NRA News at the United Nations Covering the "Programme of Action" on Small Arms

Gun owners hoping the failure of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty in July would finally convince the UN to respect our rights shouldn't hold their breath. Just a month after treaty negotiations broke down, on August 27 the UN convened its two-week-long Second Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The POA was established in 2001, ostensibly to combat the illicit trade and use of small arms by developing an internationally accepted set of standards for dealing with the issue, as well as by encouraging states to adopt domestic controls over the manufacturing and distribution of firearms and report on their progress. While states may agree to work towards the goals of the POA, the POA is not binding (unlike a possible Arms Trade Treaty).

However, since its inception the POA has served as a vehicle to promote domestic civilian gun control policies that are incompatible with U.S. gun rights, and the 2012 conference was no different. The conference failed to recognize the legitimacy of civilian firearm ownership or of individual self-defense.

September 6, 2012

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