Arms Trade And Economic Development

With the US invasion of Iraq, the issue of arms trading is once again at the forefront of world events. Arms-importing countries often ask their suppliers to 'offset' the cost by reinvesting some of the money in their country.

After marked reductions in military spending in the 1990s military budgets around the world are on the increase. In this book, renowned authorities re-examine the economics of military expenditure, arms production and arms trade in developing nations. It includes analysis of military spending in Africa, Asia and Latin America and new forms of civil conflict as well as nine case studies (Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Subsaharan Africa, Greece, Turkey, Guatemala and Chile). The book will serve as a valuable contribution to the fields of both development economics and security studies.

A report published by Amnesty International, IANSA, and Oxfam, for the Control Arms campaign. Published in association with Project Ploughshares, and Saferworld Every state has a right to self-defence, under Article 51 of the UN Charter. However, the UN Charter also requires all member states to e~promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and freedomse(tm) in order to achieve e~economic and social progress and developmente(tm) (Articles 1, 55 and 56) and e~to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the worlde(tm)s human and economic resourcese(tm) (Article 26). The countries of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East hold 51 percent of the worlde(tm)s heavy weapons. Excessive or inappropriate arms purchases are a drain on social and economic resources which developing countries simply cannot afford. The Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without addressing the issue of sustainable development in all aspects of policy, including arms transfers. Both arms importers and exporters must ensure that arms transfers do not undermine sustainable development. For arms exporters, various export-control regimes already include this requirement, as does the proposed Arms Trade Treaty, but few governments fully respect these commitments. Lip service leads to arms falling into the wrong hands and the diversion of scarce resources from fighting poverty. To protect the social and economic rights of poor people, exporting governments must apply an effective and systematic methodology to assess whether proposed arms transfers will affect sustainable development. This report proposes such a methodology, and explains why, excepting legitimate security needs, arms transfers with an adverse impact on sustainable development must not go ahead.

Increases in the number and improvements in the quality of arms transferred to sub-Saharan African nations clearly will affect those nations' economic development and political stability both immediately and in the long term. Problems of technology absorption, manpower development, and the diversion of financial and human resources occasioned by such transfers become more and more critical as the demand for military modernization by African governments grows and the industrial nations compete to meet the demand. Dr. Arlinghaus evaluates conflicting assessments of the costs and benefits of military development from the perspective that it would be best for African nations to allocate resources for defense on the basis of socioeconomic considerations as well as their military and political goals.

The Arms Industry is an area that is of huge concern to many people around the world. The economics of this hugely important industry are a vital strand that needs to be understood. This volume brings together contributors from all over the globe, such as Todd Sandler and Keith Hartley, and focuses on the important issues surrounding the Arms Trade

In Arm in Arm, senior congressional analyst William W. Keller offers a fascinating inside account of the contemporary arms trade. The book breaks down the traditional distinction between conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction. It examines the implications of the spread of dual-use technologies - technologies with both peaceful and military applications - for international peace and security.

This book addresses the U.S. economic impact of possible restrictions that might be placed on the sale of specific combat equipment to selected countries in the Middle East. It focuses on prospective demand for advanced equipment by Jordan and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.