SIPRI Update, June 2008
International arms embargoes
This page gives information on all arms embargoes that have been implemented by an international organisation, such as the EU or UN, or by a group of nations. All embargoes that are in force, or have been in force since 1998, are included. The page also provides links to pages from the Non-proliferation and Export Control Project, giving background information on each embargo and liks to relevant establishing documents. The page also provides information on the creation of new embargoes, or modifications to existing ones, during 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002.
In November 2007, the SIPRI Arms Transfers Project and the Uppsala University Special Program on the Implementation of Targeted Sanctions (SPITS) published a new report on UN arms embargoes: 'United Nations Arms Embargoes: Their Impact on Arms Flows and Target Behaviour'. The report analyses the 27 United Nations arms embargoes that have been imposed since 1990 and provides recommendations for improving their implementation. More information on the report is available here.
UN arms embargoes
| Target | Entry into force | Lifted | Establishing Document |
| Mandatory UN embargoes | |||
| Afghanistan (Taliban) | 19 Dec. 2000 | (16 Jan. 2002) | UNSCR 1333 |
| Taliban, Al-Qaida, Usama Bin Laden | 16 Jan. 2002 | - | UNSCR 1390 |
| Angola (UNITA) | 15 Sep. 1993 | 9 Dec. 2002 | UNSCR 864 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 15 Nov. 2004 | - | UNSCR 1572 |
| DRC (rebels) | 28 July 2003 | - | UNSCR 1493 |
| Eritrea | 17 May 2000 | 15 May 2001 | UNSCR 1298 |
| Ethiopia | 17 May 2000 | 15 May 2001 | UNSCR 1298 |
| Iraq | 6 Aug. 1990 | (8 June 2004) | UNSCR 661 |
| Iran (technology related to nuclear weapon delivery systems) | 23 Dec. 2006 | - | UNSCR 1737 |
| Lebanon | 11 Aug. 2006 | - | UNSCR 1701 |
| Liberia | 19 Nov. 1992 | - | UNSCR 788 |
| Libya | 31 Mar. 1992 | 5 Apr. 1999 | UNSCR 748 |
| North Korea (DPRK) | 14 Oct. 2006 | - | UNSCR 1718 |
| Rwanda (rebels) | 16 Aug. 1995 | 28 Mar. 2007 | UNSCR 1011 |
| Sierra Leone (rebels) | 5 June 1998 | - | UNSCR 1171 |
| Somalia | 23 Jan. 1992 | - | UNSCR 733 |
| Sudan (Darfur region) | 30 July 2004 | - | UNSCR 1556 |
| Yugoslavia (FRY) | 31 Mar. 1998 | 10 Sep. 2001 | UNSCR 1160 |
| Non Mandatory UN Embargoes | |||
| Afghanistan | 22 Oct. 1996 | (Oct. 2001) | UNSCR 1076 |
| Eritrea | 12 Feb. 1999 | 17 May 2000 | UNSCR 1227 |
| Ethiopia | 12 Feb. 1999 | 17 May 2000 | UNSCR 1227 |
| Target | Entry into force | Lifted | Establishing Document |
| EU embargoes (mandatory only for EU members) | |||
| Afghanistan | 17 Dec. 1996 | (26 Feb. 2001) | 96/746/CFSP |
| Afghanistan (Taliban) | (26 Feb. 2001) | (27 May 2002) | 2001/154/CFSP |
| Taliban, Al-Qaida, Usama Bin Laden | 27 May 2002 | - | 2002/402/CFSP |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 July 1991 | 23 Jan. 2006 | EC declaration |
| China | 27 June 1989 | - | EC declaration |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 15 Nov. 2004 | - | 2004/852/CFSP |
| Croatia | 5 July 1991 | 20 Nov. 2000 | EC declaration |
| DRC | 7 Apr. 1993 | - | EC declaration |
| Eritrea | 15 Mar. 1999 | 31 May 2001 | 1999/206/CFSP |
| Ethiopia | 15 Mar. 1999 | 31 May 2001 | 1999/206/CFSP |
| Indonesia | 17 Sep. 1999 | 17 Jan. 2000 | 1999/624/CFSP |
| Iran | 23 April 2007 | 2007/246/CFSP | |
| Iraq | 4 Aug. 1990 | 23 July 2004 | EC declaration |
| Lebanon | 15 Sep. 2006 | - | 2006/625/CFSP |
| Liberia | 7 May 2001 | - | 2001/357/CFSP |
| Libya | 27 Jan. 1986 | 11 Oct. 2004 | EC declaration |
| Myanmar (Burma) | 29 July 1991 | - | EC declaration |
| Nigeria | 20 Nov. 1995 | 1 June 1999 | 95/515/CFSP |
| North Korea (DPRK) | 22 Nov. 2006 | - | 2006/795/CFSP |
| Sierra Leone (rebels) | 5 June 1998 | - | 98/409/CFSP |
| Slovenia | 5 July 1991 | (16 Feb. 1996) | EC declaration |
| Somalia | 10 Dec. 2002 | - | 2002/960/CFSP |
| Sudan | 15 Mar. 1994 | - | 94/165/CFSP |
| Uzbekistan | 14 Nov. 2005 | - | 2005/792/CFSP |
| Yugoslavia (FRY) | 5 July 1991 | 8 Oct. 2001 | EC declaration |
| Zimbabwe | 18 Feb. 2002 | - | 2002/145/CFSP |
| Other multilateral embargoes (non-mandatory) | |||
| Nagorno-Karabkh (Azerbaijan) | 28 Feb. 1992 | - | OSCE statement |
| Burundi a | 6 Aug. 1996 | 23 Jan. 1999 | - |
| Nigeria b | 24 Apr. 1996 | Nov. 1999 | - |
| Togo c | 19 Feb. 2005 | 26 Feb. 2005 | - |
| Togo d | 25 Feb. 2005 | (27-28 May 2005) e | - |
Acronyms: DRC = Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire); FRY =
a Embargo by the DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
b Commonwealth embargo.
c This embargo was imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Togo is a member. It is the first ECOWAS embargo ever. ECOWAS stated to the press that a 'complete arms embargo' was part of the sanctions.
d This embargo was imposed by the African Union (AU), following the lead of ECOWAS (see above). On 20 February 2005 the Commission of the AU asked its members to support the ECOWAS embargo and adopted an equivalent embargo on 25 February 2005. However, there seems to be no formal AU document which refers to the establishment of the embargo.
e On the same day as the presidential elections of 27 May 2005 the AU issued a positive Communique on the situation in Togo. Although, this document did not directly refer to the lifting of the embargo and other sanctions, it can be taken to imply that the embago is no longer in force.
Source: SIPRI arms transfers archives.
Developments in 2007
On 27 February 2007 the EU adopted Council Common Position 2007/140/CFSP of 27 February 2007 concerning restrictive measures against Iran. The Common Position implemented decisions made by the UN Security Council. The sanctions included a prohibition on the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of items, materials, equipment, goods and technology contained in the Missile Technology Control Regime lists for the use in, or benifit of, Iran.
On the 24 March 2007 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1747 which, inter alia, established an embargo on the export from Iran of all arms and related materials, thereby banning all states and groups from purchasing or receiving arms from Iran. The resolution also called on all states to 'exercise vigilance and restraint' in their supply of any items covered by the UN Register of Conventional Arms to Iran.
On the 28 March 2007 Security Council Resolution 1749 lifted the UN arms embargo on Rwandan non-state actors, with immediate effect. The resolution also stressed the need for 'States in the region to ensure that arms and related material delivered to them are not diverted to or used by illegal armed groups'.
On the 23 April 2007 the EU adopted Council Common Position 2007/246/CFSP amending Common Position 2007/140/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran. The Common Position expanded existing prohibitions on Iran to include transfers of all arms and related material of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment and spare parts for the aforementioned.
Developments in 2006
On 23 January 2006 the EU Council adopted Common Position 2006/29/CFSP, lifting the embargo on Bosnia and Herzogovina. The embargo was originally imposed by the then EC against Yugoslavia and retained against the successor states of Yugoslavia. The embargo against Bosnia and Herzegovina was the last part of the original embargo to be lifted.
On 11 August 2006 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1701, establishing an embargo on arms exports to non-Government groups in Lebanon (excluding UN forces in Lebanon). The embargo is mainly targetted at restricting the flow of arms to Hezbollah forces based in southern Lebanon. The embargo is part of a set of measures to help the Lebanese Government regain full sovereignty over all its territory after the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in July and August 2006. Disarming Hezbollah and establishing Lebanese Government control over former Hezbollah-controlled areas is an Israeli condition for a full military withdrawal from Lebanon. The EU copied the UN embargo on 15 September 2006 as EU Council Common Position 2006/625/CFSP.
On 14 October 2006 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1718, establishing a partial embargo on arms exports to and imports from North Korea. The embargo was a reaction on the North Korean nuclear test on 9 October 2006. The embargo prohibits states to directly or indirectly supply, or help to supply, North Korea with major conventional weapons as defined by the UN Register of Conventional Weapons - battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large calibre artillery, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, and missiles and missile launchers - as well as ballistic missiles and spare parts, technical training, advice, services or assistance related to the provision, manufacture, maintenance or use of the embargoed weapons. The embargo is less comprehensive than other UN embargoes, which generally cover all weapons and other equipment delivered for use by armed forces and other armed groups. However, the embargo also prohibits states to procure major conventional weapons and ballistic missiles or materiels and technology related to such weapons from North Korea. Again, this differs from other UN embargoes which generally only cover deliveries to the embargoed state or group, not deliveries from them.
Developments in 2005
ECOWAS established for the first time in its history an arms embargo against one of its members. On 19 February 2005 ECOWAS put in place, among other sanctions, a 'complete arms embargo' on Togo after Faure Gnassingbé, with help of the armed forces, illegally took over as President after the death of his father. The ECOWAS sanctions were lifted on 26 February after Gnassinbé stepped down and preparations for presidential elections started.
The African Union (AU) asked its members on 20 February to support the ECOWAS sanctions against Togo, including the arms embargo. On 25 February the AU adopted the ECOWAS sanctions as its own. While not officially lifted in a AU document, the reason for the sanctions no longer existed after Gnassingbé was declared on 28 May 2005 the winner of the 27 May 2005 presidential elections in Togo.
On 14 November 2005 the EU Council adopted Common Position 2005/792/CFSP, by which Uzbekistan became the target of EU sanctions, including an arms embargo, after the Uzbeki government refused to allow an independent international investigation of the violent suppression of peaceful anti-government demonstrations in May 2005.
Developments in 2004
The mandatory UN embargo against
On
After government forces broke a ceasefire established in 2003 and attacked rebel forces and French peacekeepers, the UN Security Council established a 13-month arms embargo against
On
On
The EU lifted its embargo against
Developments in 2003
The UN Security Council established on 28 July 2003 an embargo on arms supplies and other military assistance to armed groups (both Congolese and foreign) operating in North and South Kiva and Ituri in the eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and against groups not party to the 17 Dec. 2002 peace agreement (the 'Global and All-inclusive Agreement on the Transition') in the DRC. This was mainly directed against rebel forces operating in the eastern part of the DRC and supported by the governments of neighbouring states (
The mandatory UN embargo against
Since the embargo is against the
On
Developments in 2002
The mandatory UN embargo against UNITA in Angola was lifted with the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1448 from 9 December 2002 after the Angolan Government and UNITA had made significant progress towards implementing a peace accord.
The mandatory UN embargo against Taliban-held territory of Afghanistan became quite meaningless at the end of 2001 and early 2002 since there was little or no Taliban-held Afghan territory left, but was changed on 16 January 2002 in UN Security Council Resolution 1390 to an embargo on Usama bin Laden, members of Al-Qaida and the Taliban and on persons and organizations associated with them without specifying any geographical area. This broadened the geographical scope of the embargo from a part of Afghanistan to a global coverage. As such it became the first UN embargo directed not against a state or against rebels fighting against one specific state, but rather targeting a rather loose group on a global level.
The voluntary UN embargo on all parties in Afghanistan since 1996 was quickly forgotten when the US and its allies started to use the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan as partners in the fight against the Taliban, and lost all meaning after the Taliban were ousted from power by a new Afghan government, mainly composed of the Northern Alliance and equipped by a host of countries as part of a UN-controlled peace and rebuilding effort.
The only really new embargo in 2002 was the EU embargo against Zimbabwe, which resulted from EU criticism on the way Zimbabwe's government under President Robert Mugabe harassed opposition and international observers during the election campaign in early 2002.
The EU embargo against Afghan territory held by the Taliban (which in 2001 replaced the 1996 EU embargo against Afghanistan) was replaced by a new EU embargo against against Usama bin Laden, members of Al-Qaida and the Taliban and on persons and organizations associated with them, in line with the UN mandatory embargo from 16 Jan. 2002. The new embargo does not specify any geographical area and thus broadened the geographical scope of the embargo from a part of Afghanistan to a global coverage.
Return to Arms Transfers Project Index Page
Return to SIPRI Homepage
Please address enquiries concerning the Arms Transfers webpages to the Arms Transfers Project.