Top of PageGun Policy News
Gun control and the United Nations - Gun Policy News
UN Urged to Take Decisive Action, Curb Gun Trafficking in Nigeria, Africa
12 August 2010
Vanguard (Lagos)
OWERRI, Nigeria — The President of Youths Enhancement Organization,(YEO), Ambassador Obinna Egbuka, has appealed to the United Nations to take decisive action to end what he termed "the irresponsible trade in conventional weapons across the globe".
Obinna, who spoke in Owerri, ahead of this year's World Youths Day, said the appeal became expedient now as Nigeria grapples with increasing cases of kidnapping and armed robbery.
He argued "that trade in conventional... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Treaty Talks End on Upbeat Note at United Nations
24 July 2010
Agence France Presse
UNITED NATIONS - Preparatory UN talks on a treaty to regulate the world's 55-billion-dollar arms trade ended Friday with reports of progress in defining the goals, scope and principles a future pact.
A future Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was "to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit transfer, production and brokering of conventional arms," said Argentina's UN delegate Martin Garcia Moritan, chair of the two-week session.
The pact would create controls to stop the... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Trade Treaty Makes 'Significant Progress' as 'All UN Countries Agree'
23 July 2010
Reuters
Supporters of a world arms trade treaty said significant progress had been made as nations concluded the first round of talks on Friday on a pact meant to regulate the $55 billion global weapons market.
All U.N. countries had now accepted the principle of a treaty, delegates said.
Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies as a result of armed violence, and a convention is needed to prevent illicitly traded guns from pouring into conflict zones and... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Gun Trade Treaty 'Threat to US Second and First Amendment Rights'
23 July 2010
Washington Times, Editorial
The United Nations is holding secret closed meetings to work out a global arms trade treaty. The agreement, which could be finished by 2012, is a threat to Americans' Second and First Amendment rights.
"Some type of micro-stamping regulations seems all but inevitable. It is very, very likely," the Heritage Foundation's Theodore R. Bromund, who tracks the U.N., told The Washington Times. "Restrictions on trade between private individuals are somewhat less than 50-50,... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Nations,Pakistan,France
Principle of Global Gun Trade Treaty 'Now Agreed by All Countries' at UN
23 July 2010
Washington Post / AP
UNITED NATIONS - The world's nations took the first steps at a conference that ended Friday toward a legally binding treaty that would try to regulate the multibillion dollar arms trade and prevent the transfer of weapons to armed groups fueling conflicts, terrorists and human rights violators.
When the conference began two weeks ago in the 192-member General Assembly, many delegates were uncertain whether there would be wide support for a treaty regulating a trade... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama's Support for Gun Trade Treaty Speeds Progress at United Nations
23 July 2010
Bloomberg (USA)
President Barack Obama's support for a treaty to regulate the $55 billion-a-year trade in conventional weapons has spurred broad agreement on the elements of global regulation, diplomats said today.
"The principle of an arms trade treaty is now agreed by all countries, even if some have reservations," Eric Danon, France's envoy, said after two weeks of preliminary negotiations ended at the United Nations in New York. "Trying to have a comprehensive universal treaty in... (GunPolicy.org)
UN's Global Gun Trade Treaty a Risk to US Second Amendment Rights
20 July 2010
Human Events (Washington)
The Supreme Court reaffirmed the Second Amendment during the trial of McDonald vs. Chicago. The 5-4 ruling confirmed that neither a state nor city, acting under a grant of authority from the state, could deny a person the right to possess a firearm. This was seen as a victory for gun rights activists, but with the United Nations Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) treaty looming in the near future, this fight is far from over.
The U.N. program of action concerning SALW... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Five Parmanent Members Accused of Facilitating Illegal Arms Transfer
19 July 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - The five permanent members of the Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - are accused of facilitating the transport of conventional weapons and cluster munitions to countries where they could be used to commit human rights violations and war crimes.
The pointed accusations come from the London-based Amnesty International (AI) which singles out recent arms shipments by transport companies and airlines registered in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Trade Loopholes Allow German, Other Transport Firms to Ship Guns
19 July 2010
Deutsche Welle
An Amnesty International report says that transport companies in nations such as Germany are using arms trade agreement loopholes to deliver weapons to human rights violators. Amnesty is calling on the UN to take action.
According to a new report released Monday by Amnesty International, transport companies in certain countries are using loopholes in arms trade agreements to deliver weapons to human rights abusers abroad. German transport companies are among those... (GunPolicy.org)
Amnesty International Urges UN to Control Global Gun Trade Transport
18 July 2010
Financial Times (UK)
The United Nations must take a harder look at controlling the transport of deadly weapons around the world, a leading pressure group reports on Monday, amid fears that the imposition of tough national licensing regimes is an insufficient brake on the process.
As the UN steps up work on the creation of an international arms trade treaty, Amnesty International has highlighted how states with tough arms-export bans still find their rules being circumvented by lax... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Begins Work on Treaty to Regulate the Expanding Global Arms Trade
13 July 2010
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations began negotiations on a legally binding treaty aimed at regulating the global arms trade to help prevent the illegal transfer of guns that kill and injure thousands of people every day.
The General Assembly first voted in December 2006 to work toward a treaty regulating the growing, multibillion dollar arms trade. Last December, the 192-member world body decided to hold a four-week U.N. conference in 2012 to draft an arms trade... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations Begin Talks on Legally Binding, Global Arms Trade Treaty
12 July 2010
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS - The world's nations opened negotiations on Monday on an arms trade treaty meant to regulate the $55 billion global weapons market and prevent guns from pouring into conflict zones and fueling wars and atrocities.
One person every minute dies as a result of armed violence, and some 128 armed conflicts since the end of the Cold War in 1989 have led to at least 250,000 deaths each year, according to the Control Arms Campaign, an international advocacy... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Arms Trade Treaty Targets Guns, Planes, Tanks, Warships, Ammunition
12 July 2010
Voice of America
Formal negotiations began Monday on a new international treaty to control the trade of conventional weapons. More than 190 nations are taking part at U.N. headquarters in New York.
Supporters of the treaty say it would save thousands of lives every year. The Control Arms Campaign, a coalition of civil society groups, says 128 armed conflicts since 1989 have claimed about 250,000 deaths each year.
The campaign says since 2006, the "vast majority of governments in... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Talks Target 'Extreme Cases' of Arms Dealing
10 July 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - Experts from over 100 U.N. member states will convene Monday for two weeks to discuss the elements to be included in a long-awaited Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) - what will be a multilateral, legally-binding document regulating the transfer of conventional weapons and small and light arms.
The upcoming meeting is the first of four Preparatory Committee sessions to take place in 2010 and 2011, leading up to the 2012 Conference during which the ATT is... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Gun Grabber: Global Arms Treaty Threatens US Right to Self Defence
27 May 2010
Washington Times, Editorial
American gun owners might not feel besieged, but they should. This week, the Obama administration announced its support for the United Nations Small Arms Treaty. This international agreement poses real risks for freedom both in the United States and around the world by making it more difficult - if not outright illegal - for law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.
The U.N. claims that guns used in armed conflicts cause 300,000 deaths worldwide every year, an... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Report Documents Hundreds of Illegal Shootings by Colombian Military
27 May 2010
Associated Press
GENEVA - Colombian security forces committed "a significant number" of murders over the past decade, often for personal profit, and few of the perpetrators have been punished, according to a report published Thursday by an independent U.N. human rights expert.
Philip Alston, the U.N.'s investigator on extrajudicial executions, said in his 36-page report that the number of so-called "false positive" killings by military members surged in 2004.
The term refers to... (GunPolicy.org)
Civil Society Groups Urge India to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
10 May 2010
City News (Pakistan) / NNI
Each year around the world, 500,000 people are killed directly with conventional weapons and many more are injured, abused, forcibly displaced and bereaved as a result of armed violence.
An Indian Civil Society urging for an International Arms Trade Treaty to stop the inflow of illegal small arms and light weapons in India said: "Around 58,000 Indians died due to armed violence in the last 15 years. The highest casualties have been reported from India's Northeast... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Secretary General Exhorts Central Africans to Combat Gun Runners
30 April 2010
UN News Centre (New York)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today exhorted ministers from Central African nations to work towards adopting a legal instrument to combat illicit arms trafficking, a move that will help reduce violence and bring peace and security to countries in the sub-region.
"The link between arms trafficking and other illicit activities is increasingly undeniable," said Mr. Ban. "Yet Central Africa remains one of the few African sub-regions without a legally binding instrument to... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Nations,Canada
US-Canada Gun Smuggling Shows Need for a Global Gun Trade Treaty
29 April 2010
Women Make News, Editorial
One third of all guns in the world are in the U.S. And half the guns used to commit crimes in Canada come from south of the border. So yes, this country needs and wants an International Arms Treaty.
"Here in Canada we live next to a country with as many guns as people and those guns are killing Canadians. This is the main argument for an international agreement," asserted Coalition for Gun Control president Wendy Cukier during an April 22 conference in Toronto.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
New Web Site Tracks Airlines Delivering Both Guns and Development Aid
19 April 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - A new information portal launched Monday has been described as the world's first internet clearing house aimed at tracking unethical air cargo carriers transporting humanitarian aid and relief supplies to war zones while simultaneously smuggling arms and narcotics - at times, to the same conflict areas.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which launched the new website, EthicalCargo.org, says over 90 percent of air cargo... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama, Clinton Join UN Treaty Push to Set Global Gun Trade Controls
18 February 2010
Defense News (USA)
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 Donald Mahley said Feb. 18 in an address... (GunPolicy.org)
Professor Targeted by US Gun Lobby Over Her UN Human Rights Report
18 February 2010
Minnesota Daily (Minneapolis)
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 said. At first she didn't understand why this... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,United States,United Nations
US Ramps Up Arms Exports to Yemen, Feeds Established Gun Culture
1 January 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - When Yemen refused to vote in support of a U.S.-sponsored Security Council resolution against Iraq during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, a visibly angry U.S. delegate turned to the Yemeni diplomat and said: "That will be the last time you will ever vote against a U.S. resolution."
Washington's subsequent retaliation, in the aftermath of that negative vote, was predictable.
The United States not only downgraded its relationship with Yemen but also cut off all... (GunPolicy.org)
Oxfam Chief Calls for Global Gun Trade Treaty to Protect Human Rights
10 December 2009
Reuters AlertNet, Opinion
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 terrorist attacks and the dangers of... (GunPolicy.org)
In 'Significant Shift' at UN, US Votes to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
10 December 2009
Arms Control Today (USA)
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 submitted annually by Japan. The United... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear, Fundraising Drive US Misinformation Attack on UN Gun Trade Treaty
5 December 2009
FactCheck.org (USA), Fact sheet
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 Around The 2nd. Amendment and Uses It. The Full Article Here... (GunPolicy.org)
Colorado Ballot Would Warn Obama, Oppose Global Gun Trade Treaty
4 December 2009
Washington Times
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 ballot initiative that would direct... (GunPolicy.org)
Colorado Lawmaker Promotes Ballot to Oppose Global Gun Trade Treaty
1 December 2009
Denver Post (Colorado)
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 argued Friday that gun owners had a right... (GunPolicy.org)
Rethink India's Decision to Abstain from UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Vote
13 November 2009
Times of India, Editorial
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 conventional arms trade, India... (GunPolicy.org)
British, French Foreign Ministers Write: 'Time for an Arms Trade Treaty'
11 November 2009
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Blog
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 problem that is spinning out of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Consensus Redline Rules the Global Gun Trade Treaty. Or Does It?
11 November 2009
Disarmament Insight (Geneva), Blog
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 Arms Trade Treaty.
This is an... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Venezuela,United Nations
Ten Countries Apply to Build Kalashnikov Assault Rifle Producing Plants
10 November 2009
RIA Novosti (Russia)
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 AK-100 series assault rifles," Igor... (GunPolicy.org)
Gambia,West Africa,United Nations
West Africa, 153 UN Member States Promote Global Gun Trade Treaty
9 November 2009
Daily Observer (Banjul)
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 from WANEP-Gambia stated. There... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations Global Gun Trade Treaty Takes Aim at Weapon Trafficking
6 November 2009
Toronto Star (Ontario)
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 in conventional weapons.
In a landmark... (GunPolicy.org)
CNN: US, World Chronology of Media-reported Gun Homicide, Shootings
6 November 2009
CNN
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 closed in, authorities in Livingston Parish,... (GunPolicy.org)
India,United Nations,Russia,China
UN Gun Trade Treaty 'Likely Very Weak' as India, Russia, China Abstain
2 November 2009
Times of India / TNN
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 into negotiations for the treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Praise for US, Jubilation, Caution as UN Agrees Global Gun Trade Treaty
1 November 2009
Asian Tribune / Inter Press Service News Agency
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 helicopters, unmanned aerial... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,United Nations,Russia,China
Germany Backs Global Arms Trade Treaty, China and Russia Abstain
31 October 2009
Deutsche Welle
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 calling for a treaty by 153 votes to... (GunPolicy.org)
Key UN Committee, US Diplomats Back Global Gun Trade Treaty
31 October 2009
Associated Press
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 a major step closer to achieving a... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton Backs UN Global Gun Trade Treaty, Abandons Bush Opposition
30 October 2009
Bloomberg (USA)
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 produce a final accord in 2012. The vote... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,United States,Russia
US On Board, Russia Abstains in UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Talks
30 October 2009
Reuters
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 on a treaty, which were to begin... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama, Clinton Stir 'Perfect Storm' at UN for Anti-US Gun Control Agenda
26 October 2009
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Blog
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 brink of success. The process... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Treaty Could Be Powerful Tool to Protect Children
25 October 2009
Inter Press Service News Agency
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 a group of seven countries, led by... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica,United Nations,United States
Costa Rica's Arias Celebrates US Support for Global Gun Trade Treaty
20 October 2009
Daily News (Costa Rica)
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 previously held positions. But it is also... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Leads UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Against 'Merchants of Doom'
19 October 2009
East African (Nairobi)
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, Japan and four other nations in sponsoring a... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,Africa,United States
US U-turn on Global Gun Trade Treaty 'Great News for Africa' - IANSA
16 October 2009
Xinhua
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 gun violence.
The campaigners said U. S.... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton Backs Global Gun Trade Treaty Only If Any One Nation Can Veto It
15 October 2009
Washington Post
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 Obama administration hopes it can use... (GunPolicy.org)
Statement of US Support for UN Global Gun Trade Treaty by Hillary Clinton
14 October 2009
US Department of State (Washington, DC), Media release
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 consensus decision-making needed to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Reverses Stance on Global Gun Trade Treaty, But Pushes Veto for All
14 October 2009
Reuters
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 national controls were better.
U.S.... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,South East Asia,United Nations
Asia-Pacific Countries to Discuss Arms Transfers, Gun Trade Treaty
12 October 2009
Bernama (Malaysia)
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 organisations, and civil society, said... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations Meeting Strengthens Push for Global Gun Trade Treaty
11 October 2009
Associated Press
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 whether to launch formal... (GunPolicy.org)
NGOs Hold Gun Exporters to Account for Abuses, Seek Arms Trade Treaty
8 October 2009
Inter Press Service News Agency
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, mortars and hand grenades,... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Nations,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Drugs, US Guns 'Gravest Problem' Facing Caribbean, Latin America
7 October 2009
Caribbean Life (New York)
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.
He said while in the past the U.S.,... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Claim: Armed Violence Kills 2,000 a Day
7 October 2009
Reuters
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 report, written for the groups by... (GunPolicy.org)
Campaigners Press United Nations for Global Gun Trade Treaty
6 October 2009
Agence France Presse
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 every 10 governments want to get an arms trade... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Calls for Reinforced UN Fight Against Illicit Global Gun Trade
28 September 2009
Xinhua
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, some with enough firepower to... (GunPolicy.org)
America is Right to Oppose United Nations Global Gun Trade Treaty
15 September 2009
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh), Editorial
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 weapons.
The trouble is, rogue... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Dad Helped Son Buy Bullets Used in School Mass Shooting
14 September 2009
Spiegel (Germany)
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 the March 11 school shooting spree in and around... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Mexico Meeting Tackles Global Gun Trade, Security, Development
11 September 2009
United Nations
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 titled "Removing the Tools of Armed... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Central America,United Nations
Gun Treaty for the Americas Erodes US Sovereignty, Says Lobby Group
22 August 2009
Green Bay Gazette (Wisconsin), Opinion
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 would "abrogate the constitutional... (GunPolicy.org)
13 Nations Feed Guns to North Indian State, Arms Trade Treaty Needed
25 July 2009
Morung Express News (Nagaland)
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 at the United Nations General... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations Working Group Inches Towards Global Gun Trade Treaty
16 July 2009
Inter Press Service News Agency
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 are trying to get a better idea of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Demand for Handguns Fuels Spike in Global Gun Trade - Survey
9 July 2009
Agence France Presse
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 of deaths through intentional violence of... (GunPolicy.org)
Permissive US Gun Laws Support 28 Percent Rise in Global Gun Sales
9 July 2009
Bloomberg (USA)
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 $4 billion trade may be a "significant... (GunPolicy.org)
United States Observes International Small Arms, Gun Destruction Day
9 July 2009
US Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Media release
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 ammunition and other conventional weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Austria,Croatia,United Nations
US Demand for Handguns Drives 28 Percent Jump in World Gun Trade
8 July 2009
Associated Press
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 and 45 percent of shotguns, it... (GunPolicy.org)
Ghana Backs Global Gun Trade Treaty to Curb African Arms Trafficking
7 July 2009
Ghana News Agency
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 read for him at a day's seminar in Accra to... (GunPolicy.org)
Born on 6 July, 1947: The AK-47 Assault Rifle, an All-Purpose Killer
6 July 2009
Wired (USA)
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 son of peasants. He was inspired to... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,Rwanda,Central Africa,East Africa,Southern Africa
Rwanda to Host UN Global Gun Control Meeting in Kigali, 8-9 July
3 July 2009
United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs / UNODA (New York), Media release
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 Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs / UNODA (New York)
West African Arms Control Groups Promote Global Gun Trade Treaty
29 June 2009
Daily Graphic (Ghana)
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 aimed at calling the attention of governments to... (GunPolicy.org)
Tanzania Promises to Tackle Global Gun Trade in East Africa and the UN
27 June 2009
Arusha Times
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 campaign was meant to draw government's... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Mexico,Australia,United Nations
Even Small Numbers of Guns Can Turn a Pacific Community to Chaos
25 June 2009
PacNews / Pacific Islands News Association
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 Macedo, at his first meeting in charge of steering... (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
25 June 2009
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave), Audio
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
Windows media (audio... (GunPolicy.org)
Warning in Philippine Story '6yr-old Kills Soldier Dad with Own Handgun'
25 June 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Editorial
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 in the news report that appeared in... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Australia,Solomon Islands,Papua New Guinea,Fiji,United Nations
Guns Threaten Pacific Stability, Ammunition Controls on Way, UN Told
24 June 2009
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave)
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, at his first meeting in charge of steering UN... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Meeting Tackles Gun Culture, Crime, Ammunition Curbs in the Pacific
24 June 2009
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave) / Pacific Beat, Audio
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 Programme of Action
Associate Professor Philip... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Brazil,United Nations
Global Gun Control Expert Pablo Dreyfus Killed in Air Crash [Espanol]
22 June 2009
El Clarin (Buenos Aires), Obituary
[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, policías, curas, gobernadores, parlamentarios, ONGs y ciudadanos comunes, que envían agradecimientos por todo lo que ese porteño ha hecho por los... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Treaty 'Bedrock' to Curbing Gun Violence in West Africa
22 June 2009
Concord Times (Freetown)
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 campaign for better gun laws and push... (GunPolicy.org)
Solomon Islands,Australia,United Nations
UN Gun Control Meeting Draws Delegates from 17 Nations of the Pacific
22 June 2009
Solomon Star (Honiara)
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 its Regional Centre for Peace and... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria,West Africa,United Nations
NGOs Urge Nigeria, West Africa to Support UN Global Gun Trade Treaty
21 June 2009
Leadership (Abuja)
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 weapons, said the call is coming as... (GunPolicy.org)
Eight US Senators Push Clinton to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
19 June 2009
Export Industry News (USA)
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 on the export, import, and international... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence Underway in Ghana
17 June 2009
Daily Observer (Banjul)
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 in demanding effective policies to stem the... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,South America,Africa
Key Campaigners Against Global Gun Trafficking Lost in Air France Crash
7 June 2009
Sunday Herald (Glasgow)
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 the Brazilian authorities to stem the... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Arms Trade Treaty 'Not Gun Control,' Vows British Foreign Minister
1 June 2009
Arms Control Today (USA)
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 arms control issues.
ACT:... (GunPolicy.org)
Mean Men, Ammo, Weapons Galore: US Gun Show Buyers Fear Obama
2 May 2009
Sydney Morning Herald
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 military haircuts or baseball caps... (GunPolicy.org)
World Arms Trade Up 20% in Five Years, Says Peace Research Group
27 April 2009
Guardian (UK)
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 East. The US also supplied 40% of... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Trying to Pass Global Ban on All Firearm Ownership, Says LaPierre
16 April 2009
Fox News (USA), Transcript
GLENN BECK, HOST: Let me go to Wayne LaPierre. He is the CEO of the National Rifle Association.
Wayne, I want to talk to you because today — oh, by the way, hello, fellow extremist.
WAYNE LAPIERRE, CEO, NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION: Hi, Glenn.
(LAUGHTER)
BECK: You don't like being called an extremist?
LAPIERRE: You know, we are — I feel like you, we are the mainstream of America. We are the center of the river. That's the deepest part of the river and Americans... (GunPolicy.org)
Campaign Groups Urge Pakistan to Endorse Global Gun Trade Treaty
7 March 2009
Business Recorder (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD — A day long, National Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Consultation on an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) organised by Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme (Camp) here on Friday urged the government to endorse Arms Trade Treaty.
The objectives of the event were to build civil society interest in national and international arms export control issues, strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations at provincial and national levels to constructively... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Thailand,Russia,United Nations
Gun Runner Bout Has Thailand, Russia, US in 'Geostrategic Dilemma'
6 March 2009
Far Eastern Economic Review
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 more criminal suspects to the U.S. than... (GunPolicy.org)
Kiefer Sutherland Narrates TV Documentary About Global Gun Trafficking
3 March 2009
Canadian Press, TV review
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 "Running Guns: A Journey Into the Small Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms a Global Growth Industry, Gun Running an 'Ongoing Tragedy'
27 February 2009
Globe & Mail (Toronto), TV review
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 reloaded in the sobering documentary Running... (GunPolicy.org)
Civil Society Groups Urge Pakistan to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
10 February 2009
Daily Times (Lahore)
KARACHI — Various members of civil society organisations have decided to initiate an advocacy and lobbying campaign to urge the government to become a part of the Global Arms Trade Treaty and ratify the United Nations CRC Optional Protocol-II, which deals with the involvement of children in conflicts.
According to a press statement issued after the concluding session of the two-day provincial civil society consultation on the Arms Trade Treaty, organised by a local... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,United States,United Nations
Obama, Support Global Gun Trade Treaty - Oxfam, Saferworld, Amnesty
10 February 2009
Times (UK), Letter
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 world. Here the US can play a key... (GunPolicy.org)
Civil Society Groups Urge Pakistan to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
7 February 2009
International News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Civil society organisations have urged the Pakistan government to be part of Global Arms Trade Treaty and to ratify the Optional Protocol-II UN Convention regarding the involvement of children into armed conflict.
This was stated in the concluding session of a two-day provincial civil society consultation on Arms Trade Treaty, organised by the Society of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) in collaboration with a Peshawar-based NGO, Community Appraisal and... (GunPolicy.org)
Curb Demand for Weapons in Pakistan: Global Gun Trade Treaty Urged
29 January 2009
News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR — Speakers at a daylong seminar here Wednesday urged the government to come out with a well-contrived policy to put a leash on proliferation of small arms, which was fuelling violence and terrorism in the society.
"The unhindered spread of small arms is furthering the culture of violence, honour killings and human rights violations in our society," they observed during a seminar on 'Arms Trade Treaty' held here under the aegis of Community Appraisal and... (GunPolicy.org)
Efforts to Reduce Global Gun Trafficking, Gun Love 'Pitiful,' Says New Film
21 January 2009
New York Times, Movie Review
"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 analysis of the inability of any... (GunPolicy.org)
Terrorists Rely More on Easy-to-get Guns Than Less Accessible Weapons
15 January 2009
Center for Defense Information, Web Page
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 the international community has focused... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Control Campaign Spotlights AK-47: 'Today's WMD of Choice'
25 December 2008
Straits Times (Singapore)
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 humble AK-47 assault rifle will arguably... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Violence Prevention Campaign Moves Steadily in UN Process
18 December 2008
En la mira / Latin American Small Arms Watch (Brazil), Newsletter
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 in this Committee, which addresses... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: En la mira / Latin American Small Arms Watch (Brazil)
Flying Anything to Anybody: International Gun Runner, Man of Mystery Bout
18 December 2008
Economist
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 in Africa and South... (GunPolicy.org)
