Arms trade 'shooting down development goals'
Wednesday, 08 Oct 2008 04:44
Failure to legislate international arms trade putting promises to eradicate poverty in doubt, Oxfam International says
The failure to legislate the international arms trade is putting commitments to end poverty in jeopardy, it has been claimed.
Oxfam International said on Wednesday that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would never be achieved unless irresponsible arms transfers were halted.
In a new report – Shooting Down the MDGs – the group says the arms trade dose more than stoke conflict and armed violence.
Oxfam claims the effect upon poverty is never considered, with many countries going heavily into debt in order to pay for weapons.
The Arms Trade Treaty passing through the United Nations this month must include a disclaimer to stop transfers that would put a development goal at risk, today's report claims.
Jeremy Hobbs, the head of Oxfam International, said the uncontrolled arms trade was one of the major reasons why countries were failing to meet their MDG commitments.
"As well as prolonging and intensifying conflicts, the poorly regulated arms trade causes huge levels of waste, corruption and debt," he said.
"This is money that is unlikely to be providing security and could be used instead for hospitals, schools and infrastructure.
"Oxfam is not against responsible arms sales for legitimate defence or policing needs. But at the moment the regulations on the arms trade are piecemeal and chaotic. This unregulated business is destroying the hopes of millions of people for a better life for them and their children."
According to current estimates, two-thirds of countries in danger of missing the MDGs are embroiled in a conflict or recently left one.
"A global problem needs a global solution," Mr Hobbs added.
"The arms trade is out of control, and in urgent need of regulation. An Arms Trade Treaty is necessary and entirely possible. All that is needed is political will. All governments must agree to move to negotiations on the treaty as quickly as possible."
The Liberal Democrats claim the UK government's record on arms deals is "disgraceful".
"The British government's disgraceful record on arms sales has shown how political expediency, economic self-interest and corruption outweigh the development concerns, and the human rights records, of the countries the UK sells arms to," the party's development spokesman Michael Moore said.