Transparency in Armaments

Governments can report to the United Nations their arms imports and exports. Reporting voluntarily on weapons transfers shows domestic confidence: a mature readiness by the authorities to have some key national defence policies scrutinized by media, academia and others. Also, sharing such information can create trust between countries, and can contribute to early warning and preventive diplomacy. Being open about armaments may even encourage restraint in the transfer or production of weaponry.

Transparency is as important for those countries that are large-scale arms traders, as it is for those importing or exporting few or no weapons.

The United Nations Register of Conventional Arms is an annual reporting mechanism through which governments can share information on weapons they transferred the previous year. Member States reporting to it provide information on the build-up and volume of the conventional arsenals which it deems essential to maintain a credible defence and perform effective peacekeeping tasks.

What to report?

A two-tier system of reporting:

transfers in seven pre-defined categories of heavy weapons, plus small arms.
additional background information.

Additionally, countries can report on:

Military holdings.
Procurement through national production.
Relevant policies / national legislation.

Seven categories, plus small arms

I. Battle tanks

Tracked or wheeled self-propelled armoured fighting vehicles with high cross-country mobility and a high-level of self-protection, weighing at least 16.5 metric tons unladen weight, with a high muzzle velocity direct fire main gun of at least 75 millimetres calibre.

II. Armoured combat vehicles

Tracked, semi-tracked or wheeled self-propelled vehicles, with armoured protection and cross-country capability, either: (a) designed and equipped to transport a squad of four or more infantrymen, or (b) armed with an integral or organic weapon of at least 12.5 millimetres calibre or a missile launcher.

III. Large-calibre artillery systems

Guns, howitzers, artillery pieces, combining the characteristics of a gun or a howitzer, mortars or multiple-launch rocket systems, capable of engaging surface targets by delivering primarily indirect fire, with a calibre of 75 millimetres and above.

IV. Combat aircraft and unmanned combat aerial vehicles

Includes fixed-wing or variable-geometry wing aerial vehicles as defined below:

(a) Manned fixed-wing or variable-geometry wing aircraft, designed, equipped or modified to engage targets by employing guided missiles, unguided rockets, bombs, guns, cannons or other weapons of destruction, including versions of these aircraft which perform specialized electronic warfare, suppression of air defence or reconnaissance missions.

(b) Unmanned fixed-wing or variable-geometry wing aircraft, designed, equipped or modified to engage targets by employing guided missiles, unguided rockets, bombs, guns, cannons or other weapons of destruction.

The terms “combat aircraft” and “unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV)” do not include primary trainer aircraft, unless designed, equipped or modified as described above.

V. Attack helicopters

Rotary-wing aircraft designed, equipped or modified to engage targets by employing guided or unguided anti-armour, air-to-surface, air-to-subsurface, or air-to-air weapons and equipped with an integrated fire control and aiming system for these weapons, including versions of these aircraft which perform specialized reconnaissance or electronic warfare missions.

VI. Warships

Vessels or submarines armed and equipped for military use with a standard displacement of 500 metric tons or above, and those with a standard displacement of less than 500 metric tons, equipped for launching missiles with a range of at least 25 kilometres or torpedoes with similar range.

VII. Missiles / missile launchers

(a) Guided or unguided rockets, ballistic or cruise missiles capable of delivering a warhead or weapon of destruction to a range of at least 25 kilometres, and means designed or modified specifically for launching such missiles or rockets, if not covered by categories I through VI. For the purpose of the Register, this sub-category includes remotely piloted vehicles with the characteristics for missiles as defined above but does not include ground-to-air missiles.

(b) Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems (MANPADS).

Small arms

There is no agreed definition of SALW. Included are usually: revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, and light machine guns.

Light weapons typically include: heavy machine guns, hand-held under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, portable anti-tank missile launchers and rocket systems, and mortars of calibres less than 75 mm.

Other types of SALW can be reported on under “Other”.

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Why these weapons categories?

UNROCA’s ability to achieve meaningful transparency depends on how well it covers all relevant weapons categories and the extent of participation by governments. Currently, UNROCA focuses on transfers of seven categories of major weapons systems, as well as small arms.

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Review every three years

When the General Assembly created UNROCA, it called for its regular review in order to allow the Register to adapt to a changing security environment. New weapons e.g. drones – may emerge and need to be covered. Thus, UNROCA has been reviewed every three years and its scope has been modestly expanded. Following recommendations from UNROCA’s most recent review, in 2016, category IV now covers also unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

Facts:

Since its inception in 1991, the UN Register has received reports from more than 170 States.
On average, more than 60 countries report annually to UNROCA. These include virtually all major arms exporting States.
The vast majority of global transfers of arms in the seven categories are therefore captured in UNROCA – well over 90%.
Arms transfers to or from States not reporting, may still be covered by the report of the other State involved in the transaction.

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Post-conflict situations

UNROCA has been identified as a tool for assessing the military hardware needs of a country coming out of conflict or closing in on the end of its arms embargo.

UN Security Council expert panels on Côte d’Ivoire and Sudan have each recommended that these countries submit a baseline assessment to UNROCA of their arms acquisitions and holdings. That would offer a basis for discussion on what weapons systems would be appropriate in the new security situation for the armed forces to import.