The Second Amendment Foundation reports live from the UN Arms Trade Treaty Prep Committee

At first glance, the following report from the Second Amendment Foundation might not seem to be pertinent to Iowa residents. Think again. First, the report:

The Following is an up to the minute report from Julianne Versnel, Director of Operations for the Second Amendment Foundation who is representing SAF as an NGO delegate at the United Nations ATT meeting.

The Arms Trade Treaty Prep Committee began on July 12, 2010 and will conclude on July 23, 2010. Ambassador Roberto Garcia Moritan of Argentina is the Chair. On Friday, July 19, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) representatives were told that the majority of the meetings would be closed to them. The critical discussions on the scope of the treaty will have no input from any non-governmental entity. Scope is critical in the Arms Trade Treaty process. In North America, some Pan Asian Countries and in some other parts of the world, the arms that we expect to have covered in this treaty are nuclear weapons. In much of Europe and most all of Africa, the delegates anticipate that the ATT will cover rifles, shotguns, handguns and ammunition as well.
 
There appears little doubt that some sort of treaty will be adopted by 2014, if not by 2012.  It is anticipated that the final treaty will attempt to register all firearms, require micro-stamping, destruction of surplus ammunition on a very set schedule, registration of all firearms and restriction on any transfer of arms including between private individuals and many other restrictions. If the United States is a signatory and this is ratified by the U.S. Senate, this UN treaty would be the law. On October 30, 2009, UN members voted in favor of an ATT.  The United States voted in favor of an ATT.
 
The UN has an aggressive schedule of meetings planned to push for these restrictions and we will be there representing you in every way we can. We will be at the CTOP/COP meeting in Vienna the week of October 18 and a General Assembly meeting at the end of October. In January, the five permanent members of the Security Council will meet and this is on the agenda. There will be another ATT Preparatory meeting at the end of February in New York. The regional UNIDIR meeting sponsored by the EU will start in March. We will come full circle with the Programme of Action Experts Meeting in May 2011 and the July 17-21 ATT Preparatory meeting that is expected to offer the final draft to the treaty.

The motto of Iowa is “Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain.” Never truer words have been spoken. Imagine if it was one our other rights protected by the Constitution that was under attack. For example, our Freedom of Speech being considered for regulation or elimination by a UN committee of foreign diplomats, with the United States supporting the action. It would take no time at all for citizens and politicians alike to decry the chilling effects that a treaty curtailing free speech would have on a basic concept of what makes our country unique. But when it comes to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, very little attention is paid to what the ATT would mean if the US Ambassador were to sign it and the US Senate ratify it. In fact, it would give the anti-gun legislators an easy way to push their agenda forward, bringing draconian gun restrictions - proven to be ineffective at reducing any level of crime - into the United States.

Citizens of Iowa need to pay attention NOW to what is going on in New York and overseas. 2012 – or even 2014 – is not so distant that it is far enough away to be ignored. Our elected officials need to know that we will not stand for our rights to be tossed out carelessly simply to appease foreign countries and their hoplophobia. Even the mere thought of allowing a treaty with foreign nations to overrule any aspect of our Constitution should make all citizens of Iowa pause and reflect on what that truly means. Likewise, it should also prompt the citizens of Iowa to consider what they will do to ensure that any attempt to circumvent any of the freedoms guaranteed by both the US and Iowa Constitutions are not removed by the stroke of a pen, rather than by the will of the people.

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