Impact

Our mission is to prevent the use of law enforcement, security, and military equipment to violate human rights and humanitarian law worldwide. For over 30 years, we have been at the forefront of efforts to monitor and regulate the global trade of this equipment. Our expertise has helped cultivate a global movement to scrutinise and challenge excessive use of force, including use of less lethal weapons. Our work is rooted in the belief that transparency and accountability are fundamental to preventing human rights abuses. By increasing accountability for the unlawful use of force and exposing the role of manufacturers, we help survivors to achieve justice and protect human rights worldwide.

We are a small organisation with a huge mission. Despite our modest size, the Omega Research Foundation has a proven track record of success. Our work has led to significant policy changes, enhanced oversight, and made tangible improvements in human rights conditions around the world. Some of our recent successes include:

Empowering Human Rights Defenders

We provide critical support to human rights organisations, legal professionals, journalists, and activists worldwide. Our research has been used to support campaigns, legal actions, and advocacy efforts that have successfully challenged the use of unlawful force by state actors. Our resources and expertise empower others to demand justice and accountability, amplifying the impact of our work.

Technical expertise Omega provided to partner organisation Irídia was a key resource both for litigation and advocacy, contributing to the Catalonian Government’s recent decision to amend rules on the use of kinetic impact projectiles and to instruct the police service, Mossos d’Esquadra, to cease use of a particularly dangerous munition. These decisions will make exercising the right to freedom of peaceful assembly safer in Catalonia.

Omega recognises the fundamental role of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in functioning democracies. We helped to develop the Model Protocol for law enforcement officials to promote and protect human rights in the context of peaceful protests and the Handbook that will be used by police globally to operationalise important safeguards.

Group of people at Workshop on use of force protocols, Brasilia, May 2023. Credit
European Parliament. CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2020 – Source: EP

Stopping the trade in Tools of Torture

Our unique research into the global manufacture, promotion and trade of law enforcement equipment used in torture and our targeted advocacy have directly contributed to the introduction and strengthening of national, regional, and international torture-free trade regulations aimed at preventing exports of these goods to human rights abusers. In Europe, for example, our investigations have uncovered and halted promotion of torture equipment at arms and security trade fairs while our in-depth reports and evidence-based submissions have directly influenced amendments to the EU Anti-Torture Regulation, leading to tighter restrictions on the export of equipment that could be used for torture or other forms of ill-treatment. More recently, we have provided critical research support to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, informing her recent thematic study on the international trade in equipment used for torture.

Strengthening oversight and accountability

Our research helps to improve oversight by strengthening regulations that govern the use of force by State actors, in particular, the use of less lethal weapons. Through expert analysis, training, and strategic partnerships, we provide critical evidence and tools that support effective judicial processes and access to justice.

Omega’s expertise was central in the development of the UN Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement, which has already informed use of force rules and judgments concerning the unlawful use of force in multiple countries.

Omega has worked closely with the Brazilian Mechanism to Prevent and Combat Torture since 2016, enabling it to increase scrutiny and accountability for misuse of force, and providing a crucial evidence base for all anti-torture work in Brazil.

Criminal convictions for torture remain rare despite widespread abuses. Prosecutors in the Brazilian State of Bahia recently informed us that training we provided in 2021 directly contributed to the success of “Operation Istanbul”, which led to the conviction of an investigative police officer for torture.

Omega researcher delivering a presentation. Credit: Omega Research Foundation
N225 photographed in Hong Kong 2019

Holding companies accountable

Through rigorous investigations and public reporting, we have exposed unethical practices by manufacturers and suppliers of law enforcement, security, and military equipment. In recent years, Omega has identified the uncovered the promotion of torture equipment, landmines and cluster munitions and other prohibited goods at international arms fairs, leading to the expulsion of several companies. In 2019, the UK government suspended exports of law enforcement equipment to Hong Kong after Omega revealed the use of UK-manufactured tear gas by police against pro-democracy protesters.

Cultivating a global movement

We have successfully brought the attention of the global community to the manufacture, trade, and use of law enforcement equipment, and the human rights abuses that can result. Through public reports, media engagement, and collaboration with international organisations, we have raised awareness of the risks associated with the misuse of such equipment, contributing to a growing global movement for greater regulation and oversight. In January 2023, we co-organised a Torture-Free Trade Treaty Summit, where more than 30 organisations from around the world signed the Shoreditch Declaration for a Torture-Free Trade Treaty, which calls for prohibitions on the manufacture and trade of inherently abusive equipment. We are a core member of the civil society network (now comprising over 80 organisations) calling for a Torture-Free Trade Treaty, sharing our expertise to strengthen the campaign.

We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver high-quality, impactful work on a limited budget. Our dedicated and experienced team combine technical expertise, investigative skills, and advocacy to achieve systemic change in the way military, law enforcement, and security equipment is regulated and used globally.

Here is what some of those we have worked with have said about our research:

The support of our funders is critical to sustaining and expanding our work. By investing in the Omega Research Foundation, you are contributing to a safer, more just world where human rights are protected and upheld. Our work influences policies and practices that have far-reaching positive impact for the rights of people and communities worldwide. With your help, we can help to ensure that military, law enforcement, and security equipment is used in a way which is consistent with human dignity, hold those in power accountable, and drive the change needed to protect human rights in the future.