Example BP Security Council

Security Council
Topic B: llilcit arm trafficking
By: Miriana Garza González
The world we know is under threat from a new kind of international crime: illicit trade. While
smuggling is nothing new, globalization has made it larger and far more ominous. (PBS)
Illicit trafficking in small arms and sensitive technologies has acquired new dimensions and
urgency with the end of the Cold War. Small arms are today the weapons of choice for all warring
parties around the globe – whether they are government armies, rebel forces, or terrorists –
because they are cheap, widely available, extremely lethal, easy to use, durable, portable and
concealable. (Stohl, 2004)
Illicit arms trafficking fuels civil wars, contributes to sky‐rocketing crime rates and feeds the
arsenals of the world's worst terrorists. Dr. Moisés Naím, acclaimed editor of Foreign Policy
magazine, believes illicit trade could be as great—or even greater—a threat to our way of life as
terrorism.
Particularly troubling is the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons account for an estimated
60‐90% of the 100,000 conflict deaths each year and tens of thousands of additional deaths
outside of war zones (Small Arms Survey, 2005).
Arms smuggling makes the black market a $1 billion‐a‐year global business. But the financial profit
comes at a tremendous cost to the world's security. Some 500,000 people are killed each year by
the 639 million small arms in circulation, and in some conflicts up to 80 percent of casualties are
caused by these weapons. (Stohl, 2004)
According to National Geographic (2009), illicit trade has increasingly dangerous political
consequences: money laundering, massive corruption and the subversion of entire governments.
It is changing how we live in ways unrealized, and governments around the world seem powerless
to stop it. Illicit trade is redefining economic relationships, borders and the role of workers,
managers, armies and governments.
Global trade in small arms and light weapons continues to rise globally. According to 2009 Small
arms Survey, trade in handguns has outpaced all other small arms and light weapons. Patrick
Maigua from UN states on the report that the value of global trade in small arms is estimated to
have risen by 28 per cent between the year 2000 and 2006 to reach 2.9 billion dollars. The United
States leads the world in small arms exports, with more than $640 million worth of pistols, rifles,
sporting guns and other such weapons shipped in 2006. Italy, Germany, Brazil, Austria and
Belgium, are also leading exporters. The United States also leads the pack of importers followed by
Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Germany. (Small Arms Survey, 2009)
Further References:
Maigua, P. (2009, July 09) Small Arms Survey. UN Radio. Geneva: Geneva Graduate Institute of
International and Development studies. Retrieved August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/search/radio/?query=arm+trafficking&lang=en&app=2&snowballL
ang=English&startat=30
Penn, D. (2009) Small Arms Survey. UN multimedia.
Retrieved August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/search/radio/?query=arm+trafficking&lang=en&app=2&snowballL
ang=English&startat=30
Schroeder, M. (2006) The Illicit Arms Trade.
Retrieved on August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/IssueBrief3ArmsTrafficking.html
Naim, M.(2005) Illicit: How smugglers and traffickers and copycats are hijacking global
economy. USA: Reed Business Information.
Stohl, R. (2004 October 4) The Tangled Web of Illicit Arms Trafficking. Retrieved August 30th 2009
from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/10/b217737.html
National Geographic.(2009) Illicit: The Dark Trade. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/illicit/