The Argentine Government is in charge of passing and complying with the governmental policies aimed at satisfying the common security needs.

The Argentine Registry of Weapons (RENAR) is, on the one hand, in charge of the registration, supervision and control of each and every act concerning firearms, ammunition and explosives implying thus a significant contribution to such end, and, on the other hand, RENAR guarantees citizens the controlled exercise of their rights to legally possess and use such materials.

There are four main factors which have repercussions on the result that may be obtained from the efforts made to stop the proliferation of small and light arms, to wit:

1º Firearm Demand. Such demand shall depend on the nature and conflict posed. In each society there exists, in lesser or greater degree, the criminal sub-world where firearms are illicitly traded. In general, such market increases as a result of the existence of other kinds of conflicts (ethnical, religious, political, etc.), the increase of which determines an additional demand for firearms.

2º Adequate Legislation. The existence of a legal regime that punishes illicit possession and trade of firearms and sets the grounds for their control, taking into account the necessary flexibility for the regulation of and limitation to the trade of arms. The absence of rules, their insufficiency or inefficiency conspires against the results expected in accordance with the common security requirements.

3º Efficiency. The presence of police and security forces as a deterrent to crime, adequately equipped and prepared, constitutes an essential factor to stop the illicit trade of firearms.

4º Control Agency. Fulfillment of obligations imposed by the law must be supervised by a competent entity duly equipped with human resources and materials and technically qualified.

The control regime in force in Argentina constitutes an advanced statutory expression that, besides its explicit acknowledgment at international level, reveals clear advantages regarding other known alternatives.

The valuable experience achieved by the ARGENTINE REGISTRY OF WEAPONS in the application of the legal regime in force for over TWENTY FIVE years makes the regulation of the offer of firearms possible through an adequate CONTROL SYSTEM, which does not exist in States that have adopted an IRRESTRICTIVE SYSTEM, or which is not useful in those States that back a PROHIBITION SYSTEM, due to its scarce development and consequent incapacity.

Distribution of Firearms within a CONTROL SYSTEM Scheme
Distribution of Firearms within the IRRESTRICTIVE SYSTEM Scheme	Distribution of Firearms within the PROHIBITION SYSTEM Scheme

Only those countries that have chosen a system which considers the trading and possession of weapons in a relative and variable manner, backed by an adequate legislation and by the existence of a competent control agency, will be able to successfully defy the proliferation of small and light arms.