Publication

This brief examines the challenges created by arms proliferation and an initiative that provides a system to track the movement of weapons found in areas affected by conflict. The author first argues that due to the way that illicit weapons fuel conflict and increase civilian casualties, there is a need for a mechanism to determine how lawful weapons become illicit. She then discusses some of the ways legal weapons become illicit and examines the effectiveness of existing instruments, such as the Arms Trade Treaty, to deal with the problem of proliferation. Finally, she provides an overview of an online global weapons mapping system, called iTrace, through which anyone can track the transfer of conventional arms and contends that it may help policymakers establish methods to minimize illicit arms flows.