UN Gun Ban: 5 Articles You Must Read to Better Understand UN Arms Treaty Debate

Complicated international policies, legal terms, and passionate arguments on both sides of the U.N. gun ban debate make it challenging to grasp the true purpose and potential impact of the Arms Trade Treaty, which took effect on Christmas Eve 2014.

The United Nations treaty is aimed at regulating the international trade of weapons, from small firearms to missile launchers, in hopes of keeping them away from terrorists.

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The U.S. joined 129 other nations in signing the bill, but legislators have refused to ratify it over concerns with how the gun ban might impact Second Amendment rights at home.

Here are five articles that can provide a better understanding of the U.N. arms treaty debate:

1. Global Arms Trade Pact to Take Force; U.S. Senate Has Not Ratified

This Reuters story — published a day before the U.N. gun ban took effect Dec. 24 — provides a concise overview of the history of the bill, a summary of what it aims to do and arguments on both sides of the fence.

2. Gun Rights Advocates Fear U.N. Treaty Will Lead to U.S. Registry

The Washington Times takes a closer look at how the bill will impact the international arms trade and how it might impact gun rights at home. Written shortly after the U.N. first approved the treaty in 2013, it also helps put the bill into context with the United States’ larger battle between gun rights and gun control advocates.

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3. As Arms Trade Treaty Nears Vote at UN, Critics in US See a 'Gun Grab'

This Christian Science Monitor article looks at both sides of the debate, interviewing supporters and critics of the bill. Organizations such as Amnesty International tell the news outlet that they see the arms treaty as a protection of human rights, while the Heritage Foundation expresses concern about the potential implications and the U.N.’s ability to effectively enforce any consequences for violators.

4. Obama's UN Speech Reveals Why Arms Trade Treaty Is So Dangerous

In this Fox News editorial, Theodore Bromund of the Heritage Foundation outlines conservatives’ major concerns with the UN gun ban. Along with threats to the Second Amendment, Bromund raises concerns over how the treaty will impact the United States’ ability to arm allies such as Israel and to freely govern itself.

5. The Hidden Benefits of an Arms Trade Treaty

This Huffington Post editorial by British diplomat Chris Wright lays out the other side of the argument, looking at five reasons to support the treaty. Protecting U.S. soldiers and promoting development are two examples, while Wright also emphasizes the need to ensure the treaty doesn’t make it more difficult for legitimate arms trades to take place.

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