MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union

THEME 1
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS
Governments are increasingly acting to strengthen small arms control measures,
including the regulation of civilian-held guns, in efforts to address
gun violence and the negative effects of the arms trade. Parliamentary
action is crucial when it comes to reviewing and updating national gun
laws. Encouragingly, there is a rich body of evidence and lessons to draw
from in efforts to strengthen national gun laws.
1. Parliamentarians can instigate reviews of current national laws and
policies on arms possession and use, as well as the implementation of
existing laws. As a benchmark, laws and policies can be brought into
conformity with the recommendations laid out in the 1997 Resolution of
the UN Commission of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. 86 These
include licensing, registration, and safe storage requirements, among
others—all of which would help reduce misuse and diversion of legal
firearms to illegal markets. In addition, governments should seriously
consider the importance of passing federally uniform, rather than subnational,
arms control laws. Doing so would impede arms trafficking from
lesser to more regulated provinces.
2. Parliamentarians can convene public hearings or inquiries to ascertain
views on the arms trade and gun violence and possession in the
country. Seeking the views of diverse sectors of the population is a useful,
transparent and publicly accountable method of informing changes to
laws and has been a feature of the success in several government reform
efforts including in South Africa, Australia, and El Salvador.
3. Parliamentarians can advocate for legislation that will:
• Promote gun owner responsibility by registering firearms. Individuals
permitted to own firearms must be responsible for them. Development
of systems of accountability should also be agreed, with losses reported
and investigated quickly. Governments could agree to hold individuals
accountable for weapon loss through serious disciplinary action. Support
for safe storage facilities and awareness-raising campaigns could
help promote responsibility of gun owners for ensuring that society is
not harmed with their weapons.
• Define minimum criteria for private ownership of guns by introducing a
national system of licensing. At a minimum, criteria for acquiring guns
should include the capacity to handle a gun; age limit; proof of valid
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