Appendix 12A. Multilateral arms embargoes, 2009

Summary

There were 29 mandatory multilateral arms embargoes in force in 2009, directed at a total of 17 targets, including governments, non-governmental forces and a transnational network. The United Nations imposed 12 of these embargoes, the European Union (EU) imposed 16 and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed 1.

During 2009 the UN Security Council imposed its first new arms embargo since 2006, on Eritrea. The UN widened the arms embargo on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) and lifted the arms embargo on the Government of Liberia.

Nine of the 16 EU embargoes were straightforward implementations of UN arms embargoes. In addition, two EU arms embargoes differed from UN embargoes in their scope or coverage and five did not have UN counterparts. In 2009 the EU imposed a new arms embargo on Guinea and lifted its arms embargo on Uzbekistan. ECOWAS imposed a new arms embargo on Guinea.

As in previous years in 2009 several violations of UN arms embargoes were recorded. For example, cargo inspections led to the uncovering of violations of the UN embargoes on arms exports from Iran and North Korea.

Pieter D. Wezeman (Netherlands) is a Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. 

Noel Kelly (Ireland) has been a Research Assistant with the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production and Arms Transfers programmes since January 2008.