Ban arms sales to countries with poor human rights records, say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have called for a tighter arms control regime that would ban sales to countries listed as a concern by the Foreign Office due to their human rights record.

At present, the UK sells arms to 24 out of the 27 countries of concern identified in the FCO’s annual human rights report (pdf), including North Korea, Yemen and Russia.

The Lib Dems would introduce a “presumption of denial” to shift the burden of proof to mean that if the country is listed in the report, the presumption will be that UK arms exports will not be granted.

Exceptional cases will have to provide sufficient evidence to ministers, on a case-by-case basis, that arms exports would not increase human rights abuses.

The Lib Dems tightened the already strict criteria while in government, delivering on a manifesto commitment to secure the first international arms trade treaty, limiting the sale of weapons to dangerous regimes. More than 150 licences granted by the Labour government were revoked as an immediate reaction to the Arab spring.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, said: “Human rights should not be pushed aside in a headlong rush to profit. We currently sell weapons to a series of regimes that have terrible human rights records. I do not want British weapons or equipment being used to commit human rights abuses.

“We do have a strong regime of safeguards, some of the strongest in the world, but they can be strengthened.

“I am calling for the government to stop hiding behind civil servants and take responsibility for arms sales. If they feel the sales are appropriate, they should sign off the deals themselves. It is time for accountability in the arms trade.”

The Lib Dems also want tougher controls on the re-exporting of arms by introducing end-user certificates for all arms sales. These controls enable the exporter to retain a say in the eventual destination of the goods.

The FCO currently advises the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on specific arms export licences, with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination regarded as a factor to be taken into account.

But the FCO will usually recommend approving a licence application unless there is a clear risk that the exports might be used for internal repression or other domestic human rights abuses.

Farron’s office said only four of the 27 countries are subject to blanket bans.

The Lib Dems said introducing re-export controls would bring UK arms export policy in line with that of other weapons exporting states. The US, France, Russia and China already apply re-export controls.