A Deadly Trade

Each year, at least a third of a million people are killed directly with conventional weapons and many more are injured, abused, forcibly displaced and bereaved as a result of armed violence. In armed conflicts, the lives of skilled people are lost, infrastructure such as schools, clinics and homes are lost; economic production and markets disappear and investment takes flight. Even outside wartime, government arms purchases can exceed legitimate security needs, diverting substantial amounts of money away from health and education. In ‘peace time’, the presence and availability of arms often intensifies violence engendered by political protest, disputes between neighbours, crime and violence in the home.

While many of the weapons and munitions used to commit violations will have been produced locally, large proportions are sourced on the international arms market. Those involved in the global arms trade supply weapons and munitions for national self-defence, peacekeeping and law enforcement, which is legitimate if the recipients are not blatantly violating international law, including human rights and humanitarian law. But governments and arms traders also provide arms to governments and armed groups that persistently commit gross violations and abuses of human rights and war crimes.

The scale of human suffering caused by poorly controlled and irresponsible arms transfers makes political action by the world’s governments imperative.

Read Arms Without Borders, our report on globalisation and the arms trade

Find out more about the arms trade in our FAQ

Find out more about the Arms Trade Treaty