Canadian
Small Arms Exports to
the
Middle East & North Africa
(click below for data tables)
growing protests throughout the region, the Coalition to
Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) has compiled a series of
tables containing information on the export of Canadian small
arms, light weapons and ammunition to 18 countries in the
Middle East and North Africa.
Definitions:
"In general the UN definition of small arms and light weapons
means anything that can be carried up a hill by two adults, or
transported on the back of a jeep, and specifically includes
the following categories of weapons:
Small arms – revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles and
carbines, assault rifles, sub-machine guns, and light machine
guns; and
Light weapons – heavy machine guns, hand-held under barrel
and mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-tank and anti-
aircraft guns, recoilless rifles, portable launchers of anti-tank
and anti-aircraft systems, and mortars of less than 100mm
calibre."(1)
Sources:
The information in these tables originates from customs data
compiled by the UN Statistics Division for the Comtrade
database. It was accessed by COAT through the database of
the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers(NISAT).
Unfortunately however, as NISAT notes, this
data "is incomplete and only offers a partial
snapshot of the global trade in small arms and
light weapons."(2) This is, in part, because:
"Many transfers (possibly a majority) of small
arms never pass through customs, especially
government-to-government transfers that are
transported through military or other
channels."(3)
Human Rights:
The links, at right, were compiled by COAT to provide users of
this data with numerous web resources on human rights, labour
rights and human trafficking within countries receiving
Canadian military exports. These links contain ample evidence
to corroborate the assertion that Canada should stop exporting
tools of war and repression, especially to states where extreme
abuses of human rights are endemic, and where military and
police institutions--although responsible for flagrant, systematic
abuses--have virtual impunity from prosecution.
Footnotes:
1. Haug, M et al.: "Shining a Light on Small Arms Exports: The
Record of State Transparency", Small Arms Survey (2002).
2. NISAT database public user manual
3. Haug, M. Op cit.
(click below for resources)
Arabia
Arabia
Oppose the
Arms
Trade
This series of data tables was produced by the
Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade
(COAT).
For other COAT tables exposing a wider range of
military exports beyond small arms, see
"Canadian
Military Exports to the Middle East/North Africa."
See also, COAT's list of
"Canadian
Munitions Firms Exporting to Middle East/North Africa"