Security, armaments and development in recipient countries of German arms exports

Germany is one of the world’s largest arms exporters. While weapons can enhance security, they can also cause insecurity and fuel violent conflicts. For recipient countries, arms imports always represent an investment that cannot be made in other areas, such as education or health. Arms and military equipment are ambivalent products: They can contribute to greater security and at the same time are a source of insecurity or an instrument of repression. Similarly, military spending always means less investment in education and health. Due to this ambivalence, German arms exports are bound by the rules of the EU Common Position. The project therefore provides the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with information on the potential impact of arms exports in the recipient countries and thereby attempts to minimise their negative effects. The project team collects original data from field research or secondary sources. They analyse the data using qualitative and quantitative approaches before drawing conclusions. bicc is committed to applied research and seeks to present evidence-based conclusions and policy recommendations to political decision-makers and the public. A key challenge is to reduce the complexity for the ‘end user’ while still doing justice to the complexity of the issue. bicc`s research is disseminated to the academic, policy and practioner communities through: the  Global Militarisation Index (GMI)  website, including the  Database  on German Arms Exports and specific  Country Reports contributions to the German annual  Peace Report , the annual publication on the  GMI , and by participating in public debates.