Exploring the potential for a diagnostic tool to enable arms export licensing officers to conduct risk assessments to prevent arms transfers contributing VAW and GBV, in accordance with ATT Article 7.4
As part of the project, the Small Arms Survey undertook desk research to collect and review existing material on ATT Article 7.4 and indicators in relevant multilateral, national and NGO documents. The research team tried to identify, and if possible, examine and draw lessons from cases of arms exports being used in GBV/VAWC. In addition, key informant interviews were conducted with licensing officers regarding the parameters and feasibility of a GBV and violence against women and children risk assessment tool, indicators and data sources or other approaches for operationalizing Article 7.4. Then, the Survey organized an online workshop for NGOs working on the issue of arms control and GBV/VAWC, in particular those that have or were at the time conducting projects on implementation of Article 7.4 to discuss research on this issue and share findings. A publication synthesizing the work and results will be released at the end of 2021.
The Small Arms Survey conducted a project to explore the feasibility and parameters for an export licensing risk assessment tool and indicators that can operationalize Article 7(4) of the Arms trade Treaty (ATT). Article 7(4) obliges exporting State Parties to take into account the risk of gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women and children (VAW) in their arms export risk assessments. To date, no ATT state party has shown that it has developed or uses a diagnostic tool to conduct risk assessments to assess the potential that an export of conventional arms, ammunition, or parts and components, could be used to commit or facilitate serious acts of GBV or violence against women and children, in accordance with ATT Article 7.4.
