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Small arms and light weapons (SALW) | export control, transfer policy and laws | corruption | arms trafficking
Michael E. Picard is an independent researcher who focuses on arms trafficking, corruption, and conflict. He has researched and authored publications for several organizations, including the HALO Trust, Transparency International – Defence & Security, the Small Arms Survey, and GunPolicy.org at the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health. His work has focused heavily on arms control and trafficking challenges in Southeast Asia, and he has written NGO reports, academic book chapters, and short analyses on the subject. Picard is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he focused on conflict management and international economics.
Michael E. Picard is an independent researcher who focuses on arms trafficking, corruption, and conflict. He has researched and authored publications for several organizations, including the HALO Trust, Transparency International – Defence & Security, the Small Arms Survey, and GunPolicy.org at the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health. His work has focused heavily on arms control and trafficking challenges in Southeast Asia, and he has written NGO reports, academic book chapters, and short analyses on the subject. Picard is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he focused on conflict management and international economics.
Recent Publications:
- ‘'Every Gun Was Taken': Syria Could Fuel Arms Trafficking Crisis," Inkstick Media, July 1, 2025.*
- "Beyond legacy weapons: South-East Asia’s diversifying illicit arms trade," Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. June 25, 2025.
- "Under the Radar: Corruption’s Role in Fueling Arms Diversion," Transparency International Defence & Security, April 2025.*
- "What A Corrupt Police Network in the Dominican Republic Reveals About Arms Trafficking," Just Security, March 24, 2025.
- "Illicit Firearms, Organized Crime, and Illegal Economies in Southeast Asia,’ chapter in "Illicit firearm markets and organised crime: Global, regional and local perspective," Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2025.
- "Dangerously Diluted: Corruption’s role in fueling arms diversion," Transparency International Defence & Security, June 2024.
- "An American Mercenary Resurfaces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Inkstick, February 29, 2024.
- "Thailand’s Mall Shooting Shows That Authorities Must Address Online Black Markets," The Diplomat, October 7, 2023.
- "Private Military and Security Companies Are A Homegrown Threat," Inkstick, April 25, 2023.
- "Hidden Costs: US Private Military and Security Companies and the Risks of Corruption and Conflict," Transparency International Defence & Security, July 2022.*
- “In Haiti, a glimpse of a mercenary industry enabled by weak regulation,” TI-DS Blog, July 23 2021.
- “The Global Small Arms Trade and Diversions at Transfer,” in "Gun Trafficking and Violence: From the Global Network to the Local Security Challenge," 2021.*
- “Small Arms Proliferation Challenges and Solutions in South and Southeast Asia,” in "Gun Trafficking and Violence: From the Global Network to the Local Security Challenge," 2021.
- “The troubling rends underlying Thailand’s mass shooting,” Channel News Asia, February 17 2020.
- “Trade Update 2019: Examining South-east Asia,” Small Arms Survey, November 2019.*
- “Weaponized AI in Southeast Asia: In Sight Yet out of Mind,” The Diplomat, July 6 2019.
- “New Zealand tragedy response is a gun control masterclass,” Policy Forum, March 29 2019.
- “Uncovering the dangerous subculture behind gun violence in Thailand,” Channel News Asia, March 12 2019.
* indicates there are additional co-authors