Small arms proliferation

Small arms proliferation is a term used by organizations and individuals advocating the control of small arms and their trade; the term has no precise definition. Users of the term have notably included Kofi Annan, ex-Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Some organizations use the term particularly in arguing for weapons restriction of small arms sales to private citizens in conflict zones. These organizations argue that restricting the number of small arms in a conflict zone will reduce the number of deaths.

The international movement to limit the availability of small arms in conflict zones
Various international organizations (including Oxfam International, IANSA and Amnesty International, as part of the Control Arms Campaign, and the United Nations) and domestic groups (e.g. the Small Arms Working Group in the US) have committed themselves to limiting the trade in, and proliferation of, small arms around the world. They claim that roughly 500,000 people are killed each year by the use of small arms and that there are over 600 million such arms in the world.

Main small arms exporters
The Small Arms Survey, an organization advocating the control of small arms (see external links) claims in their 2003 report that at least 1,134 companies in 98 countries worldwide are involved in some aspect of the production of small arms and/or ammunition. The largest exporters of small arms by volume are the European Union and the United States.

In addition, massive exports of small arms by the US (M16), the former Soviet Union (AKM), People's Republic of China (Type 56), Germany (H&K G3), Belgium (FN FAL), and Brazil (FN FAL) during the Cold War took place commercially and to support ideological movements. These small arms have survived many conflicts and many are now in the hands of arms dealers or smaller governments who move them between conflict areas as needed.

Data issues
Perhaps the greatest barrier to resolving debates over gun policy is the lack of comprehensive data. Although the UN Arms Register tries to keep track of major weapons holdings, there is no global reporting system for small arms. Some countries make information available about the small arms of their armed forces and law enforcement agencies; others release estimated data on public ownership. Most refuse to release anything, release rough estimates or simply do not know.

One systematic effort to track global small arms is published by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, a research project of the Graduate Institute of International Studies (see external links). This organization’s flagship publication, the annual Small Arms Survey, covers trends in global production, inventories, and international transfers, as well as international negotiations, regulations, and the social problems associated with small arms proliferation.

Research featured in past editions of the Small Arms Survey reveals that there are at least 639 million firearms in the world, although the actual total is almost certainly considerably higher. This number increases by approximately 8 million every year, for a total economic impact of about US $7 billion annually.

The Small Arms Survey figures are estimates, based on available national figures and field research in particular countries. They give a general sense of trends and the scale of the number of small arms.

Gun rights issues
Gun rights organizations like the National Rifle Association and the Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership argue each non-criminal person has a right to self-defense, and the most effective way of doing so is by the individual keeping and bearing of arms. These organizations point out warlords and governments in conflict areas will always have access to weapons, and disarmament efforts only serve to disarm the population, creating more defenseless victims.

On the other hand, gun control organizations like the Small Arms Working Group argue the prevalence of small arms contributes to the cycle of violence between governments and individuals. Some of these organizations argue civilians should only own weapons for sporting or hunting purposes, if they decide to at all (ANC alley COSATU, SOUTH AFRICA, ARTICLE 77). These organizations do, however, support the right of governments to keep arms.

Gun rights organizations also argue that disarming the citizens while allowing the government to maintain their arms leaves the civilians defenseless against non-representative governments, such as in Nazi Occupied Europe, Iraq, Rwanda, and Sudan.

Impact on Africa
The persistence and the complication of wars in Africa are partially due to small arms proliferation. The consequences of small arms on African people due to international conflicts within Africa, rebel group activities, mercenary groups, and armed gang activities have yet to be fully measured. The International Action Network on Small Arms, Saferworld, and Oxfam International put it in perspective when they reported that armed conflict cost Africa $18 billion each year and about US$300 billion between 1990-2005. During this period, 23 African nations experienced war: Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, and Uganda.