The World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities

Small Arms and Light Weapons - 2001 Conference

by Dttr.Carlo Peroni, President, WFSA

United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects.

New York 9-20 July 2001

It was clear that the conference had a political agenda to reduce arms conflicts throughout the world, but despite the reference to illicit trade some countries and NGO’s saw the only solution as further restrictions on the civilian possession and use of firearms. They sought to confine the language of the debate to "guns", having little if any knowledge of the range of sporting shooting, and to extend beyond the illicit so as to include all firearms.

Early documentation for the conference contained provisions from an outright ban on civilian possession, to restrictions on the numbers and types of firearms that one might possess. Damaging to the trade was a provision that interstate transactions could only be effected between states.

A delegation of WFSA members drawn from around the world were present throughout the conference. The objectives of the delegation were primarily to ensure recognition of WFSA as the voice of sports shooting, to preserve personal possession and use and to safeguard the rights of manufacturers.

By the conclusion of the conference it was clear that WFSA had been recognized as the body to be listened to if one was seeking the expert view of the firearms community. Equally the principle of private ownership and use was acknowledged.

The Manufacturers Advisory Group represented by Ted Rowe of Sturm-Ruger and Robert Glock of the Glock Company played a crucial role in providing factual information regarding the role of industry and its practices with regard to marking and tracing.

A major component that was not resolved was that of the definition of small arms and light weapons. From the point of view of the WFSA the focus should have been on those firearms which are fully automatic but such was the need for political expediency that the conference ended up dodging this question.

WFSA have made it clear that we are prepared to work in partnership with governments and agencies in seeking to achieve the overall objectives of this conference i.e. to eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.

Success or failure? WFSA can properly claim that its presence at this conference was a success in itself. One wonders whether private ownership and use would have been included in the final text were it not for the presence of WFSA delegates.

But that is not to be complacent. This conference is not the end or even the beginning of the end and WFSA will need to continue to defend the legal firearms community from the ill informed prejudices of a minority whose sole aim in life seems to be the removal of all firearms whether civilian or official.

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