Joint Statement on Outer Space
BY Jessica West This statement was drafted on behalf of civil society by Project Ploughshares Senior Researcher Jessica West. Dr. West presented it to the United Nations General Assembly First Committee for Disarmament and International Security on October 13, 2020. [Read More]
Canada remains silent on illegal Canadian weapons in Libya
BY Kelsey Gallagher On October 5, under mounting pressure from civil society and the Armenian diaspora community, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) suspended exports of Canadian-made L3Harris WESCAM surveillance and targeting sensors to Turkey. These sensors had been found on Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or... [Read More]
The making of Killer Optics
BY Tasneem Jamal Ploughshares Communications Officer Tasneem Jamal spoke with Kelsey Gallagher about the genesis of Killer Optics, the impact of its publication, and the role of open-source data in tracking arms transfers. [Read More]
The third drone age
BY Branka Marijan Any lingering doubts about the centrality of drones in modern warfare vanished as the world watched Azerbaijani military drones inflict serious damage on the Armenian military in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Now some European and American defence analysts are asking if the rising... [Read More]
Protecting humans on Earth from war in space
BY Jessica West More states are preparing for war in outer space. The result could be accelerated, intensified conflict; environmental destruction; and nuclear winter. Even if we avoid the ultimate catastrophe, the consequences of war in space are serious. The destruction of space systems would harm every... [Read More]
Hope by treaty
BY Cesar Jaramillo On October 24, Honduras became the 50th state party to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), triggering the 90-day process that will culminate in the Treaty’s entry into force. On January 22, 2021, the TPNW will officially become international law. [Read More]
Countering 5 misconceptions about a political declaration on EWIPA
BY Cesar Jaramillo and Kelsey Gallagher The use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA), by both state and nonstate actors, has become a top humanitarian concern, given the devastating impact it has on civilian lives and livelihoods. [Read More]

Project Ploughshares is a Canadian peace research institute with a focus on disarmament efforts and international security, specifically in the areas of the arms trade, emerging military and security technologies, nuclear weapons, and outer space security.

Analysis & Commentary

Video: The Future of Peace and Conflict: Nuclear Arms, Space and Robotics

September 29, 2020

On September 28, Ploughshares Senior Researchers Jessica West and Branka Marijan participated in an online panel on the future of peace and conflict hosted by the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Event description From the invention of the machine-gun, to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, to the use of armed drones, technological advances in war craft have transformed geopolitical rivalries ...

Webinar: Killer robots

Want to learn more about killer robots? Are you in university or high school? Join us for an interactive discussion! Killer robots, or autonomous weapons, are a very real concern for international security. We will discuss the issue of autonomous weapons, where the international discussion stands, Canada’s role and what civil society organizations are doing.

A milestone for military AI?

August 26, 2020

On August 19, a human F-16 fighter pilot engaged with an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm in a virtual simulation of a dogfight. The human pilot lost all five rounds. So was this a historical moment for military use of AI? AI wins again For some observers, and for the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that organized the ...

Beirut blast: Insights into using open-source data for humanitarian purposes

August 17, 2020

Images and videos of the explosion that rocked the port and destroyed much of Beirut, Lebanon on August 4 spread quickly on social media. In real time, viewers could see the extent of the devastation and witness the many lives ruined or tragically altered. Following almost immediately was an onslaught of speculation, as people searched for the cause of the ...

New export regime needed for drones

August 5, 2020

The United States has relaxed its drone export policy, bringing into question the relevance of the existing arrangement guiding exports of drones, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Countries that were not allowed to purchase some U.S. drones under the previous understanding of MTCR guidelines now face fewer restrictions. While the United States is not likely to export lethal drones ...

Recent Publications

The Ploughshares Monitor: Winter 2020

November 26, 2020

Volume 41 Issue 4 A quarterly publication of Project Ploughshares Please click on attachment to view document:

Joint Statement on Outer Space

November 25, 2020

This statement was drafted on behalf of civil society by Project Ploughshares Senior Researcher Jessica West. Dr. West presented it to the United Nations General Assembly First Committee for Disarmament and International Security on October 13, 2020.

Canada remains silent on illegal Canadian weapons in Libya

November 25, 2020

On October 5, under mounting pressure from civil society and the Armenian diaspora community, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) suspended exports of Canadian-made L3Harris WESCAM surveillance and targeting sensors to Turkey. These sensors had been found on Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) that were illicitly diverted to Azerbaijan by ally Turkey for use in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

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