Challenges to Implementing the Arms Embargo
Arms embargo is a trade sanction against the export of weapons to states and entities deemed to have violated international law. Despite their broad application and high coercive potential, the implementation of arms embargoes is complicated by a series of circumstances that undermine their effectiveness.
The existence of black markets, illicit arms trafficking networks, and corrupt practices in government agencies compound the challenges of enforcing arms embargoes. As a result, the majority of arms embargoes are supplemented by other sanctions and enforcement measures such as asset freezes, travel bans, and diplomatic isolation. These measures are often administered by UN Panels of Experts, who monitor the implementation of sanctions and identify violators.
Detection of illicit arms shipments is also difficult because they are usually intermingled with, and moved along the same routes as, legitimate cargo. This is particularly true for small arms and light weapons (SALW) that are a major component of conflict arsenals. As a result, conflict situations that are heavily reliant on SALW tend to be more chaotic and have higher rates of human rights violations.
Finally, even the most law-abiding countries can be tempted to breach arms embargoes if they perceive a strategic benefit in doing so. This may be to support preferred political partners, strengthen military alliances, increase interoperability between armed forces, or change the balance of power in a region. Alternatively, states may be motivated by economic concerns, such as rising energy prices, which drove France to intervene in Libya and sparked the Gilets Jaunes protests of 2018. Ultimately, even the most rigorously applied sanctions can fall short in terms of their coercive effect because they rely on the goodwill of individual states.
