UNITED NATIONS: U.S. Gun Lobby Gets U.N. Blessings

By Thalif Deen Reprint | | Print |

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 16 1996 (IPS) - The world’s foremost institution for peace and security has taken into its fold an organisation that promotes the right of every citizen to bear arms.

The United Nations has granted the National Rifle Association (NRA) the status of U.N. non-governmental organisation (NGO), giving it the right to participate in discussions “within its area competence” in various U.N. bodies dealing with disarmament.

“We are very excited about it — and we hope to make a valuable contribution toward the safe and responsible use of firearms,” Tom Wyld of the NRA told IPS. Wyld said the NRA, the strongest gun lobby in the United States, believe that gun restrictions have been ineffective and that every citizen has the human right of “legitimate” self-defence.

On the recommendation of the U.N. Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations, the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Thursday granted “roster status” to the NRA which permits its representatives to participate in meetings of some of the subsidiary bodies of the Council.

As a result of its new status, the NRA is now on a roster of U.N.-recognised NGOs. The NRA can also make written submissions or oral presentations either on the recommendation of the Secretary- General or if invited to do so by ECOSOC.

The decision has its critics.

Susannah Dyer of the Washington-based British American Security Information Council (BASIC) says the NRA is “totally out of place in an institution established for peace and security.” She added: “The NRA was established to represent gun owners, and its resources come from gun manufacturers.”

The NRA’s entry into the world body, she said, could push the Association into the arena of international arms trade. She also said there were serious implications to the NRA’s presence at the United Nations, particularly at a time w4Y7a U.N. panel of experts is seeking ways to curb the spread of small arms globally.

The U.N. Centre for Disarmament said last year that small arms — mostly assault rifles, grenade launchers, landmines, machine guns, and pistols — were responsible for death and destruction in ethnic conflicts throughout the world.

Tanya Metaksa, Executive Director for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, Friday welcomed her organisation’s entry into the United Nations.

“The NRA represents law-abiding, American gun owners who want their voices heard in a debate about the fundamental goals of achieving safety and protecting freedom,” she said. The NRA “looks forward to sharing its considerable expertise in promoting the safe, responsible use of firearms.”

“The purpose of NRA attaining NGO status is to discover precisely what the various member-states and U.N. committees are contemplating and determine how the initiatives might impact the rights of law-abiding Americans,” Metaksa added. “It doesn’t benefit American gun owners to discover adverse impacts of a U.N. initiative after it is launched.”

She also pointed out that NRA’s involvement was sparked by a study launched in May 1995 by the U.N. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, an arm of ECOSOC.

“That study looks directly at civilian firearms ownership, thus NRA’s involvement (in the United Nations) is completely appropriate,” Metaksa argued.