a_unique_person
9th October 2003, 01:06 AM
I have mentioned this topic before. It causes no end of suffering, and doesn't actually seem to solve anything.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3176416.stm
Charities campaign against arms trade
A campaign against the world arms trade is being launched by the charities Oxfam and Amnesty International.
They argue the trade is out of control and that Britain and America have, if anything, relaxed their control since 11 September as they seek allies in the war on terrorism.
The charities' campaign for much stricter controls follows protests against Europe's largest arms fair, held in London's Docklands last month.
The British government says this country has a good track record on arms sales and will introduce new legislation later this month to control technology transfers and the activities of arms brokers.
Loopholes
Oxfam and Amnesty International have decided the proliferation of arms is unacceptable and are launching a hugely ambitious campaign, says BBC defence correspondent Paul Adams.
"The village I grew up in Sudan is now completely awash with guns, even children as young as nine carry weapons in Torit. "
James Omunson
At its heart is a call for a legally binding arms trade treaty within three years.
It is not a move to ban the trade, merely to adopt stricter controls, across regions and in local communities.
The charities claim that national arms export controls are riddled with loopholes.
They say: "The easy availability of arms increases the incidence of armed violence, acts as a trigger for conflicts, and prolongs wars once they break out."
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGPOL300182003
Amnesty International, Oxfam, IANSA Control Arms Campaign
Media Briefing: key facts and figures
The arms trade is out of control
Every day, millions of men, women, and children live in fear of armed violence. Every minute, one of them is killed. From the gangs of Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles, to the civil wars and armed rebellions in Liberia and Indonesia, it is conventional arms that are used to do the killing. The global trade in arms that brings these weapons into the hands of killers is a big business. And it is out of control.
The value of global authorized arms exports is $21 billion per year.
There are 639 million small arms in the world, or one for every ten people, produced by over 1,000 companies in at least 98 countries.
8 million more small arms are produced every year.
16 billion units of ammunition are produced each year - more than two new bullets for every man, woman and child on the planet.
Nearly 60 per cent of small arms are in civilian hands.
It is estimated that 80-90 per cent of all illegal small arms start in the state-sanctioned trade.
The human cost
The uncontrolled proliferation and misuse of arms by government forces and armed groups takes a massive human toll in lost lives.
More than 500,000 people on average are killed with conventional arms every year: one person every minute.
In World War One, 14 per cent of total casualties were civilian. In World War Two this grew to 67 per cent. In some of today's conflicts the figure is even higher.
There are 300,000 child soldiers involved in conflicts.
Torture and ill-treatment by state officials - mostly armed police - was persistent in over 70 countries between 1997 and 2000.
Women and girls are raped at gunpoint during armed conflict - for example, 15,700 in Rwanda and 25,000 in Croatia and Bosnia.
Arms proliferation and misuse destroy individuals' livelihoods and prevent countries from escaping from poverty.
One third of countries spend more on the military than they do on health-care services.
An average of US$22 billion a year is spent on arms by countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East and Latin America. Half of this amount would enable every girl and boy in those regions to go to primary school.
El Salvador's expenditure on its health services to deal with the effects of violence amounts to more than 4 per cent of its GDP.
Nearly half (42 per cent) of countries with the highest defence burden rank among the lowest in human development. For example, Eritrea spends over 20 per cent of its GDP on military.
In Africa, economic losses due to war are about $15 billion per year.
Pakistan's total defence spending is one-third of its annual GDP, or half if arms-related debt repayments are included.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3176416.stm
Charities campaign against arms trade
A campaign against the world arms trade is being launched by the charities Oxfam and Amnesty International.
They argue the trade is out of control and that Britain and America have, if anything, relaxed their control since 11 September as they seek allies in the war on terrorism.
The charities' campaign for much stricter controls follows protests against Europe's largest arms fair, held in London's Docklands last month.
The British government says this country has a good track record on arms sales and will introduce new legislation later this month to control technology transfers and the activities of arms brokers.
Loopholes
Oxfam and Amnesty International have decided the proliferation of arms is unacceptable and are launching a hugely ambitious campaign, says BBC defence correspondent Paul Adams.
"The village I grew up in Sudan is now completely awash with guns, even children as young as nine carry weapons in Torit. "
James Omunson
At its heart is a call for a legally binding arms trade treaty within three years.
It is not a move to ban the trade, merely to adopt stricter controls, across regions and in local communities.
The charities claim that national arms export controls are riddled with loopholes.
They say: "The easy availability of arms increases the incidence of armed violence, acts as a trigger for conflicts, and prolongs wars once they break out."
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGPOL300182003
Amnesty International, Oxfam, IANSA Control Arms Campaign
Media Briefing: key facts and figures
The arms trade is out of control
Every day, millions of men, women, and children live in fear of armed violence. Every minute, one of them is killed. From the gangs of Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles, to the civil wars and armed rebellions in Liberia and Indonesia, it is conventional arms that are used to do the killing. The global trade in arms that brings these weapons into the hands of killers is a big business. And it is out of control.
The value of global authorized arms exports is $21 billion per year.
There are 639 million small arms in the world, or one for every ten people, produced by over 1,000 companies in at least 98 countries.
8 million more small arms are produced every year.
16 billion units of ammunition are produced each year - more than two new bullets for every man, woman and child on the planet.
Nearly 60 per cent of small arms are in civilian hands.
It is estimated that 80-90 per cent of all illegal small arms start in the state-sanctioned trade.
The human cost
The uncontrolled proliferation and misuse of arms by government forces and armed groups takes a massive human toll in lost lives.
More than 500,000 people on average are killed with conventional arms every year: one person every minute.
In World War One, 14 per cent of total casualties were civilian. In World War Two this grew to 67 per cent. In some of today's conflicts the figure is even higher.
There are 300,000 child soldiers involved in conflicts.
Torture and ill-treatment by state officials - mostly armed police - was persistent in over 70 countries between 1997 and 2000.
Women and girls are raped at gunpoint during armed conflict - for example, 15,700 in Rwanda and 25,000 in Croatia and Bosnia.
Arms proliferation and misuse destroy individuals' livelihoods and prevent countries from escaping from poverty.
One third of countries spend more on the military than they do on health-care services.
An average of US$22 billion a year is spent on arms by countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East and Latin America. Half of this amount would enable every girl and boy in those regions to go to primary school.
El Salvador's expenditure on its health services to deal with the effects of violence amounts to more than 4 per cent of its GDP.
Nearly half (42 per cent) of countries with the highest defence burden rank among the lowest in human development. For example, Eritrea spends over 20 per cent of its GDP on military.
In Africa, economic losses due to war are about $15 billion per year.
Pakistan's total defence spending is one-third of its annual GDP, or half if arms-related debt repayments are included.