The Arms Trade and International Law (Studies in International Law)

the long version

"There are believed to be about 700 million small arms and light weapons (SALW) in the world, often contribing to highly destabilising security and other concerns in international law. This book deals with the proliferation of SALW and their unregulated trade and transfer across borders. It addresses questions of definition, manufacturing, trade/transfer, and issues relating to state responsibility. The primary focus is on conventional small arms, in particular military-style weapons. The book tackles the core and most divisive legal problem of whether or not the laws relating to arms control and relevant norms of international law provide substantive restrictions upon the transfer of small arms by states."--Bloomsbury Publishing.