Comparative Study on Arms Trade Transparency
Emerging Expert program - July 2026
Download the entire report (pdf)
Inclusion in the Forum on the Arms Trade emerging expert program and the publication of these assessments does not indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others. The assessments and opinions expressed are the views of each assessment's author. The Forum does not itself take positions but does provide a platform for its listed experts and emerging experts to share their assessments and views.
Download the entire report (pdf)
- Introduction - see below
- Authors and Editors - see pdf and individual profiles
- United States by Allie Hansen
- Finland by Sannimari Veini
- Germany by Anonymous author
- The Netherlands by Esmée de Bruin (after conversation w/ Frank Slijper - PAX)
- Poland by Patrick Bodovitz
- South Africa by Abongile Nkamisa
- Sudan by Tabitha R Agaba
- Uganda by Tabitha R Agaba
- Conclusion - see below
Inclusion in the Forum on the Arms Trade emerging expert program and the publication of these assessments does not indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others. The assessments and opinions expressed are the views of each assessment's author. The Forum does not itself take positions but does provide a platform for its listed experts and emerging experts to share their assessments and views.
Introduction
The global arms trade is the world’s leading vehicle for states and a wide variety of other actors to project power – and cause harm. The role of the arms trade in the world is increasing. From 2021-2025, the quantity of global arms transfers increased by 9.2% from the previous five year period. The global public is slowly taking more interest in the humanitarian effects of the arms trade. In the 2020s, there was a proliferation of protests and public campaigns against the trade of arms to parties engaged in harmful conflicts across the Middle East, Africa, and South America.
In order to address concerns over the arms trade, expertise in the technical processes of arms transfers must grow alongside the increase in public interest. The Forum on the Arms Trade is a network of civil society experts that work toward addressing the humanitarian, economic, and other impacts of arms transfers. The Forum is made to expand, connect, and diversify the expertise that supports real policy change. The Forum’s emerging experts program exists to support and integrate young professionals into the community of expertise, and offers a starting point to a career that is connected and globally-informed.
Transparency is at the center of the process of arms transfers. Transparency increases public knowledge and democratic participation, allows civil society to characterize trade, and reduces corruption. This comparative publication focuses on transparency, as it is a foundational requirement for the other policy processes that define the global arms trade.
The following publication on arms trade transparency is written by emerging experts in the Forum on the Arms Trade. Each author wrote on the state of arms trade transparency for a different country, with eight countries across the Americas, Europe, and Africa represented. As the emerging expert authors embark on a career of turning policy processes into addressing harm, the collaboration in this publication is intended to be a starting point for them to center partnership in each of their respective careers. This publication serves as a space to bring together young perspectives to examine the similarities and differences on policy across several contexts. New perspectives are vital to the health of civil society expertise that keeps pace with the enduring and rapidly changing challenges of the modern arms trade.
The global arms trade is the world’s leading vehicle for states and a wide variety of other actors to project power – and cause harm. The role of the arms trade in the world is increasing. From 2021-2025, the quantity of global arms transfers increased by 9.2% from the previous five year period. The global public is slowly taking more interest in the humanitarian effects of the arms trade. In the 2020s, there was a proliferation of protests and public campaigns against the trade of arms to parties engaged in harmful conflicts across the Middle East, Africa, and South America.
In order to address concerns over the arms trade, expertise in the technical processes of arms transfers must grow alongside the increase in public interest. The Forum on the Arms Trade is a network of civil society experts that work toward addressing the humanitarian, economic, and other impacts of arms transfers. The Forum is made to expand, connect, and diversify the expertise that supports real policy change. The Forum’s emerging experts program exists to support and integrate young professionals into the community of expertise, and offers a starting point to a career that is connected and globally-informed.
Transparency is at the center of the process of arms transfers. Transparency increases public knowledge and democratic participation, allows civil society to characterize trade, and reduces corruption. This comparative publication focuses on transparency, as it is a foundational requirement for the other policy processes that define the global arms trade.
The following publication on arms trade transparency is written by emerging experts in the Forum on the Arms Trade. Each author wrote on the state of arms trade transparency for a different country, with eight countries across the Americas, Europe, and Africa represented. As the emerging expert authors embark on a career of turning policy processes into addressing harm, the collaboration in this publication is intended to be a starting point for them to center partnership in each of their respective careers. This publication serves as a space to bring together young perspectives to examine the similarities and differences on policy across several contexts. New perspectives are vital to the health of civil society expertise that keeps pace with the enduring and rapidly changing challenges of the modern arms trade.
Conclusion
In this study, emerging voices have addressed the status of transparency related to arms trade in several countries. These reports show that many countries have seen significant improvements in terms of transparency over the years. At the same time, there are concerns about the increased arms sales and national security considerations. A country’s willingness and capability to be more transparent about arms trade is dependent on both the political and security context. The reports show that states consider that there is a tension between national security and transparency. Sudan and Uganda seem to be the countries that are the least transparent about their arms imports, exports and transfers in this study. Reasons for this are the civil war in the case of Sudan and ongoing conflicts in neighboring countries in the case of Uganda. In addition, both countries are coping with high levels of corruption. Nevertheless, even in countries that are known for their transparency, such as Finland and the Netherlands, developments motivated by national security could weaken transparency and export control frameworks.
This study further highlights the significant role of civil society, journalists, and political actors in promoting transparency. They have contributed to better domestic transparency mechanisms in almost all discussed countries. Although many countries have taken significant steps, and others are still working on increasing transparency, the increased national security discourse demonstrates that the efforts of these actors remain vital for ensuring transparent and responsible arms trade. Recent examples include efforts in Finland, Germany and the Netherlands related to arms transfers to Israel. The reports have demonstrated that the dependency between transparency and the security context can go both ways. While increased geopolitical tension has impacted arms trade transparency, past incidents have often led to a higher societal demand for transparency. For that reason, it remains essential to address the importance of transparency and challenge an existing culture of militarism.
In this study, emerging voices have addressed the status of transparency related to arms trade in several countries. These reports show that many countries have seen significant improvements in terms of transparency over the years. At the same time, there are concerns about the increased arms sales and national security considerations. A country’s willingness and capability to be more transparent about arms trade is dependent on both the political and security context. The reports show that states consider that there is a tension between national security and transparency. Sudan and Uganda seem to be the countries that are the least transparent about their arms imports, exports and transfers in this study. Reasons for this are the civil war in the case of Sudan and ongoing conflicts in neighboring countries in the case of Uganda. In addition, both countries are coping with high levels of corruption. Nevertheless, even in countries that are known for their transparency, such as Finland and the Netherlands, developments motivated by national security could weaken transparency and export control frameworks.
This study further highlights the significant role of civil society, journalists, and political actors in promoting transparency. They have contributed to better domestic transparency mechanisms in almost all discussed countries. Although many countries have taken significant steps, and others are still working on increasing transparency, the increased national security discourse demonstrates that the efforts of these actors remain vital for ensuring transparent and responsible arms trade. Recent examples include efforts in Finland, Germany and the Netherlands related to arms transfers to Israel. The reports have demonstrated that the dependency between transparency and the security context can go both ways. While increased geopolitical tension has impacted arms trade transparency, past incidents have often led to a higher societal demand for transparency. For that reason, it remains essential to address the importance of transparency and challenge an existing culture of militarism.