From Britain with Tanks

It is entirely possible that arms sales to Saudi Arabia will be made illegal in Great Britain. The argument for banning arms sales to Saudi Arabia is that they will be used to violate human rights, as this violates Britain’s armed export policies. Is it likely? Not if the current government has anything to say about it. And this failure to enforce one’s own domestic policies on the limiting of arms sales is why the Arms Trade Treaty was doomed from its inception.

The Arms Trade Treaty states that each signatory will take measures, pursuant to its national laws, to regulate brokering taking place within its jurisdiction, such as registration or brokering authorizations. It also suggests that member countries consider regulating brokers by establishing a system that requires registration and licensing of arms sales. The looseness of the agreement open it to violation or "wimpy" standards. Not only does the Arms Trade Treaty have to overcome the actions of a few rogue signatories, but the very guidelines of the agreement mean that a nation is only held to the standard of their own laws. As with the case with Great Britain, even when a country sets their own standards they are often unmet. For this reason, and others, the future of serious crackdown on the illegal arms trade is not very bright.