Overseas security and justice assistance: an assessment of human rights guidance

Supplementary evidence to Committees on Arms Export Controls’ inquiry Strategic Export Controls, 10 February 2012

Announcing the results of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) internal review of UK arms export control policy in October 2011, the Foreign Secretary committed to publishing guidance for all UK Government officials on ensuring the UK’s overseas security and justice assistance meets its human rights obligations and values.

This guidance, the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA): Human Rights Guidance was published in December 2011.2 In an oral evidence session on 23 January 2012, the Committees on Arms Export Controls (CAEC) requested that witnesses from the UK Working Group on Arms, of which Saferworld is a member, submit supplementary written evidence responding to this guidance.

This paper makes recommendations on:

• Security and justice assistance and arms transfers
• Departmental responsibility
• Assessing the situation in-country
• Identifying and mitigating risk