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Summer 2017
DEFENDERS
27
conventional arms in their most unequivocal reading. However, such
terms as “security exception,” which have been used in international
trade law are very equivocal and their interpretation has been left to all
member states of the World Trade Organization. This is also true about
“emergency in international relations,” which covers present and even
future conditions of involved countries.
2. Arms Control Law and international humanitarian law;
3. The 1995 Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons and its later
amendments have also imposed considerable limitations on transfer
of such weapons.
4. Human rights in the light of new interpretations of security,
especially the concept of human security: Security is among those
concepts, which have undergone many changes in the past decades.
As a result, the concept of security has shifted from its sovereign state
and security of governments to personal security, especially in the
world after 1990s.
Conclusion
If we look beyond theoretical discussions about light weapons and
conventional arms and their impact on human rights violations across
the world, it will seem that existence of those groups that violate
human rights in practice proves that the political will of governments
plays a role in this regard. This political will means that mechanisms
envisaged by the international law to counter transfer or smuggling
of light weapons or conventional arms, must be more influenced by
humanitarian considerations rather than making economic profits or
political agendas.
It also seems that a new model similar to the nonproliferation regime
for weapons of mass destruction must be formulated. This new model
must take into account both the provisions of this regime and the pivotal
role that human rights play in international political equations and also
put emphasis on the common demand of all nations on governments to
provide grounds for the enforcement of human rights norms. This model
must be designed and implemented in a way to reduce or prevent transfer
or smuggling of light weapons and conventional arms, which lead to
violation of the norms of international human rights. The United Nations,
for its part, must play a pivotal role in this regard. This would be a path
toward making governments accept more responsibility with regard to
human rights, and will also help make international politics more ethical.
It goes without saying that designing and enforcing a system of reporting
for the introduction of violator countries can further enhance transparency
of this model and facilitate its implementation.