Small weapons and arms exports

Small weapons are the weapons of mass destruction of the 21st century: Most war victims, especially among the civilian population, are killed by small weapons. They can be used for up to 50 years and also easily operated by children. Even when they were once legally exported, they often find their way to terrorist groups, private armies and criminals. Germany is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of small weapons. The manufacturers include Heckler & Koch, Rheinmetall, Diehl, Walther and Sig. The G3 assault rifle from Heckler & Koch alone is in circulation with ten million copies in at least 80 countries around the world. Only the Kalashnikov is more common. In some places, a Kalashnikov does not cost more than $ 30 - the crisis areas of the world are showered with such cheap weapons and associated ammunition.

Every 14 minutes a person dies solely from weapons by the leading German pistol and rifle manufacturer Heckler & Koch. The estimate of the armaments information office Freiburg is essentially based on the world market share of Heckler and Koch in small weapons and known estimates of the number of victims of small weapons in warlike conflicts (approx. 95 percent of the total number of victims).

Terre des Hommes advocates for a restrictive arms export control law and a general arms export ban in the Basic Law. As a first, most urgent step, exports of small arms and ammunition must be stopped altogether – regardless of whether they are through direct export, production licenses, individual parts, or complete manufacturing facilities. They are easy to conceal and transport and are widely traded and transferred illegally. German arms must not be allowed into crisis and conflict regions, neither legally nor illegally. They fuel conflicts there and cause great suffering.

Given the ever-increasing number of German arms export records and the large-scale deliveries to conflict regions, it is clear that existing laws in Germany are insufficient. Terre des Hommes , together with the "Aktion Aufschrei - Stoppt den Waffenhandel" (Outcry Campaign - Stop the Arms Trade), is advocating for the introduction of an arms export ban in Article 26, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Law. This should be a general ban with a so-called exclusive authorization requirement, meaning that authorizations are only possible in clearly defined exceptional cases.

A restrictive arms export law is required, which in particular should contain the following points:

• Stop the exports of "small weapons and light weapons" (according to the UN definition) and associated ammunition.
• Stop the arms exports to warfare countries, countries with armed conflicts or severe human and child rights violations.
• In particular, stopping all arms exports to countries in which one of the six serious children's rights violations take place in armed conflicts (according to UN definition): the recruitment of children as soldiers, killing and mutilating children, the kidnapping of children, sexual violence against children, attacks on schools and hospitals, refusal to access humanitarian aid.
• Statutory anchoring of the UN Definition for small weapons and light weapons, so that pistols, hand grenades, all female types, etc. will also be recorded in the future. According to the international weapon trade agreement, this is mandatory.
• No licenses for the replica of German weapons and ammunition abroad.
• Mandatory controls of the end river of all armaments and hard sanctions in the event of violations.
• No preferred special treatment of NATO and EU countries, also to prevent the re-export of German weapons over such countries in conflict regions.
• No taxpayers' money for arms exports: no protection of arms transactions by state loans and guarantees (such as Hermes guarantees).
• Highly improved transparency and reporting obligations: every arms export permit must be published and justified.
• Law of liaison for victims and civil society organizations (association law).
• Statutory duty of care of the armaments companies for human rights (keyword delivery chain law).

Since Germany has had great responsibility for the flood of entire regions with small weapons and other armaments in recent decades, it should be massive for disarmament and disarmament programs, politically and financially.