'UN arms embargoes on conventional arms and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are among the most frequently imposed injunctions to compel states and non-governmental actors to act in the interests of international peace and security. However, implementing and enforcing arms embargoes is a complicated business that involves multilevel coordination across government, industry, and society. Moreover, the international community's growing reliance on (ever more complex) sanctions makes it increasingly difficult for UN member states to meet their obligations...'

'Any multilateral instrument on an issue of international concern, such as arms control or disarmament, is likely to impose reporting obligations on the participating states. Reporting has several functions, from indicating how well an instrument is being implemented over time to revealing weak spots and whether states need help to integrate the instrument into national practice. Proper reporting can also foster transparency and trust among states...'

The UN Security Council has imposed a broad range of sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, requesting member states to report on how they are implementing these measures. Many factors affect the national reporting practices of states, with some having failed to submit any reports.

In October 2017 the United States lifted three of the most significant components of its sanctions regime against Sudan as part of a shift in bilateral relations with Khartoum.

In response to the major threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK/North Korea) to international peace and security, the UN Security Council has established a range of multilateral sanctions on the country—including an arms embargo. However, North Korea continues to systematically circumvent and evade these sanctions through a variety of means and techniques. A new resource from the Small Arms Survey provides an overview of such techniques with a view to aid stakeholders strengthen their implementation and enforcement of the sanctions regime.

For more than a decade the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), in defiance of UN sanctions, has found ways to systematically smuggle arms and other illicit goods in and out of the country. This Briefing Paper from the Small Arms Survey provides a detailed overview of how the DPRK evades sanctions by employing its diplomatic resources and exploiting key loopholes relating to transport, logistics, and proliferation finance.