UNITED NATIONS REPORT ON FIREARMS REGULATION

This research paper by Sarah Meek of the Institute for Security Studies summarizes a United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice report on civilian-owned firearms. It analyzes global trends in firearms regulation, trafficking, and ownership, with a specific focus on South Africa's standing relative to other nations and providing policy recommendations for the South African government.

• The United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice conducted the first study to compile and analyze global data on civilian-owned firearms, covering legislation, regulation, use, trade, manufacturing, trafficking, and public education. The study involved 49 countries representing nearly 3.9 billion people, though the report tabulated responses for 46 countries.
• South Africa follows global trends by restricting the ownership of all firearms and prohibiting specific types, such as fully automatic weapons. Ownership restrictions in South Africa and 31 other countries include criteria based on age, criminal record, mental illness, and domestic violence.
• South Africa reported an estimated 84 firearms per 1,000 people, with weapons present in 20 per cent of households. This is significantly lower than Finland (411 per 1,000 people) but higher than Japan (3.28 per 1,000 people).
• South Africa has one of the highest firearm homicide rates globally, trailing only Brazil and the United States. Handguns are estimated to be used in 68 per cent of all firearm-related homicides in the country. Additionally, South Africa reported the highest number of law enforcement officers killed on duty, totaling 212, compared to a mean of 17.8.
• South Africa reported the highest number of lost or stolen firearms among the surveyed countries, exceeding Argentina and Brazil. The country acknowledges frequent illegal imports, which contribute to the circulation of illegal firearms.
• The UN report concludes that ineffective firearm regulation in one Member State can undermine the governance and regulatory efforts of others. It further states that import and export controls alone are insufficient to stop illicit trafficking and that domestic regulation requires cooperation between government, law enforcement, business, media, and citizens.
• The Commission recommends several measures for civilian firearm use, including improving safe storage, implementing appropriate penalties for misuse, creating amnesty programs for surrendering illegal weapons, establishing recordkeeping and marking systems for manufacture and import, and actively tracing recovered illegal firearms.

APA

Meek, S. (1997). UNITED NATIONS REPORT ON FIREARMS REGULATION. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper_23.pdf

Chicago

Meek, Sarah. UNITED NATIONS REPORT ON FIREARMS REGULATION. Institute for Security Studies, 1997. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper_23.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Meek |first1=Sarah |title=UNITED NATIONS REPORT ON FIREARMS REGULATION |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=June 1997 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper_23.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{meek1997united, author = {Meek, Sarah}, title = {{UNITED NATIONS REPORT ON FIREARMS REGULATION}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {1997}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper_23.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }