The diffusion of small arms

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• Arms trade and disarmament in general

Cheap Guns Make Kids Warriors

By Chris Hawley, Associated Press, Wednesday 11 July 2001. Cheap, light weapons are helping turn children into vicious warriors in many countries. As weapons become easier to use, forces have become more inclined to put children on the front lines.

Weapons that Cause Half the World's Civilian Deaths

By Hector Igarza, Prensa Latina, 26 July 2001. Short-range, small and lightweight weapons, a subject to which the United Nations dedicated a special session this month, are responsible for half the deaths of civilians in armed conflicts around the world.

[The failure of governments from seven of the Group of Eight (G8) to regulate arms transfers]

News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International, 24 June 2002. The failure of governments from seven of the Group of Eight (G8) to regulate arms transfers is contributing to grave human rights abuses in developing countries and the destruction of millions of lives, particularly in Africa.