Arms embargo are restrictions imposed on the export, supply or transfer of military items or of services associated with those items (such as brokering). EMBARGOs can be a single prohibition or they may be supplemented by other sanctions such as a general trade embargo or financial sanctions. They are used to signal disapproval of a State or non-governmental actor’s policies and can help galvanize international pressure to counter unwanted behaviour.
However, arms embargoes are often unable to be effectively enforced. Even multilateral embargoes can be bypassed by determined arms dealers who are able to acquire the weapons they need either through covert channels or from neighbouring States such as Ethiopia and Somalia. In addition, the proliferation of private commercial actors with criminal connections means that the enforcement of arms embargoes can be difficult and time-consuming. Charter aircraft and cargo firms that have repeatedly been used to break embargoes do not usually get grounded or closed, but simply change their names and continue operating.
A better way of controlling the arms trade would be to introduce an international Arms Trade Treaty that includes a clear set of controls and an effective verification regime. In the meantime, companies should ensure that they are not violating a prohibition on the export of military equipment by using a digital tool like BEX to compare their business partners with official lists. The BEX add-on SANSCREEN can be seamlessly integrated into your existing ERP system and checks against country-specific embargoes in real time.