The federal government is challenging claims by three major firearm groups that Canada’s ratification of the UN Arms Trade Treaty will create a new gun tracking regime to keep records on imported civilian firearms that have been legally purchased by licensed gun owners.

The three groups, the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, the National Firearms Association and the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, reiterated their opposition to Canadian involvement after learning the federal cabinet had passed regulations that put in place a schedule for Canada to become a state party to the treaty in September.

The head of one of the gun lobby groups, National Firearms Association president Sheldon Clare, told iPolitics he intends to attend a summit of the treaty’s member countries in Geneva in August to express the association’s concerns over new controls over civilian firearms in Canada, after years of division over a national long-gun registry the former Conservative government dismantled in 2012.

A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada responded to the gun advocacy groups after a report citing their claims, which are based on a clause in the treaty that requires member states to include small arms on a list of conventional weapons that will be subject to stringent records, from source country to end users of the weapons for imported arms.

BACKGROUNDER: Gun groups up in arms over government plan to join UN weapons treaty

Restricted and prohibited firearms, including handguns and certain semi-automatic rifles with short barrel lengths are already strictly controlled and registered in Canada. Shotguns and semi-automatic hunting rifles with limited ammunition clips and longer barrels are generally not subject to registration.

Implementing legislation for the UN treaty that Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland steered through Parliament does not affect the regulations and law that currently control civilian firearms in Canada, said Global Affairs spokesperson Angela Savard.

“Bill C-47 does not amend the Firearms Act or alter any regulations related to firearm ownership and domestic transfers in Canada,” Savard said in response to questions from iPolitics. “The Arms Trade Treaty does not require the member states to create a national firearms registry.”

Savard cited a preamble clause, negotiated by the previous Conservative government as the wording of the accord was being developed in 2012, that was intended to emphasize civilian firearms, used for sport shooting and hunting, were not subject to the treaty.

Dubbed the Canada clause, the preamble paragraph states that signatory members are “mindful of the legitimate trade and lawful ownership, and use of certain conventional arms for recreational, cultural, historical, and sporting activities, where such trade, ownership and use are permitted or protected by law.”

The treaty requires that member countries shall not authorize any transfer of conventional arms that are on the control list, including tanks, missiles and other heavy weapons, if the country has knowledge that the arms would be used in commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, attacks against civilians or other war crimes.

The legislation Parliament passed to pave the way for Canada’s participation, an Act Amending the Export and Import Permits Act and the Criminal Code, added “serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children” to the list of considerations in Canada’s case.

Before the implementing legislation became law, Canada was already compliant with the record-keeping requirements of the treaty and was reporting annually on exports and imports of conventional arms, including firearms, to the UN Register of Conventional Arms, Savard said.

Savard added that the government in 2017 allocated $13 million over five years for resources to allow Canada to implement the treaty and strengthen the export control regime.