October 2010 President message
September’s WFSA meeting
Last month, SSAA National hosted a two-day executive meeting of the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities (WFSA) on the Gold Coast. The SSAA is an inaugural member of the WFSA and joins 35 associations from across the globe that work towards the worldwide promotion and preservation of shooting sports activities.
The WFSA consists of various subcommittees, including Image, Environment, Statistics and Legislative, as they correspond to recreational shooting and hunting. The body is also a non-government organisation (NGO) at the United Nations and its executives spoke at this year’s Fourth Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. If you haven’t already read the SSAA and WFSA short statements to the UN, I would encourage you to do so by visiting the Capital News section on www.ssaa.org.au The WFSA consists of leaders of sporting and industry firearms groups from all over the world and their experience and insight should not be taken lightly.
The September meeting covered various issues affecting shooters across the world, from international firearm regulations, the UN’s move towards a treaty on illicit small arms trade and an arms trade treaty. Of particular note was the WFSA’s success in having the ‘responsible civilian possession of small arms and light weapons’ considered a factor in any future treaty. This means, for the first time, civilian firearm ownership has been defined by the UN and recognised, as I see it, as a legitimate activity. This is despite the work of anti-private firearm ownership lobbyists attempting to treat legal firearms and firearm owners in the same manner as illegal firearms and the criminal misuse of firearms.
Another topic discussed at the meeting was the success of the WFSA’s 392-page book on the economic and ecological benefits of hunting, World Symposium of the Ecologic and Economic Benefits of Hunting, and its accompanying CD.
Throughout the meeting, we shared with the delegates the current state of play of Australian firearms law, examined the similarities and differences in hunting activities and showed them firsthand a SSAA range that caters for a plethora of shooting disciplines.
It was also my personal pleasure to host the 60th NRA President Ron Schmeits and his wife Ann, and build on the close cooperation between the SSAA, NRA and all of the other international groups represented within the WFSA.
Bob Green
SSAA National President
Home > Notice board archive > October 2010 President message