Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre

The Global Day of Action on Military Spending is a day to mobilize people around the world against the excessive military spending which promotes war and threatens human security.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that 2010 global military expenditure was $1630 billion, an increase of 1.3 percent from 2009. Although this represents the slowest rate of increase since 2001, governments are still investing in war when they could actually be investing in peace and human security.

Globally it would cost $10 billion to provide universal primary education, $30 billion to eradicate world hunger, $30 billion to provide clean water to everyone without it. Which is the better investment?

In 2010 The UK had the third largest military expenditure in the world, behind the United States and China.

The government's priorities are clear, despite the budget deficit and spending cuts, the UK managed to spend $59.6 billion on the military. Defence faces a spending cut of only 8% over four years compared to an average of 18% across other departments. It costs 2.2 billion pounds to maintain the Trident nuclear weapon systems and as of January 2011, 687 million pounds had been spent on the ‘concept phase' of procuring new systems and the decision about renewal has been put off until 2016. On top of all this spending the Ministry of Defence will now receive and an £100 million to fund participation in armed conflict in Libya.

You get what you pay for. WILPF advocates that the government cut spending on war and allocate this money to providing human security, social services, jobs and equality. In the Strategic Defence Review the government stated it's commitment to the achievement of a nuclear free world, it should act on this commitment and stop spending money on nuclear weapons.