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Palau — 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 Palau is 01

Government Guns

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Routine Arming of Police

In Palau, police officers on routine patrol carry one or more firearms2

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Number of Law Enforcement Firearms

Police in Palau are reported to have 983 firearms

ImpactsGun Death and Injury

Number of Homicides (any method)

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

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

2004: 0.904
2002: 1.00

TransfersGun Trade and Trafficking

Export Control

In Palau, firearm and ammunition exports are limited by transfer control law 5

Import Control

In Palau, firearm and ammunition imports are limited by transfer control law 6

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Small Arms Imports (US$)

The annual value of small arms and ammunition imports to Palau is reported to be US$12,8647 (2008)

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Regulation of Arms Brokers

In Palau, the activities of arms brokers and transfer intermediaries are not specifically regulated by law6

MeasuresGun Regulation

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Firearm Regulation - Guiding Policy

The regulation of guns in Palau is categorised as restrictive8

Firearm Law

Guiding gun control legislation in Palau is the Constitution of the Republic of Palau, 1979, Section 129

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Prohibited Firearms and Ammunition

In Palau, civilians are not allowed to possess any firearms9

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Gun Owner Licensing

In Palau, no civilian (civilian possession prohibited)9 may lawfully acquire, possess or transfer a firearm or ammunition

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Penalty for Illicit Firearm Possession

In Palau, the maximum penalty for illicit possession of firearms is 15 years prison9

MeasuresInternational Controls

Regional Agreements

Pacific Islands Forum

As a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, Palau adopted the March, 2000 Nadi Framework agreement, which aims to harmonise small arms-related legislation across Oceania. In August 2003, the Nadi Framework’s draft model Weapons Control Bill was unanimously accepted for consideration by all 16 member states of the Pacific Islands Forum10 11

United Nations Arms Trade Treaty

In 2009, Palau voted to begin12 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 not been signed13 by Palau

United Nations Small Arms Programme of Action UNPoA

UNPoA Commitment

On 21 July 2001, Palau 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 Aspects14

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UNPoA National Reporting

Under the terms of its 2001 commitment to the United Nations small arms Programme of Action, Palau has yet to submit a national report15 16 on its implementation of the UNPoA

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UNPoA National Point of Contact

In Palau, a National Point of Contact to deal with issues relating to the UNPoA has not been designated17 16

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UNPoA National Coordinating Body

In Palau, a National Coordinating Body to deal with issues relating to the UNPoA has not been designated17 16

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UNPoA Civil Society Involvement and Support

In National Reports of Palau submitted to the UN, a history of substantive cooperation with civil society in support of UNPoA activities is not apparent17 16

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UNPoA International Assistance – Donor

Funds for UNPoA implementation have not been donated16 by Palau to other UN Member States

United Nations Small Arms Register

According to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, Palau has not declared18 its small arms exports in one or more annual National Reports on Arms Exports.

United Nations Membership

In the UN List of Member States, Palau has been a Member State of the United Nations since 199419

Wassenaar Arrangement

The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls and Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies does not list20 Palau as a Participating State
Last Updated on 9 February 2012

Short References

1.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Domestic and regional issues.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q291)Full Citation

2.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Stockpiles and Trafficking in the Pacific: Police Inventories.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q145)Full Citation

3.

Karp, Aaron.2003.‘Fewer Blanks: Global Firearm Stockpiles: Firearms of the Pacific.’ Small Arms Survey 2003: Development Denied.Oxford:Oxford University Press,1 July. (Q895)Full Citation

4.

Petrini, Benjamin.2011.‘East Asia and the Pacific, 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. (Q3814)Full Citation

5.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Import and export laws in Pacific states.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q162)Full Citation

6.

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. (Q82)Full Citation

7.

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

8.

Newton, George D and Franklin E Zimring.1969.‘Firearm Licensing: Permissive v Restrictive.’ Firearms & Violence in American Life: A Staff Report submitted to the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence.Washington, DC:US Government Printing Office,1 January. (Q22)Full Citation

9.

Palau.1979.‘Right to Bear Arms.’ Constitution of the Republic of Palau 1979.Koror:National Congress,2 April. (Q922)Full Citation

10.

SPCPC/OCO.2000.‘Towards a Common Approach to Weapons Control: The 'Nadi Framework'.’ South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference (SPCPC) and Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO).Nadi, Fiji:Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat,10 March. (Q576)Full Citation

11.

Baker, Jean.2000.‘Weapons Control Bill: Explanatory Notes.’ Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.Suva, Fiji:Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat,10 March. (Q577)Full Citation

12.

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

13.

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

14.

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

15.

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

16.

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

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.

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

19.

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

20.

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