Skip to main content

CISSM Special Event | Prioritizing Human Rights in Conventional Arms Transfer Policies: Examples from the Middle East

Back to All Events
John Ramming Chappell

John Ramming Chappell, Advocacy & Legal Fellow at Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)

This talk is a part of an institutional partnership between CISSM and the Forum on the Arms Trade. The Forum on the Arms Trade is a network of civil society experts and a point of contact for strengthening public efforts to address the humanitarian, economic and other implications of arms transfers, security assistance, and weapons use.

Event Description

Six presidents, starting with President Carter, have released policies to guide decisions around arms transfers to foreign countries. Weapons transfers can pose significant risks for human rights and civilian harm, and most conventional arms transfer policies have incorporated human rights considerations. This presentation will focus on how the conventional arms transfer policies address human rights risks, consider the real-world impact of human rights provisions in policy, and offer demonstrative examples from US arms transfers to the Middle East.

Speaker Bio

John Ramming Chappell is Advocacy & Legal Fellow at Center for Civilians in Conflict, where he engages with US policymakers and advocates to enhance the protection of civilians. His work and research focus on US law and policy related to civilian harm, arms sales, and security assistance. John has published research and analysis in The Hill, Just Security, Lawfare, Responsible Statecraft, Inkstick Media, and other publications, including several academic journals. He is an Expert in the Forum on the Arms Trade.

John holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, and a Master of Science in Foreign Service, with distinction, from Georgetown University and a BA in International Studies and Arabic, summa cum laude, from University of Mississippi. He speaks several Arabic dialects.

Sign up for CISSM Updates

Learn more about the Forum on the Arms Trade


For Media Inquiries:
Megan Campbell
Senior Director of Strategic Communications
For More from the School of Public Policy:
Sign up for SPP News