Firearms Industry Concerned Over United Nations Request for Firearms Trace Data

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry – has learned that the United Nations has filed its first firearms trace request. The move by the United Nations, which has long advocated for civilian disarmament, raised concerns from the NSSF.

"Firearms trace data is a law enforcement tool to help aid in specific criminal investigations," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "Our concerns with this trace request stem from UN-efforts to impose arms trade control treaties that would lead to a ban on the civilian possession and ownership of firearms, possibly even in the United States despite Second Amendment protections and the recent Supreme Court decision (Heller v. District of Columbia) reaffirming that Americans have an individual right to keep and bear arms."

Tracing a firearm is the process by which law enforcement tracks the chain of custody of a firearm through the licensed distribution system to the original (first) retail purchaser. In this particular case, the manufacturer declined to provide the information to the United Nations and instead advised UN officials to make its request through proper international law enforcement channels. This would ensure that ATF, the appropriate law enforcement entity responsible for handling such requests, would be aware of the world body's actions.

"Some foreign states and well-funded non-governmental organizations, like the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), are using arms trade-control talks at the United Nations to restrict or ban the private ownership of firearms," continued Keane.

Though this trace request appears to have been an isolated incident, members of the firearms industry are troubled by the precedent.

"We remain increasingly concerned that ongoing efforts to restrict or ban the civilian and private ownership of firearms taking place at the United Nations will severely restrict and frustrate the lawful international commerce in sporting firearms and ammunition products and undermine the United States' national sovereignty and America's cherished firearms freedoms protected by the Second Amendment and our hunting and shooting sports heritage," concluded Keane.

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