MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union

THEME 1
civilian gun possession where this is widespread. 69 Residual weapons left
in the hands of the military, law enforcement agencies, private security
companies and private civilians after various weapons collection initiatives
will need to be controlled through legislative reforms. These must clarify
the rules guiding weapons acquisition, storage and use.
Governments, the UN, and regional bodies have actively promoted the
regulation of civilian firearms possession as part of transitions from war.
Cambodia and Sierra Leone are prime examples of nations recovering
from lengthy civil wars where a large number of civilians were armed; the
governments of both have recognised that disarmament, demobilisation,
and reintegration (DDR) programmes must be followed by and consolidated
with strong gun control laws. 70
BOX 3 THE ROLE OF PUBLIC AWARENESS: ‘GUN FREE CAMBODIA’
In April 2005, the Cambodian National Assembly passed the Arms Law prohibiting
private possession of a firearm without a licence. The government
has set the goal of a ‘gun free’ society, and it is very difficult for private
citizens to obtain a firearm licence. Self-defence is not considered a legitimate
reason to possess a gun, and there are tough regulations on owning
guns for ‘sporting’ purposes. For example, the government announced that
the public shooting range in Phnom Penh will be closed under the law.
Amnesties, public awareness campaigns and ‘weapons for development’
projects were important elements in the government’s efforts, and bolstered
public confidence moves to foster disarmament and the new arms
laws. At least 20,000 copies of the new Arms Law were printed for wide distribution
throughout the country, particularly to police posts and local
(commune) offices in all 1,621 communes in the country. A further 100,000
pocket-sized copies of the Arms Law were prepared for distribution to
individual law enforcement officers before the end of 2005. 71
REGIONAL ACTION
In growing recognition that the cross-border movement of arms is directly
related to how well states regulate their internal stockpiles, regional security
agreements increasingly include provisions calling for careful regulation
of small arms in the hands of civilians. The most relevant agreements
include the European Union (EU) Joint Action (1998), the Bamako Declaration
(2000), 72 the Nadi Framework (2000), 73 the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) Firearms Protocol (2001), the Andean
Plan (2003), 74 and the Nairobi Protocol (2004). 75
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