The SIPRI Update for January 2014 is out now—read it online, or subscribe to receive the SIPRI Update in your inbox each month.
In this issue we present an essay by Pieter D. Wezeman and Siemon T. Wezeman on finding a balance between transparency and national security. They write:
Transparency in government spending is a prerequisite for the effective participation of parliaments and civil society in the political process. That governments are often less than transparent when it comes to military budgets has serious ramifications for both democracy and security. Finding an appropriate balance between transparency and national security concerns could in fact help reduce the causes of insecurity and conflict.
Read the Essay online or browse the full list of SIPRI Essays from 2009 to 2013.