https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/15069-government-to-introduce-stricter-gun-control-laws

This event was about national gun control law in different countries, including Germany, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. As Mr. Marcus Bleinroth stated in the opening remarks, regulation of civilian firearms is of fundamental importance for preventing armed violence and weapons proliferation because more than 85% of small arms are in private hands. In this regard, he introduced weapons law and gun law in Germany, which regulate individuals’ use of gun. As a result, German government efficiently combats domestic criminal network and ensures regional security.

Likewise, Ms. Rebecca Peters gave an overview of gun control law reform in Australia. She compared the security situation in the nation before and after National Firearms Agreement was enforced in 1996. Australia sees a 60 percent reduction in gun death rates and it has not witnessed any mass shooting since the introduction of the agreement. Ms. Rebecca Peters attributed the effectiveness of gun control law to its comprehensive approach. She thought that the strict restriction on the sale and use of guns, licenses required for obtaining firearms, and an integrated national system on gun control are all vital to protect public safety.

In a similar manner, Mr. Ivan Marques from Brazil highlighted the drop of homicide rate since the implementation of full legislation on firearms in 2003 in comparison with that at the end of 1990s. Measures taken by Brazilian government include registry of firearms in national databases, clarification in the division of public responsibilities, and tight control over civilian access to firearms. The last speaker, Mr. Joseph Dube also presented the positive results of gun control law in South Africa. In particular, there is a decrease in gun deaths and gun crimes. At the end, all speakers agreed that gun control law has to be enforced at all levels to reduce armed violence.

Meeting: RevCon3 Side Event – National Gun Control Laws: International Lessons Learned

Date/Location: Wednesday 27th June 2018; 13:15-14:30; Conference Room 11, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY.

Speakers:

Mr. Marcus Bleinroth, Federal Foreign Office of Germany;

Ms. Rebecca Peters, AO, IANSA (Australia);

Mr. Ivan Marques, Instituto Sou da Paz (Brazil);

Mr. Joseph Dube, Gun Free South Africa.

Written by WIT Representative Vivian Wang