In this provocative book, a respected political analyst explores the dynamics of the post-Cold War international arms trade and examines the problems and prospects for regulating it. From the pros and cons of embargoes, sanctions and the UN register to the national impetus which fuels the market for weapons; to the major arms traders themselves both purchasers and suppliers this timely book covers all the political and ethical issues involved in this highly controversial and dangerous market.

This book provides a unique and comprehensive commentary on the Arms Trade Treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, with several contributors having direct involvement in the negotation of the Treaty.

This book presents a report based on Wilton Park Conference 288 held in November 1992 and entitled Controlling the Arms Trade: Security Imperatives and Economic Consequences. The change in the international atmosphere and the resulting decline in the markets for defence equipment in North America and Europe is a positive incentive for arms control in the future, and it has been supplemented by a decline in the Third World market. This report points out, however, that countervailing pressures are making the restriction of the arms trade more difficult. It remains an open question whether existing opportunities for arms control will be exploited, of if arms control will in fact be the first casualty of the the post-Cold War peace dividend.

The multi-billion dollar business of the international conventional arms trade involves virtually every country in the world. Around the globe, people's lives are being irrevocably changed by the effects of guns, tanks, and missiles. These weapons have the potential to cause a deadly and current threat - one responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths a year. This succinct and accessible new book explores the complexities and realities of the global conventional weapons trade. The first book on the subject in nearly a decade, The International Arms Trade provides an engaging introduction to the trade, the effects, and the consequences of these weapons. The authors trace the history of the arms trade and examine how it has evolved since the end of the Cold War. In particular, they assess the role of the largest arms exporters and importers, the business of selling conventional arms around the world, and shed new light on the illicit arms trade and the shadowy dealers who profit from their deadly commerce. The book also looks closely at the devastating effect the business can have on countries, societies, and individuals and concludes with an evaluation of the various existing control strategies and the potential for future control opportunities. The International Arms Trade will be invaluable for students and scholars of international relations and security studies, and for policymakers and anyone interested in understanding more about the conventional arms trade.

Is the arms trade totally uncontrolled? What are the main obstacles to limitations on arms transfers? What can be learned from past attempts at arms transfer control? This book, which completes SIPRI's trilogy on the facts and implications of Third World build-up of major conventional weapons, assesses past efforts, current proposals and future possibilities to limit the transfer of weapons and military technology to Third World countries. It is a companion to the two SIPRI volumes, Arms Production in the Third World (1986) and Arms Transfers to the Third World 1971-85 (OUP, 1987)

SCOTT (copy 1): from the John Holmes Library collection.