Conversion Survey 2004
Global Disarmament, Demilitarization and Demobilization
The book can be ordered directly at NOMOS or via regular book sellers.
Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC)
Conversion Survey 2004 -- Global Disarmament,
Demilitarization and Demobilization
Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft Baden-Baden, 2004
ISBN 3-8329-0738-6
200 pages, 29,- Euro
Since September 2001 there has been a shift in worldwide perceptions of the objectives and the priorities of security policy. Specific threats such as international terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are being emphasized whereas root causes like poverty, lack of adequate health care, HIV/AIDS and small arms, together with the means of addressing these, receive less attention. What is more, the often preferred option of dealing with these new threats is by military means, reflected in the sharp increase in global military expenditures from 2001 onwards.
This year's conversion survey describes and analyzes these shifts in perceptions. It argues that the reordering of priorities has negative effects on human development, human security, and the fight against poverty. Unless priorities are reset, there is little chance that the lofty goals of the Millennium Declaration of 2000 will be reached.
BICC makes the case for a comprehensive understanding of the concept of human security, recognizing that security cannot be achieved without the elimination of poverty. In particular it examines the much-debated, if also contested, concept of security sector reform and recommends a holistic approach to tackling it. At the same time, the conversion survey advocates a global, rather than national, understanding of security. A way of achieving this is through the reinstatement of the leading role of the United Nations, coupled with much-needed reforms within the UN system itself.
The conversion survey bases its recommendations on a careful analysis of data and current developments in military spending, the defense industry, security sector reform, demobilization, base closures, and surplus weapons, as provided in the Update section. The focus of the documentation in this section is on the contributions of conversion to conflict prevention and resolution, as well as to economic development.
The topical chapters of this year's conversion survey summarize recent developments and new empirical studies in three specific areas: shifts in the perception and definition of refugees that lead to their being considered a security threat - so-called 'securitization'; a critical analysis of the provisions for dealing with surplus weapons in the OSCE Document on small arms and of how far OSCE countries are complying with them, including recommendations for improvements; and a review of growing defense-industrial cooperation between Russia and the rest of Europe as a factor contributing to increased common security.
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