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Morocco — Gun Facts, Figures and the Law

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StockpilesGun Numbers

Civilian Guns

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Number of Privately Owned Firearms

The estimated total number of guns held by civilians in Morocco is 1,500,0001

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Rate of Civilian Firearm Possession per 100 Population

The rate of private gun ownership in Morocco is 5.02 firearms per 100 people

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Number of Privately Owned Firearms - World Ranking

In a comparison of the number of privately owned guns in 178 countries, Morocco ranked at No. 431

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Rate of Privately Owned Firearms per 100 Population - World Ranking

In a comparison of the rate of private gun ownership in 179 countries, Morocco ranked at No. 1012

Government Guns

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Number of Military Firearms

The defence forces of Morocco are reported to have 555,7503 firearms

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Number of Law Enforcement Firearms

Police in Morocco are reported to have 58,8004 firearms

ImpactsGun Death and Injury

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Number of Homicides (any method)

ChartIn Morocco, annual homicides by any means total

2006: 1625
2005: 160
2004: 1456
2003: 154
2002: 1437
2001: 129

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Rate of Homicide per 100,000 People (any method)

ChartIn Morocco, the annual rate of homicide by any means per 100,000 population is

2008: 0.408
2007: 0.40
2006: 0.535
2005: 0.52
2004: 0.486
2003: 0.50
2002: 0.487
2001: 0.44

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Number of Gun Homicides

In Morocco, annual firearm homicides total

2002: 17

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Rate of Gun Homicide per 100,000 People

In Morocco, the annual rate of firearm homicide per 100,000 population is

2002: 0.007

TransfersGun Trade and Trafficking

Export Control

In Morocco, firearm and ammunition exports are limited by transfer control law 9

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Small Arms Exports (US$)

The annual value of small arms and ammunition exports from Morocco is reported to be US$52,16210 (2009)

Import Control

In Morocco, firearm and ammunition imports are limited by transfer control law 9

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Small Arms Imports (US$)

The annual value of small arms and ammunition imports to Morocco is reported to be US$2,138,37610 (2009)

MeasuresGun Regulation

Firearm Registration

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Gun Dealer Record Keeping

In Morocco, licensed firearm dealers are required11 to keep a record of each firearm or ammunition purchase, sale or transfer on behalf of a regulating authority

Gun Sales and Transfers

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Regulation of Private Gun Sales

In Morocco, the private sale and transfer of firearms is permitted11

Storage and Transport of Guns and Ammunition

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Firearm and Ammunition Storage Regulations - Dealer

Firearm regulations in Morocco include11 written specifications for the lawful safe storage of firearms and ammunition by licensed arms dealers

MeasuresInternational Controls

Regional Agreements

League of Arab States

As a member of the League of Arab States, Morocco adopted the Arab Model Law on Weapons, Ammunitions, Explosives and Hazardous Material in January 200212

United Nations Arms Trade Treaty

In 2009, Morocco voted to begin13 negotiations towards a legally binding Arms Trade Treaty. In this vote, 151 UN Member States supported talks on an ATT, with 1 voting against, 20 abstentions, and 20 non-votes

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United Nations Firearms Protocol

The United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition has been signed and ratified14 by Morocco

United Nations Small Arms Programme of Action UNPoA

UNPoA Commitment

On 21 July 2001, Morocco committed to a consensus decision of the United Nations to adopt, support and implement the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects15

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UNPoA National Reporting

Under the terms of its 2001 commitment to the United Nations small arms Programme of Action, Morocco has submitted one or more national reports16 9 on its implementation of the UNPoA

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UNPoA National Point of Contact

In Morocco, a National Point of Contact to deal with issues relating to the UNPoA has been designated17 9

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UNPoA International Assistance – Donor

Funds for UNPoA implementation have not been donated9 by Morocco to other UN Member States

United Nations Small Arms Register

According to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, Morocco has not declared1 its small arms exports in one or more annual National Reports on Arms Exports.

United Nations Membership

In the UN List of Member States, Morocco has been a Member State of the United Nations since 195618

Wassenaar Arrangement

The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls and Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies does not list19 Morocco as a Participating State
Last Updated on 30 January 2012

Short References

1.

Karp, Aaron.2007.‘Completing the Count: Civilian firearms.’ Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,27 August. (Q4)Full Citation

2.

Karp, Aaron.2007.‘Completing the Count: Civilian firearms.’ Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,27 August. (Q5)Full Citation

3.

Karp, Aaron.2006.‘Trickle and Torrent: State stockpiles.’ Small Arms Survey 2006: Unfinished Business.Oxford:Oxford University Press,1 July. (Q6)Full Citation

4.

Karp, Aaron.2006.‘Trickle and Torrent: State stockpiles.’ Small Arms Survey 2006: Unfinished Business.Oxford:Oxford University Press,1 July. (Q7)Full Citation

5.

UNODC.2008.‘Recorded Intentional Homicide, Completed.’ Tenth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2005-2006).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,10 December. (Q10)Full Citation

6.

UNODC.2006.‘Reported Overall Homicide Numbers and Rates per 100,000 Population for 64 Countries, 2003-04.’ Ninth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2003 – 2004).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,10 December. (Q9)Full Citation

7.

UNODC.2005.‘Recorded Homicide and Firearm Homicide in 53 Countries, Completed or Attempted.’ Eighth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2001-2002).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,15 April. (Q1077)Full Citation

8.

Petrini, Benjamin.2011.‘Middle East and North Africa, 1995-2008, Total Recorded Intentional Homicide, Completed, Rate per 100,000 Population.’ World Bank Homicide Rate Dataset 1995-2008.Washington DC:Social Development Department, World Bank,10 February. (Q3813)Full Citation

9.

UNODA.2009.‘PoA-ISS Country Profiles.’ UN small arms Programme of Action (UNPoA) – Implementation Support System.New York:United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs,29 October. (Q1309)Full Citation

10.

Marsh, Nicholas.2011.‘Database of Authorised Transfers of Small Arms and Light Weapons.’ NISAT Small Arms Trade Database.Oslo:Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers,1 June. (Q16)Full Citation

11.

Morocco.2008.‘Tracing.’ National Report of Morocco on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA).New York:Permanent Mission of Morocco to the United Nations,23 April. (Q4789)Full Citation

12.

League of Arab States / UNODA.2002.‘Arab Model Law on Weapons, Ammunitions, Explosives and Hazardous Material.’ United Nations Programme of Action Implementation Support System: Regional Organisations.New York:Council of the League of Arab States / United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs,1 January. (Q3215)Full Citation

13.

UNGA.2009.‘Towards an Arms Trade Treaty: Establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms.’ UN Resolution A/RES/64/48.New York:United Nations General Assembly,2 June. (Q1886)Full Citation

14.

UNGA.2001.‘United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition.’ UN General Assembly Resolution 55/255.New York:UN General Assembly,31 May. (Q17)Full Citation

15.

UNGA.2001.‘Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.’ United Nations General Assembly.New York:UN General Assembly,20 July. (Q18)Full Citation

16.

Cattaneo, Silvia and Sarah Parker.2008.‘Reporting, NPCs and NCAs, 2002 to 2008.’ Implementing the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Analysis of the National Reports submitted by States from 2002 to 2008.Geneva:United Nations Development Programme,1 November. (Q20)Full Citation

17.

IANSA.2006.‘Reviewing Action on Small Arms 2006: Assessing the first five years of the UN Programme of Action.’ Biting the Bullet 'Red Book' 2006.New York:International Action Network on Small Arms and the Biting the Bullet project,26 June. (Q166)Full Citation

18.

UN.2009.‘Member States of the United Nations.’ UN.org Web Site.New York:United Nations General Assembly,11 May. (Q290)Full Citation

19.

Wassenaar Arrangement.1996.‘Introduction: Participating States.’ Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls and Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.Vienna:Wassenaar Secretariat,12 July. (Q19)Full Citation