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Mark Akkerman

Our people — Consultant
Mark Akkerman

Mark Akkerman is a researcher at Stop Wapenhandel (Dutch Campaign Against Arms Trade) and is actively involved in TNI's research on border militarisation. He has also written and campaigned on topics as arms exports to the Middle East, the private military and security sector, greenwashing arms trade and the militarisation of climate change responses.

Latest work

  • Partners in Crime EU complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza

    • EU Militarism and War Policies
    • Middle East and North Africa
    • Palestine
    Partners in Crime

    Since the attacks of 7 October, the EU has provided political cover and material support for Israel. This has continued through almost eight months of unrelenting bombardment with almost 40,000 people killed, the forced displacement of 2.3 million people, the fastest descent into starvation of an entire population ever recorded and the total destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure including homes, hospitals, schools and universities, places of worship and bakeries. This support continued as Israel was placed on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague and as the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that it would seek arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant. Were the EU to have applied pressure in October by imposing sanctions, an arms embargo and prohibiting the transit of US military equipment through Europe, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza may have been curtailed. The EU chose not to act then, and it continues to fail in its legal and moral duty to act now. This political cover and material support, particularly in light of the ICJ’s interim ruling which put all states on notice of a plausible case of genocide, makes the EU directly complicit in it.

    Policy briefing by
    • Niamh Ní Bhriain
    • Mark Akkerman

  • El clima bajo fuego cruzado Cómo el objetivo del 2% de gasto militar de la OTAN contribuye al colapso climático

    • Seguridad climática
    • Crisis Climática
    • Militarismo
    Cover image

    La OTAN ha propuesto aumentar el gasto militar al 2% del PIB. Esta decisión aceleraría la degradación climática y podría costarnos el planeta. Sólo este año, los países miembros de la Organización (todos estados ricos tradicionalmente responsables de la crisis climática) gastaron 1,26 billones de dólares en sus ejércitos. Este informe muestra que este dinero podría haber cubierto los costos de 12 años de financiación climática en países de bajos ingresos.

    Report by
    • Ho-Chih Lin
    • Nick Buxton
    • Mark Akkerman
    • Deborah Burton
    • Wendela de Vries

  • Climate Crossfire How NATO’s 2% military spending targets contribute to climate breakdown

    • Climate Security
    • Climate Crisis
    • Militarism
    Cover image: Wild fire and fighter jets

    NATO’s goal of 2% spending of GDP on the military will accelerate climate breakdown by diverting billions of dollars from climate finance and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. This year alone, NATO members spent $1.26 trillion on their militaries. This report  shows that this could have paid for 12 years of promised - and still not delivered - climate finance to impoverished countries to help them deal with the climate crisis. And for the next five years, if NATO members increase their spending to 2% GDP, US$2.57 trillion will be diverted away from climate spending by 2028. This would be enough to pay for climate adaptation costs for all low- and middle-income countries for seven years.

    Report by
    • Ho-Chih Lin
    • Nick Buxton
    • Mark Akkerman
    • Deborah Burton
    • Wendela de Vries
See all work by Mark Akkerman

Key documents

  • Border Wars The arms dealers profiting from Europe's refugee tragedy

    Border Wars
    Report by
    Mark Akkerman

  • Border Wars II An update on the arms industry profiting from Europe's refugee tragedy

    Border Wars
    Policy briefing by
    Mark Akkerman
    Border Wars II cover image

  • Expanding the fortress The policies, the profiteers and the people shaped by EU's border externalisation programme

    • Border Wars
    • Middle East and North Africa
    Report by
    Mark Akkerman

  • The Business of Building Walls

    Border Wars
    Report by
    Mark Akkerman