The Chemistry of Regime Formation

Current agreements and negotiations on disarmament have clear economic implications. Their effect and their perception remain inadequately known and uncertain. Based on the analysis of the actual disarmament process, this book questions a number of "sacred cows" frequently encountered in international fora and thinking on economic aspects of disarmament. The long debated link between disarmament and development for example is critically examined. Similarly the very idea that disarmament would yield automatic returns - the famous peace dividend - is called into question. At the same time, conversion also has its cost. For the purpose of the research which led to this publication United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), with the cooperation of International Defence Economics Association (IDEA), assembled a group of well-known economists, diplomats and researchers.