RES/29/10 Human rights and the regulation of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms

Human Rights Council Twenty-ninth session

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 2 July 2015

29/10. Human rights and the regulation of civilian acquisition,

possession and use of firearms

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights,

Recalling the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, other international human rights law

instruments and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, and Human

Rights Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 and decision 5/101 of 18 June 2007, 16/21 of 25

March 2011 and 26/16 of 26 June 2014,

Recalling in particular that the Human Rights Council has the mandate to, inter alia,

serve as a forum for dialogue on thematic issues on all human rights,

Recalling that States bear the primary responsibility under international law to

promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to life

and security of person, and that such responsibility may include, as appropriate, enacting

and enforcing relevant national legislation,

Reaffirming that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and is

entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be fully realized,

Alarmed that hundreds of thousands of human beings of all ages around the world,

including women and children, continue to have their human rights, in particular their right

to life and security of person, negatively affected by the misuse, intentional or

unintentional, of firearms, and that a significant number of such killings of women have

occurred as a result of inter-partner violence,

Acknowledging that an effective national regulation of civilian acquisition,

possession and use of firearms may enhance the protection of the right to life and security

of person and thus contribute positively to reducing the number of victims of the misuse of

firearms,

Acknowledging also the efforts made by different States at various levels, including

at the regional and subregional levels, to ensure that the civilian acquisition, possession and

use of firearms in their respective societies are effectively regulated,

1. Reiterates its deep concern at the fact that hundreds of thousands of human

beings of all ages around the world, including women and children, have lost their lives or

suffered injuries and psychological harm by the misuse of firearms by civilians, thus having

their human rights, in particular their right to life and security of person, negatively

affected;

2. Calls once more upon all States to do their utmost to take appropriate

legislative, administrative and other measures, consistent with international human rights

law and their constitutional frameworks, in order to ensure that the civilian acquisition,

possession and use of firearms are effectively regulated with the aim of enhancing the

protection of human rights, in particular the right to life and security of person, of all;

3. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to

present to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-second session a report on the different

ways in which civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms have been effectively

regulated, with a view to assessing the contribution of such regulation to the protection of

human rights, in particular the right to life and security of person, and to identify best

practices that may guide States to further develop relevant national regulation if they so

deem it necessary;

4. Invites all relevant special procedures, commissions of inquiry and human

rights treaty bodies to continue to bear in mind the present resolution within the framework

of their respective mandates.

43rd meeting

2 July 2015

[Adopted by a recorded vote of 41 to 0, with 6 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia (Plurinational State of),

Botswana, Brazil, China, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, El Salvador, Estonia,

Ethiopia, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Kazakhstan,

Kenya, Latvia, Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia,

Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Russian

Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Arab Emirates,

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam

Abstaining:

France, Japan, Republic of Korea, the former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United

States of America