The Small Arms Survey 2015 examines the role of weapons and armed violence in humanity's appropriation of the earth's wildlife and mineral riches - in Africa, where the poaching of elephants and rhinos is becoming increasingly militarised, and near resource extraction sites around the world. In addition to presenting updates on the UN small arms process and the top arms importers and exporters, the volume assesses how recent technological developments affect weapons marking, record-keeping, and tracing; reviews small arms flows to Egypt, Libya, and Syria; and evaluates a stockpile management initiative in south-east Europe. The 'armed actors' section sheds light on the arms and ammunition used by insurgents in northern Mali, the decline of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda, and the use of floating armouries by private security companies in the Indian Ocean. This edition also analyses conditions that are driving young people to adopt high-risk coping strategies in Burundi.

‘I commend the Small Arms Survey 2015: Weapons and the World for the many insights it offers into the relationship between firearms and wildlife crime, as well as other pertinent small arms issues. I have little doubt that this volume will be of great interest to those working to protect our natural heritage, as well as others involved in arms control and the promotion of peace and security.'

Paula Kahumbu - Executive Director, WildlifeDirect

‘The catastrophic loss of wildlife has many causes, but the unsustainable exploitation of species by humans is often central to it. The Small Arms Survey 2015: Weapons and the World is a critical investigation into the threat that people pose to wildlife. The Survey scrutinizes the groups and weapons that are driving some species towards extinction and the responses mounted by governments, NGOs, and local communities, providing important evidence for the global effort to combat poaching and animal trafficking.'

Inger Andersen - Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature