WILPF Statement on the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights' Report on Arms Transfers

WILPF delivered this statement to the UN Human Rights Council 58th session (24 February–4 April 2025) in connection with the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the “Impact of arms transfers on human rights” (A/HRC/58/41).

17 March 2025

The OHCHR report A/HRC/58/41 starkly illustrates the failure of governance systems overseeing arms transfers, which have enabled arms-producing States and weapon companies to prioritise profit and perceived power over people’s rights. Tragically, this is not new. As early as 1915, WILPF identified “the private profits accruing from the great armament factories” as “a powerful hindrance to the abolition of war.”

The OHCHR report highlights a systemic failure by arms-exporting States and the arms industry at large to exercise due diligence in arms transfers decisions and prevent prohibited transfers, even when there is clear evidence of the risk of violations of international law. We could not agree more with the High Commissioner’s unequivocal message that “arms transfers are not a human rights-free zone.” We also agree that this issue must be the object of continued attention. The Human Rights Council and its mechanisms are vital in scrutinising the human rights impacts of arms transfers, particularly in the current context of soaring military spending. This expenditure diverts critical resources from the protection of people’s rights and lives, humanitarian aid, and climate change mitigation, among other things.

WILPF welcomes the priority areas for action outlined in the OHCHR report. Among these, scrutinizing the role of private actors involved in the arms trade— including in logistics, transport, banking, and insurance — is paramount. Given the unacceptable gaps in access to justice for arms transfer decisions, which are often linked to gross violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, this area demands urgent attention and further action.

We call on all States to:

• Actively support and strengthen OHCHR’s work in this area.
• Take into account the OHCHR findings and recommendations when taking measures—at national, regional, and international levels—to ensure compliance with international human rights law and other branches of international law in arms transfer policy and decision-making.
• Provide sustained funding and robust support to civil society actors advocating for arms control and disarmament, as well as those researching and documenting the human rights impacts of arms transfers.