Glimmerings

� Joel Spolsky on productivity | Main | Mike Melvill on being in space �

June 22, 2004

Oxfam: Arms trade 'hurting development'

Many countries have signed up to voluntary agreements drawn up the European Union or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), committing themselves to assessing arms sales against their impact on sustainable development.

But these agreements are not legally binding and therefore rarely adhered to, Oxfam says.

The net result is developing nations whose health and education budgets are spent on weapons caches.

Pakistan's total defence expenditure in 2002, it says, consumed half of the country's GDP.

And in 1999 South Africa purchased $6bn worth of aircraft, helicopters and submarines whose value would have covered the cost of treatment with combination therapy for all five million Aids sufferers for two years.

Very few countries have a policy of consulting the government's development department in the decision making process, Oxfam found.

And only four countries - Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK - had ever denied a sale on the grounds of its damage to sustainable development.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Arms trade 'hurting development'

Posted by thdyck on June 22, 2004

Comments

Post a comment