NPCF Treaty
As part of the global peace initiative that began in 1973, the Non-Proliferation of Civilian Firearms and Projectile Weapons Treaty, commonly abbreviated as NPCF, was proposed as an important step for the initiative.
The intention of the treaty was to ban or strictly regulate civilian access to dangerous weapons to reduce the frequency and severity of violent crime around the world. Every country except Destrea agreed to the treaty.
The treaty went into effect in 1975 and all known civilian owned firearms were confiscated by 1980, and all other projectile weapons that were banned under the treaty were confiscated by 1985. No civilians that willingly gave up their weapons were fined or incarcerated during the initial confiscations.
Clauses¶
Where civilians previously only needed to register for a permit in their home countries at most to purchase firearms, the requirements have been massively and internationally locked down.
Firearms, handguns, and explosive weapons, classified as Category 1 Weapons, are universally banned. Individuals in active service to the military of their government, and individuals who can prove that they are in active service to an active and legitimate private military company in good standing, will not be treated as civilians and are therefore exempt from the ban.
Other projectile weapons, such as bows, railguns, and air-powered guns, classified as Category 2 Weapons, are strictly regulated, allowed only to non-civilians, individuals who can prove that they regularly hunt game for food, individuals who live in extremely rural areas who require defense against potentially hostile wildlife, or individuals who can prove that they are employed by an active and legitimate research and development firm in good standing.
Also defined in the document are classifications for non-projectile weapons. Category 3 Weapons cover bladed weapons over ten inches in length, all other large lethal weapons, and certain improvised weapons such as baseball bats, hammers, and power tools. Category 4 Weapons cover bladed weapons under ten inches in length, all other small lethal weapons, and certain small weapons such as batons, tonfas, and brass knuckles. Finally, Category 5 Weapons covers all non-lethal weapons.
Enforcement¶
Civilians found to be in unlawful possession of Category 2 Weapons are to be faced with a minimum fine of 500,000 CR or equivalent in local currency, or up to a maximum of 30% of their annual income, AND a minimum of one year jail time, or up to five years if they cannot afford the fine.
Civilians found to be in unlawful possession of Category 1 Weapons are to be faced with a minimum fine of 2,000,000 CR or equivalent in local currency, or up to a maximum of 65% of their annual income, AND a minimum of five years jail time, or up to thirty years if they cannot afford the fine.
These fines are paid to an international trust that is used to fund development of new peaceful technologies for the benefit of all people in the world, provide relief and support to refugees, and support humanitarian non-profit organizations.
Individuals found to be in violation of their claimed exemptions after they have expired, been revoked, or otherwise dissolved, are to have their weapons confiscated and destroyed, and if their illegal weapons are Category 1 Weapons, they are also to face the same punishment as civilian possession of Category 2 Weapons.
While it is not specified in the treaty, some countries also restrict concealment and regulate ownership of weapon categories 3, 4, and 5 at their own discretion. Fines for these violations are not required to be paid to the international trust, and may instead be collected by local governments.
The proliferation of 3D printing technology bringing with it a new problem of untraceable weapons created by people in their own homes was an unforeseen problem and is not addressed by the treaty, so any weapons created in this manner are treated the same as other weapons under the treaty, but local governments have the ability to apply their own specific restrictions, regulations, and penalties for these cases where possible. The untraceability of these weapons makes this task extremely difficult, however.
Public reception¶
Public reception was largely positive when this treaty was proposed, notable exceptions being Destrea, who fully opposed the treaty and refused to sign, and both Grenneria and Ustonia, citing high border tensions with Destrea as a concern, though they ultimately did sign as it became clear that national militaries and private military companies were exempt.
Part of the reason reception was so positive and the proposal was so easy to pass compared to other international treaties is that at the time, civilian owned firearms were rare in most of the world, and virtually unheard of in some areas. Ustonia and Destrea accounted for more than 80% of all civilain owned firearms in the world, with Grenneria accounting for the next 8%.
As the legal proceedings carried on, it was also made public that the proposal included total restriction of non-projectile weapons, which led to public outcry in many countries and caused these restrictions to be heavily relaxed.