Two Sides of the Same Coin – Part II

This post will be a continuation of comments on the following journal article:

Marsh, Nicholas. “Two Sides of the Same Coin? The Legal and Illegal Trade in Small Arms.” The Brown Journal of World Affairs. Spring 2002.

As I discussed in my previous post Two Sides of the Same Coin – Part I Marsh delivers a good overall outline of the key issues in the legal and illegal arms trade. Having extracted and commented on some of his useful observations, I now offer some thoughts on his concluding recommendations:

Two valuable and under-represented recommendations presented relate to the need for greater domestic legislation around the globe, and connectedly, the need for greater domestic transparency – especially in regulations, tracking, and oversight of a government’s own exports. These are principled suggestions assuming that the government in question has nothing to hide and is willing to audit itself. The willingness of governments to monitor themselves is vital here as the international community does not seem currently capable of erecting an IAEA-type organization to govern arms transfers. Even if this was a possibility, tracking the illegal arms trade is much more nuanced than tracking illegal nuclear activity. Among other complexities, the illegal arms trade is simultaneously a much more widespread and a much more concealable problem.

The two other policy recommendations provided are less helpful. The first is to sign the UN firearms treaty. Keep in mind this paper was written in 2002 and there have since been several arms control efforts at the UN and other international or regional organizations. For instance, the present focus falls on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). However, whether governments choose to sign such treaties or not does not depend on a white paper recommendation unfortunately. It depends on a host of other factors, not least of which are material incentives such as profits as well as domestic political will.

The other recommendation that I dismiss is for governments to stop partaking in gray market activity, especially since it often spills over into the black market. Again, this is not something that a mere recommendation will change. Alternatives have to be provided to incentivize legitimate actors to walk away from years of established networks and profits in illegitimate activities such as trafficking. Additionally, this seems the most unrealistic of the four recommendations. While it should certainly remain an ideal of the arms control movement, it is unlikely to be a near-term reality. Governments that engage in gray market arms sales and transfers (including the United States), do so knowingly and willingly. It is a conscious decision, and though in some cases it may be a desperate measure, it is likely not a decision made haphazardly or whimsically. Clearly then, something about the risk-reward calculus encourages these participant governments and legal entities to go gray. So it would follow, then, that changing their ways will require more than a wag of the finger; would it not?

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Some Useful General Resources

Now seems like a good time to share some initial resources I have come across as well as some interesting background reading materials. Where possible, links are provided. Two quick disclaimers: (1) the sources below are chosen for a broad background understanding on the global issue; and (2) this in no way claims to be a comprehensive list, but it is a start.

Please feel free to add to my list in the comments section if you can share key general sources I may have missed (or not yet discovered). If you wish to add South Asia specific items, you may prefer to wait for my forthcoming post with more focused sources. Until then, happy reading.

Some General Blogs & Online Information Portals:

• Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers (NISAT) blog
• Link: NISAT blog
• Comments: NISAT is a reliable informational resource on the small arms trade. Other than its research component, the organization also runs a useful blog on small arms issues and news.

• Arms Control NOW – The Arms Control Association blog
• Link: Arms Control NOW
• Comments: The Arms Control Association is one of the original actors in the international movement against the illegal small arms trade. Its blog provides news and expert commentary on issues and progress. It is relevant for its first hand involvement as well as its immediate news releases.

• Small Arms Monitor
• Link: Small Arms Monitor
• Comments: Small Arms Monitor is a good resource for its “NGO reporting on the biennial meeting of states on small arms and light weapons.” Unlike other resources with vast pools of information on diverse issue areas, Small Arms Monitor is useful for its focused reporting on state policy changes and progress.        

• International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA)
• Link: IANSA
• Comments: IANSA considers itself a “global movement against gun violence” and has proved to be a critical actor. In itself, IANSA can serve as a beneficial case study in itself, especially for measuring goals and effectiveness. Additionally, the organization provides access to a great deal of background information and research.

• United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
• Link: UNIDIR
• Comments: The UN is one of the most critical actors tying various regional networks together in the larger transnational network on the issue of small arms. UNIDIR serves as a support center and resource, with “action-oriented research [bringing] together perspectives on national, regional and international security, disarmament and development with a fundamental focus on human security.” One of the many relevant sub-pages of the UNIDIR website has valuable reports from its past research projects, ranging from Mapping Illicit Small Arms Trafficking in 2000 to Fixing the Broken Disarmament Machinery in 2010.

• Small Arms Survey
• Link: Small Arms Survey
• Comments: Small Arms Survey is one of the leading informational resources on the transnational advocacy network on small arms. It is widely accepted as one of the primary sources for tracking data and conflict related to small arms and its evidence is often used in reports and papers on the topic. 

Some General Books & Papers:

• Marsh, Nicholas. “Two Sides of the Same Coin? The Legal and Illegal Trade in Small Arms.” The Brown Journal of World Affairs. Spring 2002.
• Link: Two Sides of the Same Coin
• Comments: This may be one of the best introductory papers I’ve read on the subject of separating the legal and illegal small arms trade. It begins with an often forgotten fact – that many of today’s illegal weapons were originally made and sold legally. With an interesting structure, the paper gives readers a brief overview of the legal and illegal markets before concentrating on the gray market and ending with a few basic recommendations.

• Holtom, Paul and Mark Bromley. “The International Arms Trade: Difficult to Define, Measure, and Control.” Arms Control Association. August 2010.
• Link: The International Arms Trade
• Comments: Taking an interesting approach, this report looks at the relatively small effects of the global economic crisis on the international arms trade. It addresses arms trade trends in recent years as well as trade control efforts. Though much is yet to be learned about the real impacts of deteriorating global economic conditions on the illegal arms markets, this paper serves as an excellent base.

• “Arms Without Borders: Why a Globalised Trade Needs Global Controls.” Control Arms Campaign. October 2006.
• Link: Arms Without Borders
• Comments: This paper addresses the loopholes in the international production of small arms, where many such weapons disappear into the wrong hands due to very fluid and loose regulations on the production side. Instead of the traditional approach of tightening trade treaties, this paper advocates nipping the issue in the bud. This is an area of concern that deserves at least as much attention going forward as the development of a global treaty.

• “A Destruction Handbook – Small Arms, Light Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives.” United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs. 2001.
• Link: A Destruction Handbook
• Comments: To move away from theory and gain a more tangible picture of what can be done to curb illicit small arms violence, it is worth skimming this UN handbook. It begins with an overview of the problem before concretely presenting methods of destruction for small arms, among other weapons and explosives. I found that reading this kind of practical guide added color to my knowledge on actual and immediate steps governments can take.

• “Guns Out of Control: The Continuing Threat of Small Arms.” IRIN In-Depth Report. Integrated Regional Information Networks. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. May 2006.
• Link: Guns Out of Control
• Comments: This in-depth report gives a good briefing on several states in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, and South Asia. The report also includes interviews with the UN Special Rapporteur on the prevention of human rights violations committed with small arms and light weapons; the Director of IANSA; the Manager of the Human Security and Small Arms Programme at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue; and two former soldiers of the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) engaged in several years of illicit small arms violence. Though many of the countries covered in the report are outside the direct focus of this blog, they give good context for the global situation.

• “Shooting Down the MDGs – How Irresponsible Arms Transfers Undermine Development Goals.” Oxfam Briefing Paper No. 120. Oxfam International. October 2008.
• Link: Shooting Down the MDGs
• Comments: This paper is not opposed to legal trade and transfers of weapons between countries. It recognizes a state’s legitimate right to defend itself. However, the paper notes that irresponsible transfers can fuel local conflicts and slow development progress. Accordingly, it presents an in-depth analysis and advocates for a robust global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) with tougher enforcement and better controls on the international arm trade. This, according to the authors, would be a momentous step towards sealing some of the many loopholes that place ammunition in the wrong hands.

• Grimmett, Richard F. “Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2003-2010.” Congressional Research Service. September 2011.
• Link: Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations
• Comments: Those of us in the research community know that CRS often presents some of the most comprehensive reports and this is one of them. Updated annually, this latest congressional report examines general trends in global arms transfers before focusing on developing nations. The emphasis is on legal arms transfers, sales, and agreements. However, understanding the legal market is somewhat of a prerequisite to investigating the illegal market.

• Potter, Matt. Outlaws Inc. Bloombury USA: New York, 2011.
• Comments: This recently released book was written by a journalist that traveled with ex-Soviet soldiers who now use their skills and resources to smuggle arms and other illegal goods within the international black market. It offers insight on the perspectives and motives of the sellers propagating the arms black market and confirms that money – not violence itself – is often the endgame for the proliferators.

• Garcia, Denise. “Small Arms and Security: New Emerging International Norms.” Routledge: New York, 2006.
• Comments: This book systematically studies the trends in international norms governing the proliferation of small arms. It is helpful for understanding current patterns in global practices and shared norms in the international movement.

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