5. CONCLUSION It is not enough to simply prohibit and criminalize torture and other acts of illtreatment under national law; states must undertake a range of measures to actively protect people and prevent these forms of abuse. One important element of this comprehensive approach should be the development of effective co-ordinated and harmonized measures to tackle the continuing trade in “tools of torture”. Consequently, Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation welcome the establishment of the Global Alliance for Torture Free Trade. It is now imperative for all Global Alliance Member States to fulfil their commitments to the Alliance’s goals by introducing effective national, regional and international legislative measures and associated control systems that will govern the trade in "tools of torture". In order for these measures to be effective, as part of global efforts to eradicate torture and other ill-treatment, they must be comprehensive in scope, and should therefore include: • A ban on the production, trade and use of inherently abusive or dangerous law enforcement equipment. States must include a prohibition of the manufacture, use, export, import, transit, or trans-shipment of equipment that has no practical use in law enforcement other than for the purpose of capital punishment, torture and other ill-treatment; or where its use in practice has revealed a substantial risk of injury. Such equipment includes, but not is limited to, direct contact shock weapons, body worn electric shock devices, inherently degrading or painful restraints such as thumb cuffs, weighted leg irons, cage beds; and inherently abusive or dangerous kinetic impact weapons such as whips, spiked batons, weighted gloves. • Adoption of strict trade controls, incorporating human rights risk assessment, on the transfer of law enforcement equipment that could be easily abused for torture and other ill-treatment. States must control the export and import of law enforcement equipment, like ordinary police and prison handcuffs, hand-held batons, riot control agents, such as tear gas, and electric shock projectile weapons. The risk-based assessment should follow the simple rule that: law enforcement equipment should never be supplied to recipients who are likely to use it for torture, other ill-treatment or other human rights violations. Additionally, Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation also call on all states to • Agree regional and international mechanisms to regulate the trade in “tools of torture” in a harmonized manner which incorporate a transparent system for reporting and information sharing. 24 COMBATING TORTURE: THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE REGULATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT Amnesty International | Omega Research Foundation