Publications Search
Advanced Search
All publications from 2009 onwards are currently searchable using the Search and Advanced Search functions.
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Please email Ben Skinner for online publication archive requests or if you require access to publications from before 2009.
Note: Please provide as much detail as possible in your inquiry and we will do our very best to get back to you within 3 business days
The Ploughshares Monitor: Winter 2020
November 26, 2020Volume 41 Issue 4 A quarterly publication of Project Ploughshares Please click on attachment to view document:
Joint Statement on Outer Space
November 25, 2020This 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, 2020On 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.
The making of Killer Optics
November 25, 2020Ploughshares 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.
The third drone age
November 25, 2020Any 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 use of drones is rendering some military equipment, such as tanks, obsolete.
Protecting humans on Earth from war in space
November 25, 2020More 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 human on Earth. We must start working to protect civilians on Earth from such a fate.
Hope by treaty
November 25, 2020On 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.
Countering 5 misconceptions about a political declaration on EWIPA
November 18, 2020The 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.
5 Misconceptions about Autonomous Weapons Systems
November 2, 2020During several years of discussions on autonomous weapons at the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), several arguments against their regulation have surfaced. Some seem intentionally misleading, while others are out of touch with the rapid development of emerging technologies and the current trends in academic research and analysis.
From Safety to Security: Extending norms of behaviour in space (video)
October 20, 2020In this video, Senior Researcher Jessica West presents work conducted as part of a project funded by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) Mobilizing Insights in National Defence (MINDS) program to generate knowledge about how existing and emerging norms of responsible behaviour in outer space can be applied to contemporary space-based military capabilities and activities. The goal is to ...
The Ploughshares Monitor: Autumn 2020
September 28, 2020Volume 41 Issue 3 A quarterly publication of Project Ploughshares Please click on attachment to view document:
Analyzing Canada’s 2019 Exports of Military Goods report
September 28, 2020According to Canada’s 2019 Exports of Military Goods report, last year Canada exported weapons worth almost $4-billion—the highest value on public record. Saudi Arabia, which received 76 per cent of those weapons, is now almost certainly Canada’s prime customer, unseating the United States.
Has the first shot been fired in space?
September 28, 2020What if space has already been weaponized? This is the claim of the United States military. Following the official establishment of the Space Force in January 2020, a new Defense Space Strategy published in June presents a strategy for “winning wars” in a domain that it depicts as “weaponized” by Russia and China. Russia and China have made similar accusations against the United States.
How should militaries use AI?
September 28, 2020Militaries are doing more research and development of artificial intelligence (AI), and are looking to implement AI systems. In early August of this year, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced that later in the month a human fighter pilot would face off against an AI algorithm in virtual combat.
Armed drones on the Canadian military horizon
September 28, 2020The Canadian government appears to be moving closer to acquiring armed drones. According to Justin Ling of Vice News, Canadian government officials recently briefed industry partners on systems requirements, with long-range surveillance and the ability to engage targets remotely seen as key to protecting Canadian territory and participating in foreign missions. But questions about the policies guiding the use of drones by the Canadian military remain unanswered and deserve more attention from civil society and the Canadian public.
The Canadian Commercial Corporation: Not yet a protector of human rights
September 28, 2020Canada’s accession to the Arms Trade Treaty last year necessitated some welcome changes to Canada’s arms-control policies. But it appears that the export regime’s human-rights protections are still flawed. In this article, we focus on the activities of the Canadian Commercial Corporation.