30 Jun Weapons Trade and Peace: The Irony of SDG 16 In a World of Arms Deals

Cecilia Doeff

Law School, IE University, Madrid, Spain.

Bachelor of Laws.

E-mail: cdoeff.ieu2021@student.ie.edu.

Abstract

This paper analyses the contradiction between Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), which promotes peace, justice, and strong institutions; and the practices of the world’s major arms-exporting nations, many of whom are also leading advocates of the SDGs. While regulatory frameworks like the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and the Wassenaar Arrangement aim to align arms transfers with the objectives of SDG 16, they are plagued by limitations such as non-binding obligations, selective enforcement, and lack of transparency. Through case studies of Y emen and Ukraine, the paper will further illustrate how arms exports have intensified conflict, undermined the rule of law, and weakened institutions, often in direct contradiction to SDG 16 targets. The paper argues that strategic and economic interests consistently override commitments to peace and governance, revealing the gap between stated ideals and actual conduct. To close this gap, the study proposes structural reforms to SDG 16, including enforceable legal obligations, improved monitoring mechanisms, and more context-specific approaches to peace-building. Without such measures, the realization

of SDG 16 will remain aspirational and disconnected from geopolitical realities.

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Keywords: SDG 16, global arms trade, Arms Trade Treaty, Wassenaar Arrangement, Yemen conflict.