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Forum:
General Assembly First Commission
Issue:
The Question of Arms Sales for Commercial Benefit
Student Officer: Sophia Yasmine Steel
Position:
Head Chair GA1
Introduction
“We can’t have it both ways. We can’t be both the world’s leading champion of peace and the
world’s leading supplier of arms”. Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, made these
comments during his 1976 campaign for Presidency regarding the United States’ involvement in arms
sales for commercial benefit. They are, however, contemporarily and globally relevant in light of the
United Nation’s five permanent member states (United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom and
China) supplying approximately 78% of arms sales agreements 2004-2011. If the United Nations
therefore aims to maintain worldwide peace and security, we must insure that the arms sales industry
(which our permanent members play a prominent part in) is at the very least regulated to the extent that
we can affirm it is not counter-productive to our goal.
Post-WWII, arms sales moved from the control of private manufacturers to that of governments,
hence the General Assembly’s concern with this question. Throughout the time of the Cold War, the
weapons trade was utilized as a means of ensuring that governments with friendly relations towards
either involved superpower (United States and Russia) maintained power in their respective nations.
Major weapons transfer trends peaked during Cold War times, subsequently showing a fluctuating
decrease until the early 2000s. From this time onwards, trends indicate a gradual increase. Much of this
increase is justified by mounting terrorist threats in the developing world. Recipient’s consisting mostly of
developing countries is therefore explained by their lower levels of economic development and
consequent need for MEDC resources to combat terrorism. Nevertheless, whether the current rise in
arms sales for commercial benefit is a measure of peacekeeping or a method of supporting suppliers’
economic and geopolitical agendas remains debated.
Regardless of the debate surrounding motivations behind arms sales, it is largely agreed upon
that international arms trade has caused and has the potential to cause large-scale damage without
adequate regulation and transparency. Loopholes and weaknesses existing in efforts to regulate the
international arms trade have undermined these efforts, making them a list of vague recommendations of
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protocol. These loopholes allow for the continuation of widespread gun violence, counterproductive to
the United Nation’s aim of maintaining peace and security worldwide. Even from a purely economic
standpoint, rising homicide rates has negative effects; from 2000 to 2010, they have cost the world
economy near two trillion US Dollars according to Amnesty International. It should also be considered
that the control of ammunition is key to the control of arms sales; loose regulations on the sale of
ammunition can catalyse high rates of homicide.
One of the main factors motivating individuals and governments to discourage the regulation of
the international arms trade is the economic benefit that comes from these activities. “Significant profits
can be made by manufacturing and selling weapons” (Grillot, 2013), leading manufacturers to prefer
turning a blind eye as to who their clients are to avoid implementing regulations that may require them to
decrease their clientele. The economic benefits of the arms industry include large numbers of jobs
created in the countries manufacturing them, benefiting local economies and influential owners /
manufacturers who will approach this issue with vested interests. This causes a great deal of difficulty
when debating the question of arms sales for commercial benefit; as it can be argued that lives are being
taken by the proliferation in numbers of these arms, as well as sustained by their manufacturing and
exportation.
In 2013, the Arms Trade Treaty was adopted at the UN General Assembly, which entered into
force in 2014. The ATT is a treaty aimed towards the regulations of arms trade for commercial benefit,
due to the international trade of arms’ implications for human security, which has been ratified by 131
member states. The treaty includes clauses that proved controversial with certain member states, mostly
regarding records kept of “end users” of arms. These clauses were aimed towards ensuring that arms
were not procured to terrorist organizations, but some member states believed they restricted the
individual freedom of gun owners. Though the treaty has been signed and ratified by numerous states,
implementation has been inconsistent.
The question of arms sales for commercial benefit is a multi-faceted, controversial and
fascinating topic to research and debate. Reaching a solution to the issue of arms sales for commercial
benefit has proven extremely challenging in reality. The debate and consideration of this question is,
therefore, of paramount importance until a solution is found and successfully implemented.
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Definition of Key Terms
Arms
Weapons designed for use in a military setting, including ammunition and support equipment.
Ammunition
These are projectiles such as bullets, shells, missiles used to load arms, or explosive arms such as
grenades or bombs.
Small Arms
These are arms that, due to their size and design, are man portable (portable by one person) and
not restricted by their mass.
Light Arms
These are arms that are portable by men but may need a number of people to operate or mount.
Heavy Arms
These are arms that are mounted or self-propelling explosives, considerably larger and heavier than
the above two category of arms.
Embargo
This is an official ban on trade and commercial activity with a designated member state or an official
ban on the trade of a designated commodity.
MEDC
More Economically Developed Country: countries with more economic resources (higher wealth),
which offer a higher standard of living for their populations, and usually have low birth rates and low
death rates due to access to advanced medical technology, as well as higher literacy rates.
LEDC
Less Economically Developed Country: countries with less economic resources (lower wealth)
though not necessarily less natural resources, which offer a low standard of living for their
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populations, and usually have high birth rates and high death rates due to lack of access to
advanced or adequate medical technology, as well as low literacy rates.
Globalization
This is a contemporary movement involving the increasing interconnections between governments
of nations, often either caused or sped by international trade.
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the right of a national body to self-govern without the interference of outside sources
or bodies. This right is specified in Chapter 1 of the United Nations Charter.
Background Information
Only by understanding the events that preceded it can we analyse the current state of affairs in regards
to arms sales for commercial benefit. One historical period of political and military tension played a
particularly key role in shaping what is now the arms sales industry.
The Cold War
The Cold War is a term used to describe the period of time between 1947 and 1991 (though
these dates are disputed) following the First World War when extreme political and ideological tensions
between the United States and Russia presided. It is known as Cold because there were no actual
conflicts involved between the two country’s military powers, though proxy wars with opposing camps
supported by either the U.S. or Russia occurred. During this period of time, a surplus of arms existed as
a result of the World War. This, along with the rivalries between Capitalist and Communist powers,
resulted in a boom in the international arms trade. These surplus arms were distributed by the two
superpowers to political groups in developing nations either fighting to defend or fighting to establish
regimes ideologically similar to theirs. Additionally, a race began as to which nation could develop most
technologically advanced weaponry. Thus, it was during this period of time that arms trade “became one
of the most powerful weapons in international diplomacy” (Grant, 2011).
As trends in international arms transfers currently show an increase, it becomes important that the
United Nations and the international community takes note of issues which, in our globalising,
urbanising and modernising society, accompany the current sale of arms for commercial benefit in
order to address them.
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Globalization and International Arms Sales
Globalization, by definition, is a movement involving increasing economic interconnections
between the bodies of the international community. This interconnection, during the Cold War and in its
midst, resulted in interdependence. It is much easier to import arms than to develop the technologies
necessary for governments to produce them domestically, especially in the case of LEDCs without the
resources necessary to develop such technologies. LEDCs therefore became dependent on MEDCs
(particularly the Cold War superpowers) who had supplied them arms to continue doing so; such was the
case, for example, in Israel’s relationship with the United States. This is the reason behind certain
member states monopolizing the arms market. With regards to proposed arms regulations, LEDCs are
likely to object, as LEDC regions are more prone to conflict and their governments see such regulations
as infringing on their sovereignty and ability to defend their nation. MEDCs are also likely to object, as
they gain economically from less regulated commercial arms trade. The globalization of international
arms sales, catalysed by Cold War occurrences, has created an attitude in the international community
that has made passing laws and resolutions regarding the sale of arms for commercial benefit
increasingly difficult. The provision of arms to LEDC countries is highly controversial, partly because it
can fuel greater poverty and suffering in the countries the arms are sold to, but mostly because there is
no way of controlling who the end user of the arms procured may be and therefore no way of controlling
how they will be used or whether there will be misuse.
Urbanisation and International Arms Production
Additionally, with burgeoning globalisation comes urbanisation. Urbanisation is when a
considerable amount of a country’s population shifts from living in a rural setting (countryside) to living in
an urban setting (city) and the impacts this had on the country’s society. It is a process that has
particular impact in LEDCs, where when populations move to urban areas the demand for employment
opportunities in such areas increases exponentially. Industries, which demand large numbers of workers,
are therefore invested into. Arms production is predominantly an industry, and as LEDCs become
urbanised they may want to begin producing weapons – creating jobs locally – as opposed to importing
them from MEDCs. This has a potential to cause oversupply, as the MEDCs that monopolise the arms
industry would no longer have clients to sell the vast amounts of arms they produce to. Having such an
excess amount of product for sale could flood the market, causing a considerable drop in the price of
arms; a potential outcome that would threaten local security in said MEDCs.
Black Market Arms Trafficking
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When considering the question of arms sales for commercial benefit, it is of imperative
importance to not only consider arms sold legally but additionally those trafficked unlawfully; the black
market for arms exists, and is greatly harmful to our societies. This market is usually concentrated in
locations where demands for arms are high, such as areas affected by conflict or crime. Arms end up on
the black market as a consequence of lack of regulation in the legal arms trade, such as occurred in the
case of NATO weapons sold to Libya under Muammar Qaddafi’s rule. This weaponry included surfaceto-air missiles, which are currently surfacing on the black market. The black market does not discriminate
in its clientele, and thus weapons, which could cause considerable damage to local populations, can end
up in untrained civilian hands. This market has been facilitated in modernising times by increasingly
developed technology and the existence of the dark web, a hidden part of the Internet that is not visible
to search engines but can be accessed using illegal software, where a widespread online illegal
weapons trade exists. Centres in certain member states have been formed to combat this trade:
however, as costly technology is required, the online weapons trade is particularly difficult for LEDCs to
control.
Major Countries and Organizations Involved
United States
Currently, the United States is the world’s largest arms dealer, supplying 44% of arms sales
agreements from 2004-2011. As of 2014, over half of the world’s weapon industry is controlled by the
United States. These statistics have been on the rise throughout the duration of the Obama
administration. This has been a cause for concern, as a large amount of the U.S.’s weapons deals are
with Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia; a region recently plagued political instability. It is
uncertain what role the U.S.’s weapons trade relationships with this region has played in supporting
regimes whose recent domestic endeavours involved violations of human rights. In Bahrain and Yemen,
for example, U.S. military arms were used in support of regimes known for their violations of human
rights. President Obama’s approach to handling this potential responsibility for the Middle East’s
destabilization has not been to halt arms sales, but to study the impacts of the U.S.’s arms trade
overseas, as a cut in U.S. arms sales would have devastating effects on the North American economy.
Russia
Russia supplies 25% of the world’s arms sales, coming second to the United States on the list of
the world’s largest arms dealers. The majority of Russian military exports are in aviation equipment, due
to Russian air defence having a particularly technologically advanced industry in the building of such
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equipment. Their most major clients include India, China, Vietnam, and Venezuela; however, Russia is
most commonly in the news lately for their military aid to the Syrian Bashar al Assad’s regime. This aid
has played a key part in bolstering the regime in their fight against rebel groups, and has furthered
instability. It has also resulted in Cold-War-like tensions between the Russia and the U.S., who condemn
this military relationship.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom also stands amongst the world’s top five suppliers of arms, and has come
into attack recently due to their aid to Saudi Arabia, a member state who led a bombing campaign in
Yemen that hit locations including hospitals (furthering the region’s unrest). British weaponry was also
sold to Bahrain, where military force was used to subdue protests throughout the Arab spring, and a
number of nations where human rights violations have taken place.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest single recipient of arms sales, receiving 21% of arms sales
agreements made form 2004-20011. Western nations, particularly the United Kingdom and France, have
recently come under harsh criticism of their selling arms to Saudi Arabia because of the member state’s
ideological differences as well as its involvement in the Yemeni conflict. Saudi Arabia has been accused
of breaching international law in its involvement in Yemen. Saudi reports defend bombings in Yemen
with claims of intelligence indicating terrorist presence in the areas they targeted, and evidence of their
compensation to innocent victims of the bombings. The UN remains critical of Saudi Arabia’s
involvement, as a majority of targets do not have direct links to the military.
India
India faces internal criticism for its large import of arms through international arms sales, as
critics state its own arms sector should be stronger and better developed in order to compete with
Western and Chinese industries. India’s current government’s campaign for election included a potential
shift to “Made in India” for weaponry; however, this has yet to be put into place. Money and research in
India is being directed towards the development of more technologically advanced Indian weaponry.
United Arab Emirates
From 2013 to 2014, the United Arab Emirates has doubled the number of small arms it is
importing, and has been criticized for lack of transparency regarding its involvement in the arms trade.
Both the cost that the UAE pays for these imports in arms and the quality of the arms imported are high.
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The GCC countries also have highly technologically advanced weapons manufacture and military
training facilities. This advancement is likely due to the UAE’s affluent wealth as a result of access and
trade in natural resources.
United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
The ATT (Arms Trade Treaty) was a treaty passed by the United Nations Office for Disarmament
Affairs, which entered into force in 2014. The main purpose of this treaty was to strengthen the control
over and increase the transparency of international arms trade for commercial benefit. This was in effort
to decrease the amount of arms that are trafficked from nation to nation and cause an augmentation in
suffering amongst population of member states where situations of armed conflict preside. The ATT
suggests that, in order for its arms to be fulfilled, a fund will be started where member states can
voluntarily contribute, which will provide assistance in implementation of the treaty’s clauses. The
UNSCAR now exists. However, as stated earlier in this report, implementation of the ATT’s clauses has
been inconsistent, rendering the treaty to a certain extent ineffective.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a non-profit non-governmental activism organization involved in a
multitude of current international issues. They have gotten involved in the issue of arms trade, as they
believe it is a cause for violation of human rights around the world that puts innocent civilians around the
world at risk. Amnesty International rallied strongly for the ATT and now works to put pressure on
governments to ratify it through raising public awareness, campaigns and releasing research reports
regularly regarding the regulation of arms.
International Action Network on Small Arms
The IANSA is a network looking to support and connect organizations that work against gun
violence. They work hand in hand with NGOs, policy makers and civil activists. They are also avid
supporters of the ATT, and campaign to ensure its international ratification. Organizations that work to
promote the ratification of the ATT are crucial, as though it has been voted in it must be remembered
that the application of the Treaty has been inconsistent in the international community.
Oxfam
Oxfam, as well as actively supporting the Arms Trade Treaty, has worked to hold governments
accountable for their contribution to the problems caused by arms sales for commercial benefit: recently,
Oxfam has shed light on the United Kingdom’s violation of the treaty in its involvement in fuelling the
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Yemeni conflict through arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The organization insists that if powerful
governments such as that of the United Kingdom do not abide by the treaty’s rules themselves, they are
unable to persuade others to stand by the treaty’s rules, thus rendering it ineffective.
Timeline of Events
Date
Description of event
1991
End of the Cold War
April 2nd 2013
Arms Trade Treaty approved by United Nations General Assembly
September 8th- 9th 2014
November 27th-28th 2014
February 23rd-24th 2015
th
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First informal consultation regarding the Arms Trade Treaty in Mexico
City
Second informal consultation regarding the Arms Trade Treaty in Berlin
First preparatory meeting regarding the Arms Trade Treaty in Port-ofSpain
April 20 -21 2015
Third informal consultation regarding the Arms Trade Treaty in Vienna
2015
Second preparatory meeting regarding the Arms Trade Treaty in Geneva
First conference of State Parties regarding the Arms Trade Treaty in
2015
Mexico City
August 22nd-26th 2016
Second conference of State Parties regarding the Arms Trade Treaty in
Geneva
Relevant UN Treaties and Events
●
Initiation of movement towards an Arms Trade Treaty, 2006 (A/RES/61/89)
●
Continuation of movement towards an Arms Trade Treaty, 2008 (A/RES/63/240)
●
Drafting of an Arms Trade Treaty, 2009 (A/RES/64/48)
●
Decision On Arms Trade Treaty, 2011 (A/66/518)
●
The Arms Trade Treaty, 2012 (A/RES/67/234 A)
●
The Arms Trade Treaty, 2013 (A/RES/67/234 B)
●
The Arms Trade Treaty, 2013 (A/RES/68/31)
●
The Arms Trade Treaty, 2014 (A/RES/69/49)
Previous Attempts to solve the Issue
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The Arms Trade Treaty is one clear on-going attempt that has been made, first proposed by
Amnesty International and Oxfam but ratified by the United Nations, to regulate the issues that come of
arms sales for commercial benefit. The focus of this treaty, as previously mentioned, is transparency and
ensuring that arms do not end up in the hands of those who will use them to harm civilians. Though the
signing of the treaty symbolizes an international agreement that arms trade for commercial benefit
results in a multitude of issues, the inconsistency in its international ratification (in both LEDCs and
MEDCs) indicates that either its clauses are unrealistic or unattainable for certain member states, or a
treaty as a means of solving an issue is not efficient because it does not hold those who do not adhere
by it accountable through sanctions etc. This method of enforcement requires the desire / will of
participants to work on the long term.
Organizations and their campaigns have attempted to solve this issue by spreading
awareness into the public. This method puts pressure on local governments through populations’
growing awareness of their arms trade activity to be increasingly transparent and act according to the
agreements they have signed. This is particularly effective in the age of social media, in which anyone
with access to information can read about these campaigns and the research they publish regarding
their countries’ involvement and contact organizations asking what they can do to help spread
awareness. However, there is only so much non-governmental-organizations can do without the
cooperation of local governments and intergovernmental organizations. The impact that the campaigns
they launch have is greater on the long term, but as populations are harmed daily by the effects of
ineffective control on arms sales this may not be enough.
Possible Solutions
One potential solution to this issue would be to encourage the Security Council to implement a
policy of sanctions towards countries that do not abide by the Arms Trade Treaty. This would be difficult
considering that P5 members of the United Nations could veto against this, particularly since some
themselves do not abide by the rules set by the Arms Trade Treaty.
Another approach delegates could take would be to form a coalition between member states that
have abided fully by the Arms Trade Treaty, which would aim to share their approach to applying the
ATT in their nation as well as provide aid to LEDCs so that they are better prepared to implement the
treaty.
Because of the potential this would have to incentivise local governments not to abide by the
ATT, regulations could also be imposed on whether arms producers can make financial contributions to
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support political group or individuals, or an increase in transparency could be recommended regarding
which individuals have received such financial contributions.
Additionally, there is the possibility of increasing public awareness of issues relating to the trade
of arms for commercial benefit, as non-governmental organisations have approached this issue. Through
increased U.N. support of such efforts, populations in MEDCs and LEDCs where governments are not
abiding by arms regulations would be able to establish grassroots efforts to encourage their
governments to do so.
Bibliography
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Association, 1 Aug. 1998, www.armscontrol.org/act/1998_08-09/mkas98. Accessed 13 Oct.
2016.
"Getting it right - the pieces that matter for the arms trade treaty." OXFAM, 12 Mar. 2013,
controlarms.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/03/bp169-getting-it-right-arms-trade-treaty120313-en1.pdf. Accessed 13 Oct. 2016.
Grillot, Suzette. The International Arms Trade. Cambridge, Polity Press, 2009.
Hartung, William. "We're number one - in weapons trafficking." The Huffington Post, 16 Aug. 2011,
www.huffingtonpost.com/william-hartung/were-number-one-in-weapon_b_878659.html.
"Illicit Trafficking." Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute Geneva, 2014,
www.smallarmssurvey.org/weapons-and-markets/transfers/illicit-trafficking.html.
"Killer facts : the scale of the global arms trade." Amnesty International, 24 Aug. 2015,
www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/08/killer-facts-the-scale-of-the-global-arms-trade/.
Accessed 13 Oct. 2016.
Patterson, Thomas. "Inside the Illegal Online Weapons Trade." CNN, 11 Aug. 2016,
edition.cnn.com/2016/08/10/us/declassified-illegal-online-weapons-trade/.
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Shah, Anup. "Arms control." Global Issues, 30 June 2013, www.globalissues.org/issue/66/arms-control.
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