International arms transfers
- The financial value of the international arms trade, which can be found under the heading ‘Measuring international arms transfers’. This information is also made available in the SIPRI Yearbook;
- International, regional and national
mechanisms for reporting on international arms transfers. Under the
heading ‘Transparency in international arms transfers’ one is
introduced to the UN Register of Conventional Arms, EU Annual Reports
on arms exports and national reports on arms transfers; and
- Research on existing and potential global and regional instruments for controlling and guiding national decisions on arms transfers. Under the heading ‘Controlling international arms transfers’, one can find details of SIPRI’s research on international arms embargoes, the Arms Trade Treaty and the EU Code of Conduct and Common Rules.
- SIPRI also provides two databases on arms transfers: the Arms Transfer Database and the Arms Embargo Database.
For information on these research areas as well as for publications, research projects and presentations by SIPRI researchers on international arms transfers please refer to the link section on the left. Direct links to the databases and externally funded grants can be found on the right. Below a number of recent publications and activities are made available. For older publications please visit the arms transfer publications section.
Recent publications
The International Arms Trade: Difficult to Define, Measure, and Control
Paul Holtom and Mark BromleyArms Control Today
July/August 2010
Accessible here
Nothing to report: The lost promise of the UN Register of Conventional Arms
Paul HoltomContemporary Security Policy, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 61-87
April 2010
Russian arms transfers to North Africa: Fuelling an arms race?
Paul HoltomRIA-Novosti
15 March 2010
Available here.
End-User Certificates: Improving Standards to Prevent Diversion
Mark Bromley and Hugh GriffithsSIPRI Insights on Peace and Security no. 2010/3
March 2010
Available here.
Arms Transfers to Europe and Central Asia
Paul HoltomSIPRI Background Paper
February 2010
Available here.
Arms transfers to East and Southern Africa
Pieter D. WezemanSIPRI Background Paper
December 2009
Available here.
Arms transfers to Asia and Oceania
Siemon T. WezemanSIPRI Background Paper
October 2009
Available here.
Arms transfers to the conflict in Chad
Pieter D. WezemanSIPRI Background Paper
August 2009
Available here.
Arms transfers to the Middle East
Sam Perlo-FreemanSIPRI Background Paper
July 2009
Available here.
Recent Activities
July 29, Stockholm
ICCEES VIII World Congress 2010
Director of SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, Paul Holtom, gave a presentation on ‘Russian arms transfers to China’ on 29 July 2010 during the ICCEES VIII World Congress 'Eurasia: Prospects for Wider Cooperation' in Stockholm. The presentation addressed recent trends in Russian arms transfers to China and Russian concerns relating to copying and competition with China on the international arms market. For more information on the the ICCEES VIII World Congress 'Eurasia: Prospects for Wider Cooperation' visit: http://www.iccees2010.se/. Contact Dr. Paul Holtom for more information.
15 July 2010, New York
Seminar ‘Reporting on conventional arms transfers’
Director of SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, Paul Holtom, gave a presentation on ‘Reporting on conventional arms transfers’ at a side-event in the context of discussing an ATT on the UN Register of Conventional Arms, during the first Arms Trade Treaty Preparatory Committee. The side-event was organised by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). The session discussed trends in reporting to the UN Register, questions regarding the relevance of the Register and potential lessons for discussions towards an Arms Trade Treaty.
Contact Dr. Paul Holtom for more information.
July 5, The Hague
Seminar 'The Possibilities of an International Arms Trade Treaty
SIPRI senior fellow Siemon T. Wezeman participated in a seminar hosted by Clingendael and the Dutch MoFA on 'The possibilities of an International ATT' on Monday 5 July 2010 in The Hague (NL). He gave a presentation on recent trends in arms transfers and commented, based on experiences with past trade, on the needs for as well as problems and opportunities of an ATT. Contact Siemon T. Wezeman for more information.
Jun 29-30, Cairo
Symposium ‘Towards an Arms Trade Treaty’
Director of SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, Paul Holtom, gave a presentation on ‘An ATT and the UN Register of Conventional Arms’ at the symposium ‘Towards an Arms Trade Treaty’, which was co-organised by the League of Arab States and the UN Institute of Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). The symposium examined the views and opinions of Arab States with regard to discussions on an ATT and also facilitated an exchange of views between League of Arab States members and international experts.
Contact Dr. Paul Holtom for more information.
Jun 15-16, Sarajevo
Regional Seminar on Arms Export Control
SIPRI Researcher Mark Bromley attended a Regional Seminar on Arms Export Control in Sarajevo. The seminar was funded by the European Union and organized by the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) in cooperation with the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and focussed on implementing the EU Common Position defining common rules governing the control of exports of military technology and equipment. Mark gave a presentation on implementing the criteria of the Common Position. Contact Mark Bromley for more information.
Jun 3, Washington D.C.
An Arms Race in Our Hemisphere? Discussing the Trends and Implications of Military Expenditures in South America
SIPRI Researcher, Mark Bromley, spoke at an event entitled 'An Arms Race in Our Hemisphere? Discussing the Trends and Implications of Military Expenditures in South America'. Co-organised by the Brookings Institute and the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, the event examined the drivers behind the recent increases in arms acquisitions and military spending in South America and the potential implications for regional security and US foreign policy. For details of the event, click here. Contact Mark Bromley for more information.
Older activities can be accessed here.
