The aim of thesis is to create a complete overview of the current developments and trends in the world trade with arms. After reading this document, the reader will get a full picture about the subject of the trade with arms, global military spending, latest trends, regulation of trade with arms, Czech Republic's position in the world trade with arms and the situation on three particular markets in South America. The outcome of this study is an answer to the question whether the analyzed markets offer opportunities for the Czech importer of small arms and whether they are suitable for Czech import. The thesis works with the analysis of the current situation and development of the arms trade and therefore the long-term historical development is not mentioned.

Sweden’s role internationally is often cited as a paradox which is argued to have its origin in the opposition between the state’s international humanitarianism and its large arms export. The tension here has often been examined from the perspectives of militarization in research on the subject. This thesis instead argued that a comprehensive understanding of peace is needed to analyze the paradox holistically. By semiotically engaging with the Swedish Government's annual reports on arms export control, this thesis could identify the construction of peace within the arms export during the years 2014-2021. A usage of the combined perspectives of pacifization, militarization and an in-depth review of the peace concept, allowed for a comprehensive understanding of peace within these discourses. The thesis discovered that elements of the Swedish arms export were framed as (1) a precondition for peace, (2) an agreement of peace, and (3) an enhancement of peace. Moreover, the material revealed the juxtaposition of two different versions of peace, one liberal and one emancipatory understanding. As these versions are associated with different values and practices of peace, their coexistence in Swedish arms export is argued to be the heart of Sweden’s foreign policy paradox.

L’objectif de cette thèse consiste à déterminer si le Traité sur le commerce des armes (TCA) est effectif en ce qui concerne les dispositions relatives au transfert (art. 6) et à l’exportation (art. 7) dans leurs applications aux ventes d’armes à l’Arabie saoudite. Cette effectivité est appréciée en mesurant l’applicabilité du TCA dans les ordres juridiques des principaux fournisseurs d’armes à l’Arabie saoudite, à savoir, la Belgique, le Canada, la France et le Royaume-Uni. L’applicabilité du TCA comprend deux volets : l’examen de la justiciabilité du TCA, à savoir, comment le juge national lui donne-t-il concrètement effet; et l’examen de son opposabilité, à savoir, comment déterminer si les individus peuvent se prévaloir de ses dispositions devant un juge national. Notre thèse vise à démontrer que le TCA en ce qui concerne les obligations relatives au transfert (art. 6) et à l’exportation (art. 7) n’est effectif que partiellement. Cette ineffectivité s’explique par le fait qu’il ne soit pas applicable dans les ordres juridiques des principaux fournisseurs d’armes à l’Arabie saoudite, notamment, ceux de Belgique et de France. Dans l’ensemble, la situation ne tend pas à s’améliorer vu l’inefficacité même du TCA et les multiples obstacles placés par les autorités administratives. Cela n’empêche cependant pas le déclenchement d’un processus de renforcement de cette effectivité portant principalement sur la suppression des obstacles artificiels placés sur la voie de son applicabilité. Ainsi, l’applicabilité directe du TCA, dans les ordres juridiques belge et français, ne doit pas être interprétée de façon à ce qu’elle l’empêche de déployer pleinement ses effets en droit interne. Le renforcement peut également se faire, dans les ordres juridiques britannique et canadien, par une incorporation intégrale des dispositions de ce traité en droit interne et par une attitude des juges qui soit favorable à l’utilisation de celui. / The objective of this thesis is to determine whether the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is effective with respect to the transfer (Art. 6) and export (Art. 7) provisions as they apply to arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This effectiveness is assessed by measuring the applicability of the ATT in the legal orders of the main arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia, namely Belgium, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. The applicability of the ATT is twofold: the examination of its justiciability, namely, how does the national judge give practical effect to it; and the examination of its enforceability, namely, how to determine whether individuals can rely on its provisions before a national judge. Our thesis aims to demonstrate that the ATT with regard to the obligations on transfer (Art. 6) and export (Art. 7) is only partially effective. This ineffectiveness is explained by the fact that it is not applicable in the legal orders of the main arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia, namely those of Belgium and France. Overall, the situation does not tend to improve given the very ineffectiveness of the ATT and the multiple obstacles placed by the administrative authorities. This does not, however, prevent the initiation of a process of reinforcing its effectiveness, mainly by removing the artificial obstacles placed in the way of its applicability. Thus, the direct applicability of the ATT in the Belgian and French legal orders must not be interpreted in such a way as to prevent it from having full effect in domestic law. In the British and Canadian legal orders, reinforcement can also be achieved by a full incorporation of the provisions of this treaty into domestic law and by an attitude of the judges that is favorable to the use of the treaty.

This thesis addressed the arms export control in the Federal Republic of Germany during the tenure of chancellor Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder between 1989 and 2005. To this end this thesis elaborated an analytical framework, which analyses this phenomenon thought government arms export policy. Due to lack of preceding research in this area it was necessary to devote significant space for conceptual definition of the arms export policy and contextualization of analytical framework. It was argued that arms export policy of the Federal Republic of Germany should be analyzed as a passive sub-category within security policy. Analytical framework employed to analyze the period between 1989 and 2005 thus reflected four factors or standpoints that exert influence on arms export policy (foreign pressures, security policy, European coordination and legislative and institutional framework). This thesis designed as disciplined interpretive case study posited two hypothesis based on concepts that have been partially applied to arms export phenomenon in different context and time period. First hypothesis concerns the nature of change of arms exports control, which was supposed to change between periods restriction and relaxation of export control. Second hypothesis postulates the nature of change of arms exports...