Briefs

Briefing paper

Consequences of the Proliferation and Misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons

June 22, 2006

An estimated 639 million small arms and light weapons (SALW) are currently in circulation around the globe

Five years ago, the U.S. Small Arms Working Group (SAWG)* produced eleven fact sheets that highlighted the many ways in which small arms proliferation and misuse affects various aspects of life and society. Over the last five years, national, regional, and global initiatives have also been undertaken to mitigate these consequences.

SAWG has again updated the 11 original fact sheets (they were also updated in 2003), and added two more. These fact sheets are intended to serve as a resource for those interested in exploring the varied ways in which small arms proliferation and misuse affect people’s lives.

They are not comprehensive, but rather give readers a glimpse into the complex consequences of these deadly weapons.

Briefing paper

Ammunition: The Fuel of Conflict

June 22, 2006

Hundreds of thousands of people are killed each year through the misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law.

Small arms ammunition is the fuel that keeps many of the world’s conflicts raging. While small arms do not themselves cause conflict, they make it much deadlier, and a shortage of bullets can reduce or even stop fighting altogether. In the Central African Republic, fighters have been known to throw away weapons because they cannot buy the right bullets for them.

On 26 June, the UN Review Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons begins in New York. At this conference, governments must adopt a new global set of rules and standards for transfers of small arms and ammunition. In October 2006, at the UN General Assembly, governments should agree to negotiate a new international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to regulate transfers of all conventional arms, including ammunition.