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UN Head Kofi Annan: We’re Not Banning Guns, No Really, We’re Not Doing a “Global Gun Ban”

By John Jalsevac

NEW YORK, June 29, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – “Let me also note that this Review Conference is not negotiating a ‘global gun ban’, nor do we wish to deny law-abiding citizens their right to bear arms in accordance with their national laws.”  So said United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday in an address to the United Nations Small Arms Review Conference in New York. 

The Secretary General added, “Mr. President, with your permission, I would want to repeat, because there are people around who either have not heard this, or do not want to hear.  We are not negotiating a global ban, nor do we wish to deny law-abiding citizens their right to bear arms in accordance with their national laws.”

The added emphasis by way of repetition is not likely to impress Annan ideological foes on the issue. 

The intent of the conference, claims Annan, is to put in place international measures that will stem the flow of illegal arms trade that has been problematic worldwide. “Our targets remain unscrupulous arms brokers, corrupt officials, drug trafficking syndicates, criminals and others who bring death and mayhem into our communities."

The United States, however, is not convinced that the conference’s true agenda stops there, and is approaching the proceedings with suspicion.

The United States’ Undersecretary for Arms Control, Robert Joseph, yesterday offered his support for the more limited program of the conference: "My delegation is here today with a positive agenda - an agenda for effective action to address the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, covering military style arms such as shoulder-fired missiles and rocket systems, light mortars, machine guns and automatic rifles."

He added, however, "The United States will not agree to any provisions restricting civilian possession, use or legal trade of firearms inconsistent with our laws and practices." "Many millions of American citizens enjoy hunting and the full range of firearm sports, and our work will not affect their rights and opportunities."

Meanwhile, the Unites States’ National Rifle Association (NRA) has strongly spoken out against the conference, and is expending an enormous amount of time and energy in lobbying at the conference to protect the United States 2nd Amendment Rights. The 2nd Amendment states that the right of private citizens to bear arms will not be infringed, and that that right is necessary for the security of the state.

In particular the NRA has criticized the idea that the nations currently involved in the effort to control small arms are at all qualified for the job. “What these countries and the U.N. will never acknowledge is that the vast majority of firearm atrocities around the world aren’t committed by the individual criminals…the vast majority of wanton killings around the globe are committed by governments—the members of the United Nations themselves,” writes NRA vice-president Wayne LaPierre.

Despite accusations that the NRA is overreacting to the UN conference, the organization does appear to have some justification for their fears. In a debate between LaPierre and anti-gun activist Rebecca Peters, the director of International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), it was gradually revealed that the highly influential Peters does indeed favor and was working towards the global banning of nearly all firearms, including all handguns, and any rifle with significant power, including nearly all hunting rifles.

The outright denial by Annan that the conference is attempting to remove the right of gun owners offers little comfort to conservatives who through experience have become well aware of UN double speak.  Over and over again the United Nations says outright that it does not advocate for abortion, at least in countries where the practice is illegal.  In reality however, United Nations organizations work to pressure a country to allow at least decriminalization of abortion and once that is accomplished, the push is on for the expansion of the so-called right to choose.

Concerns about the UN attempting to disarm private citizens come at a time when talk is widespread about arming the UN, so that the UN can, without ratification by members of the security council, use military force against nations that they deem are violating "human rights." There are concerns such human rights may eventually include access to abortion, contraception, and so-called homosexual "rights."

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