A/HRC/42/21 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 38/10, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit a report on the impact of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights with a view to contributing to a fuller understanding of that impact by States and other relevant stakeholders, and to the strengthening or developing of effective national regulation and to other possible measures taken by States. 2. 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.1 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. 3. The present report builds on a prior report2 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. 3 4. The present report 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. II. Impact on human rights of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms 5. Civilians own more than 850 million firearms worldwide, vastly outweighing the number of firearms estimated to be owned by the military and law-enforcement sectors combined.4 Civilians also commit the vast majority of firearm violence, with approximately 86 per cent of firearm homicides occurring in non-conflict settings.5 1 2 3 4 5 2 The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) received contributions from Azerbaijan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Guatemala, Iraq, Kuwait, Montenegro, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Ukraine, the National Human Rights Commission of India, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the National Human Rights Commission of Mexico, the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Amnesty International, the Association Nationale de Promotion et de Protection des Droits de l’Homme (Cameroon), the Commission Nationale de Lutte contre la Prolifération et la Circulation Illicite des Armes Légères et de Petit Calibre (Côte d’Ivoire), the Sur File on Arms and Human Rights, and the Liga Internacional de Mujeres para la Paz y la Libertad (Colombia) on behalf of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. All contributions are on file with the Secretariat and available for consultation. A/HRC/32/21. In pursuance of the mandate, the High Commissioner’s prior report provided a detailed overview of relevant international human rights law, as well as steps taken within the United Nations regarding firearms regulation. The report set forth relevant findings of international and regional human rights mechanisms and sectoral regional agreements and instruments. It also discussed national legislation on the civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms. The present report will complement that discussion by setting forth examples of effective regulation, which were submitted by States and other stakeholders. See section IV. See the contribution of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, Global Burden of Armed Violence 2015: Every Body Counts, chap. 2.