MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union

MISSING PIECES
of gun violence are civilians. Finally, there is widespread acknowledgement
amongst many governments that civilian-held firearms are an important
contributor to the illicit trade in and misuse of weapons through theft, careless
storage, and deliberate private sale. 3
While momentum is gaining, many governments have yet to establish
robust regulatory systems to adequately control civilian-held guns. Others
have strongly crafted laws but fail to implement or enforce them. A number
of examples throughout this theme demonstrate the central role of parliamentarians
in developing national regulatory controls over small arms in
circulation within state borders, improving existing standards and mechanisms
and closing easily exploited loopholes.
Given that the regulation of civilian guns is an issue on which there is
a lively debate and many special interests (including commercial gun
producers, consumers and weapons industry supporters), it is important
to approach the topic with a solid basis in accurate and informative statistical
evidence and analysis.
HUMAN (IN)SECURITY: CIVILIANS AND GUN VIOLENCE
The Small Arms Survey estimates that 60 per cent of the global stockpile
of 640 million guns are in civilian hands—including those of farmers,
sporting shooters, criminal gangs, armed insurgents, collectors, private
security guards, and citizens of all ages. 4 The role of civilian-used guns to
undermine human security is well documented.
• Civilians are the principal victims of gun violence, with an estimated
200,000–270,000 people losing their lives to gun homicide or suicide
in countries ‘at peace’ each year—up to five times as many than die
directly in situations of war. 5
• Worldwide, there are four gun homicides for every gun suicide. In North
America and Europe, however, gun suicide rates surpass those of firearm
homicides. 6
• Injury, rape, robbery, and kidnapping committed with guns affect countless
civilians around the world annually. 7 Arming can escalate violence,
which fuels fear, which can in turn lead to further arming.
• The majority of users and abusers of guns globally are men. 8 They are
also the primary victims of gun violence, particularly males between
the ages of 14 and 44 years. 9
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