Impact of Arms Transfers on Human Rights

A/HRC/RES/41/20View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2019.

What other versions does this mandate have?

5 versions · 2016–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/59/13

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/HRC/RES/59/13	Impact of arms transfers on human rights	1,770	69%Compare
2023	A/HRC/RES/53/15	Impact of arms transfers on human rights	1,586	50%Compare
2021	A/HRC/RES/47/17	Impact of arms transfers on human rights	1,053	65%Compare
2019	A/HRC/RES/41/20	Impact of arms transfers on human rights	891	45%Compare
2016	A/HRC/RES/32/12	Impact of arms transfers on human rights	646	–

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Arms Transfers Human Rights International Law Report Preparation Women's Rights

What’s in this document?

7 operative paragraphs

Expresses its deep concern at the fact that the diversion of arms and unregulated or illicit arms transfers by States and non-State actors may seriously undermine the human rights of individuals, especially women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups;

Notes with alarm that such diversion of arms and unregulated or illicit arms transfers can have a severely negative impact on women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of all human rights, increasing the risk of sexual and gender-based violence, and of violence against children, as they may be disproportionately affected by the widespread availability of such arms;

Urges all States to refrain from transferring arms when they assess, in accordance with applicable national procedures and international obligations and standards, that there is a clear risk that such arms might be used in the commission or facilitation of serious violations or abuses of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law;

Invites States to consider the recommendations of elements contained in the above-mentioned report1 to assess the relationship between arms transfers and international human rights law, with a view to identify and measure the impact of arms transfers on the enjoyment of human rights;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report, in consultation with States, United Nations agencies and other relevant stakeholders, on the impact of the diversion of arms and unregulated or illicit arms transfers on the human rights of women and girls, and to present it to the Human Rights Council at its forty-fourth session;

Invites all relevant special procedures and commissions of inquiry of the Human Rights Council and human rights treaty bodies to bear the present resolution in mind within the framework of their respective mandates;

Decides to remain seized of this issue.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents