Combating Illegal Trafficking in Firearms: A Legal Analysis Based on the Protocol Against Illegal Manufacturing and Trafficking in Weapons, Parts, Components and Ammunition

Abstract

The article deals with the subject of combating the illegal trafficking of firearms from a legal perspective, based on the Protocol against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, supplimenting the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The analysis focuses on the ways in which this protocol and empirical data contribute to the prevention and sanctioning of illegal firearms trafficking, examining the legal implications and their effectiveness in reducing the illegal movement of weapons. The scientific originality of this study consists in the analysis of criminal actions and the terms referring to firearms and ammunition, terms that are included in the Protocol and that must be accurately reflected in the national legislation of the states. The study demonstrates that criminals exploit legislative loopholes to avoid criminal liability, thus underscoring the need for rigorous and coherent legislative harmonization at the international level.