Transparency

Either through publications on arms transfers or through exchange of information at a bilateral, regional or international level, transparency is the key to improve the State responsibility as far as trade in arms is concerned. On the one hand, thanks to transparency instruments, the parliament, civilians and members of the civil society are aware of their government activities and can monitor them to assess whether national, regional and international commitments are respected. On the other hand, transparency mechanisms can enhance the trust between States by reducing the risks of misunderstanding the other States’ intentions and by fostering cooperation. These mechanisms can also reduce the risks of excessive and destabilizing accumulation of weapons by giving information on the arms flows to certain countries or regions.