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Sudan: Arms Transfers

Volume 610: debated on Wednesday 8 March 2000

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asked Her Majesty's Government:What discussions they have held with the Polish and Czech Governments about the possible diversion to Sudan of arms sold to Yemen; and whether they consider that the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Principles Governing Conventional Arms Transfers of November 1993 need to be amended to strengthen monitoring of the end use of arms exports to prevent diversions to third countries and to ensure that exported equipment is used only on the conditions under which the export licence has been granted. [HL1170]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(Baroness Scotland of Asthal)

The Foreign Secretary raised this with his Czech counterpart. Our Embassy in Prague has also discussed this with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Czech Government plan to proceed with the sale of former Czech army tanks to Yemen but have assured us that they are taking great care to ensure that Yemen is the end user and that there is no diversion to a third country. We have not held discussions with the Poles as we are not aware that any further sales are planned.The OSCE Principles Governing Conventional Arms Transfers commit OSCE members to avoid transfers which would be likely to be diverted within the recipient country or re-exported for purposes contrary to the aims of the principles. It is up to individual OSCE members to decide how they can best achieve this. Post-export monitoring may be less effective in preventing diversion than a refusal to allow an export if a risk of diversion is determined to exist. The UK has taken steps to promote the exchange of information on end-users of concern in fora such as the Wassenaar Arrangement in order to assist the process of risk assessment by national authorities.