Rita Santos

Arms Sales, Treaties, and Violations Rita Santos

The international weapons trade is a vast and lucrative machine, estimated at generating 70 billion dollars annually. In 2014, The Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the international trade in conventional arms, was entered into force. But compliance is complicated, and even the most powerful nations have violated the treaty. Irresponsible arms transfers and ready availability can destabilize security and cause a host of problems among civilian populations in a region. The viewpoints in this resource examine the responsibility of nation states around the world to take accountability for their participation in weaponizing.