Abstract
This article looks into the challenges of developing criteria for the risk assessment of arms transfers in Southeast Asia, carefully considering the region’s experiences with armed conflicts, high levels of armed violence, and proliferation of weapons. Distinct regional experiences call for a regional approach. Informal and sub-national cooperation in the region, which is used more than the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s official regional mechanisms, can help build and strengthen formal structures to support arms control regimes and encourage national governments to adopt international instruments. This pragmatic approach incorporates disparities in the levels of development, presence of armed conflicts, and the different security needs of each country, which can complement international agreements, such as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). This article recommends a regional focus on the risk assessment for arms transfers, including national and regional contexts to ease the adoption of international agreements in the region.
