WFSA News and InformationThe World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities The WFSA MissionThe world is changing, and the traditions of hunting and sport shooting are not immune to the shifting tides of the global political environment.The Forum is an educational and scientific association, founded in 1997 by over two dozen existing associations and organizations. Our member organizations represent a substantial portion of the sport shooting community. The WFSA is a pro-active advocacy organization, working in concert with international bodies, national governments and regulatory authorities, for the worldwide promotion and preservation of sport shooting activities. Chartered under Belgian law, the World Forum has a noble purpose: to further the study, preservation, promotion and protection of sport shooting activities on every continent. A passion to preserve for future generations our cherished heritage has fostered this. The WFSA holds its Annual General Meeting in March each year at Nuremberg, Germany at the Internationale Waffen Ausstellung (IWA), held in NürnbergMesse. This is the premier meeting-place in Europe which brings together the whole of the world’s sport shooting family. July 21, 2008Biennial Meeting of States concludesWith the end of the Biennial Meeting of States on Small Arms in New York has come a degree of congruity on the small arms debate. With 134 states voting for the outcome, and abstentions from Iran and Zimbabwe only, agreement was reached on a number of questions regarding small arms controls, including recommendations for legislation on arms brokering, the marking of firearms at their point of manufacture to allow easier tracing, and recommendations on the management of arms stockpiles. The agenda at these now-concluded meetings was specifically limited to issues for which clear and broader support has already been established. The anti-gun lobby group IANSA afterwards issued a statement calling the agreement "weaker than IANSA members and most gun-affected countries had hoped", and during the meeting called for governments to have greater internal interactions with non-governmental organizations on the matters of their own legislation. The WFSA's American Secretary, Thomas L. Mason, was quoted in the New York Times: (Link to article). He referred to the longstanding WFSA position that objections to the agreement are an outcome of concerns of the lawful gun-owning civilian populations. The UN approach covers not only military small arms but handguns, rifles and shotguns as well, the usual kinds of firearms owned lawfully throughout the world for hunting and competitive target shooting. He argued that if the agreement were to be focused on fully-automatic assault rifles and other infantry-style arms including rocket-propelled grenades, objections might diminish. "If they would only concern themselves with military arms - fully automatic and on up - that would go a long way," Mr. Mason said. The United States did not attend all the meetings, believing there was no need to contest many of the initiatives. Speaking on behalf of the European Union, France's representative said that the instrument was the most important practical achievement of the Programme of Action. His delegation was among those that would have preferred an instrument that was "more legally-binding and broader in scope". WFSA Announces New PresidentA new President of the WFSA, C. Edward (Ted) Rowe of the USA, was elected at the 2008 Annual General Meeting in Nuremberg.  Retiring WFSA President Carlo Peroni (L) with incoming President Ted Rowe. Chairman of the Manufacturers Advisory Group to the WFSA, Ted Rowe, an attorney by profession, has had extensive experience working with the gun trade and as chair of various associations such as the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute of America and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Retiring President Carlo Peroni of Italy left the position after ten years and was presented by the incoming President with a figurine drawn from the original model of Massimiliano Soldani Benzi of the 1st Period (1737-1757) of Manifattura di Doccia. He spoke on the rise of the organization over ten years to its present position as the voice of a hundred million sport shooters and hunters. 2006 -- The WFSA at the United Nations The United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its AspectsAt the United Nations Headquarters, in New York, USA, from June 26 to July 7 2006, the Small Arms Review Conference was held. The conference, chaired by President-designate H.E. Mr. Prasad Kariyawasam, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in New York, brings governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society representatives in national delegations. The Chairman, Prasad Kariyawasam of Sri Lanka, issued a statement saying that no common position paper would be forthcoming. As a further result of an inability to find common ground, no firm plans were made for a following conference. The processes of the UN's heavily increased interest in private civilian firearm ownership were initiated in the 2001 Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapon. This became the core focus of international, regional and national efforts to reduce illegal gun trafficking, and the rising activity in that area inevitably spilled over into private firearm ownership. At the conference just closed, Secretary-General Kofi Annan gave the opening address, calling for effective enforcement and better controls, and stated that each year an estimated $1 billion worth of small arms are illegally traded. He also denied any UN interest in restricting the rights of lawful gun owners within the frameworks of their own countries. The WFSA is an NGO in Roster Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Statement to meeting by WFSA President Dott. Carlo Peroni. Statement to meeting by Mr. C. Edward Rowe, Chairman WFSA Manufacturers' Advisory Group. Statement to meeting by Mr. David Penn, The British Shooting Sports Council (BSSC) -- member of WFSA. Statement to meeting by Mr. Tony Bernardo, Canadian Institute for Legislative Action (CILA) -- member of WFSA. Statement to meeting by Mr. Hermann Suter, PROTELL -- member of WFSA. Statement by Mr. Bruce Shaw, South African Gunowners Association (SAGA) -- member of WFSA. Statement to meeting by Professor Gary Mauser, National Firearms Association (NFA) -- member of WFSA. Statement by Mr. Thomas Mason, Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufactures' Institute (SAAMI) -- member of WFSA. Statement to meeting by Mr. Richard Parsons, Safari Club International (SCI) -- member of WFSA. Statement to meeting by Mr. Mark Barnes of FAIR Trade Group -- member of WFSA. UN website. This site includes the meeting summary, statements made at the meeting by governments, intergovernmental organizations and civil societies The WFSA Working on the EnvironmentWFSA Workshop on Indoor Shooting RangesResponsible Care of the Shooting Range Environment
A workshop was held in Rome, Italy, on September 16-17, 2005, on the management of ventilation for the safe use of indoor shooting ranges. Organized and hosted by the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities, it brought together a range of experts from numerous countries, who shared information from their local experience. It was concluded that safety in the process of extracting gases resulting from indoor shooting has increased notably over the last few decades, as the technology has improved. The conference papers are to be published in booklet form. The WFSA Working on Firearm IssuesThe WFSA Symposium: A Question of BalanceWorld Experts Discuss Firearms Issues On May 2-3, 2003, the WFSA sponsored a conference in England, at the Tower of London, entitled The Legal, Economic and Human Rights Implications of Civilian Firearms Ownership and Regulation. There were over eight hours of presentations at this landmark symposium. Distilled from that program is the DVD, "A Question of Balance", which is 56 minutes long and includes numerous graphics, video footage and photos, as well as a special 13-minute overview of major topics covered. Speakers cover important issues including: the futility of gun registration as a deterrent against crime, the popularity of shooting in Switzerland, gun ownership as a protection from genocide, women and firearms, the importance of shooting sports as a form of recreation, and advice from the firearms industry on how to regulate trade. The DVD is extremely informative and appropriate for libraries and schools, as well as for giving to decision-makers. A Question of Balance. Click to view the video trailerTo get a copy of A Question of Balance
Contact The WFSA.
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