The Fault of the Poor?

In April 2013, the United Nations adopted the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a multilateral treaty to regulate international trade in conventional arms and to eradicate illegal arms trade. The treaty aims to promote cooperation, transparency and responsible action by the states in the international trade in conventional arms, so as to contribute to international peace and security. At present, 125 states have signed it and 55 states have ratified it.

Why is this treaty needed at all? Worldwide statistics presents appalling facts about the arms trade. First, global military expenditure in 2010 has reached $1,630 billion and the United States military expenditure accounted for 43 percent of the global share. Second, 74 percent of the world’s weapons are supplied by just 6 countries: the U.S. (34.84%), Russia (14.86%), Germany (7.43%), United Kingdom (6.57%), China (6.29%), and France (4%). Third, the arms trade is responsible for 40 percent of all corruption in global transaction.

In addition, the illicit arms trade has severe consequences on people’s lives, especially of the people who live in the developing countries in Africa, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. According to the Small Arms Survey, about 25 percent of the $4 billion annual global trade in small arms is illicit. Moreover, small arms and light weapons are responsible for the majority – between 60 and 90 percent – of direct conflict deaths, which amounts to between 80,000 and 100,000. In addition, illicit arms trade fuels domestic conflict, destroying infrastructure, perpetuating poverty, and exacerbating violence.

Experts say that illicit arms trade, or grey market transfers are the norm in certain countries. This is especially true since the Arab Spring which exacerbated arms proliferation in Africa even though the movement itself was intended to bring peace and stability within the region. During this period of unrest, smugglers, criminal networks, and armed gangs poured weapons into Libya across the border of Egypt. Where the conflicts persist and illegal weapons flow, illegal weapons shipment from Libya and Iran helped to fuel full scale Syrian civil war.

The cause of illegal arms trade can be traced back to domestic instability. When interviewed, an Egyptian man who attained illegal arms remarked, “This (Egypt) has always been a passageway for wars. We are not treated well by the authorities. If we were, we wouldn’t need weapons.” They insist that they have no choice but to own weapons, even though the only means to get weapon is through illegal trade. Insecurity leads people to attain illicit weapons because they believe that the government will not protect them. The biggest problem is that existing domestic law enforcement is simply insufficient to regulate illegal arms trade activities. In Nigeria, the punishment for possessing a gun is a fine of only five thousand naira, about 30 dollars.

This may be due to two reasons: first, the governments in the region are incapable of erecting legal measures to prohibit arms trade. For instance, in the case of Libya, due to its fragile political and legal system after Gaddafi was overthrown, the Libyan government system is currently unable to exercise power against illegal arms trade. Another reason is the unwillingness of countries to punish illegal arms trade since the governments themselves are involved.

According to the Small Arms Survey, while most arms trafficking is conducted by private entities, certain governments also contribute significantly to the illicit trade by deliberately arming proxy groups involved in insurgencies against rival governments. Government involvement in illicit arms trade may also be motivated by monetary reasons, as illegal arms trade greatly benefit the top notch of the population. However, it produces the opposite effect by leaving the general population vulnerable. This, in turn, pushes people to illegally purchase weapons for their security.

The correlation between the levels of nation development and the degree of illegal arms trade is extremely strong. Therefore, in order to solve illicit arms trade problem, it is extremely important for the international community to give both financial and political support to financially dependent countries. The Arms Trade Treaty may be able to address worldwide illegal arms trade problem. However, the countries around the world must acknowledge that, without efforts to alleviate poverty and to erect a system of governance in these developing nations, the world will continue to be affected by illegal arms proliferation.