The Firearms Model Law has been developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to assist States in implementing the provisions contained in the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. By distinguishing between mandatory and optional provisions, and suggested provisions stemming from other legal instruments, the Model Law offers flexible solutions adaptable to the needs of each State, whatever its legal tradition and social, economic, cultural and geographical conditions. The Model Law is a voluntary tool, which requires careful adaptation to the specific domestic legal systems in which it is supposed to operate. It is hoped that the Model Law, as revised, remains a useful and practical voluntary tool, to facilitate the provision of legislative assistance to Member States, as well to guide policy makers, legal advisors and legislators, who wish to review or amend their domestic legal framework or adopt new legislation in a manner consistent with the Firearms Protocol and other relevant regional and international instruments, and will promote and facilitate international cooperation in preventing and combating criminal activity relating to firearms. The model legislative provisions contained in the Model Law are not meant to be transposed as such, but require careful consideration and customization to the specific domestic legal system in which they are supposed to operate.
