UKTI DSO
The government arms sales unit
What it does
The UKTI Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) helps any arms company with a UK trading address to maximise its sales. This has meant: parking a UK warship on Angola’s coast to sell UK weapons to a developing country emerging from civil war; UKTI DSO staff touring the world to recommend UK weapons at arms fairs hosting delegations from Zimbabwe, Burma, Rwanda, China; "high-level" interventions to encourage authoritarian and corrupt regimes like Libya and Algeria to buy our weapons. In fact, these last two countries are both among UKTI DSO’s "key markets".
What do they say?
As little as possible. CAAT has complained after a long series of Freedom of Information requests were delayed and refused. This lack of transparency suggests that there are a few things to hide. This is NOT OK.
What we can do
- Pressure the Liberal Democrats to put their party’s policy into practice and shut down UKTI DSO. Help make this the Labour Party’s policy while they’re the Opposition. Tell the Conservative Party that their position on arms exports is out of step with public opinion. CAAT has templates and tips to help you lobby your MP.
Read more about DSEi, London's arms fair.
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