Conventional Weapons

Our Objectives

  • Foster binding international standards that control the supply of weapons and promote initiatives that reduce the demand for conventional weapons
  • Promote stronger and more transparent Canadian military export controls
  • Promote stronger and more transparent military export controls
  • Support Canadian and international implementation of the UN Programme of Action on small arms
  • Draw attention to the links between armed-violence reduction and development

Our Recent Initiatives

2012 Highlights

  • Ploughshares participated in the meeting of the UN Preparatory Committee for an Arms Trade Treaty in New York in February. Kenneth Epps served as a panelist in a side meeting at the PrepCom on “Import and Transit Considerations in an ATT,” where he presented the results of a case study of Barbados.
  • In February, published research on youth armed violence interventions.
  • Kenneth Epps participated as Co-Chair in the Control Arms Coalition Steering Board meeting in February to plan the activities of the international civil society coalition in the final months before the July treaty conference.
  • With support from the government of Canada, Project Ploughshares and regional partners co-hosted a meeting of government and civil society experts of the MERCOSUR region in Latin America. The meeting, held in Buenos Aires, discussed a common position for MERCOSUR on the ATT.
  • Ploughshares and Canadian nongovernmental organization (NGO) partners jointly hosted an ATT meeting in Ottawa for parliamentarians. The meeting was to brief parliamentarians on the opportunities and challenges of the July ATT treaty conference.
  • In May, published of a resource for the use of civil society organizations “Building Capacity Training Manual for Civil Society Organizations” based on our experience carrying out training for NGOs working on violence reduction in five Caribbean countries.
  • In June appeared as a PP witness to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (SCFAID) which was examining Canada’s participation in the July Arms Trade Treaty negotiations at the United Nations. The presentation discussed the challenges to negotiating a strong and effective treaty.
  • Also in June, appeared as a PP witness to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs which was reviewing amendments to Canadian firearms regulations. The PP presentation discussed where the proposed amendments would prevent Canada from meeting international firearms commitments.
  • In July, Ploughshares participated in the UN conference that negotiated the provisions of an Arms Trade Treaty. This included participation in side events, regular meetings with government delegates and NGO colleagues, interaction with and briefings to media, and reporting on developments during the conference.
  • In August, Kenneth Epps published an oped in The Globe and Mail, “Farewell to the arms treaty – for now.” The article reported on the results of, and Canada’s role in, the July ATT negotiations.
  • In October, appeared as a PP witness to the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade during its review of Bill S-10, An Act to implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The PP presentation called on the Committee to recommend against elements of Bill S-10 that would undermine the spirit and purpose of the Convention.