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.
Friday, November 16, 2012
As we recently reported and warned would happen, following the election, the Obama administration moved forward with its ...
Friday, September 21, 2012
The latest rumor making its way through the darker corners of the internet is an inaccurate spin on ...
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
As United Nations delegates met in New York City in July to adopt an Arms Trade Treaty that ...
Friday, September 7, 2012
Gun owners hoping the failure of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty in July would finally convince the ...
Friday, July 27, 2012
The Conference on the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (U.N. ATT) has broken down and will not report ...
Thursday, July 26, 2012
A bipartisan group of 51 senators on Thursday threatened to oppose a global treaty regulating international weapons trade ...
Thursday, July 26, 2012
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) today led 50 senators in expressing grave concern about the dangers posed to ...
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Could proposed UN treaty endanger American's gun rights?
Friday, July 20, 2012
In New York this week, the U.N. Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty continued trying to draft a ...
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Mr. President, thank you for this brief opportunity to address this conference. I am Wayne LaPierre and for ...