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Gun control law and small arms regulation
Top Namibian Cop Says its 'Too Easy' to Get Guns, Suggests Law Change
20 May 2013
Namibian (Windhoek)
Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga has admitted that it has become "too easy to own" a firearm in the country and that there is an urgent need to amend the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1996 in order to address its shortcomings.
The Namibian on Friday reported that police issued close to 15,000 licenses for guns to civilians in the past two years - just over 7,100 license applications in 2011 and about 7,600 licenses were issued in 2012.
"As someone responsible... (GunPolicy.org)
India Police Seize 294 Illegal Guns in a Year
20 May 2013
Times of India
The police nabbed 271 men and seized from them 294 illegal firearms and 1,682 live cartridges from January 2012 to January 2013, an RTI reply shows. The arrested men were couriers who came to Mumbai to deliver weapons to gangsters.
The weapons ranged from sophisticated pistols to country-made revolvers, shows the reply to the RTI plea, which was filed by activist Chetan Kothari. The seizures show that gangland demand for firearms of Indian make has increased. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Namibia Police Issued 15,000 Gun Licenses in Two Years
17 May 2013
Namibian (Windhoek)
Police issued close to 15,000 licenses for guns to civilians in the past two years, according to figures The Namibian obtained yesterday. One licensee can have up to four firearms.
Edwin Kanguatjivi, the head of the Public Relations Division of the Namibian Police confirmed that in 2011 police gave greenlight to just over 7,100 license applications and about 7,600 licenses were issued in 2012. Last year the police rejected 178 applications for licenses, a few more than... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers in South Africa Investigated Over Possible Law Breaches
15 May 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - An independent probe has been commissioned into alleged unscrupulous practices among firearms dealers, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Wednesday.
Concerns had recently been raised about firearm dealers not complying with the Firearms Control Act, Mthethwa said in a statement.
"In order to ensure that the provisions of the act are properly complied with… I have decided to set up an independent investigation into the practices complained of," he... (GunPolicy.org)
US Govt Moves to Stop Spread of 3D Gun Plans Online
15 May 2013
Red Deer Advocate (Alberta), Opinion
The story so far: Cody Wilson, who describes himself as a "crypto-anarchist" and almost certainly wears a Second Amendment belt-buckle, had a bright idea early last year. No government could ever oppress its people again, reasoned the 25-year-old law student at the University of Texas, if everybody in the world was able to manufacture their own guns at home.
Well, not everybody in the world, exactly, but at least everybody with $8,000 to buy a 3D printer on eBay, or... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Appearances To The Contrary, Gun Control Not Dead in the US
15 May 2013
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
They were dancing in the street to celebrate Mother's Day in New Orleans when the bullets started whipping through the crowd.
Shermaine Tyler, a 32-year-old woman, was with her mother heading towards a parade following a band when a man shot in the hand and groin tumbled into her lap.
"This is all ridiculous. We all bleed the same blood. We all come from the same God," Tyler told The Times-Picayune. "Everyone is getting shot, and for what?"
By the time the gunfire... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Arms Flowing into Bangladesh at 'Alarming' Rate
15 May 2013
Dhaka Tribune
The illegal arms trade has gone up alarmingly recently in the wake of ongoing pre-election political turmoil and triggered by high demands from local criminals and terrorists, intelligence departments of law enforcement agencies have reported.
Intelligence sources said arms are being smuggled into the country through at least 20 different points along the border, mostly from India.
According to sources, syndicates smuggle arms across the border taking advantage of... (GunPolicy.org)
86 Modified Replica Guns Seized from Japanese Businessman
14 May 2013
Japan Daily Press
The chairman of a food company in Kumamoto was arrested by police after it was discovered he was hiding 86 modified guns in his possession. 73 year old Motoo Kira was arrested on Monday for concealing these guns, as well as 62 bullets, in a storage facility.
Investigators believe that the guns were modified by Kira using his own tools. After testing the weapons, the authorities conclude that all of these guns were lethal. The police were also able to seize a handmade... (GunPolicy.org)
US Pediatricians Take on Gun Lobby – Carefully
13 May 2013
NBC News (USA)
To pediatricians, gun control is a public health issue, not a political one. But they're treading a fine line, and they know it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has begun a renewed push to try to get Congress to pass gun control measures, sending more than 100 pediatricians to Capitol Hill earlier this month. But others who have taken on the issue over the past decade have a warning for them: they can run afoul of the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Licensing Law Changes Considered in Turkey
10 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
A bill recently submitted to Parliament could give former gun license holders who forgot to renew their licenses another chance.
The current Law on Firearms, Knives and other Weapons states that gun carrying and keeping licenses shall be valid for five years following the date of confirmation and shall be renewed once every five years on condition of payment of the renewal charge. The license holder is also required to inform the public institution that has issued the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Homicide Falls, What Does This Mean for Gun Control?
9 May 2013
Economist, Blog
HOUSTON - Gun-control legislation fell short last month in a close Senate vote, but some spy flickers of hope in the "world's greatest deliberative body". However, the sense of urgency that followed the Newtown massacre has definitely faded, and new studies from the Department of Justice and the Pew Research Center showing an astonishing drop in gun violence over the past two decades seem to call into question the need for new, stricter regulations. Americans have been... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey Plans Ban on Guns at Bars and Cafes, Safety Training for Owners
9 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
According to a new regulation, people carrying guns will not be allowed as a security measure to enter entertainment venues such as bars, cafés, night clubs and places where wedding ceremonies are held, Interior Minister Muammer Güler announced on Wednesday.
Under the regulation, Güler told reporters, people who want to buy guns will receive training on how to use them safely. Moreover, those carrying weapons will be denied entrance to entertainment venues such as... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Confirm 1 Million Illegal Guns in Nigeria
9 May 2013
Daily Newswatch (Nigeria)
Against the backdrop of mounting security challenges in Nigeria arising from the Boko Haram insurgency and ethno-religious crisis in the north as well as armed robbery and kidnapping in the south, it has been estimated that there are about one million illegally held guns in the country in civilian hands. The market price for most popular of them all, the AK-47 pattern of assault weapon, goes for $180 (about N27,000). While the total number of guns in the hands of... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 550 Kilos of Ammunition Surrendered in Australia for Destruction
8 May 2013
My Sunshine Coast (Australia), Media release
Queenslanders have surrendered more than 556 kilograms of sporting small arms ammunition during the first quarter of 2013.
Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps visited the Queensland Government explosives reserve at Helidon today to view the disposal of part of a large cache of unwanted ammunition handed in across the State.
"On average, approximately 500,000 rounds of sporting small arms ammunition is surrendered each year by the public as part of an... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal District Police Collect Over 200 Illegal Weapons in Amnesty
7 May 2013
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
ROLPA - District Police Office DPO, Rolpa has collected 227 illegal weapons so far from the district following the government's call to people owning illegal firearms to surrender them to police in exchange for a pardon.
According to DSP Saroj Paudel of DPO, the fire arms were collected from different parts of the district.
Of the collected guns, as many as 225 were loaded guns and two were handmade pistols.
Police thanked all the locals who had voluntarily submitted... (GunPolicy.org)
US, Spanish Gun Lovers Download 3D Gun Plans 50,000 Times First Day
7 May 2013
New York Daily News
The first downloadable gun has gone viral.
The plastic firearm that can be churned out on a 3-D printer and easily assembled was downloaded at least 50,000 times Monday, according to the self-described anarchist who made it available for free online.
Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed, a collective of gun advocates, said the most downloads were done in Spain followed by the United States.
The prospect of terrorists getting hold of the guns by clicking a computer... (GunPolicy.org)
13 People Shot Dead Each Day in India says NGO
6 May 2013
Post Noon (Hyderabad)
Hardly any noise is made in India about increasing use of firearms among civilians and related violence. We tend to think that it is an issue that needs to be tackled in places like the United States, perhaps because of recurring incidents of mass murders. But not here, in the land of the non-violent freedom movement, we say. However, with a staggering 40 million civilians owning guns, second only to the United States, discourses, questions and debates on the topic... (GunPolicy.org)
US Girl's Death By Gunshot is Rejected as Symbol
5 May 2013
New York Times
BURKESVILLE, Kentucky — Last Monday, Kristian Sparks and his sister, Caroline, visited a Fred's Super Dollar store here. A store manager recalled that it was an ordinary shopping trip, saying that the boy was outgoing and energetic, his little sister was cute and their grandmother was "like any grandmother — she bought them anything they wanted."
The next day Kristian, 5, shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a gun marketed for children as "My First Rifle" in... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Jailed for Gun Smuggling Between US and Caymans
1 May 2013
CayCompass.com (Cayman Islands)
A Caymanian man accused in a gun smuggling ring that operated between Grand Cayman and south Florida between 2008 and 2009 has been sentenced to nearly four years in United States federal prison.
Mikkyle Brandon Leslie was sentenced before Judge Robin Rosenbaum Monday in Fort Lauderdale following a plea deal his attorneys reached with federal prosecutors earlier this year. Leslie could have faced between 20 to 30 years in prison if he had gone to trial and been... (GunPolicy.org)
More US Women Taking Up Guns, For a Variety of Reasons
1 May 2013
Korea Herald / Agence France Presse
FREDERICKSBURG, Virginia ― Proudly brandishing a target she had riddled with bullets, 62-year-old Sharon Schaefer could not hide her delight at joining America's growing number of gun-toting women.
"It was fun!" she exclaimed breathlessly, much to the approval of her instructor Teresa Ovalle.
"You did a good job, Sharon," said the former Marine, who had just given the senior citizen a crash course in pistols at the Fredericksburg Range, some 80 kilometers southwest... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Budgets to Seize Rifles Easily Converted to Automatic
1 May 2013
Global News (Canada)
Six years after approving German-made rifles that can be converted to machine guns "in minutes" – guns that by law should have been prohibited to begin with – the federal government will spend up to $260,000 buying them from their owners.
In February 2007, the RCMP classified the SSD BD38, a semi-automatic replica of a German Second World War-era sub-machine gun, as a 'restricted' firearm, meaning that it had the same legal status as a handgun. That classification... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Licence Dispute Continues in South Africa
30 April 2013
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - Despite statistics by the South African Police Services indicating a decline in gun-related crimes, the debate on gun laws and ownership in South Africa remains divided.
Varying degrees of the debate have emerged with many still opposing the easy access to guns as it has been reported that it takes only 90 days to acquire a gun license.
The issue was thrust back into the spotlight earlier this year, when Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Argentina,Costa Rica,Libya,Germany,United States,Brazil,Paraguay,Austria
Most Brazilian Guns Exported to US
29 April 2013
Folha de Sao Paulo
BRASILIA - The U.S., currently discussing restrictions on the sale of firearms, purchased 7.9 million guns from Brazil in the past 40 years, and 59% of those were exported during the Lula administration (2003-2010).
That is the result of a new study by the Army Command to which Folha had access through the Access to Information Act, with a detailed record of the sellers and buyers of 9.9 million revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns, among other weapons, exported... (GunPolicy.org)
Questions Over Gun Ownership Rates in Israel as Gun Crime, Theft Rises
26 April 2013
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
A 36-year-old mother of four was killed Tuesday by a gunshot in the Galilee village of Rama. Preliminary evidence shows she was killed while her husband, a career soldier in the Israeli army, who possesses a registered weapon as part of his duties, was cleaning his weapon. The loaded firearm apparently discharged a bullet by accident, hitting the woman.
This incident raises – yet again – the question of whether there is a need for all members of the Israeli armed... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Rights Group Using Legal Threats to Force Local Law Changes
26 April 2013
Washington Post
HAGERSTOWN, Maryland. — A gun owners' rights group has threatened to sue 35 Maryland counties or municipalities unless they repeal regulations that the group says violate state gun laws.
The Second Amendment Foundation of Bellevue, Wash., said Thursday that Maryland is the third state targeted in its campaign to eliminate more-restrictive local laws in states where local governments have little or no authority to regulate firearms.
The group has run similar projects... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Easing Gun Rules Ignores the Pain of Those Grieving
26 April 2013
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
This Sunday marks the 17th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, where 35 people were killed and 18 wounded by a lone gunman brandishing high-powered longarms.
In response to the killings, Australia's gun laws were significantly tightened. The prime minister at the time, John Howard, was able to gain bipartisan support from all state governments for a 10-point plan to regulate firearms - known as the 1996 Nationwide Agreement on Firearms.
This agreement... (GunPolicy.org)
GE Capital Joins Cerberus in Cutting Ties to Gun Industry in US
25 April 2013
Associated Press / NPR
NEW YORK — General Electric's finance arm is cutting ties with gun dealers, halting financing offers at about 75 gun shops across the U.S. in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., massacre that took the lives of 20 schoolchildren and six teachers and administrators.
The December school shooting ignited a national debate about gun laws and drove some companies to distance themselves from the gun industry. Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management announced a few days... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Oceania,Europe,Asia,United States,Americas
Study Shows Gun Ownership Doesn't Preserve Freedom, Democracy
25 April 2013
Atlantic (USA)
After League City, Texas, became the first city in the state to pass a resolution effectively nullifying federal gun regulations in February, Councilwoman Heidi Thiess, who speared the motion, shared a quote. "Gen. Isoroku Yamamoto, who was the commander of Japan's WWII Combined Fleet, was asked why he never bothered to invade the U.S. after Pearl Harbor," she remarked. "And you know what he said? 'You can't invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind... (GunPolicy.org)
The Gun Fighter: Garen Wintemute's Battle for US Gun Violence Research
24 April 2013
Nature
With his crisp blue suit and wire-framed spectacles, Garen Wintemute hardly looked frightening as he stepped to the podium last month to address a conference on paediatric emergency medicine in San Francisco, California. But his presence there made the organizers nervous.
Wintemute, an emergency-department doctor, is better known as the director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California (UC), Davis. As such, he has published dozens of... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,United States,Europe
Gun Crime, Homicide Falling But Violence Still Costs UK £124b a Year
24 April 2013
Kensington and Chelsea Today (UK)
Surprisingly, the UK is 11% less violent than a decade ago but the lack of peace still has an economic impact of £124 billion which comprises both direct and indirect costs and lost productivity annually. In 2012 this was the equivalent of £4,700 per household an astonishing 7.7% of the UK's annual GDP. These figures were released today by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in the first-ever UK Peace Index (UKPI), which reveals London was beaten to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Amid Gun Control Debate, US Asks How Bombing Suspects Got Guns
22 April 2013
Leader Post (Canada)
WASHINGTON - Just days after U.S. senators defeated a bid to expand background checks on potential gun buyers, Americans are asking how the Boston Marathon bombing suspects acquired a cache of firearms alongside their explosives.
Among the weapons officials have said were in the possession of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were not only several bombs, but handguns, an M-4 carbine rifle and more than 250 rounds of ammunition.
Much of that arsenal was on fiery display... (GunPolicy.org)
Officials say US Gun Checks Would Stop Illegal Guns Getting to Bahamas
18 April 2013
Tribune (Bahamas)
Officials in the Bahamas had hoped that the now failed proposed measure to expand gun background checks in the United States would have assisted law enforcement here to stem the tide of illegal firearms into the country.
Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, speaking to reporters yesterday, said any legislation that would have made it more difficult to traffic in firearms would have had a significant impact in the Bahamas.
"Very early on in our administration, the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Bill Defeated Amid Heavy Lobbying by NRA, Obama 'Furious'
18 April 2013
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona was in an empty hallway in the Capitol on Tuesday when he bumped into Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic member of Congress from his home state who was critically wounded in a mass shooting. Both froze in anticipation of the painful minute about to unfold.
Ms. Giffords, who had been fiercely promoting a background check bill for gun buyers, knew that Mr. Flake, a Republican and an old friend, had announced on his... (GunPolicy.org)
US Senate Blocks New Laws, Ignore Pleas from Gun Victims
18 April 2013
Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans backed by a small band of rural-state Democrats scuttled the most far-reaching gun control legislation in two decades Wednesday, rejecting tighter background checks for buyers and a ban on assault weapons as they spurned pleas from families of victims of last winter's school massacre in Newtown, Conn.
"This effort isn't over," President Barack Obama vowed at the White House moments after the defeat on one of his top domestic... (GunPolicy.org)
Indonesia Police Ask Citizens to Surrender Illegal Homemade Guns
18 April 2013
Borneo Post
MIRI - The people here who have in their homemade guns are urged to surrender them to the police station or risked legal action taken against them.
District police chief ACP Mun Kock Keong told a press conference here yesterday that they would not compromise with any group of individuals found in possession of the guns.
"It is a serious offence to possess such gun [sic]. The offenders could be jailed up to 14 years if found guilty under Section 4 of the Firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia Govt Passes New Law to Crack Down on Shootings in Public
17 April 2013
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on Wednesday adopted in the first reading a bill toughening punishment for shooting in public places.
The amendments to the Russian Administrative Offenses Code were proposed by a group of Duma deputies. In line with the draft law, those shooting in inhabited localities and at sites where shooting is not allowed will be fined 50,000 rubles ($1,575), their weapons license suspended, weapons seized, and may... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: US Senate in the Gun Lobby's Grip
17 April 2013
New York Times, Opinion
Senators say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby. But I think that fear must be nothing compared to the fear the first graders in Sandy Hook Elementary School felt as their lives ended in a hail of bullets. The fear that those children who survived the massacre must feel every time they remember their teachers stacking them into closets and bathrooms, whispering that they loved them, so that love would be the last thing the students heard if the gunman found... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal Police Concerned Over Rise in Illegal Guns, Crime in Valley
17 April 2013
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU - Metropolitan Police Circle, Balaju, raided a rented house at Mitranagar, and rounded up four crime suspects with a cache of illegal weapons yesterday.
Acting on intelligence input, an MPC team backed by local armed police had cordoned off the house late at night before carrying out a thorough search in all rooms.
Officials informed that Yam Bahadur Thapa, 23, of Gorkha, his sister-in-law Alisha Gurung, 20, of Gorkha, Pankaj Malla, 19, of Banke and Rudra... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: US Gun Lobby Rhetoric, Not Money, Blocking Gun Control
17 April 2013
Guardian (UK), Opinion
Of all the senators who attempted Wednesday to rally support for the doomed Manchin-Toomey background check amendment, Connecticut's Democratic freshman representative, Chris Murphy, probably faced the greatest temptation to borrow the moral authority of the Newtown families. They are his constituents and many were present in the chamber.
He's young – the youngest sitting senator, actually – and an early Obama supporter, given to occasional bouts of... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentine Citizens Can Object to Gun Access in New Initiative [Español]
14 April 2013
Diario El Argentino (Argentina)
[Translated summary: Argentina has introduced a new procedure to allow citizens to object to others' access to firearms, based on solid reasons. Authorities say a voluntary disarmament campaign, under law 26 216, has also reduced the availability of guns.]
Rige en el país el denominado Procedimiento de Participación Ciudadana por Oposición para la Autorización de Tenencia o Portación de Armas de Fuego.
El procedimiento permite a cualquier ciudadano la posibilidad... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns of 15,000 Abusive Men Seized in Turkey
14 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Family and Social Policy Minister Fatma Şahin has announced that the weapons of 15,000 men found to have been involved in violence against women have been confiscated as a protective measure since the Law on the Prevention of Violence against Women came into effect 13 months ago.
Speaking to the Akşam daily during her visit to Helsinki, Şahin provided some details about the implementation of Law No. 6284 on the Prevention of Violence against Women and the Protection... (GunPolicy.org)
New Research Shows Gender Divide on Gun Control in US
13 April 2013
Daily Mail (UK)
Nearly two thirds of women favour stronger gun laws compared to just 44 per cent of men, a poll has revealed - highlighting the enduring gender divide over the issue.
The numbers, from a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, show that gun control could be yet another hurdle for Republicans in their battle to win female votes.
Experts note this divide has been a long-standing trend, with a Pew Research Center survey from March showing current gap is similar to that between... (GunPolicy.org)
Mother Of Newtown Victim Steps In For Obama, Pleas For Gun Control
13 April 2013
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
WASHINGTON - The mother of a 6-year-old boy killed in the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting made a deeply personal plea from the White House for action to combat gun violence, choking back tears almost from the start of her speech.
Francine Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son, Ben, was killed in the Dec. 14 attack inside Sandy Hook Elementary School, stepped in for President Barack Obama to deliver the president's weekly radio and Internet address. She is the first... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promises Gun Violence Prevention - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promising Path to Reducing Gun Violence - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,North Korea,Iran,United States
Expert Says Explaining Benefits of Arms Treaty will Boost US Support
11 April 2013
New York Times, Opinion
On April 2, the United States joined an overwhelming majority of countries at the United Nations in voting to adopt a treaty regulating the international trade in conventional weapons — a monumental achievement after seven years of diplomacy, lobbying and out-and-out arm-twisting.
The United States pushed for the General Assembly vote last week after securing, in a March conference, the treaty language its negotiators wanted.
Yet now, just days after the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Sudanese State Passes Firearms Law Requiring Citizens to Register Guns
10 April 2013
Sudan Tribune (France)
RUMBEK — The Lakes state Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a Firearm Bill which makes it compulsory to register all firearms and extends more powers to the state and county authorities to disarm any pastoralists who do not comply with the Bill or who are responsible for cattle raiding and other violence.
Twenty two lawmakers were absent from the parliament when the new law was passed. According to the assembly clerk, 7 MPs had been given official permission to... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbia Considers New Gun Law After Mass Shooting
10 April 2013
Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
BELGRADE - Milorad Veljovic, head of Serbian Police, said police were working on a draft Law on Weapons and Ammunition that would provide greater control over people who possess guns. "The draft will be passed to the government in the coming days," Veljovic said.
The move comes after a 60-year-old man, named only as Ljubisa B., went on the rampage on Tuesday morning, killing six men, six women and a boy aged two in Velika Ivanca, 60 kilometres south of... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbia,United States,England & Wales
Motives Unclear in Serbian Gunman's Rampage, Law Change Demanded
10 April 2013
Montreal Gazette (Québec) / Associated Press
Serbia held a national day of mourning Wednesday as police searched for possible motives in the Balkan nation's worst peacetime shooting massacre, which left 13 villagers dead and triggered demands for tighter gun-control laws.
Police say a 60-year-old veteran went on a pre-dawn, house-to-house rampage Tuesday in a village near Belgrade, including killing his mother, his son and a two-year-old cousin before shooting himself and his wife. The two are in critical... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Artist's Bullet-riddled School Bus Turns Heads at White House
10 April 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
The torn up shell of a school bus, pockmarked with gashes and dents from 6,000 bullets, was paraded through the streets of Washington, D.C. this week, centre of the action in the swirling American gun control debate.
Was it the remains of an unspeakable horror? Some kind of war zone relic?
No. It's art, and in post-Sandy Hook America, where the bullet-riddled bus installation by Toronto artist Viktor Mitic is on display, the stark portrayal of the destructive power of... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,England & Wales,United States,Macedonia,Croatia,Slovenia,Kosovo,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Montenegro,Serbia
Citizens in Former Yugoslavia 'Traumatised and Heavily Armed'
10 April 2013
Washington Post
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The wars from 1991 to 1999 as Yugoslavia broke up took up to 200,000 lives, turned millions into refugees and left much of the region's people traumatized and heavily armed. It was the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The millions of weapons that remained in possession of civilians after the fighting have caused fatalities every week, as traumatized former soldiers either shoot family members or commit suicide or... (GunPolicy.org)
CDC Ban on Gun Research in US Caused Lasting Damage
9 April 2013
ABC News (USA)
President Obama may have ended the 17-year ban on gun violence research at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but even if Congress restores research funds, experts say the damage runs deeper than funding cuts.
Since the 1996 ban, many of the leading researchers of the 1980s and 1990s have moved on to other specialties, and some said they've even discouraged students from specializing in gun violence research because the work doesn't pay. The ban also... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Croatia,Montenegro,Slovenia,Serbia,Macedonia,Romania,Albania,Bulgaria
South East Europe Workshop Confirms Surplus Firearms a Regional Threat
8 April 2013
SEESAC (Belgrade)
On 3-5 April, the 6th Workshop of the Regional Approach to Stockpile Reduction (RASR) of Conventional Weapons and Munitions Initiative took place in Bled, Slovenia. The focus of the 6th RASR workshop were national legal frameworks regulating import, export and transit of weapons, ammunition and dual-use goods, particularly as they relate to the surplus weapons and munitions.
RASR is a regional initiative which aims to coordinate and support countries of South East... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Running into Mexico on the Rise as US Admits Lack of Data on Guns
4 April 2013
San Marco Mercury
As the gun control debate swirls around issues like background checks and mental health, a new study reveals that gun running into Mexico remains a large-scale problem.
In their report, titled "The Way of the Gun," researchers at the University of San Diego's Trans-Border Institute estimated that as many as 253,000 firearms were purchased in the United States from 2010 to 2012 for the sole purpose of being trafficked across the border into Mexico. The figure is nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Publishes Study Claiming US Schools Need Armed Guards
3 April 2013
Washington Post
A 225-page study commissioned by the National Rifle Association has endorsed and amplified the gun rights group's immediate response to the mass killing in Newtown, Conn.: that all schools in the United States should have police or armed staff members trained to confront a shooter.
Although ostensibly independent of the NRA, the examination of school safety issues, released Tuesday, provides the organization with an alternative narrative to the various gun-control... (GunPolicy.org)
Americas,Asia,Africa,Oceania,Europe
UN Approves Global Gun Trade Treaty: NRA, Iran, N Korea, Syria Oppose
3 April 2013
Washington Post
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to create the first treaty regulating the international arms trade, a landmark decision that imposes new constraints on the sale of conventional arms to governments and armed groups that commit war crimes, genocide and other mass atrocities.
The vote was hailed by arms-control advocates and scores of governments, including the United States, as a major step in the global effort to put in place... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Women Remain at Risk of Homicide by Their Partners
2 April 2013
News24 (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG - There has been no significant decrease in the rate of South African women murdered by their partners, the Medical Research Council of SA said on Tuesday.
"In South Africa, the murder of women by their partners remains a serious problem," senior researcher of the gender and health unit Naeemah Abrahams said in a statement.
According to a recent study led by Abrahams, the murder rate for women older than 14 was substantially lower in 2009 than in... (GunPolicy.org)
Report Links High Rates of Gun Violence to Weak US Gun Control Laws
2 April 2013
New York Times
Many states with the weakest gun laws have the worst rates of gun violence, ranking high on numerous indicators, like gun homicides and suicides, firearm deaths of children, and killings of law enforcement officers, according to a report to be issued Wednesday by the liberal Center for American Progress.
Alaska ranked first in overall gun deaths, the report found, with 20.28 deaths per 100,000 people in 2010 — more than twice the national average — followed by... (GunPolicy.org)
US State Agrees to Tough Gun Law Changes After Mass Shooting
2 April 2013
BBC News
Lawmakers in the US state of Connecticut have agreed to a sweeping set of gun restrictions, including a ban on new high-capacity magazines.
The proposal requires background checks on all gun sales and expands the state's assault weapons ban.
It comes as new federal gun measures appear to have stalled in Congress.
Debate over US gun laws was reignited after a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children, at a Connecticut primary school in December.
Tighter gun... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Shows Gun Homicides Fell in Brazil After Tough Law Passed
1 April 2013
ABC News (USA)
BRASILIA, Brazil - A new study suggests the number of homicides in Brazil has fallen since the passage of a law restricting gun ownership.
The study by the government's Institute of Applied Economic Research says the homicide rate fell to 20 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010 from 22 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2003, when the law was passed.
In 1980, Brazilians possessed an average of 10 firearms per 100,000 inhabitants. Widespread fears that the police weren't properly... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica Police Propose Tough New Laws to Address Gun Homicide Rate
1 April 2013
Gleaner (Jamaica)
Seeking to take the monster of crime by the scruff, the Jamaican police have proposed radical legislative changes that would provide, among other things, lengthy prison sentences for gun-related crimes.
The recommendation forms the linchpin of the Jamaica Gun Project, an initiative conceptualised by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to stem the hundreds of gun-related crimes the island records each year.
"Gun offenders give us the equivalent in Jamaica of one 9/11... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Gun Show Dealers Unhappy Over Trigger Lock Law Enforcement
31 March 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Dealers at this year's Calgary Gun Show say that stricter rules on trigger locks go too far.
The province is starting to enforce a trigger-lock law designed to make handling and transporting guns safer. The law has been in place for 15 years but hasn't been enforced until now. Dealers say that the precaution is unnecessary.
"We don't look at them as a very safe device," says Hank Holm, president of the Alberta Arms and Cartridge Collectors' Association. "If you put... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia Plans Firearms Collection, Destruction Campaign
29 March 2013
SEESAC (Belgrade)
On 26 and 27 March, at Vlašić, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) hosted a meeting of the representatives of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) of Republika Srpska, MoI of Sarajevo Canton, MoI of the Central Bosnia Canton, MoI of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, MoI of the Bosnian Podrinje Canton, MoI of the Canton 10, MoI of the County of West Herzegovina, Police of Brčko District, MoI of the Hercegovacko-Neretvanski Canton, and the representatives of the international... (GunPolicy.org)
Clear Correlations Between Gun Laws and Gun Violence in the US
29 March 2013
New Yorker
Well, to paraphrase a great Republican, here we go again. The details of Adam Lanza's home environment — the armory of weapons there, the copy of the "NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting," there was a useful book kept close — are scarcely out before the insistence that there's nothing, absolutely nothing, to see or to do returns, at a higher volume. The President talks, in his calm and conciliatory tones, about minimal gun control — that there's no threat... (GunPolicy.org)
US President Uses Executive Power to Advance Gun Control Agenda
29 March 2013
The Hill (Washington DC)
President Obama is quietly moving forward on gun control.
The president has used his executive powers to bolster the national background check system, jumpstart government research on the causes of gun violence and create a million-dollar ad campaign aimed at safe gun ownership.
The executive steps will give federal law enforcement officials access to more data about guns and their owners, help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, and lay the... (GunPolicy.org)
Kuwait Authorities Propose New Gun Law, Buyback to Curb Crime
28 March 2013
Arab Times (Kuwait)
KUWAIT CITY - The Economic and Financial Affairs Committee of the National Assembly Thursday approved the amendment to the loan interest law and agreed on not to allocate more than KD 720 million to the 'Family Fund' which the state should use to buy the loans from the banks.
Speaking after a marathon meeting which was held in the presence of Minister of Finance, Mustafa Al-Shamali and Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) Mohammed Al-Hathil, the Committee... (GunPolicy.org)
Health Authorities Fear NYC's New Gun Laws May Hurt the Mentally Ill
28 March 2013
BBC News
When Governor Andrew Cuomo put his name to the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (Safe) Act, just a month after the mass shooting at Newtown, Connecticut, he told supporters that the bill's mental health provisions lay at the core of the legislation.
The act includes, among its various controls on gun ownership, something called a "mental health alert", which requires mental health professionals to report patients who they believe pose a threat to themselves... (GunPolicy.org)
England & Wales,Germany,Guyana
Politicians Block Guyana Gun Control Laws Despite Arms Trade Treaty
28 March 2013
Guyana Times International
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has lamented that while critical steps are being taken in the international arena to hammer out an Arms Trade Treaty, locally the opposition has voted down a bill that seeks to strengthen this country's fight against illicit arms.
Negotiators from around 150 countries gathered in New York at the United Nations for a final push to hammer out a binding international treaty to end unregulated conventional arms sales, a pact that a... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Firearms Instructor Arrested Over Illegal Sales, Restricted Guns
27 March 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Winnipeg police have laid charges against a firearms safety instructor after seizing 101 firearms from a St. Boniface-area home.
On Feb. 26, a 54-year-old man from Winnipeg was charged with uttering threats and a variety of firearms related offences. A shot gun was seized at the time of the arrest, according to police.
Shortly after the incident, officers began looking into where the gun came from.
After a lengthy investigation, officers executed a search warrant at... (GunPolicy.org)
Concerns Raised as Convicted Bermuda Gunmen get Reduced Sentences
27 March 2013
Royal Gazette (Bermuda), Opinion
The Court of Appeal made two decisions last week which won't have escaped the attention of anyone worried about spiralling gun violence in this country.
As reported in The Royal Gazette on Friday, 22-year-old armed robber Jaron Roberts had his sentence for a crime spree involving an imitation firearm cut by almost a third.
And gunman Marico Bassett, also aged 22 and serving 25 years in prison for shooting Randy Lightbourne, was told he'd be eligible for parole two... (GunPolicy.org)
Central Africa,East Africa,Ghana
Over 2,500 Firerms Destroyed Since 2001 in Ghana
26 March 2013
Spy Ghana (Ghana)
Ghana has played a major role in stopping the illicit trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and has destroyed over 2,500 weapons since 2001, according to the Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency, Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
Addressing Parliamentarians from 12 countries in Africa on the strides Ghana has made in dealing with the illegal trade in guns, Hon. Bagbin stated that Ghana is an active member of the global efforts to control illicit... (GunPolicy.org)
Russians Debate the Right to Bear Arms After Shooting
26 March 2013
Russia and India Report
"If you outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns" – so goes the famous slogan of the National Rifle Association in the US. Until recently, few people thought that this would ever be a contentious issue in Russia. But the case of Alexandra Lotkova, a 21-year-old Moscow student, is stoking the fire of a debate that will eventually spill into the open.
Lotkova was jailed for three years this month because she injured a man with a shot from a travmatichesky pistol, or... (GunPolicy.org)
Police in Spain Seize 59 Illegal Guns, Parts in Sting Operation [Español]
25 March 2013
Vanguardia (Colombia)
[Translated summary - The Spanish Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal organisation making illegal firearms in Barcelona, some of which were linked to a double homicide. Five people were arrested and 59 weapons were seized, as well as parts and tools for gun manufacture.]
MADRID - La Guardia Civil ha desarticulado una organización criminal dedicada presuntamente al tráfico de armas por toda España, con el arresto de cinco personas, según ha informado el Ministerio... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Deaths - and Tougher Laws - Shaped by Race
25 March 2013
Japan Times / Washington Post
WASHINGTON – Gun deaths are shaped by race in the United States: Whites are far more likely to shoot themselves, and blacks are far more likely to be shot by someone else.
The statistical difference is dramatic, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A white person is five times as likely to commit suicide with a gun as to be shot with a firearm, while for each African-American who uses a gun to kill... (GunPolicy.org)
Bloomberg Funds $12m US Gun Law Campaign
25 March 2013
BBC News
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is bankrolling a $12m (£7.8m) advertising campaign for tougher gun control laws.
The television adverts will run in 13 states and urge voters to persuade their senators to back comprehensive background checks for gun buyers.
Mr Bloomberg, a strong supporter of gun control, has said he is cautiously optimistic of winning over Congress, which votes on the issue next month.
But his campaign has been dismissed by the National Rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns and Family Violence: How Many Tragedies Does It Take?
25 March 2013
al Jazeera, Opinion
On December 1, 2012, NFL linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins. He then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and then shot and killed himself in front of his two coaches and the general manager of his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 14, 2013, South African track star Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the bathroom door of his home. Two well-known athletes, two horrifying acts. While we don't know... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Data Shows Spike in Illegal Gun Use in South Australia
24 March 2013
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Gun-toting criminals are more likely to use their gun to threaten someone now than they were five years ago, statistics show.
SA Police figures reveal there were 33 acts likely to endanger life involving a gun in 2011-12, compared with nine in 2007-08.
An act likely to endanger life with a firearm involves the firing of the gun in most cases, but the offence may also apply if a loaded gun is pointed at someone.
The Advertiser requested statistics from police for the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Begins to Notice Scandal of Federal Ban on Gun Control Research
23 March 2013
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
Like a lot of people who follow the gun debate, I was surprised to learn earlier this year that for more than a decade, Congress has made it nearly impossible for our premier federal health research institutions to study gun violence.
That became evident when President Obama announced his series of executive orders in response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
In one of those orders, he directed the Centers for Disease Control and... (GunPolicy.org)
Child-Proof Medicine Bottles Save Lives. So Could Child-Proof Guns
22 March 2013
New York Times, Opinion
For nearly two months, my assistant, Jennifer Mascia, and I have been publishing a daily blog in which we aggregate articles about shootings from the previous day. Of all the stories we link to, the ones I find hardest to read are those about young children who accidentally shoot themselves or another child. They just break my heart. Yet Jennifer and I find new examples almost every day.
Partly, I react by thinking, "How can anyone be so stupid as to leave a loaded gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Africa,Asia,Americas
Conflicts of Interest Plague Arms Trade Treaty Talks
22 March 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
The U.N. organ tasked with maintaining international peace and security harbours a serious conflict at its core.
The Security Council's five permanent members (P5) – United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France – along with Germany, are the world's six leading arms exporters, often shipping weapons used to perpetuate violence across the globe.
Meanwhile, over 150 member states have gathered at U.N. headquarters, from Mar. 18-28, to negotiate an Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 3500 Guns Collected, 700 Destroyed in Australian Amnesty
22 March 2013
Gladstone Observer (Australia)
More than 3500 firearms have been handed in as Queensland's gun amnesty reached the half-way mark.
Almost 700 have been surrendered for destruction with the remaining firearms registered.
The three-month amnesty, which ends on April 30, began as the government introduced new firearm laws involving mandatory jail terms, even a year for possessing an illegal firearm in a public place.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey is urging Queenslanders to take advantage of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Law Heads to US Senate, Leader says Background Checks a 'Must'
21 March 2013
Reuters
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Thursday any gun-control bill that passes his chamber can only be effective if it includes universal background checks, an embattled centerpiece of President Barack Obama's bid to curb gun violence.
Reid voiced hope an elusive bipartisan compromise could soon be reached on requiring virtually all firearm purchasers to be screened for possible criminal and mental-health records.
Republicans have voiced concerns that a proposed... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines,South East Asia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Arms Trade Treaty or What? - Opinion
21 March 2013
Philippine Star, Opinion
In the next week or so, the members of the United Nations have an opportunity to agree an historic Treaty that would make a lasting difference to people across the world. It's not front-page news most of the time, but the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is within our grasp — and, with it, comes a chance to make a major contribution to the security of humankind. It will help to ensure that the uncontrolled movement of arms no longer threatens the security and prosperity of... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Lobbies for Domestic Abusers and Drinking, Disturbed Gun Owners
20 March 2013
al Jazeera
The National Rifle Association's guns-at-all-costs mentality and total disregard for public safety has already put it in the uncomfortable position of opposing the most basic laws to protect the public safety. It opposes the regulations that would help stop disturbed young men from going on shooting sprees in schools with weapons that are as easy to fire as video game controllers. It opposes the international Arms Trade Treaty, which according to the Washington Post... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Police Seize Loaded Assault Weapon in Trafficking Bust
20 March 2013
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
Calgary police were disturbed to find a loaded AK-47 assault rifle — the first weapon of its kind seized in the city in recent years — during a recent trafficking bust.
"It's shocking we found such a high-calibre weapon in the hands of criminals," said Staff Sgt. Steven Drennan with the Calgary Police Service's guns and gangs unit.
While the city has seen a growing weapons trade over the years, this is the first time in recent history a genuine high calibre AK-47... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Gun Trafficking Benefits Nearly 50% US Dealers - Study
20 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new study found that nearly half of United States firearms dealers are economically dependent on demand from Mexico, while under 15 percent of illicitly trafficked arms are seized at the border, highlighting the US role in Mexican gun violence.
The study, titled "The Way of the Gun: Estimating Firearms Traffic Across the U.S.-Mexico Border," aimed to quantify the US role in feeding Mexico's gun violence, which continues to rise despite tight gun control policies and... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean Community Countries to Press for Greater Arms Trade Regulation
20 March 2013
Caribbean 360
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will be pressing for a successful conclusion to the final negotiation session of the United Nations Diplomatic Conference on an Arms Trade Treaty which began at the United Nations on Monday, according to a statement issued by the CARICOM Secretariat.
It said such an outcome to the 10-day conference is of vital importance to CARICOM, noting that at the CARICOM Inter-Sessional summit in Haiti last month,... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Eastern Europe,Thailand,Italy,Canada,United States,Philippines
The Gunmakers of the Philippines
20 March 2013
BBC News
CEBU, Philippines - A shot rings out from a factory on the outskirts of the Philippines' second-biggest city, Cebu.
But this isn't an all-too-frequent drive-by killing or an argument that has become violent.
The sound is from a testing range at Shooters Arms, the country's second-largest gun factory.
Shooters Arms produces about 20,000 pistols and shotguns every year, 85% of which are sold abroad - mainly to the US, Canada, Italy and Thailand.
Operations manager... (GunPolicy.org)
Did the Doomed Assault Weapon Ban Kill Most Other US Gun Control?
20 March 2013
Daily Beast (USA)
Sen. Harry Reid announced Tuesday that he would not be including Sen. Dianne Feinstein's proposal to ban the sale of assault weapons in the package of gun legislation he'll bring to the floor of the Senate. This all but ends gun control advocates' hopes of reinstating the ban on assault weapons, although Feinstein can offer it as an amendment once Reid's package is being debated. Reid, however, says there aren't anywhere near the 51 votes for passage, much less the 60... (GunPolicy.org)
Romania,Burkina Faso,Poland,Russia,Latvia,Tunisia,Guinea,Senegal,Bulgaria,China,Africa,Europe,Côte d'Ivoire
Arms Proliferation and Abuse Shatter Communities in Côte d'Ivoire - AI
20 March 2013
Amnesty International (London)
Reckless and illegal arms supplies from Europe, Africa and China to the warring parties in Côte d'Ivoire over the past decade continue to fuel grave human rights abuses and violent crime in the country, Amnesty International said in a detailed report launched at the United Nations (UN) headquarters.
The 33-page report, Communities shattered by arms proliferation and abuse in Côte d'Ivoire, documents how a handful of states and a network of multinational arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,United Kingdom,France,Mexico,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,Russia,United States
Armed Violence Kills 66,000 Women and Girls Each Year
20 March 2013
New Zealand Herald, Associated Press
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has urged the world's nations to agree on a strong UN treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade in the next two weeks, saying it will save lives and make it more difficult for warlords, organised criminals and terrorists to obtain weapons.
Hopes of reaching agreement on what would be a landmark treaty were dashed last July when the United States said it needed more time to consider the proposed accord - a... (GunPolicy.org)
Somalia: Unlicensed Guns Outlawed, Owners Required to Register
19 March 2013
Sabahi (Washington, DC)
Galgadud regional authorities on Monday (March 18th) arrested nine people for illegal possession of firearms, UN-funded Radio Bar-Kulan reported.
The suspects were arrested in the Marer Gur, Ina Mad and Gadon villages and will soon be charged in court with breaking regional regulations, said Dusamareb security boss Farhan Moalim Ali.
Ali said the crackdown on illegal gun ownership will continue and urged locals to support the administration's security mission by... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 250,000 Guns a Year Illegally Smuggled into Mexico - Study
19 March 2013
Fox News Latino
The Fast and Furious gun-running scandal that continues to haunt the U.S. Department of Justice highlighted a frightening fact: Illegal firearms are flowing into Mexico from the U.S. at an alarming rate.
More than two percent of all firearms bought in the United States -- about 253,000 -- end up south of the border, up from 1.75 percent in 1990, according to a binational report by the Trans-Border Institute in San Diego and the Igarape Institute, a research center in... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Is a Global Arms Trade Treaty possible? - Video
19 March 2013
Inside Story, al Jazeera, Video
Human Rights groups say one person is killed every minute because of armed violence, through conflict and crime, but no globally agreed standards exist to regulate the international trade in arms, a trade in dangerous and deadly products, designed to kill and... (GunPolicy.org)
What's Worked, and What Hasn't, in Gun-Loving Switzerland
19 March 2013
NPR (USA)
Switzerland has an entrenched gun culture that is embraced by most of its 8 million citizens, some of them as young as 10 years old.
Every Swiss community has a shooting range, and depending on who is counting, the alpine country ranks third or fourth in the number of guns per capita.
"You can walk into a cafe in a town where there is a shooting festival and you'll see rifles hanging on the hat rack. It's just incredible. It's just proliferation all over the place,... (GunPolicy.org)
Congo (DRC),Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Angola,Zambia,Africa
Zambia Calling for a 'Bullet-Proof' Arms Trade Treaty
18 March 2013
Times of Zambia
TODAY (March 18, 2013) will be a crunch day of epic proportions when the United Nations Organisation (UN) convenes at its New York Headquarters to start negotiations to conclude an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that has the potential to forever regulate the hitherto unregulated trade in conventional weapons.
The global trade in conventional weapons - from warships and battle tanks to fighter jets and machine guns - remains poorly regulated. No internationally agreed... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Advocates Want Provincial Firearms Officers Scrapped
18 March 2013
CBC News (Canada), Canadian Press
A pro-gun advocacy group that has two representatives on a federal firearms advisory panel wants the Conservative government to eliminate all provincial firearms offices, saying they have "poked the lion" once too often.
The Canadian Sports Shooting Association has launched a national petition that asks Ottawa to establish a single "civilian agency" in place of provincial and territorial firearms officers that oversee licensing and other gun regulations.
The group is... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Russia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
UN Revives Effort on Pact to Regulate Arms Trade
17 March 2013
New York Times
In the shadow of the re-energized gun-control debate in the United States, negotiators at the United Nations will reconvene this week to try to reach a final agreement on a treaty to regulate the global trade in conventional weapons, a lucrative business that rights groups call the main source of illicit arms fueling deadly conflicts around the world.
"I am confident that member states will overcome their differences and muster the political will needed to agree on... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
US Gun Lobby Stepping Up Its Opposition to UN Arms Trade Treaty
17 March 2013
Guardian (UK)
The National Rifle Association is stepping up its opposition to a UN treaty aimed at halting the illicit trade of guns into conflict zones, after months of silence on the issue believed to be due to its focus on domestic gun control.
Human rights campaigners said that the resurgence of the NRA's campaign was designed to "stir up anti-UN panic" ahead of the UN conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, which opens on Monday in New York. The Obama administration indicated in a... (GunPolicy.org)
