africa/global: shattered lives - an investigation of the arms trade

The uncontrolled proliferation and misuse of arms by government forces and armed groups takes a massive human toll in lost lives, lost livelihoods, and lost opportunities to escape poverty. An average of US$22bn a year is spent on arms by countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America - a sum that would otherwise enable those same countries to be on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals of achieving universal primary education (estimated at $10bn a year) as well as targets for reducing infant and maternal mortality. The Shattered Lives Report, by Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms, provides facts and arguments about the global arms trade.