One can recall that the Bangladesh convened World Peace Conference-2021 in Dhaka was attended by diplomatic representatives from many countries, from international civil society members as well as the media.
In her speech delivered to the audience during the concluding session of the Conference on 5 December, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recalled Article 25 crafted by Bangabandhu in the Bangladesh Constitution within nine months of after our independence. In this regard she drew the attention of those who were attending the meeting that within the paradigm of foreign policy Bangladesh was urged to promote international peace, security and solidarity. She also recalled Bangabandhu’s comment made during his acceptance of the Julio Curie medal on 23 May, 1973- “I have always been with the oppressed, the exploited, the peace-loving and freedom-loving people in any part of the world. We want peace to reign in every part of the globe.”
In this context she also reiterated that “at this critical juncture in the world, I urge the people to use their resources to achieve universal sustainable development without spending resources on armed races.’ She also underlined the need for universal commitment to universal peace. One has to admit that such thoughts invoked during the Conference were correct and relevant, particularly at a time when the entire world was being ravaged by the Corona Pandemic and its mutant varieties- which resulted in millions of global deaths and many times that figure in terms of the affected population. There has also been a massive impact in terms of destruction because of climate change for vulnerable populations in different parts of the world.
Consequently, it has been a matter of great disappointment that since then narrow national and self-interest has led many countries to focus more on expenditure within the global arms industry rather than in assisting international institutions that help in promoting peace through better health care, education and relieving the rural populations in different parts of the world- Africa, South Asia and Latin America from severe difficulties. It is within such a dynamic that the activities of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has gained international attention. Apparently, one of the few industries that has survived and prospered since 2020 has been the multi-billion-US Dollar global arms industry led by the United States and also arms industries in some parts of Europe. Such a dynamic has been caused by the on-going war in Ukraine and also the most unfortunate action taking place in Gaza.
In 2022, SIPRI estimated global military expenditure at US Dollar 2.24 trillion. This was the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI. Global spending on arms grew by 19 per cent over the decade 2013–22 and has risen every year since 2015 The combined arms-sales of the top 100 largest arms-producing companies and military services companies totaled $597 billion in 2022, according to SIPRI. According to the institute, the five largest arms exporters in 2018–22 were the United States, Russia, France, China and Germany. Together, they supplied 76% of the world's arms exports in 2018–22. The five biggest exporters in 2010–2014 were the United States, Russia, China, Germany and France, and the five biggest importers were India, Saudi Arabia, China, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. The flow of arms to the Middle East increased by 87 percent between 2009–13 and 2014–18, while there was a decrease in flows to all other regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and Europe.
Apparently, sales of arms and military services by the industry’s 100 largest companies had totaled an incredible US Dollar 531 billion in 2020—an increase of 1.3 per cent in real terms compared with the previous year. The arms sales of these companies in 2020 were 17 per cent higher than in 2015—the first year for which SIPRI included data on Chinese firms.
This marked the sixth consecutive year of growth in arms sales by the Top 100. Interestingly, arms sales have increased within the global economy despite being badly affected through the contraction by 3.1 per cent during the first year of the pandemic. According to SIPRI, the United States has again hosted the highest number of companies ranked in the Top 100. Together, the arms sales of the 41 US companies amounted to US Dollar 285 billion—an increase of 1.9 per cent compared with 2019—and accounted for 54 per cent of the Top 100’s total arms sales. Some analysts in this context have also observed that the top five companies in the ranking have all been based in the US since 2018.
In the recent past there has also been a report of a multibillion-Euro French deal to sell fighter planes and combat helicopters to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), “aiming to boost military cooperation with its top ally in the Persian Gulf amid their shared concerns about Iran”. It has been revealed that the UAE has agreed to buy 80 upgraded Rafale warplanes in a deal the French Defense Ministry has said is worth a massive 16 billion Euros and represents the largest-ever French weapons contract for export. France has also announced a deal with the UAE to sell 12 Airbus-built combat helicopters. This is being viewed by analysts as a shot in the arm for France’s defense industry after the collapse of their US Dollar 66 billion contract reached earlier with Australia for that country to purchase 12 French submarines that has ultimately gone to the U.S.A.
Professor Dr. Natalie Goldring of Duke University has in this regard mentioned that the SIPRI data has demonstrated once again that the military-industrial complex is severely disconnected from the real-world needs. Dr Goldring, who is also the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy’s UN representative for conventional weapons and arms trade issues has correctly underlined that “this disengagement between economic realities and the global arms trade is profoundly disturbing. Every Dollar that is spent on arms sales is a Dollar that is not available for responding to the meeting basic human needs such as food, clothing, and housing.”
Norman Solomon, Executive Director, Institute for Public Accuracy has also stated that the insatiable appetite of weapons dealers for overstuffed profits has continued to result on the one hand with financial killings. On the other hand, it is leading to the killing of many people around the world – directly with guns and bombs and indirectly by siphoning off desperately needed resources for human survival. This, according to him, is creating pain due to lethal shortages of everything from medicine, potable water and minimal food supplies to housing and health education. As a result, multitudes of people are suffering and dying while powerful governments are enthusiastically promoting the institutionalized greed of weapons industries.
It also needs to be noted that interestingly, the combined arms sales of the five Chinese companies, included in the Top 100 arms manufacturers, amounted to an estimated US Dollar 66.8 billion in 2020, 1.5 per cent more than in 2019. They are having a upward journey because they have benefited from the country’s involvement in emerging technologies, military modernization programmes, its advanced military technology and focus on military–civil fusion. In all probability, such an emerging scenario from China has led to New Delhi to sign arms deals with other countries including Russia. India arranged to receive S-400 missiles from Russia to build up its long-range S-400 ground-to-air missile defence system against China. This has come about at a time when India has been drawing closer to the US – an adversary of Russia.
One has to wait and see what happens now between India and the USA within the complex matrix of regional dynamics. However, all these factors still underline the fact that regional and sub-regional peace and stability in this digitalized world is better achieved through constructive engagement, regular exchange of views to resolve emerging problems and cooperation rather than only in investment in weapons.
Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador, is an analyst specialized in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance, can be reached at <muhammadzamir0@gmail.com>
