Why arms track?
Arms TRACK is the portal from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights that documents the situation inside States that might import weapons. In doing so, it provides a legal and factual reference for States considering any transfer of conventional weapon.
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) requires States to assess the risk that any weapons or ammunition they transfer will be used to violate international humanitarian law (IHL) or international human rights law. If the weapons or ammunition would be used to commit an international crime, the proposed transfer would be unlawful. In any event, where there is a clear risk that exported weapons or ammunition would be used to commit or facilitate commit a serious violation of international humanitarian law (IHL) or of international human rights law, the export must not be authorized.
Making the necessary risk assessment requires reliable, consolidated information about recipient States — their conduct in the past, their treaty obligations, and the weapons already in their inventories. In practice, that information is scattered across multiple sources and can be difficult to piece together. Arms TRACK brings it into one place.
Each State profile assesses risk across three dimensions: the conduct of the State’s armed forces in armed conflict, the conduct of its law enforcement agencies (including the military, when they are used for policing), and the risk of diversion or illegal re-export of imported weapons. These are rated independently, because the risk profile of each dimension can differ significantly within the same State. The goal is to support precise, well-informed transfer decisions.
The Arms TRACK portal also contains detailed entries on individual weapon types — covering their technical characteristics, military utility, humanitarian impacts, applicable legal rules, and documented instances of misuse. These entries provide the factual and legal context needed to assess the specific risks associated with a given weapon system, complementing the State-level analysis.
The portal can be navigated by country or by weapon type, making it possible to ask either ‘what does the situation in State X look like?’, or ‘What are the legal and humanitarian implications of transferring this type of weapon?’
Who is Arms TRACK for?
- States and export licensing authorities looking to fulfil their ATT assessment obligations with consolidated, reliable information about recipient countries and specific weapon systems.
- Researchers and legal practitioners working on arms control, IHL, and human rights who need factual and legal analysis across a wide range of States and weapons.
- Civil society organizations and journalists seeking to understand and scrutinise arms transfer decisions.
- Anyone looking for an accessible entry point into the legal framework governing the international arms trade.