On 14 April SIPRI launched its data on world military expenditure in 2013 via traditional media channels and launch events in New York and Geneva. This was the last of three data launches ahead of the release of SIPRI Yearbook 2014.
According to the SIPRI press release, in 2013 military expenditure fell in the West but rose everywhere else:
Read about recent trends in military expenditure or download the SIPRI Fact Sheet.
An event was held in New York to launch the data, hosted by SIPRI, the Japanese Mission to the United Nations and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman, Director of SIPRI's Military Expenditure Programme, gave a presentation of the SIPRI data.
On the same day, in Geneva, the International Peace Bureau (IPB) organized a seminar with the participation of non-governmental organization representatives, UN officials and diplomats and other experts within the field of security and disarmament.
The goal was to draw attention to the latest statistics released by SIPRI, and to discuss ways to take action in order to favour the reallocation of military expenditures to social and environmental programmes.
SIPRI Researcher Helen Wilandh presented the latest SIPRI data on and participated in a debate about the relationship between military expenditure and the UN's post-2015 goals.
The data launch coincided with the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS).