Chapter 25 Self-test questions

. What kinds of actors are involved in the defence trade?

The defence trade concerns legitimate business interaction between states procuring or selling military equipment.

Military organizations are the sole actors in the defence trade.

The defence trade refers solely to the trade in weapons and small arms that takes place outside the legal interactions between states.

Not only state actors are involved in the defence trade. Non-state actors, including illegal groups, are also key players.

. Which of the following did not emerge as a trend of the defence trade in the 20th century?

The arms trade shifts from being a private to a government controlled enterprise.

An increase in the defence trade

A decrease in the arms trade

A growth in the number and variety of weapons traded

. Which of the following are trends to emerge in the global defence trade since the end of the Cold War?

A growing effort by governments to prevent the spread of weapons, especially of WMDs

A growth in volume of the arms trade

A change in the nature of the defence trade, linked to the changing nature of conflict

All of the above

. How significant are dealings in illicit arms as part of the global defence trade?

Although the bulk of defence trade is legal, we know that a certain amount is illicit and involves transfers on the black and grey markets.

The global defence market is too tightly regulated and controlled to allow illicit arms trade to any significant degree.

We do not have enough evidence or knowledge on illegal arms trading to assess whether it takes place on a significant scale.

There is a clear distinction between those weapons that are legally procured and those that are illicitly procured.

. What are the specific elements of a comprehensive national defence trade control system?

Governments should include in their arms trade rules, laws, and penalties for their violation.

Governments should ensure that weapons producers mark their defence items with a unique marking.

Government police and military forces should establish appropriate weapons stockpile security measures and national authorities should collect and destroy old, outdated, and excess weaponry.

All of the above

. Which of the following is the best way to control the international arms trade?

There is no effective mechanism for controlling the global defence trade, as illustrated by the failures of arms control measures in the 20th and 21st century.

Despite significant challenges, effective arms control of the complex defence trade can be achieved. For this to be possible will require cooperation and compromise between governments and other actors in order to find a middle ground.

A complete ban on weapons and arms trade is the only comprehensive solution to the problems arising from the global arms trade.

Non-governmental rather than state or government agencies are best placed to develop the comprehensive and complex solutions needed to tackle challenges arising from the global defence trade.

. What is the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the global defence trade?

Non-governmental organizations are the primary actors in modern arms control measures.

Non-governmental agencies are unable to access the resources and information needed to develop effective policy or action on arms control.

Non-governmental groups have played a significant and effective role in developing arms control measures in recent years.

There is a serious lack of involvement by non-governmental actors in controlling the global defence trade.

. Which of the following is not a response to the illicit arms trade?

2001 UN Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition

2001 UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects

2001 UN Security Council Resolution 1308 on HIV/AIDS as a National Security Threat

2005 Marking and Tracing of Weapons Accord

. How do gun shows and international arms fairs contribute to illicit arms markets?

Although the subject of vocal opposition by campaigners, gun shows employ strict legal restrictions on participants, ensuring that those with criminal records are not able to purchase weapons.

Gun shows are regulated to ensure that weapons purchased legally cannot be resold on the black or grey markets.

Gun shows and arms fairs do not contribute in a significant way to the trade in illicit arms.

Gun shows and arms fairs often do not require participants to undergo security checks before purchasing weapons, and encourage an environment where more attention is paid to price tags than details about where weapons will be distributed or used.

. How might weapons belonging to state military or police forces arrive on the illicit arms market?

States are strong enough to ensure that their weaponry is kept within their control and not traded illegally.

There is no evidence to suggest that state-owned weapons could be traded illicitly as part of the black or grey arms markets.

Illegal trading by states is the primary way in which weapons purchased legally might end up on the illegal arms market.

Looting and theft, especially where corruption is endemic, states are weak, and weapons stockpiles are not properly secured.

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