yes / Arms embargoes are one of the principal tools of states in seeking to prevent, limit and bring an end
to armed conflict and human rights abuses. Despite the frequency with which arms embargoes
have been imposed, there are significant problems with their implementation. Pressure is therefore
growing for the international governmental community to act in order to ensure that the political
commitment embodied by the imposition of arms embargoes is matched by the commitment to
ensure their rigorous enforcement and to achieve enhanced human security on the ground. Increasing the effectiveness of arms embargoes is a specific aim of the United Nations Programme
of Action for Preventing and Combating the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects1 which specifically calls upon states "To take appropriate measures, including all legal or
administrative means, against any activity that violates a United Nations Security Council arms
embargo in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations".2 Accordingly, within the context of
the implementation of the UN PoA, the overall aim of this paper is to explore ways in which the
international community can act in order to strengthen the impact of arms embargoes and enhance
human security. It will begin by examining the purposes, processes and effects relating to arms
embargoes, with particular attention to those agreed at international (UN) level, and by highlighting
issues of concern in each regard. An overview of the main issues and challenges facing
implementation of arms embargoes will include the elaboration of three case-study examples
showing the impact of UN arms embargoes on the availability of arms and on human security and a
further five that illustrate the dilemmas faced by states in seeking to implement arms embargoes.
Priority areas for attention in any international effort to strengthen the effectiveness of arms
embargoes will be followed by more extensive proposals for enhancing international embargo
regimes within the context of implementing the UN PoA.
Whilst it is recognised that the UN PoA contains measures that relate only to the illicit trade in small arms
and light weapons (SALW), if implemented fully, many of these would serve to strengthen the
international apparatus of control, information exchange and provision of assistance relating to arms
proliferation and misuse as a whole. In turn, this would greatly enhance the implementation of UN arms
embargoes. Therefore, as well as providing an opportunity for reviewing progress on implementing the
PoA, the first Biennial Meeting of States in July 2003 is clearly a major opportunity for states to address
a number of the pressing challenges facing states in the implementation of UN embargoes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/4275 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Kirkham, E., Flew, C. |
| Publisher | International Alert, Saferworld and University of Bradford, Department of Peace Studies, Centre for International Co-operation and Security. |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Briefing Paper, published version paper |
| Rights | © 2002 The Authors, International Alert, Saferworld and Centre for International Co-operation and Security, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk). |
| Relation | http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/cics/publications/bullet/briefing/ |
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