Most of the world’s firearms are privately owned. In 2007 the Small Arms Survey estimated that civilians owned some 650 million of the world’s firearms, with armed forces owning around 200 million, and 26 million in the hands of law enforcement.

With the world’s factories delivering millions of newly manufactured firearms annually—far outnumbering those being destroyed—civilian ownership is growing in most countries. The highest national rate of civilian firearm ownership is in the United States, with at least 90 firearms per every 100 people.

Between January and October 2011 thirty-five unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS) were recorded globally, bringing the number of such events since 1998 to a total of 302, across 76 UN member states.

Maintaining defence and security sector weapons and munitions safely and securely is vital, not only for a country’s readiness to defend itself, but also for its internal safety and stability. Mismanaged or unstable stockpiles can potentially have serious consequences: weapons and ammunition stolen from storage depots have fuelled crime, rebellions, and wars; and old or unstable munitions have spontaneously combusted, destroying entire stockpiles while inflicting casualties, and damaging buildings and infrastructure.

The private security industry has come under considerable international scrutiny due to the highly publicized role it has played in Afghanistan and Iraq (2011).

More than 500 unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS) have occurred between 1979 and 2013 in 100 countries, covering 19 of the 22 UN-designated sub-regions. South-east Europe has been particularly affected, with seven countries in this sub-region accounting for over 10 per cent of the total number of events recorded during this 35-year period.

South-east European Surplus Arms: State Policies and Practices profiles the policies and procedures put in place by the South-east European countries operating within the RASR Initiative to address their surplus small arms and ammunition. The first section reviews the international and regional political frameworks for addressing surplus and then examines available policy options.

It is not difficult to find evidence of Brazil’s high levels of armed violence. The proof is in the grim statistics of the country’s hospitals, morgues, and prisons. This Special Report looks at two aspects of this problem. First, it explores the thriving Brazilian small arms industry, which, together with international trafficking networks, contributes to control failures and fuels small arms violence. Second, it maps out weapons holdings—by weapon type, holder, and location.

A joint publication of the Danish Demining Group and the Small Arms Survey.

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By Nicolas Florquin and Shelly O'Neill Stoneman, co-published with SEESAC.

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Also available in BCMS.

Working Paper No. 4

Available in ENGLISH