Background

To prepare the report, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) sought inputs from Member States, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations.

The report also draws on a diverse range of public sources, including international and regional instruments, the practice of United Nations human rights mechanisms, and reports of regional and humanitarian organizations, civil society, scholars and practitioners. Summary

This report builds on a prior report, A/HRC/32/21, submitted in response to resolution 29/10 of the Human Rights Council, which addressed the different ways in which the civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms have been effectively regulated, with a view to assessing the contribution that such regulations make to the protection of human rights, in particular the rights to life and to security of person, and identified best practices that may guide States to further develop relevant national regulations.

Summary

It provides an overview of the impact of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms on the enjoyment of all human rights. Placing the topic within the broader context of preventing firearm violence among civilians, it examines regulatory as well as non-regulatory measures for protecting human rights and preventing violations of human rights, discussing, where relevant, their efficiency and elements of good practices. The report concludes with a number of recommendations.