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International & United Nations Gun Control

NRA has been engaged at the United Nations and elsewhere internationally in response to overreaching small arms initiatives for two decades. During this time, we have been actively opposing transnational efforts that would limit Americans’ Second Amendment freedoms. NRA has been a recognized Non-Governmental Organization at the United Nations since 1996. Our status as an NGO allows us to closely monitor the internal UN debate over firearm issues and report back to our members.

The most pressing international threat to U.S. gun owners is the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Among its most egregious provisions, the treaty encourages national recordkeeping requirements for “end users” of covered arms (including firearms), and suggests that national governments share such records. Further, the ATT compels countries to make arms import and export decisions based upon a trading partner’s willingness to abide by the treaty’s requirements, which could isolate the United States from legitimate trade in arms or force it to adopt restrictions detrimental to Second Amendment rights. During the drafting phase, NRA vigorously advocated for civilian firearm ownership be removed from the treaty’s scope. Those recommendations were ignored, meaning U.S. firearms policy could become the rest of the world’s business and subject to its approval, on pain of trade restrictions if it doesn’t meet “international norms.”

Secretary of State John Kerry signed the ATT on behalf of the U.S. on September 25, 2013. NRA continues to work with its Senate allies to prevent ratification or implementation of the treaty in the U.S.

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News  

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Secretary of State Kerry to sign Arms Trade Treaty

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a move that puts the Obama administration at odds with the ...

News  

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Kerry to sign UN arms treaty, despite senators' opposition

Secretary of State John Kerry plans to sign a controversial U.N. treaty on arms regulation on Wednesday, a ...

Friday, August 30, 2013

Obama to Nix Imports, Require FBI Checks for Firearms Trusts; New Director of BATFE Sworn In

More than a century ago, Congress established the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and authorized ...

News  

Monday, June 17, 2013

House adopts Kelly amendment to ban funding for UN Arms Trade Treaty

Representative Mike Kelly (R PA) introduced an amendment last night to H.R. 1960, the National Defense Authorization Act ...

News  

Friday, May 17, 2013

Obama Administration to Sign U.N. Arms Trade Treaty "In the Very Near Future"

As we reported last month, on April 2, the United Nations General Assembly voted 153-4 to pass the ...

Friday, April 5, 2013

UN General Assembly Passes Arms Trade Treaty, Senate Rebuffs

On April 2, the United Nations General Assembly voted 153-4 to pass the Arms Trade Treaty, with the ...

FOX News  

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Does UN trade treaty figure in Obama's plan?

One day after President Barack Obama won re election, his  Administration agreed to a new round of  international ...

News  

Friday, December 28, 2012

NRA vows to fight arms trade treaty at UN

The leading U.S. pro gun group, the National Rifle Association, has vowed to fight a draft international treaty ...

News  

Thursday, December 27, 2012

UN approves new debate on arms treaty

The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Monday to restart negotiations on a draft international treaty to regulate ...

News  

Friday, November 30, 2012

Germany to Register Gun Owners in International Database

Continuing a dubious record as a champion of freedom in Europe, "the German government plans to launch its ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.