Arms production and transfers

GRIP is constantly monitoring and analysing the global military expenditure, the main weapons producers and the international transfers of conventional weapons. In this context, a special attention has been paid to the trade in weapons in Belgium and the development of the arms industry in this country.

The end of the Cold War showed a radical change in the nature of global demand for conventional weapons. The rivalry between two super powers ended in new regional security issues.  Even though global arms transfers strongly declined at first due to these changes (the transfers halved between 1982 and 2002), they have been significantly increasing since the beginning of the 00s’. Global military expenditure have increased by 50% over the last decade. In 2011, the value of global military expenditure was estimated at 1,738 billion dollars. The cumulative turnover of the 100 main arms producers throughout the world is estimated at more than 400 billion dollars for 2011.   

 In spite of these figures, which show the militarization of the world, the instruments adopted over the last two decades – the strengthening of national legislation, the UN Register of Conventional arms in 1992, the Wassenaar Arrangement in 1993, the EU Code of Conduct in 1998, etc. – have led to a major step forward regarding arms exports controls.

GRIP is working towards the same goal of strengthening control mechanisms and limiting trade in arms.  

CHIFFRES CLÉS 

sur les dépenses militaires, la production d'armes,
et les transferts internationaux d'armements conventionnels