They need to be reinforced. One way to enhance transparency is to ensure that national parliaments mandated by their constituencies to make their governments more accountable are fully integrated in the decision making process governing arms transfers. An international code of conduct governing arms exports. The code drafted by the Nobel laureates is a good model, and the European Union's code of conduct, full of loopholes and not binding, is nonetheless a useful first step toward a stronger and binding code in Europe. The United States, Russia and China are far behind.
Much energy is needed here.
International and regional arms embargoes. Embargoes are only as good as their implementation and enforcement. Responsible disposal of excess stocks. As states seeking admission to or partnership with NATO are downsizing their militaries and upgrading their weapons to NATO standard, huge stocks of arms are likely to be thrown onto the open market. The likely destiny for the vast majority of these weapons which will be cheap and in abundance are the areas of armed conflict in Africa and elsewhere.