A/HRC/27/51 Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index published by Transparency International makes useful proposals on how to address corruption.47 33. Another growing problem is the penetration of the military into universities and laboratories, creating a dangerous level of dependence, so that institutions of higher learning become reliant on government subsidies and research priorities are driven not by what science needs or what a population wants, but by what the military-industrial complex is willing to finance.48 A regrettable misuse of brainpower contributes to the technological development of weapons of mass destruction and other weaponry. The military research sector has emerged as a powerful lobbyist for armaments budgets. Other competitors for research and development funds are at a disadvantage. 34. Local military-employment concerns and a worrisome level of disinformation also hinder efforts to downsize the military. A frequently heard argument, though fundamentally flawed, is that the military creates jobs. The truth is that civilian investment generates more jobs than military investment.49 IV. Good practices and positive developments 35. The United Nations annual Reports on Military Spending, compiled from information submitted by States, are potentially a vital confidence-building tool for facilitating disarmament negotiations. Unfortunately, fewer than half of the States report in any one year. Here too, transparency is conducive to mutual reductions.50 In view of this situation, the General Assembly, in its resolution 68/23, requested the Secretary-General “to establish a group of governmental experts, on the basis of equitable geographical representation, to review the operation and further development of the United Nations Report on Military Expenditures, including the establishment of a process for periodic reviews in order to ensure the continued relevance and operation of the Report, commencing in 2016, taking into account the views expressed by Member States on the subject and the reports of the Secretary-General on objective information on military matters, including transparency of military expenditures, and to transmit the report of the group of experts to the General Assembly for consideration at its seventy-second session. A. United Nations Conference on Disarmament 36. The United Nations Conference on Disarmament, established in 1979 in Geneva, is the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum for the entire world, and hence has a vital mandate which must translate into coordinated action worldwide.51 Its mandate includes practically all multilateral arms control and disarmament issues, focusing on the 47 48 49 50 51 Transparency International, Watchdogs? The quality of legislative oversight of defence in 82 countries (London, September 2013). See www.openmediaboston.org/content/subrata-ghoshroy-us-military-funding-academic-research. Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett: see www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/published_study/PERI_military_spending_2011.pdf. United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations Report on Military Expenditures, available from www.un-arm.org/Milex/home.aspx. United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, UNODA Occasional Papers, No. 20, November 2010 “Promoting further openness and transparency in military matters: An assessment of the United Nations standardized instrument for reporting military expenditures, available from www.un.org/disarmament/HomePage/ODAPublications/OccasionalPapers/PDF/OP20.pdf. See www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2010/dcf457.doc.htm. 13