Disarmament & Development

Background

Disarmament and development are two of the international community’s most important tools for building a world free from want and fear.

How

• By controlling or reducing the availability or use of the implements of armed violence and armed conflict, disarmament policies and programs can facilitate a decrease in military expenditure,

• defuse tensions and encourage trust in inter-State and intra-State relations, and

• help to impede the development of and spending on new weapons and diminish the risk, incidence and

• severity of armed conflict and armed violence, thus improving stability and freeing resources for other activities, such as economic and social development.

Why

• At the same time, by promoting economic and social progress and by generating opportunities for people, development policies and programs can contribute to eradicating poverty, promoting economic growth and stabilizing economies and states.

• Thereby creating conditions of conditions of increased security and well-being.

• Security and stability serve as the foundation for disarmament and development.

History of Massive Arms Build Up

• The 1987 International Conference was held against the backdrop of a bipolar world.

• The cold war had divided the world’s nations into strategic alliances and blocs,

• and the nuclear threat was widely perceived to be the most urgent disarmament challenge.

• The super-Powers were engaged in an arms race that was both a contributing factor to and a consequence of their confrontation and that sowed insecurity and stimulated massive defense spending

1987 International Conference on Disarmament & Development

• http://www.epsusa.org/publications/papers/disarm.pdf

The Fall of the Wall & End to The Cold War are Game Changers

• For many, the cessation of the cold war signified the end of the nuclear threat and international confrontation.

• However, this was an illusion that• disarmament was taking care of itself • that development opportunities for all would

inevitably follow. • This reduced the political will or sense of

urgency with regard to the implementation of the recommendations contained in the 1987 action program.

Some of the Cold War Weapons Still Remain

1. Global military spending continues at a high rate 5% annually.

2. Little progress is being made in nuclear disarmament.

3. States are concerned with the spread of sensitive materials and technologies.

4. Destabilizing new weapons technologies

5. Changing military doctrines ( terrorist networks)

Other Concerns

1. Terrorist threats are on the rise since 9/11.

2. The cost of defending against terrorism is on the rise, and is not reflected in the global military expenditure numbers.

3. Increase in intra-inter state weapons accumulation. (due to effects of decolonization & state marginalization).

Continuing Dangers to be Addressed

1. Anti-personal minds & their abandonment

2. The explosion of small arms sales and transfers

3. Failure to secure WMDs

Development Issues

1. Over 50 countries are poorer today then they were in the 1090’s.

2. The number of people living on less then $1.00 a day has not changed since the 1090’s.

3. Economic and social development has been hampered by violent internal and regional conflicts.

4. Influx of refugees due to these conflicts.5. Trafficking of drugs and humans has

increased.

Defining Development and Disarmament

• The two are distinct but intertwined processes.

• Excessive military spending can have a negative impact on development of social and financial processes within a nation. They do this by diverting monies for development toward acquisition of weapons.

Developmental Concerns Continued

• Weapons themselves may not contribute to the violence and decrease in development, but…

• The their spread and availability decrease security and stability that promotes development, Ex. Mexico

• Lack of stability prevents investment by the people or corporations.

• In addition monies spent on research and development of new weapons technologies takes away from social and financial development programs.

Disarmament Difficulties

• Even the most secure and stable country loathes the idea of giving up weapons for fear losing security.

• Cost of disarmament, decontamination, and removal remain a problem especially for those impoverished nations where often much of this proves to be the biggest problem.

Current Events

• http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/disarmament/links.shtml

• http://newsdawn.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=50

Disarmament Programs

• DDR program

• Freedom from War

• United States Institute of Peace USIP.org

• http://undpwatch.blogspot.com/2010/12/in-sudan-disarmament-irregularities.html

Developments

• Agricultural development

• Social programs

• Poverty eradication

• Civil liberties

• Freedom of the press

• Human rights