South Africa`s New Arms Export Control Policy: A Post-Apartheid Approach

Abstract

On August 30, 1995, the South African cabinet approved an interim arms export control policy, which provides for a ministerial controlling body, criteria, principles, and guidelines, and a processing structure under the Secretary for Defence for the approval of applications for conventional arms transfers. The main purpose of the policy is to ensure that South Africa`s practices in this regard conform to internationally accepted norms and standards. Although occasional controversies, such as that which emerged in January 1997 in relation to Syria, have revealed underlying problems and fundamental differences of opinion, these conventional arms control procedures appear to be working effectively in a technical and routine sense.