Disarmament
As long as there are weapons in the world, they are going to be used. Military armament poses a threat to humanity, not only because of the increased risk of war. It devours enormous resources in the form of research, money, raw materials, energy and land. At the same time, a billion human beings subsist on less than two dollars a day.
SweFOR's disarmament work is focused on these topics:
Small arms
Small arms are weapons that can be carried by one or more people. Approximately 500 000 people die every year because of small arms - in armed conflicts, in accidents, or because of armed criminality. Small arms have become the world's real weapons of mass destruction. SweFOR's work to stop the proliferation has been going on since the end of the nineties and forms the core of the program.
Arms trade
Sweden is one of the world's largest arms exporters in comparison to our small population. Arms exports helps to strengthen dictatorships, undermine the respect for human rights and prevent an effective campaign against poverty. SweFOR works with information and advocacy work for a more restrictive Swedish policy on arms trade.
Preventing war
All armed conflicts can be prevented at one stage or another. It is possible to eradicate war if the world uses its resources in a preventive way. SweFOR argues that the European Union and Sweden should support preventive actions more than they do today. We have taken part in military exercises to demonstrate the peace-building role that organisations in civil society can and should play, before, during and after an armed conflict.
For more information about the human security and disarmament program, please contact Elisabeth Lundgren.