This is contribution by Debbie Hillier of Oxfam and Brian Wood of Amnesty International, proposes urgent and interlinked action to control the proliferation and misuse of arms more effectively. The abuse of arms fuel conflict, poverty and violations of human rights and cite the human toll in lost lives, lost livelihoods and lost opportunities are critically analysed here. Recommending action spanning community, national, regional and international levels, the authors urge governments to cooperate to control and limit the flow of arms and the spread of arms production.