“Facing Finance has collected information from a wide range of different sources. The most important source is the SIPRI Arms Transfers Database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. This database shows international transfers of major conventional arms and therefore does not include small arms and ammunition.”
--> An entry of a delivery in the SIPRI Database triggers further research and an entry in the exitarms-database
“We do our best to achieve a broad coverage of war-fueling companies in all regions of the world and to find and document the relevant information for each of these companies. However, gaps still exist, due to the fact that information is sometimes hard to find or simply not available. We are therefore always happy to receive any additions or corrections to further develop this database!”
--> Awareness for data gaps
the unit of observation is dependent on the conflict intensity defined by the Heidelberg Conflict Barometer as well as in what part of the arms production and delivery and how (direct, shareholder, etc.) the company was involved
"Only conflicts that reached conflict intensity 4 (limited war) or 5 (war) at least once in the period from 2016 to 2021 were included in the current version of ExitArms.org. Intensity levels one and two include non-violent conflicts. Level three describes conflicts in which violence is used without the use of military weapons. The conflict intensity definition by the Heidelberg Conflict Barometer is based on an assessment of the conflict consequences in terms of victims, refugees, militarization, degree of organization of violence, and destruction of infrastructure. Additionally: ExitArms.org does not include conflicts for which the United Nations Security Council has issued a mandate under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter that includes the use of force"
--> Looking at how the conflict intensity definitions and classifications are contested in academia or the public sphere would reveal the social history and contigencies in the unit of observation
--> the same goes for company involvment level as well as the involved process of the arms delivery
companies involved in arms exports to war zones and warring states
"global overview of companies that are involved in arms exports to war zones and warring states. It currently covers almost 600 companies, including parent companies, subsidiaries and joint ventures. It is not a general look at defence companies, but specifically at companies that are involved in various ways in arms deliveries to war zones."
"The starting point for the database is the selection of conflict actors/conflict states based on the Heidelberg Conflict Barometer. It has been published by the renowned Heidelberg Institute for Conflict Research since 1992. Compared to its peers in empirical conflict research, this institute integrates qualitative criteria more strongly in its research in order to categorize states as crisis or war zones. This makes it possible to identify conflict dynamics at an early stage.
Only conflicts that reached conflict intensity 4 (limited war) or 5 (war) at least once in the period from 2016 to 2021 were included in the current version of ExitArms.org. Intensity levels one and two include non-violent conflicts. Level three describes conflicts in which violence is used without the use of military weapons. The conflict intensity definition by the Heidelberg Conflict Barometer is based on an assessment of the conflict consequences in terms of victims, refugees, militarization, degree of organization of violence, and destruction of infrastructure. Additionally: ExitArms.org does not include conflicts for which the United Nations Security Council has issued a mandate under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter that includes the use of force."
an involvement of a company in an arms delivery to a conflict of intensity 4 or 5 according to the Heidelberg Conflict Barometer