International arms transfers

Tank

SIPRI researchers have been studying international arms transfers since 1968. Research is currently divided into three areas: Measuring international arms transfers; Transparency in international arms transfers; and Controlling international arms transfers. Research findings are presented in the SIPRI Yearbook and other SIPRI and non-SIPRI publications. SIPRI also maintains the Arms Transfers Database - which includes information on all international transfers of major conventional weapons since 1950 - as well as a database of all international and multilateral arms embargoes.
NEW SIPRI ARMS TRANSFERS DATA LAUNCH 2013
New data for 2012 is now available from the SIPRI Arms Transfers Database and further information on the recent trends is available to view here.
RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE
'UN treaty is first step toward curbing arms trade', The National, 4 June 2013
'Syria’s Air-Defense Arsenal: The Russian Missiles Keeping Assad in Power', Time, 3 June 2013
 'Siria, da dove vengono le armi usate nel conflitto? (Syria, where are the weapons used in the conflict?)', Rai News 24 TV, 1 June 2013
'Syrie: la levée de l'embargo sur les armes, et après?(Syria: the lifting of the arms embargo, and after?)', Slate.fr, 29 May 2013
'Catar y Arabia Saudí sufragan la revuelta siria (Qatar and Saudi Arabia fund the Syrian revolt)', El Pais, 28 May 2013
Recent Publications

Next Steps for the Arms Trade Treaty: Securing Early Entry Into Force

Paul Holtom and Mark Bromley
Arms Control Today
June 2013
Available here

Major recipients today, major suppliers tomorrow?

Tilman Brück and Paul Holtom
Arms Trade Treaty Monitor, no. 6.3,
20 March 2013, pp. 4-5
Available here

Will the arms trade treaty be stuck in the past? 

Tilman Brück and Paul Holtom
SIPRI Update Newsletter (Essay)
13 March 2013
Available here

Trends in international arms transfers, 2012

Paul Holtom, Mark Bromley, Pieter D. Wezeman and Siemon T. Wezeman
SIPRI Fact Sheet
March 2013
Available here

Transfers of small arms and light weapons to fragile states: strengthening oversight and control

Mark Bromley, Lawrence Dermody, Hugh Griffiths, Paul Holtom and Michael Jenks
SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security no. 2013/1
January 2013
Available here

Implementing the Arms Trade Treaty: Reporting International Arms Transfers

Elli Kytömäki, Paul Holtom and Mark Bromley
UNIDIR Resources
2012
Available here

Prohibiting Arms Transfers to Non-State Actors and the Arms Trade Treaty

Paul Holtom
UNIDIR Resources
2012
Available here

Measuring international arms transfers

Paul Holtom, Mark Bromley and Verena Simmel
SIPRI Fact Sheet
December 2012
Available here

Quels sont les impact potentiels d'un traité sur le commerce des armes?

Paul Holtom
Diplomatie, no. 58, September-October 2012, pp. 55-6

The UN Arms Trade Treaty: arms export controls, the human security agenda and the lessons of history

Mark Bromley, Neil Cooper, Paul Holtom
International Affairs, vol. 88, no. 5, 2012, pp. 1029-1048
 

Older publications can be accessed here.

Recent Activities
11 June, Karlskoga, Sweden

Defence Trade Day 2013

SIPRI Senior Researcher Pieter Wezeman participated in the Defence Trade Day 2013, organized by the Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency (FXM) in Karlskoga, Sweden. Pieter joined a panel including the Swedish Minister of Defence and the Director Public Procurement of the EU Internal Market and Services Directorate General and gave a presentation on 'Trends in the international trade in military products'. Contact Pieter Wezeman for more information.
7 June 2013, Brussels, Belgium

NATO Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EPAC) Meeting

SIPRI Senior Researcher Mark Bromley spoke at a meeting of the EPAC's ad-hoc working group on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and mine action. Mark made a presentation on strengthening oversight and control of SALW transfers to fragile states, based on the results of a recent research project carried out by the SIPRI arms transfers programme on behalf of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Contact Mark Bromley for more information.
 6 June 2013, Brussels, Belgium

Seminar: European Arms Exports and Human Rights

SIPRI Senior Researcher Mark Bromley spoke at a seminar organized by The Greens / European Free Alliance in the European Parliament. The seminar was focused on recent trends in EU member states' arms exports and ways of improving the EU's mechanisms of arms export control. Mark made a presentation about 'Recommendations for a more strict, transparent and well functioning arms export control regime'. Contact Mark Bromley for more information.
21-22 May 2013, Boston, USA

The Global Arms Business: Its Corrupting Impacts

Director of SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme Paul Holtom participated in a workshop on The Global Arms Business: Its Corrupting Impacts, organised by the World Peace Foundation and held at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Paul gave a presentation on competition, cooperation and corruption with regards to traditional and emerging arms suppliers. For more information contact Paul Holtom.













Older activities can be accessed here.
 
Internships with the arms transfer project

 

Staff

 

SIPRI Arms Transfers Database

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SIPRI Arms Embargoes Database

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SIPRI National Reports Database

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