Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 4

Written Answers. - Arms Trade.

Monica Barnes

Ceist:

33 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to a statement by Amnesty International that the United States sold more that US$117 billion in arms, about 45 per cent of the global total from 1989 to 1996; and the concerns, if any, he has raised about this matter. [12001/99]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Andrews): I am aware of the extent of the arms exports from various countries including the United States through the United Nations Arms Register and through the published figures produced by a variety of countries including the United States.

I am of course deeply concerned about the acquisition of arms beyond those required for legitimate self defence and the capacity to contribute to United Nations peacekeeping.

I am particularly concerned at build-up of arms by states in regions of conflict, by those with a poor record in human rights and by states whose state of social and economic development is hampered by expenditure on arms procurement.

As the Deputy is aware, I took a very strong line in the elaboration of the European Union code of conduct on arms exports on questions related to human rights and the interrelationship between social and economic development and expenditure on arms.

The European Union's code of conduct has been welcomed internationally including by the United States and the Union is having considerable success in advancing the code as a common standard for third countries outside the Union.