As the world becomes more interconnected, the arms trade has significant implications for global security, human rights, and international relations. In order to prevent destabilisation, human rights abuses, and armed conflicts, a wide range of legal frameworks, treaties, and agreements have been established to regulate this trade. Regulation of the arms trade is heavily influenced by politics, with powerful countries often shaping policies to serve their strategic interests. Additionally, economic incentives play a significant role, since most nations and defence contractors profit from the arms trade. International weapons trade regulation is a complex issue that requires balancing national security interests, human rights considerations, and global stability, making it a subject of constant debate and diplomacy around the world.

Machiko Kanetake is Associate Professor of Public International Law at Utrecht University, and the director of the Master’s Programme in Public International Law. She serves as an Editorial Board member of the Leiden Journal of International Law, one of the top journals of the field. Machiko’s research interest lies in the interactive domains of security, human rights, and technology. She has also developed original research on the interactions between national and international law, particularly before domestic courts and international courts and tribunals.