The EU Torture Trade Regulation offers a good model dividing the items into two categories: i “prohibited” goods that are inherently abusive in nature, and; ii “controlled” goods that can have a legitimate law enforcement or other use but need to be subject to trade controls in order to avoid their employment in torture, other ill-treatment or the death penalty. Law enforcement weapons and devices should never be supplied to recipients who are likely to use them for torture, other ill-treatment or other serious human rights violations. Although this principle is already incorporated in many policies of individual states and certain regional organizations, the lack of international regulation is a substantive loophole in practice that needs to be urgently closed. The current failure of states to collectively prohibit the trade in equipment which is inherently abusive, and effectively control other equipment which is often abused, poses a threat to human rights around the world. Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation are calling on all states, including Global Alliance Members, to introduce comprehensive measures to tackle the trade in “tools of torture” by: • Adopting regulations to ban the production of, and trade in, inherently abusive law enforcement equipment and related training; • Adopting trade regulations, establishing strict control measures, incorporating human rights-based risk assessment, on the transfer of law enforcement equipment that could be easily abused for torture and other ill-treatment; • 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. THE CURRENT FAILURE OF STATES TO COLLECTIVELY PROHIBIT THE TRADE IN EQUIPMENT WHICH IS INHERENTLY ABUSIVE, AND EFFECTIVELY CONTROL OTHER EQUIPMENT WHICH IS OFTEN ABUSED, POSES A THREAT TO HUMAN RIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD. COMBATING TORTURE: THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE REGULATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT Amnesty International | Omega Research Foundation 3