MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union

MISSING PIECES
makers, in promoting and stimulating public debate, and in their role of
oversight of the executive. A parliamentary agenda for action contains ten
essential components:
1. Establish a dialogue with the executive. Parliaments are the key link
between the state and its citizens. To facilitate this dialogue, parliamentarians
can establish parliamentary committees and inquiries on gun
violence and the trade in small arms. This will fuel debate and input into
policy making. Gauging public opinion on standards related to weapons
use and possession, changes to laws and efforts to curb armed violence is
critical for laws and policies to ultimately have an impact.
2. Update, strengthen, and reinforce the national gun laws. In the past
decade a number of countries, led by parliamentarians, have significantly
strengthened laws relating to possession and use of firearms, criteria for
ownership, penalties for breaches of laws, licensing of gun holders, and
registering weapons, amongst other important elements. Leadership from
parliamentarians to review the gun laws and ensure harmonisation across
provinces and states within the country can ultimately lead to a notable
difference in gun homicide and suicide rates.
3. Disseminate accessible information to the public. Parliamentarians
can play a role in explaining policies, laws and initiatives to the public,
including through information campaigns and awareness raising activities.
Innovative examples are available from around the world of ways to
communicate policy change on this complex and often information-rich
issue. Working with civil society and the media to generate accessible
information is an important factor in increasing public awareness of programmes
for tackling gun violence and controlling weapons.
4. Contribute to the coordination and development of national policy.
Several national coordinating bodies, as encouraged by the 2001 UN
Programme of Action on small arms, include members of parliament.
Parliamentarians can also request information on the activities of the
various agencies involved in coordinating and developing policy to encourage
transparency and wider input. In addition, parliamentarians could
request a regular or occasional briefing from the national focal point on
small arms.
5. For countries that produce guns and ammunition—of which there
are 92 1 —ensure the highest standards of restraint related to the sale and
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