U.S. Urged to Improve Oversight of Civilian Harm Linked to Arms Transfers

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the Department of State’s current procedures for monitoring and responding to civilian harm caused by American weapons exports are insufficient to fully mitigate the risk of human rights abuses. Although the State Department introduced new guidance in 2023 to address allegations of civilian harm, it does not currently allow reports from non-U.S. government sources, limiting the scope of its response. The GAO has issued recommendations to strengthen oversight and ensure more effective monitoring.

Under U.S. law and revised arms transfer policies, defense articles cannot be provided to nations known to violate international human rights. Despite these legal obligations and policy updates under the Biden administration, the State Department has not paused any weapons transfers based on human rights concerns. From August 2023 through December 2024, it received 617 reports of civilian harm involving U.S. arms, yet no investigations had been completed as of the end of that period. Independent sources, including the United Nations, have identified a far greater number of incidents during the same time frame, particularly in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance (CHIRG), developed by the State Department, was designed to respond to credible reports of harm but lacks mechanisms to incorporate data from outside the U.S. government. The GAO recommends creating an accessible reporting tool to receive external allegations and implementing a strategy to ensure sufficient staffing and resources for timely investigations. The State Department acknowledged the need for additional resources but maintained that accepting external allegations would be challenging.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), GAO-25-107077

---