An independent audit of the UK Government Reports on Strategic Export Controls for 2003 and the first half of 2004

This report an audit of the UK Government Reports on Strategic Export Controls for 2003 and the first half of 2004. Its aim is to assess:
- whether during 2003 and the first half of 2004 the UK Government was following its own criteria for exports;
- whether the Reports provide enough information and in such a format as to enable a judgement to be made as to whether the Government was following its own criteria for exports (and recommend improvements where appropriate); and
- where, in light of the operation of the Government's criteria during the period covered by the Audit, changes in the interpretation and implementation of the criteria should be made.

Specific destinations, regions and exports are examined in order that a shared understanding and common practice can be achieved around a restrictive interpretation of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (Consolidated Criteria).

The Audit is split up into 3 sections:

Section 1: Developments in arms exports controls

Section 2: Developments in transparency

Section 3: Export licences of concern
This section analyses on a criterion-by-criterion basis arms export licences to particular countries where UK licensing decisions have given us cause for concern. The fact that we have concentrated on relatively few examples (compared to previous Audits) should not however be taken as an indication that our concerns regarding the Government's implementation of the UK Consolidated Criteria have abated in any significant way. Indeed, while our primary focus is on exports to recipients where our concerns are particularly acute, under most of the criteria we also set out an additional list of countries to which UK arms exports also raise significant questions. In carrying out this analysis, Saferworld hopes that it will prompt a productive and focussed debate among opinion-formers and decision-makers concerning the UK Government's implementation of each of the Consolidated Criteria.