The International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 8, 2005.

William Wan and Peter Finn write in the Washington Post that the emergence of multipolarity and China's new military ascendancy pose challenges for the U.S. monopoly over drone technology.

As U.S. marines fought in Marja last year, they captured the weapons used by Taliban fighters.

Max Boot reviews The Gun by C.J. Chivers.

The UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects was agreed to in July 2001 at the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

Washington must lead the way to a world without nuclear weapons, say Obama advisors. The first step will be dramatically limiting the U.S. nuclear arsenal's declared size and purpose.

José Gomez del Prado, chairman of a UN working group investigating security contractors, says Western firms are increasingly employing third country nationals to work in war zones.

Russia has suspended its participation in a treaty on conventional arms and voiced opposition to a missile shield in its backyard. Is a new era of mutual hostility in the making?

This book critically examines how the legacies of military control in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey affect political development in these countries, highlighting the often-overlooked difficulties of promoting democratic change in military- dominated political systems. Using Turkey's recent reforms as a point of departure, Steven Cook offers novel policy prescriptions for encouraging political change in Egypt and Algeria.

The U.S. treasury chief and Federal Reserve chairman head to China in a new bid to cope with the huge U.S.-China trade imbalance. But Chinese military expansion also worries Washington.

China is transforming its People’s Liberation Army into a leaner, modernized force, raising U.S. concerns over Beijing’s long-term military goals.

China, whose relations with North Korea have grown strained in recent weeks, is putting pressure on Pyongyang to return to the Six-Party Talks.

This report is part of a series produced by Amnesty International, Oxfam, and IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms). It argues that the arms trade has become more ‘globalised’, with weapons assembled using components from around the world.

A Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) presentation on cluster munitions which argues that cluster munitions are the conventional weapon system most in need of specific new international regulation.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has updated its informational chart outlining the elements necessary for reducing the civilian harm of cluster munitions. It includes an overview of twelve cluster munitions which are among the most widely used.

Oxfam examines the cost of small ammunitions and their role in fueling conflicts around the world.

The context in which humanitarians are operating has seen many changes in recent decades, especially with the challenges of complex emergencies, man-made humanitarian disasters and new security threats. One of the more notable—but least understood—developments has been the emergence of hired military services, better known as the 'privatised military industry'.

Convention