Commercial Arms Transfer (CAT) Policy
The US administration has announced a new Commercial Arms Transfer (CAT) policy that prioritizes human rights considerations in its arms export policy. This policy replaces the previous Trump-era policy that focused more on commercial benefits. The new policy covers government-to-government weapons transfers, security assistance, and licensed commercial sales of US-origin military equipment overseen by various government departments.
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Focus on human rights considerations
Under the new policy, the US government will review arms transfers to ensure that they do not result in human rights violations. A transfer will not be approved if the arms are used for genocide, crimes against humanity, breaches of the Geneva conventions, or serious violations of international law. This will ensure that the US is not indirectly contributing to human rights abuses in other countries.
The policy also includes provisions to allow deals to be cancelled if human rights violations are documented after they are announced. This will provide an additional safeguard against US arms being used for human rights abuses in the future.
Reactions to the new policy
The new policy has been welcomed by human rights organizations, who have long criticized the US for exporting arms to countries with poor human rights records. The previous policy allowed for the sale of arms to countries with poor human rights records if it was deemed to be in the US’s national security interests.
The CAT policy is a significant departure from this approach, and it is hoped that it will help to prevent US arms from being used for human rights violations in the future. However, some experts have expressed concern that the new policy may limit the ability of the US to respond to emerging security threats.
Impact on arms exports
The new policy is likely to have an impact on US arms exports, particularly to countries with poor human rights records. It may also lead to increased scrutiny of arms sales by other countries, who may feel pressure to adopt similar policies.