Veritable Weapons of Mass Destruction

Small arms and light weapons are responsible for the deaths of 600 thousand people every year around the world. Such devastation by hand held or portable firearms make them veritable weapons of mass destruction.

According to the Small Arms Survey, based in Geneva, it is estimated there are 639 million of small arms circulating in 110 countries that comprise close to half the world’s population. Of these, only 37.8% belong to the Armed Forces, 2.8% to the Police and the majority, 59.2% are in the hands of the civilian population.

Unlike illegally produced and illegally sold drugs, firearms are manufactured and sold legally until they enter the black market. It is thus understood that controlling legal gun sales is a first step toward controlling illegal gun sales.

Successful arms control policies must act in four fronts: exert control over the supply side of the gun market, reduce demand, manage firearm stocks and destroy the weapons surplus.

The issue of arms control is controversial and political will is necessary to stop legally bought firearms from being diverted into the illegal market. Different security agencies must pool resources, centralize, computerize and share information if they are to effectively control the stock and circulation of small arms and light weapons.

In poor or developing nations, lack of infrastructure or procedures block information sharing. In wealthy nations, it was only a decade ago that firearms were awarded special status, distinguishing them from ordinary goods.

In Latin America, authoritarian regimes have, in recent history, posed obstacles to firearms control. Firearms control in many Latin American nations is regulated exclusively by the Armed Forces, at odds with the United Nation’s recommendation to include the police and civil society through NGOs. There has been some progress however, in regional cooperation, especially among members of the Mercosur.

Integration is vital for firearm control

Firearms flow across State and National borders. Integrated actions must be carried out at all levels of government: municipal, state, national, and regional as well as internationally to control their circulation.

Where controls have been enforced through international agreements, the number of guns circulating dropped significantly. Countries such as Brazil, Japan, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and South Africa have enacted strict arms control legislation.

Regional agreements such as the one signed by Mercosur members, allow for creating regionally compatible legislation, hindering border arms smuggling. Domestic arms trade control is of little effect if neighboring nations fail to impose similar restrictions. There is a growing awareness that gun control legislation should be harmonized, and Brazil’s Statute of Disarmament has become a regional source of inspiration.

Efforts are underway to draw up a Global Treaty on the Commerce of Firearms. The 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects resulted in a Program of Action. The PoA aims to prevent, combat and eradicate illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and its recommendations include regulating brokers and tracking guns.

Civilian organizations will pressure governments to adopt legal tools to regulate and trace gun and ammunition sales across national borders and between governments and private entities, with an emphasis on gun registration and marking ammunition.