At a moment when U.S. arms transfers are making headlines for the wrong reasons – from Yemen to the Philippines and Latin America – members of Congress find themselves with few options to withhold U.S.-made weapons from governments that suppress democracy, systematically violate human rights, or devastate civilian populations caught in armed conflict.
This brief, “Great Responsibility: A Legislative Reform Agenda for U.S. Arms Transfers and Civilian Harm,” lays out a comprehensive set of recommendations for arms transfers reform that can be implemented through creative legislation and targeted oversight in three key areas:
1) Clarifying additional requirements and responsibilities for the executive branch when negotiating and engaging in arms transfers, in order to mitigate against human rights violations and corruption risks;
2) Strengthening Congressional oversight and responsibility for approving or disapproving arms transfers; and
3) Increasing public transparency and awareness of both proposed and completed arms transfers.
Find our related advocacy one-pager here.
