Before Any Violence: Europe (1992 – 2001+)

Background
There is a wealth of evidence to demonstrate the relationship between the availability of weapons and the incidence of violence.

In Albania, in 1997, angry crowds overran the police stations when Pyramid Savings Schemes collapsed. They stole over 700,000 machine guns, grenades and missiles and over 4 billion rounds of ammunition. As a result protests turned into armed rebellion and a state of emergency was declared. The same consideration applies to larger weapons. following the Gulf War in 1991 the question of arms export controls became a key issue in many western countries. How was Saddam Hussein able to accumulate such a vast array of weapons. Many of them had been bought from western countries. The willingness of western governments to sell arms in one of the most heavily militarized regions of the world with its severe tensions increased the prospect of war and meant that during the Gulf War British troops were being attacked with arms which had been bought through their own government. The renewed sense of urgency to curbing arms sales was soon negated by arms selling spree by the US to and other major suppliers to countries where there were significant tensions or regional instabilities.

Involvement
The failure of the governments internationally to curb arms sales prompted the Non-government organization Saferworld to take action.

Saferworld is an independent foreign affairs think tank working on international security issues. It engaged a team of international lawyers to draw up a European ‘Code of Conduct’ for arms sales. It elaborated 8 common criteria proposed by the EU after the Gulf War. The EU criteria were not binding and had been largely ignored. During the drafting of the model text Saferworld persuaded 40 other non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to back the Code. The British and the French governments together with the Arms Manufacturing Industry and some other EU governments were opposed to the Code because they claimed it was a threat to future export opportunities. Saferworld realized that they had to enlist widespread support. A vital part of their strategy was to bring on board high profile charities including Amnesty International, Oxfam and Christian Aid. A spokesperson from Saferworld said ‘The involvement of mass membership organizations in supporting particular policies is essential in order to show that those policies have the support of a significant sector of society’.

By the end of 1997, 600 NGOs across Europe and 300 MPs from 8 countries had pledged their support. Safer world had been working on the Code for 8 years.

Outcome
At the end of May 1998 EU foreign ministers finally agreed the Code of Conduct.

Under pressure, from the French particularly, all the ‘softer’ options were adopted causing disappointment at Saferworld but a politically binding Code of Practice was now in force. Within a year 193 export licenses had been denied. 13 non EU countries aligned themselves with the Code. Saferworld has continued to work for tighter implementation of the Code and its wider adoption.