Portugal among 81 client countries of the British arms manufacturer

Portugal is one of 81 countries that buy weapons from British company BAE Systems, according to a report released on Tuesday that seeks to reveal the confidentiality of the client list of one of the largest manufacturers of military equipment.

The study, prepared by the non-governmental organization Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), found that of these countries that had confirmed trade relations between 2013 and 2023, more than half (55%) scored below 50% on the Corruption Perceptions Index. (IPC) of Transparency International.

AOAV also noted that of the 17 countries that have experienced military coups over the past decade, nine had contacts or purchased materials from BAE Systems, of which five were clients: Egypt, Mali, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine.

The organization’s chief executive, Ian Overton, advocates for greater transparency in the industry, which benefits from ongoing armed conflicts in various parts of the world. France is also not very transparent, but Germany is better and the US is much more transparent, he said.

“If we are selling weapons to countries where they are clearly being used – Israel and Saudi Arabia are prime examples of human rights abuses that have been well documented and reported on by groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International – I think it is fair to say that it is of legitimate public interest,” he told a press conference in London on Tuesday.

The British group BAE Systems is one of Europe’s major arms, defense and aerospace companies, working on programs to develop combat aircraft, military tanks and nuclear submarines.

Last year was BAE Systems’ best-ever year for new orders, which totaled £37.7 billion (€44.2 billion) and operating profits of around £2.6 billion (€3 billion).

Over the past six months, the company’s shares have risen about 24%, which Overton attributed to Israel’s war against Hamas.

The former journalist recalled that “these profits are financed by the taxpayers” of client countries, and said that London was ignoring its obligations as a signatory to international arms conventions to give priority to economic interests.

In the United Kingdom, the export of military equipment requires a license issued by the government, which applies a number of criteria, namely respect for international law and the risk of the weapon being used to violate human rights.

“It’s about asking whether the UK government, in a post-Brexit environment, has an ethical commitment to human rights when it comes to who they actually allow exports to,” he said.