Research institutes and NGOs

This page provides links to a selection of research institutes and NGOs that are focussed in whole or in part on issues relating to arms transfers. If you have any comments on this page, or if you have any suggestions regarding sites that should be included, please contact the Arms Transfers Project.


Amnesty International
Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. Their library on military, security and police transfers has many reports on arms transfer related issues.

Arms Control Assocation (ACA) (USA)
The Arms Control Association is dedicated to promoting public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies. ACA publishes reports, analysis and background information on a broad range of security issues.

Arms Trade Resource Center (USA)
Part of the World Policy Institute, the Arms Trade Resource Centre carries out research on US arms sales and US arms sales policy. This includes publishing reports, magazine articles and op-ed pieces.

Berlin Center for Transatlantic Security (BITS) (Germany)
BITS provides independent anlysis of military security issues, especially in the field of nuclear and conventional disarmament and arms control, non-proliferation and NATO-Russian relations.

Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) (Germany)
BICC has a number of research programmes on arms transfers, transfers of surplus weapons and the arms industry. Their site gives extensive information on these projects and BICC in general.

British American Security Information Council (BASIC) (UK and USA)
BASIC is an independent research organization. BASIC's four main issue areas are National Missile Defence, European Security, Nuclear Weapons and Weapons Trade.

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) (UK)
CAAT campaigns to end the international arms trade and the UK's role as one of the world's leading arms exporters. CAAT also carries out research on many issues related to arms transfers and defence production.

Campagne Tegen Wapenhandel (Netherlands)
Campagne tegen Wapenhandel opposes arms exports and conducts research on Dutch arms exports. Their site contains many reports on arms transfer related issues.

Centre for Anaysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) (Russia)
CAST is an independent, non-commercial non-governmental organisation. CAST carries out research on the security challenges and implications of arms and technology trade and defence restructuring. Their site also has an excellent links page.

Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies (Russia)
The Centre for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies provides information on a range of security issues involving Russia. The site contains informative links on Russian weapon systems. This frequently updated site is in both Russian and English.

Center for Defense Information (CDI) (USA)
CDI's Arms Transfer Project provides independent analysis and information on many issues relating to the international arms market. CDI has a searchable database, including articles on arms transfers and arms transfers data.

Center for International Policy (CIP) (USA)
CIP is a nonprofit educational and research organization. Their site has extensive information on US military assistance, partciularly to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Control Arms
Control Arms is a campaign for tougher arms controls jointly run by Amnesty International, IANSA and Oxfam.

Desarme (Spain)
Desarme focuses on a broad range of issues related to small arms, including their destruction, child soldiers and illegal trade. In Spanish and Portugese.

Economists for Peace and Security (EPS) (International)
EPS is an organization for intellectual exchange among economists concerned with issues related to peace, conflict resolution, international security, arms control, conversion, military technology and national military budgets.

Federation of American Scientists (FAS) (USA)
The FAS Arms Sales Monitoring Project works for restraint in the global production and trade of conventional weapons and SALW. This website provides details of the projects' activities, its publications and a detailed database of US arms exports.

Groupe de Recherche et d'Information sur la Paix et la Securite (GRIP) (Belgium)
GRIP is a research institute focusing on conflict prevention, international security and defence spending. GRIP also produces reports on arms brokering and SALW related issues.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) (USA)
The Arms Division of HRW contains a wealth of information the different projects and campaigns relating to the transfer, production and use of major conventional weapons, SALW and landmines that HRW is involved in.
 
International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) (International)
IANSA has been created to facilitate NGO action aimed at enhancing human security by preventing the proliferation and misuse of small arms. Their website contains many reports and links to partner NGOs around the world.

International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (UK)
IISS publishes arms transfers data in its annual publication The Military Balance in a similar manner to SIPRI. However, the definitions and sources used by IISS are different from those used by SIPRI, resulting in differences between the two data sets.

Institute for Security Studies (ISS) (South Africa)
ISS researches security issues concerning Africa. The institute's Arms Management Programme, (AMP), researches measures aimed at controlling small arms in South Africa. This site provides information about the AMP and ISS monographs. ISS also maintain SmallArmsNet which is an information portal for people interested in or working with issues related to small arms and arms that are affecting the continent.

International Alert
International Alert is a peacebuilding organisation, and under their Peacebuilding Issues Program they bring to front issues related to how to prevent illegal arms trade and improve the security sector.

Norwegian Iniative on Small Arms Transfers (NISAT) (Norway)
NISAT works to help block the spread of small arms to areas where they are likely to cause conflict, violence and human rights abuses. NISAT also maintains a database on small arms, production, transfers, and legislation.

Observatoire des transferts d'armements (Arms Transfers Observatory) (France)
The Observatory aims to promote greater transparency in arms transfers. The group maintain online databases on arms transfers and the defence industry. The observatory also has a couple of publications that to some extent are available online but also available to order online.

Pakistan Defence Consortium (Pakistan)
The Pakistan Defence Consortium website provides extensive and detailed information on Pakistani procurement, inventory and broader defence issues. This site also contains a news archive and a news section updated monthly.

Project Ploughshares (Canada)
Project Ploughshares seeks to promote disarmament and demilitarization, peaceful resolution of political conflict, and a sustainable environment through research, education, and the development of constructive policy alternatives.

Saferworld (UK)
Saferworld is an independent foreign affairs think-tank working to identify, develop and publicise more effective approaches to tackling and preventing armed conflicts. Saferworld has a program for International Arms Control.

Small Arms Survey (Switzerland)
The Small Arms Survey is an annual review of global small arms issues. The project also maintains electronic and hard copy databases with information on various small arms issues, including country-specific data.

Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, SPAS (Sweden)
SPAS is a non-profit organisation that aims are to ease tensions, speed disarmament, promote the transfer of military resources to development and support democratization. In Swedish and English.

University of Bradford
The University's Peace Studies Department has among its publications several that covers issues on small arms and illicit arms trade.



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