During 2017 the Legal Affairs and Human Rights (LAHR) Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) undertook a study to “investigate and report on trade in security equipment in the member States of the Council of Europe, and subsequently develop appropriate rules to prevent the trade or brokering of equipment which could facilitate torture and the application of the death penalty”. On 15 December 2017 the findings of the LAHR Committee were published for consideration by the PACE.13 The LAHR findings subsequently formed the basis of PACE Recommendation 2123 (2018) “Strengthening international regulations against trade in goods used for torture and the death penalty”, unanimously adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly on 26 January 2018. PACE Recommendation 2123 (2018) urges all 47 CoE member States to introduce legislation prohibiting trade in inherently abusive equipment, specifically including execution technologies and certain components; inhumane restraints; certain whips; and portable devices unsuitable for riot control or self-protection. Member states are also urged to regulate the trade in potentially legitimate security equipment that could however be misused; and to deny authorisation for trade in such goods “where there are reasonable grounds for believing that they might be used for capital punishment or torture [or ill-treatment] in a third country”. In its Recommendation, the Assembly took note of EC Regulation 1236/2005. It recognised that “this regulatory regime is the most advanced and effective in the world. It represents an approach that can and should be applied by all Council of Europe member States”. The Assembly further recognised that “since information sharing and technical co-operation, which are fundamental parts of any international regulatory mechanism, depend on normative and procedural compatibility, it is important to harmonise the regulatory systems of all the Council of Europe member States.” Consequently, the PACE Recommendation further calls on the Committee of Ministers to:  Provide “technical support” for CoE member States introducing national legislation addressing the trade in goods used for the death penalty, torture and ill-treatment;  Provide “technical guidance on how to establish and implement an effective regulatory regime”. This would enable the extension of the existing regime covering part of the Council of Europe as set out in EC Regulation 1236/2005 to the whole CoE region. 1.3 Report scope and research methodology This report provides information on the contemporary development, manufacture, promotion and trade by CoE-based companies of law enforcement equipment that can be readily employed for torture, ill-treatment or the death penalty. This equipment is divided into two types:  inherently cruel instruments with no legitimate law enforcement purpose, whose manufacture, supply and use should be prohibited; 13 PACE, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee, Strengthening international regulations against trade in goods used in torture and the death penalty, Rapporteur Mr Vusal Huseynov, 15 December 2017. 9