L'abondance de stocks d'armes légères et de petit calibre, hérités principalement de la guerre froide et facilement accessibles, caractérise les conflits contemporains, de plus en plus menés, non par des armées, mais par des factions armées sans discipline militaire et souvent responsables de graves violations du droit humanitaire.
Contemporary conflicts are shaped by the abundance of stocks of easily obtainable small arms and light weapons left over primarily from the Cold War, and they are increasingly being fought not by armies but by armed factions that have no military discipline and are often responsible for serious violations of human rights.
