The United Nations Register of Conventional Arms was founded when inter-State warfare had, for a long time, been considered the main threat to peace and security. It focuses on transfers of those major conventional weapons that typically can be used in offensive military operations carried out across international borders. This publication offers historical information on the Register as a tool of transparency, as well as points to possibilites for its future development. It also presents facts and figures related to the Register in convenient statistical graphs.
This book provides a unique and comprehensive commentary on the Arms Trade Treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, with several contributors having direct involvement in the negotation of the Treaty.
The United Nations Arms Trade Treaty became binding international law in late 2014, and although the text of the treaty is a relatively concise framework for assessing whether to authorize or deny proposed conventional weapons transfers by States Parties, there exists controversy as to the meaning of certain key provisions. Furthermore, the treaty requires a national regulatory body to authorize proposed transfers of conventional weapons covered by the treaty, but does not detail how such a body should be established and how it should effectively function. The Arms Trade Treaty: A Commentary explains in detail each of the treaty provisions, the parameters for prohibitions or the denial of transfers, international cooperation and assistance, and implementation obligations and mechanisms. As states ratify and implement the Treaty over the next few years, the commentary provides invaluable guidance to government officials, commentators, and scholars on the meaning of its contentious provisions. This volume describes in detail which weapons are covered by the treaty and explains the different forms of transfer that the Arms Trade Treaty regulates. It covers international human rights, trade, disarmament, humanitarian law, criminal law, and state-to-state use of force, as well as the application of the treaty to non-state actors.
The multi-billion dollar business of the international conventional arms trade involves virtually every country in the world. Around the globe, people's lives are being irrevocably changed by the effects of guns, tanks, and missiles. These weapons have the potential to cause a deadly and current threat - one responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths a year. This succinct and accessible new book explores the complexities and realities of the global conventional weapons trade. The first book on the subject in nearly a decade, The International Arms Trade provides an engaging introduction to the trade, the effects, and the consequences of these weapons. The authors trace the history of the arms trade and examine how it has evolved since the end of the Cold War. In particular, they assess the role of the largest arms exporters and importers, the business of selling conventional arms around the world, and shed new light on the illicit arms trade and the shadowy dealers who profit from their deadly commerce. The book also looks closely at the devastating effect the business can have on countries, societies, and individuals and concludes with an evaluation of the various existing control strategies and the potential for future control opportunities. The International Arms Trade will be invaluable for students and scholars of international relations and security studies, and for policymakers and anyone interested in understanding more about the conventional arms trade.
The events of 1991 in the Persian Gulf, which saw Iraq import enough armaments to defy the major powers, have brought the questions of arms trading to the head of the international agenda. In this text, international relations theory is applied to the transfer of military capability for the purpose of fortifying the national security of sovereign states. The author examines past patterns of arms transfer and the influences of international factors on policymakers. International relations theory is applied to the transfer of military capability for the purpose of fortifying the national security of sovereign states. The author examines past patterns of arms transfer and the influences of international factors on policymakers, in order to show that the arms trade has gone far beyond the control of individual nation states.
This report documents the government submissions to the United Nations on the transfer of arms in seven weapons categories in 1992 and compares this data with information published by SIPRI in its arms trade register. It assesses the results of the United Nations register and the prospects for improving it in 1994. It is a unique source of information that will be of special interest to political scientists and policymakers interested in arms control.
Good verification and compliance arrangements can significantly promote confidence building in areas considering decreasing arms or, military capabilities fearing that reductions may compromise rather than, enhance their security. This publication provides basic guidelines on verification and compliance in the field of arms control and disarmament. It is a convenient handbook for officials involved in arms control and disarmament activities, students, researchers, and journalists. The book is a collaborative effort between United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Verification Research Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) in London. This bilingual publication contains information both in Arabic and English.
The 'SIPRI Yearbook 2011' analyses developments in security and conflicts, military spending, non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament worldwide over the past year.
This glossary provides clear and precise definitions of arms control terms and places them in a historical context. It introduces the reader to the primary themes and concepts in the field of arms control and explains relevant terminology. The publication looks at the major arms control and disarmament agreements related to conventional, biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. The information is presented in English and Spanish.
An accessible introduction to the politics and processes of the United Nations, tracing the evolution of the organization from its founding to the present debates about reform.
