Good Practice Guide on Post-shipment On-site Inspections of Military Materiel

In order to prevent the diversion of exported military materiel, an increasing number of states have conducted post-shipment on-site inspections (i.e. physical inspections of exported military materiel on the territory of the importing state) or have introduced measures to allow for them to take place. Several multilateral instruments have produced guidance documents on arms export controls that include provisions relevant to requiring or conducting post-shipment on-site inspections and this topic is one of the main focuses of the German presidency of the Eighth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty.  

This SIPRI Good Practice Guide is aimed at states that are in the process of developing post-shipment on-site inspections or are considering their future adoption. It highlights a series of good practices that states can apply when developing and implementing this tool and follows four steps that are part of a post-shipment on-site inspection process: (a) adopting on-site inspections, (b) requiring on-site inspections, (c) conducting on-site inspections, and (d) follow-on steps after on-site inspections. The Good Practice Guide draws from experience of states that have conducted post-shipment on-site inspections, relevant guidance and policy documents, and the work done by SIPRI on this topic.