Agence France-Presse, Britain should curb the export of weaponry to countries where large-scale human rights violations are committed, two prominent thinktanks said August 16.
In a new book set to be released next week, the left-of-centre Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and the Centre for Global Governance at the London School of Economics, argue that Britain should adopt a “presumption of denial” for arms exports to countries where there are human rights concerns.
“The government’s policy on weapons transfers is still incoherent,” said David Mepham, co-author of “Progressive Foreign Policy: New Directions for the UK” and head of IPPR’s international program.
“While there is a legitimate trade in military equipment, Britain should not be granting arms export licenses where this could worsen the human rights and security situation on the ground.”
Along with a “presumption of denial”, the book’s authors called for increased parliamentary oversight of British arms export policy, complete extra-territorial control over British arms brokers and traffickers, and a formal system to oversee the end-use of exported arms.
In addition, they said that the government should back stronger international treaties regulating arms trade, and a complete ban on cluster bombs.
British companies that wish to receive export licenses must also present a no-bribery pledge, the authors said.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his government “need to bring UK policy on arms exports into line with their stated commitments on human rights, conflict prevention, development and anti-corruption,” Mepham said.
The report’s authors highlighted the cases of Saudi Arabia, China, Israel, Russia and Indonesia as countries to which Britain exports arms, despite stated concerns over human rights violations.
“Progressive Foreign Policy” is released in Britain on August 22, and includes a foreword by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
