II. Developments in United Nations arms embargoes

Chapter:

11. Strategic trade controls: countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2011

Author(s):

Pieter D. Wezeman, Noel Kelly

In June 2010 the UN Security Council widened the scope of its sanctions on Iran related to transfers of conventional arms.³ This was in reaction to Iran’s failure to comply with the demands made in earlier UN resolutions that it suspend its activities related to nuclear reprocessing, heavy water and uranium enrichment. While UN sanctions imposed in December 2006 prohibited the supply of technology related to nuclear weapon delivery systems, the 2010 sanctions included a ban on the supply of major conventional weapons as defined by the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA): battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large-calibre artillery, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, certain missiles and missile launchers. The sanctions also prohibit the supply of related spare parts and any assistance related to the provision, manufacture, maintenance or use of the listed items. Because the resolution used the UNROCA definition, not all arms are included in the embargo.⁴ In particular, deliveries of land-based surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and of most small arms and light weapons were not prohibited. However, the resolution calls on states to exercise restraint in the supply to Iran of arms and related materiel not covered by the embargo.