Gun 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)
France,Pakistan,United Nations,United States
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)
Canada,United Nations,United States
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)
United Nations,United States,Yemen
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 per cent 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 per cent 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 [Es]
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)
Critical Nations Stall as UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Creeps Forward
1 December 2008
Arms Control Today (USA), December
More than 140 countries voted at the UN First Committee to continue discussion next year on the creation of a global arms trade treaty, marking some progress on a resolution first passed in 2006. The United States voted against the measure and has not yet decided whether to continue its participation in the discussions. With or without the world's top arms trader, significant hurdles exist in reaching a legally binding instrument. Continued slow progress raises the... (GunPolicy.org)
'Not Enough Americans Are Afraid' Says US Gun Lobby Chief LaPierre
18 November 2008
Ashland Times-Gazette (Ohio)
Historic victories for gun rights occurred in 2008, but the fight for firearm freedoms must continue to preserve the Second Amendment, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told a crowd on Monday at Ashland University.
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down a handgun ban in Washington D.C., that affirmed the right to keep and bear arms, there is a battle for firearms ownership in America, LaPierre said. He urged NRA... (GunPolicy.org)
Thailand,Russia,United States,United Nations
Merchant of Death Who Armed the World: BBC 'Full Story' on Viktor Bout
17 November 2008
BBC Two / This World
Viktor Bout, the man accused by Western governments of being the world's biggest arms dealer, has been held in a Bangkok jail since March, with the threat of extradition to the US hanging over his head.
After more than 15 years of allegedly running guns to African warlords and Islamic militants he was arrested in Thailand after an elaborate sting organised by US agents.
A former member of the Russian military, Mr Bout has always proclaimed his innocence.
He has... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Gun Trade Conference Report: Moving a Small Arms Agenda Forward
16 November 2008
Disarmament Times (USA)
A wave of optimism swept over the United Nations small arms process in July, when progress on implementing the 2001 Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms in All Its Aspects received new momentum. (1)
On 18 July, after seven months of preparation and five days of face-to-face discussions at the Third Biennial Meeting of States, 134 states voted to adopt a final outcome document outlining actions needed to counter the global illicit trade in a variety of... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Zimbabwe,United Nations
US, Zimbabwe Unite as Sole 'No' Voters on UN Global Gun Trade Treaty
1 November 2008
Los Angeles Times
UNITED NATIONS — The United States and Zimbabwe united briefly Friday against the world to oppose creating a treaty that would control international sales of arms.
In a United Nations General Assembly vote, 147 of its 192 members voted in favor of creating a global treaty that would impose rules on the import, export and transfer of weapons among nations. Only the U.S., long an opponent of such a treaty, and Zimbabwe voted against the idea. Arms exporters such as... (GunPolicy.org)
Lopsided UN Vote Kicks Off Negotiations for Global Gun Trade Treaty
31 October 2008
Agence France Presse
UNITED NATIONS — A UN General Assembly panel on Friday overwhelmingly backed steps to draft a treaty establishing international standards for the arms trade.
It endorsed a resolution urging UN member states to consider how to implement "the highest possible standards to prevent the diversion of conventional arms from the legal to the illicit market, where they can be used for terrorist acts, organized crime and other criminal activities."
Some 147 countries in the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States, Zimbabwe Alone in Opposing UN Global Gun Trade Treaty
31 October 2008
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS — The United States and Zimbabwe may not be on the best of terms, but they had a rare moment of unity on Friday when their U.N. envoys joined forces to vote against establishing global arms trade standards.
Nearly 150 nations voted in favor of drafting a legally binding arms trade treaty that would tighten regulation of, and set international standards for, the import, export and transfer of conventional weapons.
The resolution presented to the First... (GunPolicy.org)
Landslide UN Vote Kicks Off Treaty to Set Global Gun Trade Standards
31 October 2008
Xinhua
UNITED NATIONS — The first committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Friday to try to establish agreed standards on arms trade, British Ambassador John Sawers said.
The resolution, which was initiated by Britain, received an overwhelming support at the Committee on Disarmament and International Security, with 145 member states voting in favor. Only the United States and Zimbabwe voted against, Sawers said.
He expressed hope that "the... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,United States,Zimbabwe
UN Votes for Global Gun Trade Treaty: 147 in Favour, 2 Against
31 October 2008
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly endorsed the idea of an unprecedented treaty regulating the global arms trade Friday, despite opposition from the United States.
Of the U.N.'s 192 member nations, 147 voted in favor of drafting the treaty. Only the U.S. and Zimbabwe voted against it, with the other nations absent or abstaining.
Proponents say they hope to adopt a treaty within five years imposing controls on an international arms trade that... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Faces 'Crucial Vote, Make-or-break Moment'
27 October 2008
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Opinion
In these days of giant bank bail-outs and financial calamity involving sums in the billions, 1,000 seems like a small number. Except it is the average number of people killed by small arms every day, and to me that number is devastating. Many of these deaths happen because armed weapons are too easy to buy and sell.
There are at least 640m firearms in existence in the world today and up to 14bn bullets are manufactured every year, the vast majority of which are... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Gun Trade Treaty: As of Last Week, 111 of 192 States Had Signed Up
26 October 2008
Sunday Herald (Glasgow), Opinion
Someone has just been killed. Soon their family will know. Their mother and father, or sons and daughters, or husband or wife will face the grief of a loved one lost, the expected future ended, and potential hardship as they face life without them.
Today, as you are reading the Sunday papers and hopefully relaxing after your week, somewhere someone has been killed by firearms. Not just one person, but about 50 this hour and every hour. More than 1000 people will be... (GunPolicy.org)
NGOs in Philippines Promote United Nations Global Gun Trade Treaty
24 October 2008
ABS-CBN News (Manila), Column
On October 21, the UN General Assembly's Disarmament and International Security Committee received the report of the commissioned Group of Government Experts that examined the feasibility, scope and parameters of a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The ATT is a new legal regime in the making that will determine whether or not we can expect in the next decades more loose firearms killing or maiming more people around the world.
To drum up support for the ATT,... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,United Nations
'Global Treaty Against Guns' Could Slow US Weapons to World Criminals
23 October 2008
Foreign Policy In Focus (USA)
We've heard a lot about gun control and the second amendment in this election season. A McCain-Palin poster, featuring Alaska's 44-year-old governor with a big gun and the viewer in her rifle sights, is just one of the more graphic indications that gun control is a lightning-rod issue that distracts, distorts, and dismays.
More than 200 years after our founding fathers enshrined the right to "bear arms" in our Constitution, we have more arms than we can bear. Wars are... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland,Yemen,Switzerland,United States,United Nations
Global Gun Ownership: Finland, Yemen, Switzerland, USA - Keith Krause
23 October 2008
Chicago Public Radio, Audio
Last month, a 22-year-old student walked into his trade school in Finland and opened fire. He killed 10 people before shooting himself. The school massacre was the second Finland experienced in less than a year.
Keith Krause is the Program Director of the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Switzerland.
The Small Arms Survey puts out an annual study on the production,... (GunPolicy.org)
Tutu Urges 192 UN Ambassadors to Support Global Gun Control Treaty
22 October 2008
Agence France Presse
NEW YORK — South Africa's retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Tuesday appealed to UN member states to "end the slaughter" resulting from the uncontrolled small arms trade by backing a global arms trade treaty.
In a message delivered to all 192 missions to the United Nations here, he pointed out that "in the last two years almost three quarters of a million people have died as a result of armed violence.
"You can and must act to control the deadly trade in weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Thrives: Recent Example 40,000 Kalashnikovs to Kenya
14 October 2008
Time (World)
PARIS — Need to start a war? No problem. While stock markets gyrate and financial institutions (and even whole countries, like Iceland) teeter on bankruptcy, one global industry is still drawing plenty of high-end trades and profits: weapons.
In a Paris courtroom last week, 42 officials went on trial for taking millions in kickbacks and organizing huge arms commissions from the Angolan government during the mid-1990s. In the dock were such big names as Charles... (GunPolicy.org)
Unchecked Gun Trade Fuels Conflict, Poverty: UN Treaty Seen as Urgent
11 October 2008
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS — With 1.3 trillion dollars spent every year on the world's militaries, countries enmeshed in conflict are often flooded by weapons which are then turned against helpless civilian populations, say human rights organisations pushing for an international treaty to closely regulate arms sales.
"If a country is likely to be involved in warfare, then it is unjustifiable to sell arms. There must be regulation or control of arms — especially when the... (GunPolicy.org)
How, Why UN Small Arms Meeting Made Headway - Chairman Speaks
10 October 2008
Arms Control Today (USA)
When I was nominated in December 2007 as the chair-designate of the third biennial meeting of states (BMS3),[1] my team and I immediately focused on the task of ensuring a successful outcome. This, of course, is the duty of any meeting chair; but in this case, the need for success was acute. The first two biennial meetings held to consider the implementation of the Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Union Boss, Amnesty International Call for Global Gun Trade Treaty
10 October 2008
Guardian (UK), Letter
This week marks the start of crucial discussions at the UN on whether or not to start work on a treaty that would stop weapons ending up in the hands of abusers, and that would tighten controls on the huge number of weapons flooding our planet (China warns US over plan for $6.5bn arms sale to Taiwan, October 8). Such a treaty is desperately needed. Every day 1,000 people die as a result of armed violence. And 639m small arms are in circulation around the world.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade 'Out of Control,' Fueling Conflict, Poverty, Says Oxfam
8 October 2008
Press Association (UK)
The arms trade is "out of control" and is destroying global attempts to tackle poverty, according to a new report.
International aid agency Oxfam said many developing countries will not reach their fundamental targets for human advancement because of "irresponsible" arms dealing.
Its report, Shooting Down The Millennium Development Goals, said weapons trading had damaging consequences far beyond the immediate effects of stoking conflict.
The charity said some... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean Countries Call on UN to Launch Global Gun Trade Treaty
6 October 2008
Caribbean Net News
ST JOHN's, Antigua — Representatives from several Caribbean governments, regional NGOs and law enforcement agencies have conducted landmark talks in Antigua on international arms transfers, development and the Arms Trade Treaty.
According to the statement read on behalf of the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Baldwin Spencer, the prime minister wished to assure "that my government will do all in its power to support the Arms Trade Treaty in the region".
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Nukes, WMD Make the Headlines, But Guns Kill 1,000 a Day - UN Treaty
1 October 2008
The World Today (UK) October 2008, Vol 64, Issue 10
By tightening and universalising the trading rules of a 'responsible' international arms market, a[n arms trade] treaty would aim to crowd out illegal and informal arms trafficking and, over time, dry up the pool of illegal conventional weapons and limit the death and damage with which we have become too familiar. Of the 192 member states of the United Nations, 153 voted for the resolution at its launch, and a remarkable hundred or so have made submissions to a group of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The World Today (UK) October 2008, Vol 64, Issue 10
UN Conference Agrees, Makes Modest Progress to Curb Gun Violence
1 October 2008
Arms Control Today (USA), September Issue
After failing to achieve consensus at a 2006 review conference, this year's delegates to an international gathering to address the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons overcame procedural objections to vote for modest next steps.
By its very nature, the illicit trade is difficult to gauge. The independent research group Small Arms Survey estimates the authorized trade of small arms, light weapons, and related ammunition at more than $4 billion per year.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Political Will Required for India to Promote Global Gun Trade Treaty
30 September 2008
Hindu (India), Opinion
Over 1,000 people are killed every day by arms. Eight million small arms and light weapons are produced every year. Each year at least a third of a million people are killed directly with conventional weapons and many more are injured, abused, forcibly displaced and bereaved as a result of armed violence. Based on an evaluation of the value of total exports for 2005-07, as officially reported by the authorities of each country, listed for deliveries of all military... (GunPolicy.org)
Sierra Leone Government, NGOs Promote Global Gun Trade Treaty
25 September 2008
Concord Times (Freetown)
Representatives from government and civil society organisations met this week at the China House in Freetown to discuss the arms trade treaty.
The consultation was part of several activities to mark the arms control week of action in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights.
Funding for the consultation was provided by OXFAM-Great Britain based in Dakar, Senegal.
A release from the Sierra Leone action network on small... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,Finland,New Zealand,United States,Australia,Canada,France,Belgium,Sweden,Switzerland,South Africa,Austria,Israel,Brazil,Germany
Comparison of Key Handgun Restrictions in 14 Industrialised Countries
25 September 2008
Economist
Finland's government is introducing tougher regulations on handguns following a mass shooting at a school on Tuesday September 23rd, the second in under a year.
The country had been among the most lenient in the world, allowing 15-year-olds to keep a handgun under parental supervision, requiring no medical or psychological tests and no minimum wait for those buying weapons.
The gun-death rate (whether murder, accident or suicide) in rich countries is highest where... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Europe,United Nations
EU, UN to Spend EUR3 Million Destroying Bosnian Guns, Ammunition
24 September 2008
Agence France Presse
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The European Union and a U.N. agency said Wednesday they have donated EUR3 million for the control and reduction of small arms and ammunition left over from the 1992-95 Bosnia war.
The project's goal is "to decrease the threat posed to human security by the large and uncontrolled presence of small arms, light weapons and ammunition in the country," said Christine McNab, a representative of the United Nations Development Program, or... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Opponents Genetically 'More Fearful,' Says Article in Science
18 September 2008
Los Angeles Times
Die-hard liberals and conservatives aren't made, they're born. It's literally in their DNA.
That's the implication of a study by a group of researchers who wanted to see if there was a biological basis for people's political attitudes.
They found to their surprise that opinions on such contentious issues as gun control, pacifism and capital punishment are strongly associated with physiological traits that in all likelihood are present at birth.
The key is the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Conservatives Shooting Holes in Global Gun Control Efforts
17 September 2008
Now Magazine (Ontario)
If you're wondering whether you've missed any gun talk thus far in the federal election, don't worry. Not a single rhetorical shot's been fired — yet.
One reason the issue is taking its time is that the Tories have put a muzzle on their gun-loving supporters in hopes of wooing urban voters with a piano-playing, cardiganed teddy bear.
But in rural areas, these Reformers in Tory blue continue to play the gun card, fanning the still seething flames of anger over the... (GunPolicy.org)
Amnesty Urges Global Gun Trade Treaty at United Nations Next Month
17 September 2008
Financial Times (UK)
LONDON — The world's nations must urgently agree an international treaty regulating the trade in arms if they are to prevent more than 300,000 people being shot dead each year and millions more suffering humanitarian abuses, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
In a report published ahead of a debate on the issue at the United Nations in a few weeks' time, Amnesty says the signing of an arms trade treaty is critical if the UN is to counter human rights abuses... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Kingdom,Iraq,United Nations
US, UK Failing to Monitor Flood of Million Guns into Iraq, Amnesty Warns
17 September 2008
Guardian (UK)
Iraq is being flooded with weapons despite human rights violations by all parties in the conflict there, and without any proper monitoring by the US and Britain over where the weapons end up, Amnesty International says today.
There is no clear accountable audit trail for some 360,000 small arms supplied to the Iraqi security forces, many by the US and UK, it says. Subcontracting makes the arms trade even less transparent. Among examples cited by Amnesty are the supply... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,United States,United Nations
Pentagon Floods 530-000-strong Iraqi Forces with Another Million Guns
17 September 2008
Sydney Morning Herald / AFP
World governments should pledge to actively prevent sales of weapons that are likely to be used in human rights violations in a new arms treaty under negotiation, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
Whether used by the military in Burma to disperse protesters in September 2007, or by Somali armed factions terrorising the streets of Mogadishu, the human rights group warned small weapons had "catastrophic" effects worldwide.
The system of national laws regulating... (GunPolicy.org)
Just Like Other Weapons, Guns Should Be Controlled by a Global Treaty
17 September 2008
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Opinion
It seems far too often we see images on our television screens of the impact of the devastation caused by weapons, which have ended up in the wrong hands and fuelled dreadful human rights abuses.
The carnage caused by sectarian violence in Iraq; the shocking image of a young boy carrying an AK-47, a gun almost the same height as himself; and the account of traumatised women and girls who have suffered horrific sexual abuse, often at the hands of perpetrators carrying... (GunPolicy.org)
Politicians from All Irish Parties Support Call for Global Gun Trade Treaty
17 September 2008
Irish Times (Dublin)
Politicians from all the main parties have given their support to a global campaign to ban the sale of arms to conflict zones such as Darfur and Burma, where they are likely to be used for violations of human rights.
Launching a report which details the catastrophic effect of unrestrained arms trading on human rights in conflict zones, Amnesty International said 56 TDs, senators and MEPs had signed a parliamentary declaration supporting a comprehensive Arms Trade... (GunPolicy.org)
Bangladesh Urged to Support United Nations Global Gun Trade Treaty
14 September 2008
New Nation (Bangladesh)
The government has been urged to play its due role in pursuing the enactment of the proposed arms trade treaty in the General Assembly of the United Nations next month.
The proposed treaty after enactment would reduce availability of the small and light arms, which are mostly used in anti human rights activities, as a total of seven lakh people killed across the globe in a year with bullets from small and light arms by both legal or illegal users.
This was highlighted... (GunPolicy.org)
With White House Push, Global US Gun, Military Weapon Sales Jump
14 September 2008
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is pushing through a broad array of foreign weapons deals as it seeks to rearm Iraq and Afghanistan, contain North Korea and Iran, and solidify ties with onetime Russian allies.
U.S. Weapons Abroad From tanks, helicopters and fighter jets to missiles, remotely piloted aircraft and even warships, the Department of Defense has agreed so far this fiscal year to sell or transfer more than $32 billion in weapons and other military... (GunPolicy.org)
Groups, Lawmakers Gather in New Delhi, Urge Global Gun Trade Treaty
14 September 2008
Kangla Online / Imphal Free Press
NEW DELHI — Civil Society, Parliamentarians and Gun Survivors urge Indian Government to support an International Arms Trade Treaty to stop the inflow of illegal small arms and light weapons.
On Saturday, 13 September 2008, Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI) commemorated the Global Day of Action for an International Arms Trade Treaty at the India International Centre, New Delhi, and urged the Government of India to support an International Arms Trade Treaty to... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Pushes Treaty to Curb 'Irresponsible Trade' in Guns, Weapons
13 September 2008
Associated Press of Pakistan
LONDON — The current negotiations on the global arms trade treaty under the auspices of the United Nations is aimed at curbing irresponsible trade and transfer of conventional weapons, ammunition and the technology to make them.
This was stated by a senior British Foreign Office official at his briefing here last night. The official explained the salient feature of the treaty in offing and its effect on the flourishing global arms industry.
The Arms Trade Treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
America Leads World in Multi-Billion Economic Cost of Gun Crime Death
11 September 2008
Associated Press
GENEVA, Switzerland — The United States leads the world in economic loss from deaths caused by armed crime, according to a global survey to be released Friday.
The United States registered an estimated loss of up to $45.1 billion in terms of economic productivity because of violent crimes, said the report by the United Nations Development Program and the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey.
At least 490,000 people are killed in armed crimes each year worldwide, placing a... (GunPolicy.org)
Soros, IANSA, Obama Push UN's Deadly Anti-American, Anti-gun Agenda
11 September 2008
National Rifle Association (USA), Web Page
Self-anointed 'Candidate of Change' Barack Obama has earned the support of billionnaire George Soros. United Nations officials who, like Soros, sneer at US sovereignty and the Second Amendment rights of ordinary Americans, also cheer his White House bid.
"The united States believes that the responsible use of firearms is a legitimate aspect of national life… We do not support measures that prohibit civilian possession of small arms… The United States will not join... (GunPolicy.org)
Billionaire Gun-Banners Fund IANSA, Rebecca Peters, Barack Obama
11 September 2008
National Rifle Association (USA), Web Page
Even before he was officially nominated, Barack Obama's campaign was working to create a "presidential transition team" headed by a powerful member of what has been called a "government in exile" — a man seen as the ultimate Washington insider, totally beholden to globalist gun-ban billionaire George Soros.
That man is John Podesta, Bill Clinton's former White House chief of staff — his point man on gun control, who coordinated federal extortionist lawsuits against... (GunPolicy.org)
Uganda,East Africa,United Kingdom,United Nations
Britain Urges UN Members to Urgently Endorse Global Gun Trade Treaty
10 September 2008
Daily Monitor (Kampala)
KAMPALA — The UK government is rallying the 192 UN-member countries to urgently endorse the draft resolution on global Arms Trade Treaty to streamline international sale of guns, which protagonists claim will choke supply of deadly weapons to terrorists and dictators.
Mr David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, says the unregulated marketing of military hardware has inflamed devastating civil wars, mainly in poor countries, and emboldened repressive regimes to... (GunPolicy.org)
We Badly Need a Global Gun Trade Treaty, Says UK Foreign Secretary
9 September 2008
Independent (UK), Opinion
War was a defining symbol of the 20th century, with tens of millions dead. Today conflicts still blight large parts of Africa and Asia. We have seen the fighting in Georgia, on Europe's doorstep. Are we destined to repeat the last century's mistakes?
Oxfam has calculated that Africa loses around $18bn (£10bn) per year due to wars, civil wars, and insurgencies. According to Oxfam's research, globally, an estimated 1,000 people die every day due directly to the use of... (GunPolicy.org)
African Nations Discuss Curbs on Gunrunning, Global Gun Trade Treaty
5 September 2008
African Press Agency
NAIROBI — A two-day conference which brought together ministers and civil society organizations from 50 African countries, United Nations officials and arms control groups to help form a united position on a convention on arms proliferation, ended in Nairobi on Thursday night with African countries agreeing to propose imposing sanctions to countries behind irresponsible arms transfers leading to the destabilization of African governments.
Speaking to reporters in... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Arms Trade Treaty Conference Seeks to Regulate Global Gunrunning
3 September 2008
Voice of America
NAIROBI — Ministers and civil society leaders from 18 African countries, U.N. disarmament officials, and arms-control advocates are meeting in the Kenyan capital Nairobi to try to form a united position on a proposed treaty to regulate the global arms trade. As VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from Nairobi, the arms treaty is viewed as a critical element in international efforts to reduce the human and economic cost of conflicts, especially in Africa.
Speaking... (GunPolicy.org)
Loopholes Aid African Gunrunners: Kenya Touts Global Gun Trade Treaty
3 September 2008
African Press Agency
NAIROBI, Kenya — Serious arms proliferation in most African countries go unchecked due to loopholes in national laws, Kenya Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said on Wednesday at the opening of an arms treaty conference in Nairobi.
Reading a speech on his behalf, his deputy Richard Onyonka said African countries lose $264 million annually in human life and economic potential due to arms proliferation.
He said conventional arms find themselves in African countries... (GunPolicy.org)
African Nations, UN Meet in Kenya to Canvass Global Gun Trade Treaty
3 September 2008
BBC News
African ministers are due to meet UN disarmament officials and arms control groups to help form a united position on a conventional arms trade treaty.
The talks in Nairobi have been called by the Kenyan government.
Arms control groups argue that Africa has lost billions of dollars in conflicts fuelled by unregulated weapons sales.
They also say that a proposed treaty could significantly reduce the human and economic cost.
Workable agreement
According to one... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,China,Sudan,Zimbabwe,Myanmar
World's Human Rights Abusers Rely on China as Key Arms Supplier
6 August 2008
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS — As China tries to boost its international image, playing host to a summer Olympic games, the government in Beijing is being singled out as a key arms supplier to some of the world's worst human rights abusers, according to a new study released here.
Although China controls only 2 percent of the global arms market, Beijing's impact "is measured less by the value of its sales than by the character of its clients," says William D. Hartung, director of... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Global Gun Control Meeting Not Such a Success: Mainly Old Rhetoric
1 August 2008
SIPRI Update: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Newsletter
Small arms and light weapons (SALW) inflict death and hamper development throughout the world. International gatherings to combat the illicit trade in SALW are therefore to be welcomed. But the Third Biennial Meeting of States (BMS) on SALW, held in New York in July, had a mixed outcome. While a carefully constructed agenda and pre-drafted outcome document meant that the meeting was a nominal success, few new ideas emerged.
The BMS was the main positive outcome of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SIPRI Update: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Did UN Gun Control Conference Boost Prospects of Arms Trade Treaty?
31 July 2008
World Politics Review / Arms Control Association, Web Page
In mid July, the international community renewed its efforts to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons (SALW). After failing to even adopt a report at their last meeting in 2006, this year's delegates found a way through Iranian procedural objections to vote for modest next steps on a program of action to address the illicit trade of the deadly devices. Watchers of the small arms trade will now be looking to see if successful conclusion of the meeting adds... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Mole Unmasked: NRA Paid Spy to Infiltrate Gun Control Groups
30 July 2008
Mother Jones (USA)
This is the story of two Marys. Both are in their early 60s, heavyset, with curly reddish hair. But for years they have worked on opposite ends of the same issues. Mary McFate is an advocate of environmental causes and a prominent activist within the gun control movement. For more than a decade, she volunteered for various gun violence prevention organizations, serving on the boards of anti-gun outfits, helping state groups coordinate their activities, lobbying in... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,United States,Iran
UN Votes 134 to Nil for Global Gun Control: Iran v the World, US Absent
30 July 2008
ISS Today / Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane / Pretoria), Web Page
Recently, the future of the United Nations (UN) process designed to coordinate global action against the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons was decided by a vote. This development was unexpected and unprecedented, as it ran contrary to the culture of consensus decision-making that has consistently characterised small arms and light weapons dealings within the UN environment. The vote was entirely due to the obstinacy of Iran, and has consequently resulted in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ISS Today / Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane / Pretoria)
Proliferation of Guns Contributes to Rising Use of Child Killers in Combat
27 July 2008
National (Abu Dhabi)
UNITED NATIONS, New York — Emmanuel Jal is not certain, but thinks he was six years old when he was forced to fight alongside southern rebels in Sudan's bloody civil war, becoming a hate-filled gun-toter, determined to "kill as many Arabs or Muslims as possible".
Today, Mr Jal is an emerging star of Africa's rap scene, with lyrics on his recently released second album, WARchild, fuelling debate on one of the most complex moral issues of the modern era: child... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Small Arms Process 'Back on Track' - 134 Votes to Nil for Gun Control
21 July 2008
Disarmament Insight (Geneva), Blog
NEW YORK — UN Member States met in New York all last week to examine, as they do every two years, how the 2001 Programme of Action to curb the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is being implemented. A lot was at stake in this meeting. Guns are used to take the lives of about 300,000 people every year. They injure and disable about three times that number and commit millions more to living in perpetual poverty and fear. As some participating States pointed... (GunPolicy.org)
US Position Complicates Global UN Effort to Curb Illicit Gun Trafficking
19 July 2008
New York Times
UNITED NATIONS — Diplomats from the world's governments met throughout this week on agreements to cut the global illicit trade in small arms, but their work was curtailed in part by the near-boycott of the meetings by the United States.
The tone of the meetings underscored the political complexities of gaining full support for international small-arms agreements from the United States. The American view has balanced recognition of the dangers of illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Landslide UN Vote Sets Global Gun Control Process Back on Track - IANSA
18 July 2008
International Action Network on Small Arms / IANSA, Media release
UNITED NATIONS — Campaigners welcomed the resurrection of the UN small arms process today, as states strengthened their commitment to work together to curb the illicit trade in small arms.
134 states voted for the agreement of the Biennial Meeting of States on Small Arms. No state voted against it. Iran and Zimbabwe abstained.
The agreement provides guidance on several key areas of small arms control, including arms brokering legislation, the marking and tracing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International Action Network on Small Arms / IANSA
Global Gun Trade Aids, Abets Rise of Child Soldiers, Say UN Experts
15 July 2008
Hindu (India) / PTI
UNITED NATIONS — The large scale trade in small arms is a major factor behind the growing worldwide phenomenon of child soldiers, top UN officials said on wednesday.
"It is argued by many that it is the proliferation of small arms contributing to their ready availability in the period 1970 2000, which has led to the phenomenon of child soldiers as we know it today," the United Nations envoy on children and armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy said.
"For USD 5 one... (GunPolicy.org)
Strong Link Between Child Soldiers and Global Gun Trade, Say UN Experts
15 July 2008
United Nations (New York), Media release
NEW YORK — The trade in small arms is a major factor behind the worldwide phenomenon of child soldiers, according to United Nations experts who gathered today in New York to discuss the impact of the weapons trade on society.
"It is argued by many that it is the proliferation of small arms that has actually contributed to this rise — the ready availability of small arms in the period 1970 — 2000 led to the rise and the phenomenon of child soldiers as we know it... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Afghanistan,United Nations,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Albania,Serbia
Iraq, Afghan Wars, Exports from Bosnia, Albania Hurt Bid to Destroy Guns
15 July 2008
Agence France Presse
UNITED NATIONS — The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are undermining efforts to destroy surplus weapons by creating new markets for countries to sell their unwanted firearms, according to a survey.
Although the world is witnessing "the largest systematic destruction of military small arms and light weapons since the end of World War II," countries that would normally have destroyed their surplus weapons are now being encouraged to export them, the Small Arms Survey 2008... (GunPolicy.org)
Report: Preventable Diversion of Guns Fuels Crime, Insurgency, Death
15 July 2008
Xinhua
UNITED NATIONS — The diversion of small arms and light weapons is a major source of firearms for criminals and insurgents around the world, according to a new survey issued Monday.
In its 2008 edition of an annual report, the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey said that diverted arms shipments — in which arms are redirected to unauthorized end users — can range from small packages of components for civilian firearms to hundred-ton shipments of military-grade light... (GunPolicy.org)
UN: Global Proliferation of Guns Fuels Violence, Crime and Insurgency
15 July 2008
Voice of America
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations says in its annual survey that global arms proliferation is fueling violence, crime and insurgency. VOA's United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer has the story by intern Maha Saad.
The program director of the small arms survey, Keith Krause, says approximately 650,000 civilian firearms move from lawful to illegal possession every year. This is known as diversion of small arms, such as pistols, revolvers, and rifles. "It is... (GunPolicy.org)
Rap Star, Ex-Child Soldier Urges UN to Curb Guns, 'The Real WMDs'
14 July 2008
International Action Network on Small Arms (London), Media release
Emmanuel Jal, former child soldier and international rap star, will address the United Nations on Tuesday to urge them to regulate the gun trade.
Emmanuel is an involuntary expert in gun violence. He was born in war-torn Sudan, and forced to fight at the age of six or seven with the rebel army in the civil war. Put into battle as a child soldier, he was made to shoot with an AK-47 that was taller than he was. He fought for five years before he and his friends managed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International Action Network on Small Arms (London)
Annual Report Launched at UN: Global Gun Theft, Trafficking, Gun Violence
14 July 2008
United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), New York, Media release
As delegates gathered in New York to consider the implementation of the Programme of Action on the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, the Small Arms Survey 2008: Risks and Resilience, was launched at a Headquarters press conference this morning.
The book is the eighth annual review of global small arms issues, which is produced by a team of researchers based in Geneva, Switzerland, and a worldwide network of local researchers. The publication was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), New York
United Nations,Iraq,Colombia,Afghanistan
Civilians Alone 'Lose' 650,000 Guns Each Year, Says Study Released at UN
14 July 2008
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS — Every year hundreds of thousands of small arms go missing and many wind up in the hands of insurgents in countries like Iraq, Colombia and Afghanistan, a new survey published on Monday said.
The annual report issued by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey said that as many as 650,000 civilian-owned weapons go missing. This figure excludes the considerable amount of weapons that are diverted — usually meaning stolen or sold on the black market —... (GunPolicy.org)
Papua New Guinea,United Nations
Papua New Guinea, Commonwealth Discuss Global Gun Trade Treaty
13 July 2008
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave)
The build up of small and light weapons in Papua New Guinea's autonomous island of Bougainville has raised some concerns for the national government.
Pacnews reports … PNG Justice Minister Dr Allan Marat raised the issue with his Commonwealth colleagues during a meeting in Edinburgh.
Dr Marat says he discussed the possibility of an arms trade treaty between Commonwealth nations.
He said there was a heavy proliferation of weapons in the PNG highlands, and that arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Treaty Should be Actively Supported by India
3 July 2008
My News Network (India)
NEW DELHI — India should become an active member the International Arms Trade Treaty to put a check on the illegal trade of weapons which is helping in fuelling armed violence that takes around 3,50,000 lives across the world, an International Affairs expert said today.
"India should sign the "United Nations global Arms Trade Treaty' and become its active member to create a legally binding agreement to regularise arms trade," said Anuradha Chenoy, an expert on... (GunPolicy.org)
Oxfam America Pulls Out of Global Gun Trade Campaign in West Africa
3 July 2008
Afrique en ligne (France) / PANA
DAKAR, Senegal — Less than two weeks to the third edition of the United Nations Biennial on small arms 14-18 July in New York, Oxfam America has ended its collaboration with the West African movement against small arms in the fight against the circulation of the small arms and light weapons (SALWs) in West Africa.
The announcement was made by the executive director of the movement, Georges Ndiaye, at a workshop on the June2007/June 2008 review programme of its... (GunPolicy.org)
Homicide, Suicide, Gun Death Much More Likely in Homes with Firearms
30 June 2008
Associated Press
ATLANTA — The Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gun ownership last week focused on citizens' ability to defend themselves from intruders in their homes. But research shows that surprisingly often, gun owners use the weapons on themselves.
Suicides accounted for 55 percent of the nation's nearly 31,000 firearm deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There was nothing unique about... (GunPolicy.org)
Impact of Gun Control Laws is Tough to Determine: Some Say Few Work
29 June 2008
New York Times
Lurking behind the Supreme Court's ruling last week that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms were a series of fascinating, disputed and now in many ways irrelevant questions.
Do gun control laws reduce crime? Do they save lives? Is it possible they even cost lives?
Justice Stephen G. Breyer, one of the dissenters in the 5-to-4 decision, surveyed a quite substantial body of empirical research on whether gun control laws do any good. Then he... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control in Most Countries More Stringent than in America
27 June 2008
Washington Times
Few countries go as far as the District of Columbia government did in effectively banning handgun ownership, but gun control abroad tends to be far stricter and more intrusive than in the United States.
In Britain, it is a crime to manufacture or import even realistic-looking imitation guns, while in Canada, handguns must be registered and potential buyers must undergo training, a personal-risk assessment and a criminal background check; supply two references; and... (GunPolicy.org)
High Court Strikes Down Washington DC Gun Ban as 'Unconstitutional'
26 June 2008
CNN
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Washington D.C.'s sweeping ban on handguns is unconstitutional.
The justices voted 5-4 against the ban with Justice Antonin Scalia writing the opinion for the majority.
At issue in District of Columbia v. Heller was whether the city's ban violated the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms" by preventing individuals — as opposed to state militias — from having guns in their homes.
District of... (GunPolicy.org)
DC Gun Law Voided: Individual Gun Right, Self Defence 'In the Home' OK
26 June 2008
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court says Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history.
The court's 5-4 ruling strikes down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision goes further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact.
The court had not conclusively... (GunPolicy.org)
Supreme Court Heller Decision Due 10am Thursday US Eastern
25 June 2008
SCOTUSBlog (Washington DC), Blog
At the close of Wednesday's public session, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., announced that the Court will issue all remaining decisions for the Term at 10 a.m. Thursday. The test case on whether the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a gun is among those remaining (District of Columbia v. Heller, 07-290).
For instant analysis, live from the Supreme Court, go to:... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Treaty Needed to Curb the Spread of Weapons
12 June 2008
Statesman (Kolkata), Opinion
The campaign to reduce small arms and to eliminate the use of landmines and cluster bombs can save millions of lives. In addition, animals and birds can also be protected.
Although attention is generally focussed on heavy weapons, greater destruction is caused by "small arms and light weapons", a technical term (generally abbreviated to 'small arms') which covers revolvers, pistols, rifles, carbines, machine-guns, ammunition, shells, grenades, landmines and... (GunPolicy.org)
Vatican Airs Campaign for International Gun Control, Global Gun Trade Treaty
5 June 2008
Vatican Radio, Audio
The Global Week of Action Against Small Arms, which began on Monday and ends June 9th, aims to link commitments by the International Action Network on Small Arms at the regional and global level with actions by national governments.
The project aims to raise awareness, campaign for better gun laws and push for stronger regulation of the global arms trade.
One of the organizations participating is Pax Christi International. Senior Policy Advisor Father Paul Lansou... (GunPolicy.org)
McCain on Gun Control, Gun Shows, Assault Weapons, the UN and the NRA
1 June 2008
America's 1st Freedom / National Rifle Association of America
To say that the 2008 elections will be crucial for the future of the Second Amendment would be an understatement. Future efforts to preserve our gun rights and our hunting heritage hinge on who will take the helm at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next January. NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox recently sat down with presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain. They asked him some direct questions about his record... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: America's 1st Freedom / National Rifle Association of America
Bahraini MPs Sign Petition to End Gun Violence, Support Global Gun Treaty
30 May 2008
All Headline News (Florida)
MANAMA, Bahrain — Four Bahraini lawmakers have signed an international petition calling for an end to gun violence and urging the United Nations to push for an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) with all its members.
Parliament member Jalal Fairooz, from Al Wefaq, the largest Shia bloc in the Bahrain parliament, is one of the signatories of the petition. He told AHN, "There have been several cases of shootings which are a matter of concern. Bahrain is a small island and... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Treaty Next Step in Campaign to Curb Lethal Weapons
30 May 2008
Scotsman (Edinburgh), Opinion
The decision this week for a global treaty to ban cluster munitions in Dublin is a significant step towards reducing indiscriminate civilian deaths and making our world a safer place.
But the world needs to do much more if we genuinely seek to stop civilians dying from weapons designed for war.
This is because there is still a type of weaponry in the arsenals of every government on earth that continues to kill and maim civilians year after year. These weapons line... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,United States,United Nations
NATO Hosts Conference on Global Threat Posed by Proliferation of Guns
29 May 2008
Xinhua
BRUSSELS — A three-day international conference opened at the NATO headquarters on Wednesday to address the global threat posed by the proliferation, illicit trade and use of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
The meeting, co-sponsored by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council countries and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, focuses on strengthening the role of regional organizations in addressing the threat.
Approximately 100 experts... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,United States,United Nations
Europe Hosts OSCE / NATO Forum on Global Threat of Illicit Firearms
28 May 2008
United Press International
BRUSSELS — A forum being held in Brussels is designed to promote greater cooperation on deterring the global threat posed by the illicit small arms and weapons trade.
The three-day conference, which began Wednesday, has brought together security experts from around the world to discuss how to coordinate and harmonize a response to the small arms and light weapons threat.
The Synergy Conference for Regional Organizations on the Implementation of the U.N. Program of... (GunPolicy.org)
Malawian MPs Ignorant of Global Gun Trade Treaty - But All Intend to Sign It
19 May 2008
Africa News (Netherlands), Blog
Most Malawian Members of Parliament (MP) are unaware about the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), two years after 153 member states of the United Nations voted in its favour for sustainable world peace in 2006.
UN member states agreed during that year, at the UN General Assembly, on the need to have a plausible world treaty regulating the sale of small arms and light weapons. It was hoped that this would help control the proliferation of arms into 'blood' hands -people who would... (GunPolicy.org)
China-Zimbabwe Gun Scandal Shows Need for World Treaty: Desmond Tutu
9 May 2008
Australian (Sydney), Opinion
In the present scandal of the attempt to ship tonnes of arms and ammunition to Zimbabwe, it is the Chinese who have spoken the most sense. China's foreign ministry said the country's shipment of mortar shells, rockets and bullets was perfectly normal trade.
It certainly is. Shipping arms to African governments who could use them to abuse their own people is an abhorrent but almost daily occurrence. And at present there is nothing the international community can do... (GunPolicy.org)
Austria,United Nations,Asia,Oceania
Austria Gives 100,000 Euros to UN Centre to Curb Asia-Pacific Gun Running
7 May 2008
United Nations (New York), Media release
Austria will contribute €100,000 to a United Nations project to curb the illicit flows of small arms and light weapons in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the world body's Office for Disarmament Affairs.
The funds, pledged by Austria on 5 May, will go towards the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, which requires $2.2 million for its projects and to bolster its institutional capacity.
This Centre, which was established by the... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Urged to Curb Illegal Gun Trade: World Already Has 875 Million Firearms
1 May 2008
Malaysia Sun / IANS
The UN has been urged to fight the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, which are linked to the deaths of thousands each year in violence tied to internal conflicts and drugs trafficking.
Speaking on behalf of the European Union (EU), Slovenian ambassador Sanja Stiglic Wednesday said the EU considers the proliferation of those types of weapons around the world as among the 'most dangerous challenges and threats to global stability and security, as well as to... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Security Council Holds Open Debate on Threat of Global Gun Trade
1 May 2008
Xinhua
UNITED NATIONS — The UN Security Council held on Wednesday an open debate on the threat posed by the illicit flow of small arms to international peace and security.
During the meeting, Hannelore Hoppe, deputy to the high representative for disarmament affairs, presented UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's first-ever report on small arms.
In the report, the UN chief said that, while a build-up of small arms alone may not create the conflicts in which they are used,... (GunPolicy.org)
Ban Ki-moon Gives First Report on Global Gun Trade to UN Security Council
1 May 2008
Associated Press of Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS — The uncontrolled trade in small arms and their excessive accumulation and proliferation poses a threat to international peace and security, a senior UN told the Security Council Wednesday.
"We have all witnessed how these weapons have been used to maim and kill; plunder and rape; instil fear and insecurity; block humanitarian aid; hold communities at ransom; destroy the social fabric of entire countries; and how their excessive accumulation and... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,United States,France,Canada,Germany,Angola,Thailand,Australia,Colombia,South Africa,Turkey,Pakistan,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,India,China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
30 April 2008
Economist
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group.
Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia and South Africa, for example, is... (GunPolicy.org)
Zimbabwe,Zambia,United Kingdom,Canada,China,United Nations
Chinese Gun Shipment to Zimbabwe Shines Spotlight on Global Gun Trade
24 April 2008
Toronto Star (Ontario)
When the Chinese freighter An Yue Jiang pulled into the South African port of Durban last week loaded with weapons bound for crisis-ridden Zimbabwe, it seemed to be just one more day in the lucrative arms trade that has engulfed the continent with deadly results.
Instead the ship ran into a storm of protest — with dock workers joining union leaders, church officials and the High Court to block the shipment — until the vessel left the port.
British Prime Minister... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Chief Urges Countries to Enhance Data Sharing on Guns, Ammunition
24 April 2008
Associated Press of Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS — UN Member States need to increase their collection, maintenance and sharing of data on small arms as part of measures to encourage disarmament, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says.
These weapons are "cheap, light and easy to handle, transport and conceal," Ban wrote in his first-ever report on the topic.
"While a build-up of small arms alone may not create the conflicts in which they are used, their excessive accumulation and universal availability... (GunPolicy.org)
Internet Sleuths Could Scour Web for Gunmen, Prevent Campus Shootings
22 April 2008
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
Alone in his bedroom, week after week, the young killer-in-waiting stares into his computer screen, plotting the worst and telling the world.
But his plans to shoot up his high school or university campus never materialize. Instead, there's an early-morning door knock from police who've been stealthily tracking his online activities.
A plausible scenario? Could mass school shootings be averted with cyberspace snooping and sleuthing?
Probably, say experts who study... (GunPolicy.org)
Nations View Global Burden of Gun Violence Through a Development Lens
9 April 2008
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario), Opinion
Poor countries are less safe than rich ones. Most of the world's 30-odd armed conflicts are raging in the global South. As a country's human development ranking declines, its risk of succumbing to violent conflict grows. More than one-third of all countries mired in poverty experienced war since the late 1990s. Fewer than two per cent of rich countries experienced conflict over the same period.
The international aid community has been slow to grasp the real and urgent... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Thailand,United Nations
Thailand Drops Charges Against Global Gun Runner to Allow US Extradition
9 April 2008
Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand — Thai police will seek court approval to extradite a Russian man accused of being one of the world's most prolific black market arms dealers to the United States.
Intelligence officials say Bout shipped weapons to areas of civil war in Africa and Asia.
Thai authorities had lodged charges against Viktor Bout related to his alleged arms smuggling activities, but are dropping them to process the U.S. request to try him.
"We are working on the... (GunPolicy.org)
From Thai Jail, Alleged Russian Arms Dealer Denies Illegal Gun Running
17 March 2008
Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand — A lawyer for a purported Russian arms dealer said Monday his client had not committed any crime "anywhere in the world," adding that he would beat U.S. allegations that he tried to supply arms to Colombian rebels.
Viktor Bout, who has been called "The Merchant of Death," was arrested two weeks ago at a luxury hotel in Bangkok after a U.S.-led sting operation. He was charged with conspiracy for allegedly trying to smuggle missiles and rocket... (GunPolicy.org)
Viktor Bout, Notorious Arms Dealer Arrested in Thailand. Why?
13 March 2008
Economist / Reuters
A former Soviet military-intelligence officer, stranded in Africa by the collapse of his country, turns to gun-running and builds a lucrative international business. It is the sort of outfit that thrives on pointless wars in failed, dirt-poor places. But it also plays a part in some bigger conflicts. Its list of past customers includes the world's best-known terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda and Colombia's FARC — and Western governments too. Efforts to round up the... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Trade Treaty Eludes Student Consensus in Canada's Model UN
13 March 2008
South Asian Focus (Ontario)
Leave it to our kids to make the rules, and the world could well become a better place.
Resolutions they recently undertook as simulated United Nations members included far more rigorous regulation of the arms trade — and in some instances an effective ban on arms transfer to potential global hot spots.
The Sri Lankan delegation suggested a non-partisan body composed of 15 neutral third-party diplomats have to power to conduct such trade.
The U.S. delegation... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Runner Viktor Bout's Offsider Smulian Arrested, Charged in New York
10 March 2008
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul) / AP
NEW YORK — A man accused of helping a purported arms dealer try to sell millions of dollars of weapons to Colombian rebels was ordered held without bail Monday on conspiracy charges.
Andrew Smulian did not enter a plea when he appeared in U.S. District Court in Manhattan after his morning arrest. He and Viktor Bout, a Russian arrested Thursday in Thailand, are charged with conspiring to deliver powerful weapons to Colombia's leftist rebel group, designated by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Runner Viktor Bout Likely to Reveal US Complicity if Brought to Trial
10 March 2008
Newsweek (USA)
U.S. officials are thrilled about the arrest in Bangkok of accused Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout following a lengthy undercover sting by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Dubbed the "Merchant of Death," Bout had been a top target for years. But if, as expected, he is extradited to New York, where he faces charges of conspiring to provide weapons to Colombian guerrillas, the case could also embarrass some U.S. government figures. As recently as four years ago,... (GunPolicy.org)
Jailed Global Gun Runner Bout Will Be Quickly Replaced: UN Treaty Needed
10 March 2008
Center for Defense Information (USA), Web Page
On March 6, 2008 Thai police arrested the notorious arms broker Viktor Bout on charges of supplying arms and explosives to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), a Colombian rebel group cited by the United States as a terrorist organization. Bout is among the world's most well-known arms brokers, credited with supplying weapons that have fueled some of the bloodiest wars in the last two decades. He has been accused of violating UN arms embargoes in... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,Africa,West Asia
Arrest of Notorious Gun Runner Highlights Need for Global Arms Trade Treaty
10 March 2008
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Web Page
Viktor Vassilyevich Bout began his career transporting flowers and frozen chickens across Africa. He quickly moved on to diamonds, mining equipment, Kalashnikov assault rifles, bullets and helicopter gunships. Having evaded an international arrest warrant for more than five years, the notorious Russian arms dealer was finally arrested this week in Thailand. Dubbed the "merchant of death", Bout is regarded as one of the most prolific arms traffickers in the world,... (GunPolicy.org)
Africans Have Reason to Celebrate: Gun Runner Victor Bout is Behind Bars
9 March 2008
Chicago Tribune
JOHANNESBURG — Africans have an extraordinary reason to celebrate this week. True, for untold thousands of their war dead, the news comes too late. But this is a rare occasion, a bittersweet coda, to remember them by: Victor Bout is finally behind bars.
Most people have never heard of Bout. That's the way he has always liked it.
Bout, Butt, Boutov, Budd or Bulakin — the paunchy and mustachioed Russian former intelligence officer accused by Interpol of assembling... (GunPolicy.org)