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Canadian military aid to Ukraine in 2022
Kelsey Gallagher
June 16, 2022
In response to Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, Canada has announced successive shipments of military goods to the Ukrainian government. As of mid-May 2022, the value of all committed transfers was in excess of $150-million, with military aid worth a further $500-million proposed in Canada’s 2022 federal budget.
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No Canadian leadership on autonomous weapons
Branka Marijan
June 6, 2022
For some time, Canada’s silence has been a standard feature of international discussions on autonomous weapons. True to form, Canada remained quiet at the April 26-27 informal, virtual sessions on lethal autonomous weapons systems hosted by Brazil, the current chair of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
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The ATT in 2022: Focus on post-shipment controls
Kelsey Gallagher
June 6, 2022
The eighth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (CSP8) will be held this August. The theme chosen by conference president Germany is post-shipment controls and on-site verification. These instruments provide innovative ways to protect against the diversion of exported weapons systems once they leave the exporter’s hands.
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How to use open-source intelligence to get to the truth
Wendy Stocker
June 6, 2022
The term “open-source intelligence” refers to data that is accessible to everyone. At one time, this would mean sources that could be readily found in public and university libraries, in newspapers, books, journals, government documents, and curated collections.
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Statement to the Open-ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats
Jessica West
June 6, 2022
I am here on behalf of both Project Ploughshares – a Canadian peace and arms control research institute – and the Canadian Pugwash Group, which is committed to the abolition of weapons of mass destruction and has a long tradition of “dialogue-across-divides.” Both of these organizations have long supported efforts to develop formal arms control mechanisms for outer space.
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A security framework for nuclear abolition
Cesar Jaramillo
June 6, 2022
Imagine that the international community has just eliminated nuclear weapons. That an auspicious combination of genuine political will, good-faith diplomatic engagement, and effective leadership has resulted in comprehensive and credible multilateral disarmament negotiations that made irreversible nuclear abolition a reality.
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Delegates at the United Nations Have Begun Forging New Rules for Space
Ploughshares
May 11, 2022
“There’s a good display of goodwill and broad engagement. I think there’s points of consensus on what needs to be done. We need to find common understandings of how international laws apply in space,” says Jessica West, a senior researcher at the research institute Project Ploughshares based in Waterloo, Ontario, who’s attending the meeting.
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New markets for Canadian arms?
Kelsey Gallagher
April 7, 2022
Last month, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) announced that public consultations would be held on the proposed addition of Qatar and…
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Experts warn that Canadian weapons shipped to Ukraine could end up in the wrong hands
Ploughshares
March 16, 2022
“There is the real threat that the Ukrainian government can potentially not control all of these weapons,” said Kelsey Gallagher, a researcher with Project Ploughshares, a Canadian non-government disarmament group. “They could end up anywhere.”
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How Canadian technology is shaping modern conflict
Kelsey Gallagher
March 15, 2022
Established in 1947 as Canadian Aviation Electronics, CAE Inc. has more than 10,000 employees and operates 180 sites and training locations in more than 35 countries. While CAE produces goods for the civilian market, it is also one of Canada’s largest military manufacturers, chiefly producing cockpit simulators and associated equipment that are used in training air crew. As is true of many Canadian defence manufacturers, most of its goods and services are exported and sold on the foreign market.
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Astronauts and astronomers need better space governance
Jessica West
March 15, 2022
On November 15, 2021, seven astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were ordered to take shelter because of the possibility of catastrophic collisions as the station passed through a cloud of debris. The astronauts remained in lifeboats while the ISS passed through the cloud multiple times.
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The AI-enhanced kill chain
Branka Marijan
March 15, 2022
Military research and development in recent years have focused on artificial intelligence (AI) tools that gather and analyze data quickly. Combined with improved sensors, they make possible faster and seemingly more accurate targeting of enemy positions. Now this R&D is being operationalized. Last September, according to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, the United States Air Force, for the first time, used AI to help to identify a target or targets in “a live operational kill chain.”
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the long-standing global co-operation in space, experts say
Ploughshares
March 15, 2022
“Can the International Space Station be suddenly dropped over Europe? No. Is that going to happen? Again, no,” said Jessica West, a senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, a Canadian peace research institute at the University of Waterloo.
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Whatever happens in Ukraine, keep nuclear weapons out
Cesar Jaramillo
March 3, 2022
On the second day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin warned the West of “consequences greater than you have faced in history” for any interference. Many observers saw a troubling, if veiled, reference to Russia’s nuclear arsenal. By day four, any lingering ambiguity about Putin’s willingness to invoke nuclear weapons dissipated: he ordered Russian nuclear forces to be placed on high alert and broadcast the decision for the world to see.
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Beyond Ukraine: AI and the next US-Russia confrontation
Branka Marijan
February 15, 2022
Two titans from the Cold War era seem set to go another round, this time over the prospect of Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which the United States calls a sovereign Ukrainian decision and Russia opposes vehemently. Whatever the outcome of the current standoff, another confrontation between the United States and Russia that merits closer attention is brewing — one that may fundamentally reshape the US-Russia security relationship in the not-so-distant future.
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Astronomers rally to stop satellite constellations from ruining the sky
Ploughshares
February 7, 2022
Jessica West, a senior researcher on space security at Project Ploughshares, a Canadian peace and security research institute, said we’re reaching the point where our ability to observe space is being significantly harmed.
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US rejects charge that Starlink satellites endangered China’s space station
Ploughshares
February 3, 2022
Published by Breaking Defense on February 3, 2022 The United States, in an official “note verbale” to the United Nations, has refuted…
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Arms exports to UAE may be fuelling Yemen war, records show
Ploughshares
February 3, 2022
The following excerpt is from an article published by Ricochet on February 3, 2022 Canada has one of the most…
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Where is Canada’s moral compass when it comes to the war in Yemen?
Ploughshares
January 25, 2022
The following excerpt is from an article published by Ricochet on January 25, 2022 It was a 45-second clip intended to…
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The Sputnik moment re-examined
Jessica West
November 29, 2021
A U.S. military official recently described a missile test conducted by China in August as “very close to a Sputnik moment.” It seems that the test involved the launch of a re-entry vehicle capable of entering orbit and re-entering Earth’s atmosphere with its payload intact; this primary vehicle also carried a hypersonic glide vehicle that was released following re-entry.
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Government support for the arms industry
Kelsey Gallagher
November 29, 2021
For more than half a century, Canadian arms manufacturers have been selling weapons to foreign states. Much of this economic activity is the direct result of government assistance. From brokering contracts to staffing international arms fairs, the Canadian government goes to bat for Canadian weapons manufacturers.
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Unacceptable risk and autonomous weapons
Branka Marijan
November 29, 2021
At first glance, it might appear that seven years of international discussions on autonomous weapons have had few concrete results. At the time of writing, the third session of the 2021 United Nations (UN) Group of Governmental Experts on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) was scheduled to take place in early December in Geneva, Switzerland. The most that is expected from these meetings is a proposal to continue talking.
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Crafting Canada’s Techno-Diplomatic Strategy
Branka Marijan
November 8, 2021
Canada is in dire need of a solid diplomatic strategy that responds to the growing nexus between emerging technologies and national security. Newly-appointed foreign minister Mélanie Joly would do well to prioritize the development of robust and forward-looking policies to tackle tech-related security concerns, as is increasingly the case in the foreign ministries of a number of countries—including key Canadian allies as well as would-be adversaries.
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Outer Space: Cloaked by a fog of peace
Jessica West
September 15, 2021
In his book On War, published in 1873, military analyst Carl von Clausewitz said, “War is the realm of uncertainty; three quarters of the factors on which action in war is based are wrapped in a fog of greater or lesser uncertainty.” Contemporary military theorists and planners still find this idea of the “fog of war” relevant.
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Why AI-controlled weapons are a bad idea
Wendy Stocker
September 15, 2021
I think I finally REALLY get it. I’ve been reading analysis of autonomous weapons and AI-powered tech by Ploughshares Senior Researcher Branka Marijan for years, but I’ve never completely understood why so many individuals and organizations and even countries are totally against weapons that can target and kill humans without humans as part of the decision-making process.
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Exploring how emerging technologies affect war and peace
Ploughshares
September 15, 2021
When I started with Ploughshares in 2015, I did a scan of our work and saw that new technologies were transforming and amplifying existing security concerns across our programs—outer space security, arms control, the abolition of nuclear weapons, the nature and causes of armed conflict.
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A new era in U.S.-Russia strategic stability?
Claire Wählen
September 15, 2021
During the Trump administration, relations between the United States and Russia deteriorated significantly, leading to the death of major arms control treaties, escalating cyberattacks, and retaliatory measures. On June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of his first foreign trip as U.S. President, Joe Biden met privately with Russian President Vladimir Putin to revive strategic stability talks. The meeting, which concluded with a joint presidential statement that calls for “ensuring predictability in the strategic sphere, reducing the risk of armed conflicts and the threat of nuclear war,” could mark the beginning of a new era of arms control diplomacy.
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An analysis of Canadian arms export data for 2020
Kelsey Gallagher
September 15, 2021
The government of Canada publishes federal arms export data in its annual Report on Exports of Military Goods from Canada. The report for 2020 reveals that Canadian military exports were at historically high levels, and that some of the customers were among the world’s worst abusers of human rights. While the 2020 edition includes minor improvements in transparency, significant information is still missing or obscured.
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Discarding deterrence: What Canada must do to help achieve nuclear disarmament
Cesar Jaramillo
September 15, 2021
“You can ignore reality,” said Russian-American author Ayn Rand. “But you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” Canada needs to heed this warning. While it continues to support the policies of nuclear-weapon states, the multilateral policy landscape on which nuclear disarmament negotiations occur is being reshaped. And all parties that continue to shelter under a nuclear umbrella will be increasingly isolated.
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Lessons from the Chemical Weapons Convention
Emily Standfield
September 13, 2021
There is currently strong international interest in a formal arms control agreement for outer space. However, many obstacles that have prevented such an agreement in the past must still be surmounted.
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Canada approved deal to sell $74-million worth of explosives to Saudi Arabia
Ploughshares
July 27, 2021
Published by The Globe and Mail on July 27, 2021 The federal government last year approved a deal with Canadian…
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Kargu-2 debate raises awareness of autonomous weapons
Branka Marijan
July 15, 2021
Over the past few months, experts have been surprised by the media attention given to the Turkish-made Kargu-2 kamikaze drone or loitering munition. Everyone, it seems, wants to know if the use of the Kargu-2 in Libya in March 2020 was the first instance of an autonomous weapon being used in conflict.
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Time to ban debris-generating weapons tests in space
Jessica West
June 7, 2021
Orbiting our planet are thousands of satellites that support military operations as well as critical civilian and commercial infrastructures that provide essential services for humans all over the world. These satellites are unprotected and can be seriously damaged by even the smallest piece of orbital shrapnel or debris. And in space, the danger is ongoing, because the debris stays in orbit.
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Responsible AI for defence applications
Branka Marijan
June 7, 2021
Responsible uses of artificial intelligence (AI) have been featured prominently in recent national discussions and multilateral forums. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 60 countries have multiple initiatives and more than 30 have national AI strategies that consider responsible use. However, the use of AI for national defence has not generally been tackled yet.
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A journey of refugees: From Libya to Italy
Kirsten Mosey
June 7, 2021
Valuable insights into the current treatment of migrants, particularly in the wider European context, can be achieved by examining recent interactions between Italy and Libya. Indeed, this particular case highlights a necessary reframing of responses to migration at a global level.
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An unparalleled look into Canada’s arms trade
Kelsey Gallagher
June 7, 2021
Just before Canada halted certain weapons exports to Turkey in April 2021, the FAAE committee released nearly 1,000 pages of government documents on Canada’s arms deals with Turkey. Although heavily redacted, the documents provide an unmatched look into the Canadian arms trade, including previously confidential memoranda to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, hundreds of pages of internal correspondence by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and never-before-seen Canadian export permits for weapon systems.
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Canadian military goods exports drop in 2020
Ploughshares
June 2, 2021
As there is credible evidence that Saudi Arabia has breached the laws of war in Yemen, and has gone so far as to illicitly provide these vehicles to proxies in that conflict, Canada’s continued arms exports to Riyadh is a breach of domestic and international law.
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Video: Parliamentary testimony on exports to Turkey
Ploughshares
April 28, 2021
On April 27, 2021, Ploughshares Executive Director Cesar Jaramillo and Researcher Kelsey Gallagher provided testimony to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the Government of Canada. The subject was Granting of Arms Export, with a particular focus on permits granted for exports to Turkey.
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Selling military goods to the United States
Kelsey Gallagher
March 25, 2021
The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), an independently operated Crown corporation, arranges contracts between Canadian manufacturers and foreign governments. Between 60 and 70 per cent of these contracts involve military goods, making the CCC Canada’s largest arms broker.
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We need to restart talks on regulating autonomous weapons—now
Branka Marijan
March 25, 2021
To no one’s surprise, United Nations discussions on the regulation of autonomous weapons have stalled. Last year, the global pandemic caused delays, with only one week of discussions—partly in Geneva, Switzerland and partly virtual—taking place from September 21-25. November’s annual meeting of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), at which the 2021 schedule for discussions on autonomous weapons would have been set, was cancelled.
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The devastating impact of COVID-19 on refugees
Kirsten Mosey
March 25, 2021
In 2016, Kirsten Mosey volunteered at Camp Moria on the island of Lesvos, Greece—once Europe’s largest refugee camp. Designed to house between 2,000 and 3,000 people, the former military/detention centre held approximately 20,000 refugees at its peak.
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It’s not too late to save the Iran nuclear deal
Cesar Jaramillo
March 25, 2021
Donald Trump opposed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal) even before he became President of the United States. Despite his hostility, the deal survived his term in office, although not unscathed. Now new President Joe Biden is cautiously optimistic that it can be salvaged. But steps to preserve the deal must be taken immediately, before the already narrow window of opportunity fully closes.
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Yemen and Canada’s $2.8-billion moral deficit
Kirsten Mosey
March 18, 2021
On March 1, Canada’s Minister of International Development Karina Gould pledged $69.9-million in aid to Yemen, now mired in its…
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Autonomous collaborative weapons
Branka Marijan
March 9, 2021
The United States is at the forefront of advancements in autonomous swarming technologies. A U.S. government-appointed panel has even said…
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Clearview AI signals growing data privacy problem
Branka Marijan
February 4, 2021
According to a recent report by Canada’s privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien and three provincial counterparts, Clearview AI has broken Canada’s…
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It’s time for Canada to signal a shift in its nuclear disarmament policy
Cesar Jaramillo
January 29, 2021
January 22nd marked a historic milestone for nuclear disarmament as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) came…
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Could a new U.S. administration influence Canada’s arms export policy?
Kelsey Gallagher
January 27, 2021
In the run-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Joe Biden pledged to end arms sales to countries fueling the…
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Canada’s efforts on responsible AI must include ban on autonomous weapons
Branka Marijan
January 4, 2021
During a week of virtual sessions hosted in September at the Geneva offices of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Canada remained silent. Not once in the last year has Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs focused on autonomous weapons when explaining Canada’s foreign policy priorities.
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Rethinking arms control: A Canadian perspective
Branka Marijan
November 30, 2020
With a global pandemic and a still undecided U.S. election forming a dramatic backdrop, on November 6, the German Foreign Office hosted a virtual conference, “Capturing Technology. Rethinking Arms Control.” This event, combined with an experts’ preparatory workshop on November 5, were used to shine a light on the transformational capabilities of new technologies on both “old” issues of arms control, such as nuclear weapons, and new ones, including autonomous weapons and drone swarms.
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Export suspension exposes flaws in Canada’s arms controls
Kelsey Gallagher
November 30, 2020
On October 24, Radio Canada International reported that Canadian-based Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) had suspended the export of aircraft engines to “countries with unclear usage.” This action followed reports that these engines were being used in Turkish-built Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that Turkey had sent to support Azeri forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
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Joint Statement on Outer Space
Jessica West
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.
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Video: The Future of Peace and Conflict: Nuclear Arms, Space and Robotics
Ploughshares
September 29, 2020
On September 28, Ploughshares Senior Researchers Jessica West and Branka Marijan participated in an online panel on the future of…
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A milestone for military AI?
Branka Marijan
August 26, 2020
On August 19, a human F-16 fighter pilot engaged with an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm in a virtual simulation of…
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Beirut blast: Insights into using open-source data for humanitarian purposes
Branka Marijan
August 17, 2020
Images and videos of the explosion that rocked the port and destroyed much of Beirut, Lebanon on August 4 spread…
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New export regime needed for drones
Branka Marijan
August 5, 2020
The United States has relaxed its drone export policy, bringing into question the relevance of the existing arrangement guiding exports…
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Burn-In: What our future with tech could look like
Branka Marijan
July 14, 2020
Why a blog about a recently released novel? Because, as many readers know, fiction is often a compelling way to…
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The U.S. defence strategy in outer space: A plan in which no one wins
Jessica West
June 25, 2020
On June 18, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released a public summary of its updated Defense Space Strategy. Making…
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Space Security Cooperation: Changing Dynamics
Jessica West
June 22, 2020
The security of outer space is a cooperative endeavor to achieve a shared benefit. Yet, while cooperation is essential for space security, it is often fraught. This chapter examines the logic for cooperation as an approach to space security, including supportive governance mechanisms, and traces the impetus and evolution of such efforts over time, marked by struggle to overcome strategic competition.
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Space Force: Why we’re watching the Netflix parody
Jessica West
June 9, 2020
The new Netflix parody series Space Force, starring Steve Carell, is currently #1 on the platform in Canada. We at…
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A New Survey Seeks The Input Of Global Experts On Space Norms
Jessica West
June 5, 2020
How do we think that this body of rules and accepted behaviours and attitudes—this normative landscape—can be strengthened and extended to fill in critical gaps, particularly in relation to military and security activities? What tools would encourage responsible behaviour to become the norm? What would a future governed by the best possible assembly of norms look like?
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Canada’s top five arms contracts to the U.S. – 2015-2020
Kelsey Gallagher
May 26, 2020
The most recently released federal records indicates that Canada transferred over $2-billion CAD in military exports to customers around the…
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Canada must resist U.S. efforts to further undermine the Iran nuclear deal
Cesar Jaramillo
May 5, 2020
The Iran nuclear deal has long been derided by U.S. President Donald Trump, whose actions have already jeopardized some of…
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Tech for the good of humanity
Branka Marijan
April 29, 2020
This pandemic has in fact brought into sharper focus the choices that are made about where resources are allocated, which technologies are developed, and for what purposes. These types of choices are and will be particularly important when it comes to applications of AI for national and global security.
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Human rights must be safeguarded while fighting coronavirus
Branka Marijan
April 24, 2020
As global anxiety grows about the profound impact of the COVID-19 crisis, it may seem that no stone should be left unturned to resolve it. But governments’ use of technology presents clear risks of misuse and abuse. As the crisis unfolds, the methods used by states to tackle it will demand careful public scrutiny, rooted on legitimate expectations of enhanced transparency.
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Amid COVID crisis, Canada lifts moratorium on arms exports to Saudi Arabia
Cesar Jaramillo
April 15, 2020
On April 10, GAC issued an official statement in support of a global ceasefire, in response to the high-profile appeal on March 23 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The day before, however, it had announced that it was lifting a moratorium on arms-export permits to Saudi Arabia, one of the worst violators of human and women’s rights on the planet.
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Public health is on our minds: Here’s how it applies to outer space
Jessica West
April 14, 2020
The number of threats to the security of outer space is growing. Reports on global counter-space capabilities released at the…
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A delicate balance: Responding to a crisis with surveillance tech
Branka Marijan
March 24, 2020
As more surveillance technologies are being used in this fight, a broader conversation has begun on the need to balance the demands of public health with the preservation of privacy and human rights.
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Clearview AI and the public use of facial-recognition technology
Branka Marijan
March 10, 2020
Police forces were not forthcoming about their use of Clearview AI and facial-recognition technology in general, until a February report revealed that Canada was the largest market for Clearview AI technology outside the United States. The technology seems to have spread quietly, sometimes without the knowledge of those in charge.
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Will Canada’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia impact its bid for a UN Security Council seat?
Kelsey Gallagher
March 4, 2020
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has long wanted to get Canada back on the UN Security Council, where it last had a seat in 2000. For Trudeau, such a return would signal Canada’s “renewed commitment to international peace and security.”
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A leadership role on ethical AI is Canada’s to take or lose
Branka Marijan
February 27, 2020
Canada is certainly capable of promoting global norms, with a federal government commitment to fund AI research, an active AI community, and a rapidly developing tech sector. Expert help is available from leading AI researchers in Canadian universities and industries. Research institutes and civil-society groups also have expertise on various applications of AI.
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Canada to support a ban on autonomous weapons
Branka Marijan
January 28, 2020
The question now is what happens next and how will the mandate be implemented when UN discussions on this issue resume in June. While fully autonomous weapons systems do not yet exist, experts agree that they soon will.
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At the breaking point: New report reveals weaknesses in outer space security
Ploughshares
November 11, 2019
Space activity is flourishing. In 2018, 71 countries owned satellites. Seventy-two national space agencies spent a combined $70 billion. Eleven…
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Canada at the World’s Largest Arms Fair
Kelsey Gallagher
October 17, 2019
Among the shoppers for the latest weapons were representatives of repressive regimes and states accused of major breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law. Sellers included a range of Canadian companies.
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What’s new in the world of autonomous weapons?
Branka Marijan
July 17, 2019
The call by some states and civil society for the regulation of autonomous weapons continues. But concern is also being…
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More clarity on Canada’s views on military applications of artificial intelligence needed
Branka Marijan
May 13, 2019
Canada appears to be leading the way in the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) with a number of initiatives…
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Canada’s reluctant participation in peacekeeping in Mali: What it reveals
Analysis and Commentary Conventional Weapons Defence & Human Security Emerging Technologies Featured News
Branka Marijan
April 24, 2019
When Canada announced that it would not be extending its commitment to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali beyond…
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Where does the world stand on killer robots? The view from recent UN meetings on autonomous weapons
Branka Marijan
April 2, 2019
From March 25 to 29, the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons met at the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Geneva, Switzerland.
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Canada’s future role in UN peace operations
Analysis and Commentary Armed Conflicts Conventional Weapons Defence & Human Security Emerging Technologies Featured News
Branka Marijan
February 13, 2019
It has been almost three decades since Canada was among the leading contributors of troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions….
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The new disarmament advocates?
Branka Marijan
January 24, 2019
Over the past year, tech-worker movements have illustrated the rising awareness of this group of their role—for good and ill—in…
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Looking ahead: Trends shaping space security in 2019
Jessica West
January 23, 2019
The world has entered a Second Space Age, marked by an intensification of our interactions and reach into outer space….
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Balancing individual rights and national security
Branka Marijan
December 10, 2018
In his recent remarks at the Economic Club of Canada, Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) director David Vigneault indicated that…
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Blurring the lines: Virtual, mixed reality and the future of warfare
Branka Marijan
October 24, 2018
In early October 2017, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and colleague Rachel Franklin sat in offices in California wearing headsets while…
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Q&A: Women and Yemen’s peace process
Sonal Marwah
October 16, 2018
The following is a conversation with Rasha Jarum, founder and director of Peace Track Initiative, on the efforts to secure more…
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The Right to Peace: Space Security
Ploughshares
September 20, 2018
The theme for the 2018 International Day of Peace (Friday, Sept. 21) is The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration…
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The Right to Peace: Forced Displacement and Migration
Ploughshares
September 19, 2018
The theme for the 2018 International Day of Peace (Friday, Sept. 21) is The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration…
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The Right to Peace: Stop Killer Robots
Ploughshares
September 18, 2018
The theme for the 2018 International Day of Peace (Friday, Sept. 21) is The Right to Peace – The Universal…
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The Right to Peace: Nuclear Disarmament
Ploughshares
September 17, 2018
The theme for the 2018 International Day of Peace (Friday, Sept. 21) is The Right to Peace – The Universal…
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Untangling the current U.S. refugee program
Sonal Marwah
August 8, 2018
With 25.4 million refugees, the world is experiencing the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. Until recently, the…
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Why the “tech for good” conversation needs to be more inclusive and transparent
Branka Marijan
July 12, 2018
Over the last year, the focus on “tech for good” and ethical artificial intelligence has become more prominent in media…
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A race to the bottom on migration
Cesar Jaramillo
July 12, 2018
The European Union has recently weakened protections for migrants under the guise of cooperation, writes Cesar Jaramillo, warning of a…
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Call for independent review into use of Canadian-made armoured vehicles in Saudi Arabia
Ploughshares
July 9, 2018
A coalition of human rights and arms control groups sent a letter to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland,…
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Trump just announced the creation of a Space Force. Should we be concerned?
Jessica West
June 20, 2018
On Monday, U.S. President Trump was due to sign Space Policy Directive-3 on space traffic management. This was exciting to…
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Reflecting on current problems and possible solutions
Ploughshares
June 19, 2018
By Sonal Marwah and Michelle Ball* On June 20, we celebrate World Refugee Day. The occasion focuses attention on the…
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The ‘Black Mirror’ spectre and autonomous weapons
Branka Marijan
June 6, 2018
Thinking about the future of warfare through science fiction Laughter doesn’t often fill the meeting room at the United Nations….
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War in Yemen: A litmus test of the Arms Trade Treaty
Sonal Marwah
June 6, 2018
In March 2015, following a long political crisis in Yemen in which all parties resorted to violence, Houthi rebels seized…
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Re-affirming City of Toronto as a Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone
Cesar Jaramillo
April 19, 2018
The following comments refer to the April 16, 2018 Board of Health meeting on item 2018.HL26.1: Re-affirming City of Toronto…
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Should you worry about Killer Robots?
Branka Marijan
April 19, 2018
Last week, the Group of Governmental Experts met at the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) in Geneva,…
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Unintended consequences and malicious uses of AI
Branka Marijan
March 19, 2018
News stories on artificial intelligence (AI) herald advancements in medicine, applaud the ability of programs to defeat human players in…
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The legal challenge to the Safe Third Country Agreement: What’s at stake?
Sonal Marwah
January 4, 2018
By Sonal Marwah and Deborah Mebude On July 5, the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR); The Canadian Council of Churches…
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America first: What the U.S. National Security Strategy means for arms control in outer space
Jessica West
January 3, 2018
The new U.S. National Security Strategy promises to put America first, raising critical questions about the future of alliances and…
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Under Stress: Space Security in 2017
Jessica West
October 25, 2017
The annual assessment of the security of outer space released at the United Nations last week warns of mounting stress…
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Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade
Tasneem Jamal
October 25, 2017
Free public film screening, followed by a Q&A with arms trade expert and author Andrew Feinstein and the Executive Director…
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On Elon Musk, AI and killer robots
Branka Marijan
October 4, 2017
Last month, 116 robotics experts, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, signed a letter calling on the United Nations…
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Getting to Nuclear Zero
Tasneem Jamal
September 11, 2017
Building Common Security for a Post-MAD World When: September 22-23, 2017 Where: Cartier Place Hotel 180 Cooper Street (just east…
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Canadians among experts calling for UN action on killer robots
Branka Marijan
August 22, 2017
On August 21, 116 robotics experts from 26 countries, including Canada, signed a letter calling for the United Nations to…
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Canada Can’t Keep Denying It Ought To Scrap Saudi Arms Deal
Cesar Jaramillo
August 21, 2017
Since the moment it was announced in 2014 by the Harper government, the multibillion-dollar Canadian arms export deal with human-rights…
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Canada and nuclear weapons
Tasneem Jamal
July 26, 2017
Watch Cesar Jaramillo discuss nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Canada’s role, and the conference, “Canada’s Contribution to Global Security,”held in Pugwash…
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Robocops, drones, and the changing nature of law enforcement: How and when to regulate?
Branka Marijan
July 11, 2017
Recently, Dubai’s police force announced that by the end of the year it will have mini autonomous police cars that…
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Canada’s ATT Legislation Has A Loophole You Could Drive A Tank Through
Cesar Jaramillo
July 11, 2017
Canadian military exports to the United States have long been exempted from licensing and reporting requirements applicable to every other…
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The Outer Space Treaty at 50
Tasneem Jamal
April 26, 2017
Join us for a conversation about the future of outer space governance as the Outer Space Treaty faces the next…
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How can Canada respond to irregular migrants?
Sonal Marwah
April 4, 2017
The arrival of recent irregular migrants to Canada in context Frightened people are showing up in border towns in Manitoba,…
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CBC radio interview: Canada and the nuclear weapons ban
Cesar Jaramillo
March 28, 2017
Why isn’t Canada part of UN negotiations to create a worldwide nuclear ban? Listen to Cesar Jaramillo discuss this question…
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Canada’s absence betrays its history on nuclear talks
Cesar Jaramillo
March 27, 2017
Negotiations begin Monday at the United Nations in New York on a “legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading…
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Does Trump’s refugee order tie UNHCR’s hands?
Sonal Marwah
February 6, 2017
On January 27, President Trump signed an executive order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,”…
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Trump, Nukes and Twitter: A Potentially Lethal Combination
Cesar Jaramillo
January 31, 2017
Tick, tock: the Doomsday clock measured by The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved 30 seconds closer to midnight (meaning:…
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Despite ruling, many questions on Saudi arms deal linger
Cesar Jaramillo
January 25, 2017
Two prime ministers and four ministers of foreign affairs later, Canada is still set to ship $15-billion of military equipment…
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Global displacement not a European refugee crisis
Sonal Marwah
December 14, 2016
This year is turning into the “deadliest year yet” for migrants and refugees. Deaths and drownings in the Mediterranean have…
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We Need To Ban Nuclear Weapons (In Spite Of Canada)
Cesar Jaramillo
September 22, 2016
Make no mistake: neither North Korea’s latest nuclear weapons test nor the recent high-stakes stalemate over Iran’s nuclear program are…
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Promoting and broadening the governance of forced migrants
Sonal Marwah
September 19, 2016
Mobility is a defining characteristic of our time. Worldwide, there are 244-million international migrants—persons living in a country other than the…
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On killer police robots and weaponization of autonomous systems
Branka Marijan
July 19, 2016
Recent developments in autonomous systems, such as self-driving cars and mobile robotics, are exciting. Proponents promise that they will reduce…
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How should Canada respond to the threat of killer robots?
Branka Marijan
June 20, 2016
Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), more commonly known as killer robots, are an emerging topic in international security discussions. These…
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The human costs of war
Sonal Marwah
June 8, 2016
Human displacement has reached record levels as old wars continue and new conflicts emerge. The second half of the 20th…
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Police use of surveillance technology and “predictive” policing
Branka Marijan
June 8, 2016
Recent reports by the Canadian media, such as The Globe and Mail, have called attention to police use of “stingray”…
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Exploring the principle of the freedom of movement for refugees and migrants
Sonal Marwah
June 1, 2016
I participated in the 9th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS), held in…
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Shifting frontlines in the Schengen zone
Sonal Marwah
February 10, 2016
By Sonal Marwah and Philip MacFie The Schengen Agreement was conceived in 1985 in Schengen, Luxembourg and came into effect…
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Canada’s policy on airstrikes: What does it mean?
Tasneem Jamal
February 9, 2016
By Philip MacFie The Canadian government has decided to remove its F-18 fighter jets from Iraq and make a different…
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Canada withdraws jets from Middle East
Ploughshares
October 28, 2015
What this says about the future direction of Canadian foreign policy By Philip MacFie On October 20, 2015, Prime Minister-elect…
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Responding to the global refugee crisis – What can Canada do?
Ploughshares
October 6, 2015
Oct. 6, 2015 By Branka Marijan and Sonal Marwah The crisis in Syria and its spillover effects, such as the…
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Canada and the Global Arms Trade
Tasneem Jamal
September 9, 2015
Project Ploughshares, in partnership with the MSCU Centre for Peace advancement, Conrad Grebel University College and St. Jerome’s University, presents:…
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The humanitarian and political struggle to ban the bomb
Wendy Stocker
March 20, 2015
By Cesar Jaramillo Not only is the risk of a nuclear weapons detonation—whether by accident, miscalculation, or design—higher than commonly…
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WWI and Contemporary Policy on War and Peace
Tasneem Jamal
February 25, 2015
Conference Report Click here or on image for PDF of full report. September 26-28, 2014 Ottawa On the centenary of…
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Ploughshares’ data and public debate
John Siebert
February 5, 2015
Project Ploughshares has been tracking Canadian military exports since its founding in 1976. It is painstaking work done mostly in…
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More on Saudi arms sale
Tasneem Jamal
January 23, 2015
Listen to Cesar Jaramillo on the Dave Taylor show (Calgary) discussing arms sales to Saudi Arabia. (Scroll down and select Jan….
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As It Happens: Saudi Arms Deal
Tasneem Jamal
January 22, 2015
Listen to a podcast of As It Happens for Wednesday January 21 about the Saudi Arms deal, featuring an interview…
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Canada’s recent arms deal with Saudi Arabia
Tasneem Jamal
January 21, 2015
Listen to an interview with Project Ploughshares’ Cesar Jaramillo on the Barry Morgan Show on CJAD 800.
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New facts confirm unprecedented size of Canadian arms sale to Saudi Arabia
Kenneth Epps
July 22, 2014
Project Ploughshares has obtained official data that for the first time reveals the exact value of recently awarded multiyear contracts…
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Ottawa approval bypassed in proposed Canadian arms exports to Iraq
Kenneth Epps
May 21, 2014
By Kenneth Epps Canadian companies may soon supply military equipment to Iraq that is approved by the U.S. government, but…
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The flagrant contradictions of nuclear-dependent states
Cesar Jaramillo
May 12, 2014
By Cesar Jaramillo It’s hard to tell whether the states questioning the purpose, direction, and convenience of the humanitarian imperative…
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ATT ratifications climb with no help from Canada
Kenneth Epps
April 2, 2014
By Kenneth Epps Today Canada was again conspicuously absent from an important milestone in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the…
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Many EU countries to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty on April 2nd
Ploughshares
March 21, 2014
Message from the French and German Missions to the UN: – Save the Date – April 2nd/10 am – ATT…
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The F-35 is not a job creation program
Wendy Stocker
January 27, 2014
By Kenneth Epps Members of the Canadian Joint Strike Fighter Industrial Group (CJIG) will host a webinar on January 30…
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[Government] wrong to boost arms exports
Wendy Stocker
January 10, 2014
Published by the Waterloo Region Record, January 10, 2014 By Kenneth Epps To win new foreign sales, Canada has recently…
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Disarmament: Old Challenges, New Opportunities
Ploughshares
December 19, 2013
By Angela Kane, United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Event Hosted by Centre for International Policy Studies, University of…
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Angela Kane’s Keynote Address on Nuclear Disarmament
Ploughshares
December 19, 2013
By Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Keynote Address at Canadian Parliamentary Forum on Nuclear Disarmament Parliamentary Forum Co-sponsored…
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Redefining industrial benefits: The F-35 program
Kenneth Epps
December 11, 2013
Lest anyone thinks that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is out of the running for Canada’s replacement fighter aircraft…
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Ploughshares helps to establish an ATT Monitor
Ploughshares
December 10, 2013
In October Ploughshares Senior Program Officer Kenneth Epps began a six-month consultancy with the international Control Arms Coalition on the…
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Russian arms sold to U.S. for Afghan Army
Kenneth Epps
November 5, 2013
UPDATE: Pentagon cancels contract As the result of bipartisan U.S. Congressional opposition, the Pentagon has cancelled the latest order of Russian…
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Canadian arms exports to Egypt: fudging the figures
Kenneth Epps
August 21, 2013
The current crisis in Egypt is complex and fluid. To date Canada’s response has been measured, but understanding the situation…
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Cluster munitions: Tell your MP to #fixthebill!
Tasneem Jamal
June 5, 2013
Bill S-10, the draft legislation to implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions, is in second reading in the House of…
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Obama, drones and Just War
Tasneem Jamal
June 5, 2013
By Karina Sangha U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech on counterterrorism delivered this past Thursday has drawn both praise and criticism…
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There’s a new sense of urgency for a nuclear weapons ban
Cesar Jaramillo
May 17, 2013
Published by the Waterloo Region Record, May 17, 2013 By Cesar Jaramillo All nations are equal, but some nations are…
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A meaningful treaty at last
Kenneth Epps
April 4, 2013
On April 2 the United Nations General Assembly approved by an overwhelming majority vote a historic global Arms Trade Treaty….
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Ploughshares in Ottawa: Actions and Impact
Ploughshares
March 12, 2013
“What do you do?” When meeting strangers, this question is often near the top of the list. As the…
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Canada First in emerging military markets?
Kenneth Epps
February 15, 2013
The controversy surrounding the government’s plan to buy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft has usefully shed light into the darker…
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A Mali-first security strategy for Canada
John Siebert
January 23, 2013
Canadian Parliamentarians soon will have the opportunity to debate the merits of Canada’s military and other assistance to the UN-sanctioned…
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Colombia orders armoured vehicles from Canada
Kenneth Epps
January 11, 2013
On January 9, 2013 the Director of Strategic Communications for Foreign Minister John Baird confirmed that Canada added Colombia to…
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Colombia eligible to buy automatic firearms from Canada
Kenneth Epps
January 7, 2013
Following the January 2nd government announcement in the Canada Gazette, media reports revealed that Colombia was added to Canada’s Automatic…
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Will Santa deliver F-35 industrial benefits?
Kenneth Epps
December 17, 2012
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter debacle has delivered an early Christmas present to Canadian (and some attentive international) media. Columnists…
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A foreign policy for the few
Cesar Jaramillo
December 17, 2012
If asked to comment on Canada’s recent controversial vote at the UN General Assembly, I would be hard pressed to…
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Firearms control: Canada lowers the bar, again
Kenneth Epps
November 5, 2012
UPDATE: Since the following blog was written, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced that the government will postpone implementation of…
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20th Anniversary for International Campaign to Ban Landmines
Tasneem Jamal
October 30, 2012
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, 90…
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Did you use your cellphone today?
Tasneem Jamal
August 22, 2012
You are using the Internet right now. Perhaps earlier today you watched television; checked the weather forecast; used an ATM…
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‘Massive use of chemical agents’
Tasneem Jamal
August 22, 2012
On Aug. 21, 2013, in and around the agricultural belt of the Ghouta, near the Syrian capital of Damascus, an attack on…
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The big nuclear spin
Cesar Jaramillo
August 14, 2012
The irony couldn’t be more profound. The primary obstacle facing global efforts to rid the world of the most destructive…
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An Arms Trade Treaty: within our grasp
Kenneth Epps
August 2, 2012
The final days of the month-long diplomatic conference in New York to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) were a…
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ATT: The next steps
Kenneth Epps
July 30, 2012
The fight to end the illegal and irresponsible arms trade will press on after delegates at the United Nations failed…
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Half-baked ATT negotiations
Kenneth Epps
July 17, 2012
The four-week United Nations diplomatic conference in New York to negotiate an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) has reached its…
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Sober recommendations for Canada’s aerospace industry
Kenneth Epps
July 4, 2012
A common boast running through both government and industry statements supporting Canada’s purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is…
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List of Canadian Parliamentarians to sign ATT Declaration reaches 120!
Tasneem Jamal
June 20, 2012
The list of Canadian Parliamentarians who are signing on to the Global Parliamentarian Declaration on the ATT has reached 120….
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Peter MacKay and the Arms Trade Treaty
Kenneth Epps
June 15, 2012
In early June Canada’s Defence Minister Peter MacKay delivered a speech in Singapore to an international conference on security.1 …
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F-35 political decision-making remains unchanged
John Siebert
April 5, 2012
As the forensic investigations proceed in the wake of the Auditor-General’s devastating critique of the F-35 procurement process, those with…
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F-35: We told you so
Kenneth Epps
March 20, 2012
It doesn’t help a bit, but we all take satisfaction from time to time in saying, “We told you so.”…
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Kony 2012: Now that we have your attention
John Siebert
March 12, 2012
No sense just piling on. The Kony 2012 viral video has elevated awareness of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army in…
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Canadian support for a strong ATT grows
Kenneth Epps
March 8, 2012
The time to negotiate a global Arms Trade Treaty is rapidly approaching. It is only a matter of weeks to…
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Would an attack on Iran be legal?
Cesar Jaramillo
February 22, 2012
Conspicuously absent from most analyses on the prospect of military action against Iran over its nuclear program is the question…
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Bill C-19: Is data a four-letter word?
Maribel Gonzales
February 7, 2012
The battle to save the long-gun registry has turned into a fight to save the data contained in the registry….
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What is the value of Canada’s annual arms exports?
Kenneth Epps
January 25, 2012
In a highly connected, digital age when it is possible to track people and packages across the planet in real-time…
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Canadian-Finnish arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Kenneth Epps
December 9, 2011
UPDATE: Though four ministers voted against granting the permit, the Finnish government has granted an export licence for 36 Patria…
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Damned Nations: Greed Guns Armies & Aid
Tasneem Jamal
December 6, 2011
We at Ploughshares highly recommend the new book by War Child’s Samantha Nutt, Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, and Aid,…
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Canada redefines the Libya arms embargo
Kenneth Epps
November 25, 2011
Joël-Denis Bellavance, a reporter with La Press in Montreal, published an article today dealing with Canada’s approval in April of…
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The F-35: What goes up must come down
Kenneth Epps
November 15, 2011
One silver lining in the dark clouds of economic malaise accumulating in Western skies is that military spending must inevitably…
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Guns and doctors
Maribel Gonzales
November 11, 2011
When I was raising my kids, my pediatrician talked to me a lot about safety issues: having the proper car…
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Canada drops the ATT ball
Kenneth Epps
July 13, 2011
Canada’s performance in arms control discussions at the United Nations has been lacklustre in recent years but this morning it…
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CARICOM Declaration on Small Arms
Maribel Gonzales
July 7, 2011
At the end of their annual summit this week, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states issued a declaration on small…
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