UN expert urges more transparency on military expenditure

Countries need to increase transparency on military expenditure. This was the message of the UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order at a consultation in Brussels on 15 May 2014. Present at the meeting were senior representatives of several organisations including NATO and Transparency International. “There is a general lack of transparency with regard to military budgets worldwide,” said the Independent Expert, Alfred de Zayas. “Governments are reluctant to come forward with detailed information and statistics on military expenditures. Insufficient attention is devoted to these issues by the media, as if such matters were taboo. There is also scarce public participation in the determination of budget priorities.”
 
Read the report in the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.