Transparency and accountability are not usually words associated with the international sale of arms. The Omega Research Foundation, based in the U.K., aims to shed light on the use, trade, and manufacture of military, security, and police equipment, seeking to expose companies and governments flouting regulations. Given the highly sensitive nature of their research, the organization must carefully manage its risks.
That’s where lawyers came in. A U.K. firm in PILnet’s network, with experience in protecting NGOs who monitor government activities, provided invaluable legal assistance to manage the risks of libel or defamation for a report it published on the trade and use of equipment in Brazil. The result was a wealth of information that would otherwise never see the light of day, published by an organization now resilient enough to withstand scrutiny and criticism and safeguarded from legal repercussions.
