Global conflicts and International arms trade

Author: Dr. Barbara Gallo

Conflicts evolved over hundreds of years and for better understanding the new global geopolitical scenario it is necessary to use a comprehensive approach both sociological and political. The post-modern concept of difference and contamination lead us towards the idea of asymmetric wars. From collapse of Soviet Union up today the global security is getting worse and one of the most dramatic consequence of contemporary conflicts is the increasing involvement of civilians that became the real target of militants and terroristic groups. According to Global Peace Index 2018 the global level of peace has deteriorated in the past decade. There are currently more than forty conflicts round the world and the Middle East and North Africa remain the world’s least peaceful region. Despite this political situation, the western countries are officially trying to promote peace resolution, but the reality is that the trend of military spending and arms trade is constantly growing. According to SIPRI in five years the major weapons sales were 10% higher than in 2008-2012 and arrive in the most unstable and dangerous area of the world. On the other side the proliferation of small arms and light weapons is also a serious threat to human security as well as a catalyst for armed violence and prolongation of conflicts at global level.