Small-arms treaty unlikely to curb U.S. gun rights

Fact check » The accord recognizes the right of nations “to regulate internal transfers of arms.”

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Some gun rights advocates acknowledge that a treaty by itself wouldn’t likely undercut these Second Amendment guarantees.

"But there are all kinds of ways that international law insinuates itself into U.S. law even when there’s not a formal ratification," said David Kopel, research director for the conservative Independence Institute.

For instance, he suggests a treaty could affect the shipment of certain gun parts to U.S. manufacturers, even if the United States does not sign the treaty.

But Gabor Rona, international legal director of Human Rights First, said, "The circle created by the treaty and the circle created by the Second Amendment simply don’t intersect at all."

"There is no doubt that the Constitution is superior to any international treaties," said Rona, who also teaches international law at Columbia University.

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