Our Work:

report 5

Military Conversion for Social Development
Report on BICC Panel Discussion at the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 8 March 1995

by Michael Brzoska, Kees Kingma, and Herbert Wulf, editors

Contents

Zusammenfassung/ Summary in German

Preface

Conclusions

Conversion for Social Development

• Introduction
• Elements of a Comprehensive Concept of Conversion
• Benefits and Costs of Conversion
• Redistributing Resources through Conversion
• Reorientation of Science for Social Development
• Security Aspects of Conversion
• Summary: Military Conversion for Social Development

References

Excerpts from Presentations of Panelists:

• Dr. Herbert Wulf
  Conclusions of BICC panel on conversion and social development
• Minister Anke Brunn
  Comprehensive conversion concept
• Professor Essam El-Din Galal
  Summit
• Dr. Lutz Bähr
  Resources, science and security
• General Olusegun Obasanjo
  Demilitarization and responsibility
• Professor Thomas R. Odhiambo
  Emigration of professionals
• Dr. Herbert Wulf
  Benefits and costs
• Dr. Oscar Arias
  Demilitarization Fund
• Professor Essam El-Din Galal
  Away from financial approach
• Dr. Vladimir Kryuchenkov
  The International Science and Technology Center
• Professor Thomas R. Odhiambo
  Role of scientists
• Minister Anke Brunn
  Reorientation of R&D
• Dr. Oscar Arias
  Arms Register
• Dr. Herbert Wulf
  Slow change
• General Olusegun Obasanjo
  Human security

This report summarizes the panel discussion on Conversion and Social Development, which was organized by the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) as one of the special events at the United Nations' World Summit for Social Development, held 6-12 March 1995 in Copenhagen. Together, the panel and audience considered the contributions military conversion could make to social development, and covered several principal issues: the reallocation of financial resources from military to civilian use; the reorientation of science for social development; and the national and human security aspects of conversion. The essay is based on a background paper prepared by BICC for the meeting. In addition, the report contains key excerpts from the presentations made by panel members. The conclusions of the panel discussion, presented in the plenary session of the Summit on Thursday, 9 March 1995, have also been incorporated into the report.

Copy editor:
Alisa M. Federico