Human rights court calls on governments to crack down on weapons trafficking

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued an advisory opinion stating that national governments must take stronger measures to stop arms trafficking and provide legal remedies for its harms. The court, based in Costa Rica, found that governments have a "duty of due diligence" to monitor firearms manufacturers and ensure their products do not enable human rights violations. This duty includes undertaking risk assessments for arms imports/exports that could undermine peace or lead to serious violations of international law. The court concluded that the "indiscriminate availability of firearms" threatens the "right to life" and "right to personal integrity" of vulnerable groups. This advisory comes as Mexico pressures the United States to stop the illegal flow of guns across its borders.