This week in Manhattan, delegates from around the world have congregated at the United Nations headquarters to discuss ways to finally implement the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (POA), the second arm of the UN\u2019s pincer strategy aimed at disarming civilians in the United States and all the UN member nations.<\/p>\n
According to the text of the latest draft of the agreement, the POA will serve as an \u201cinternational instrument to enable states to identify and trace, in a timely and reliable manner\u201d the small arms and light weapons that are the target of the scheme.<\/p>\n
In practice, this means that the governments of member nations (including the United States) should create a massive, all-inclusive database of all parties that manufacture, own, sell, trade, or transfer arms and ammunition.<\/p>\n
If recent history is a reliable indicator of how such data would be used, after the catalog is complete, Congress would pass a law (or the president would issue an executive order) compelling \u201cvoluntary\u201d surrender of privately-owned weapons, ammo, parts, and components (including reloading equipment). If, after a statutorily-set window, citizens don\u2019t turn in these items to their local law enforcement, then officers will be sent to remind violators of their responsibility under the law to disarm.<\/p>\n
The delegates \u2013 including those from the United States \u2013 present at the fifth biennial meeting of POA members have agreed to begin developing domestic legal frameworks that will provide for the \u201cproper management of small arms and light weapons stockpiles.\u201d<\/p>\n