Abstract

ROLO, José Manuel. The threat of small arms and light weapons . Economia Global e Gestão [online]. 2008, vol.13, n.2, pp.9-26. ISSN 0873-7444.

SA & LW are common and powerful instruments used in violation of human rights around the world. Proliferation, availability and undue use of SA & LW are responsible for the high levels of insecurity, violence, suffering and poverty induced by crime, organized or not, terrorism and civil wars.In this article, we try to show that the efforts made by the international community to regulate the production and trade of SA & LW have little support at the states level. As a result, we have been witnessing the rise of the proliferation and of the undue use of SA & LW. In some industrialized countries, Portugal included, these are causes of rising insecurity, violence and crime and in some developing countries also affected by these problems, are common sources of armed conflicts.

Keywords : SA & LW; Proliferation; Human Rights; Development.

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