“ Development Held Hostage ” : Assessing the Effects of Small Arms on Human Development United Nations Development Programme April 2002

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) helps people in 174 countries and territories to help themselves, focusing on poverty eradication and democratic gover-nance. In support of these goals UNDP is frequently asked to help create and implement policies that are more responsive to the needs of ordinary people, and to help societies rebuild in the aftermath of war and humanitarian emergencies. UNDP is also an advocate for increased development assistance and a more inclusive global economy. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations or the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations or the United Nations Development Programme regarding the legal status of any country, territory or area, or its authorities or armed groups, or concerning the deliberations of its frontiers or boundaries 3 T here is a sense that any discussion of the impacts of small arms involves a discussion of the obvious—that small arms in the wrong hands kill many people, create a climate of terror, and contribute to a downward spiral of poverty and misery. While the basic humanitarian suffering resulting from the use of small arms might be evident, the underlying damage to a society caused by these guns is often less clear. Beyond being used to kill more than 300,000 people a year in conflicts, usually in the world's poorest countries, small arms are often the primary instruments that can set back the development process years or sometimes decades. These illicit weapons often affect whether people can live in their own homes and communities, whether they can earn a livelihood, whether they will enjoy any legal rights or protection, and whether they will have access to health and education services. This report is a study of what the widespread use of small arms costs society. Beyond basic assumptions, it is an initial attempt to understand the true impacts of the use of small arms on the lives of people, on communities, and on prospects for development. Clearly, there are limitations on what we know due to a lack of reliable statistics and information, yet this report provides an extensive look into the far-reaching nature of the problem. UNDP's small arms programme, which has worked to …