned against helpless civilian populations, say human rights organisations pushing for an international treaty to closely regulate arms sales. "If a country is likely to be involved in warfare, then it is unjustifiable to sell arms. There must be regulation or control... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, United Nations
UK Union Boss, Amnesty International Call for Global Gun Trade Treaty
Guardian (UK), Letter
10 October 2008
This week marks the start of crucial discussions at the UN on whether or not to start work on a treaty that would stop weapons ending up in the hands of abusers, and that would tighten controls on the huge number of weapons flooding our planet (China warns US over plan for $6.5bn arms sale to Taiwan, October 8). Such a treaty is desperately needed. Every day 1,000 people die as a result of armed violence. And 639m small arms are in circulation... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
How, Why UN Small Arms Meeting Made Headway - Chairman Speaks
Arms Control Today (USA)
10 October 2008
When I was nominated in December 2007 as the chair-designate of the third biennial meeting of states (BMS3),[1] my team and I immediately focused on the task of ensuring a successful outcome. This, of course, is the duty of any meeting chair; but in this case, the need for success was acute. The first two biennial meetings held to consider the implementation of the Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Global Gun Trade 'Out of Control,' Fueling Conflict, Poverty, Says Oxfam
Press Association (UK)
8 October 2008
The arms trade is "out of control" and is destroying global attempts to tackle poverty, according to a new report. International aid agency Oxfam said many developing countries will not reach their fundamental targets for human advancement because of "irresponsible" arms dealing. Its report, Shooting Down The Millennium Development Goals, said weapons trading had damaging consequences far beyond the immediate effects of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
UN Conference Agrees, Makes Modest Progress to Curb Gun Violence
Arms Control Today (USA), September Issue
1 October 2008
After failing to achieve consensus at a 2006 review conference, this year's delegates to an international gathering to address the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons overcame procedural objections to vote for modest next steps. By its very nature, the illicit trade is difficult to gauge. The independent research group Small Arms Survey estimates the authorized trade of small arms, light weapons, and related ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Nukes, WMD Make the Headlines, But Guns Kill 1,000 a Day - UN Treaty
The World Today (UK) October 2008, Vol 64, Issue 10
1 October 2008
By tightening and universalising the trading rules of a 'responsible' international arms market, a[n arms trade] treaty would aim to crowd out illegal and informal arms trafficking and, over time, dry up the pool of illegal conventional weapons and limit the death and damage with which we have become too familiar. Of the 192 member states of the United Nations, 153 voted for the resolution at its launch, and a remarkable hundred or so have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, Finland, New Zealand, United States, Australia, Canada, France, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Austria, Israel, Brazil, Germany
Comparison of Key Handgun Restrictions in 14 Industrialised Countries
Economist
25 September 2008
Finland's government is introducing tougher regulations on handguns following a mass shooting at a school on Tuesday September 23rd, the second in under a year. The country had been among the most lenient in the world, allowing 15-year-olds to keep a handgun under parental supervision, requiring no medical or psychological tests and no minimum wait for those buying weapons. The gun-death rate (whether murder, accident or... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bosnia & Herzegovina, Europe, United Nations
EU, UN to Spend EUR3 Million Destroying Bosnian Guns, Ammunition
Agence France Presse
24 September 2008
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- The European Union and a U.N. agency said Wednesday they have donated EUR3 million for the control and reduction of small arms and ammunition left over from the 1992-95 Bosnia war. The project's goal is "to decrease the threat posed to human security by the large and uncontrolled presence of small arms, light weapons and ammunition in the country," said Christine McNab, a representative of the United... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations
Gun Control Opponents Genetically 'More Fearful,' Says Article in Science
Los Angeles Times
18 September 2008
Die-hard liberals and conservatives aren't made, they're born. It's literally in their DNA. That's the implication of a study by a group of researchers who wanted to see if there was a biological basis for people's political attitudes. They found to their surprise that opinions on such contentious issues as gun control, pacifism and capital punishment are strongly associated with physiological traits that in all likelihood... ( gunpolicy.org )
Iraq, United States, United Nations
Pentagon Floods 530-000-strong Iraqi Forces with Another Million Guns
Sydney Morning Herald / AFP
17 September 2008
World governments should pledge to actively prevent sales of weapons that are likely to be used in human rights violations in a new arms treaty under negotiation, Amnesty International said on Wednesday. Whether used by the military in Burma to disperse protesters in September 2007, or by Somali armed factions terrorising the streets of Mogadishu, the human rights group warned small weapons had "catastrophic" effects worldwide.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, United Nations
Just Like Other Weapons, Guns Should Be Controlled by a Global Treaty
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Opinion
17 September 2008
It seems far too often we see images on our television screens of the impact of the devastation caused by weapons, which have ended up in the wrong hands and fuelled dreadful human rights abuses. The carnage caused by sectarian violence in Iraq; the shocking image of a young boy carrying an AK-47, a gun almost the same height as himself; and the account of traumatised women and girls who have suffered horrific sexual abuse, often... ( gunpolicy.org )
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