UN Arms Embargoes: Their Impact on Arms Flows and Target Behaviour

This report is the first analysis of the 27 United Nations arms embargoes that have been imposed since 1990. UN arms embargoes have been criticized as having a limited impact on reducing arms flows to their targets or improving target behaviour. 
 
Against this background the report offers a reassessment of UN arms embargoes, their objectives and their effects. In particular it considers the impact of the Interlaken (1999–2001), Bonn–Berlin (2000–2001) and Stockholm (2001–2003) processes, which offered a range of proposals for developing the focus and implementation of arms embargoes. 
 
The report is the first comprehensive assessment of UN arms embargoes implemented since the innovations deriving from these processes were introduced. 
 
In an effort to further improve the effectiveness of the targeting of UN arms embargoes, this report offers a typology to be considered when designing and assessing UN arms embargoes.

The typology distinguishes between the different international peace and security end goals of: 
 
-- countering threats against Global Security; 
-- strengthening legitimate Government Authority; and 
-- achieving the peaceful political settlement of a violent armed conflict through Conflict Management. 
 
The results indicate that embargoes have different impacts on arms flows and target behaviour in these three types of situation. In reaching these conclusions, the researchers have also looked carefully at alternative explanations. 
 
Recommendations for strengthening the implementation of arms embargoes are addressed in particular to the UN Security Council, but will be of interest to all UN member states, UN agencies, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, researchers and the concerned general public. 

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