The release of Global Affair Canada’s (GAC) Report on the Export of Military Goods from Canada—2017 provided the most authoritative and comprehensive account of Canadian military exports on record.
Bill C-47: Remarks to the Senate Standing Committee
U.S. reporting and licensing exemptions not consistent with ATT obligations Remarks to the Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development – Delivered November 29, 2018 Published in The Ploughshares Monitor Volume 39 Issue 4 Winter 2018 by Cesar Jaramillo Thank you very much for the kind invitation to address this committee. For decades, efforts to better regulate illicit and …
ATT: Working Group on Effective Treaty Implementation
Statement delivered by Cesar Jaramillo on behalf of Control Arms May 29, 2018 Geneva, Switzerland Published in The Ploughshares Monitor Volume 39 Issue 2 Summer 2018 Thank you, Chair. Control Arms recognizes the value of full and robust compliance with the Treaty in its entirety as the key measure of its effectiveness. At this time, however, we want to draw special attention …
Call for independent review into use of Canadian-made armoured vehicles in Saudi Arabia
A coalition of human rights and arms control groups sent a letter to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, related to the report released by Global Affairs in May 2018 concerning allegations that Canadian-made military exports were used against civilians last year by the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The report revealed major shortcomings both in the investigation of the …
War in Yemen: A litmus test of the Arms Trade Treaty
In March 2015, following a long political crisis in Yemen in which all parties resorted to violence, Houthi rebels seized the capital Sana’a, triggering the collapse of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi’s internationally recognized government. Hadi fled into exile. On March 24, Hadi requested external military intervention from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). A coalition of Gulf Arab states, led …
Canada and Saudi Arabia: An arms deal no matter what
Seven months after disturbing footage appeared to show Canadian-made armoured vehicles being used against civilians in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, Global Affairs Canada announced the results of the investigation it launched into the alleged abuses. Addressing the House Foreign Affairs Committee in February, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that there was “no conclusive evidence” that Canadian equipment had been …
We cannot and do not support Bill C-47 in its current form
Remarks to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development— November 2, 2017 By Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director, Project Ploughshares Good afternoon. My name is Cesar Jaramillo and I am the executive director of Project Ploughshares. Thank you very much for the kind invitation to address this Committee. For decades, efforts to better regulate illicit or …
Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade
Free public film screening, followed by a Q&A with arms trade expert and author Andrew Feinstein and the Executive Director of Project Ploughshares Cesar Jaramillo. Wednesday, November 1, 2017 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Auditorium, Balsillie School of International Affairs, 67 Erb St. Waterloo Limited seating. To RSVP and for more information, visit BSIA: www.balsillieschool.ca Hosted by the Balsillie School of …
Yemen In The Time Of Cholera
The country is experiencing the world’s largest epidemic, and it has everything to do with the Arms Trade Treaty. A sudden onset of severe diarrhea is usually the first symptom. Rapid fluid loss often leads to life-threatening dehydration. If left untreated, certain strains can cause death within hours. Those who survive initial symptoms must endure repeated vomiting, low blood pressure, …
Canada Can’t Keep Denying It Ought To Scrap Saudi Arms Deal
Since the moment it was announced in 2014 by the Harper government, the multibillion-dollar Canadian arms export deal with human-rights pariah Saudi Arabia has been shrouded in controversy. Most recently it has come under renewed scrutiny following allegations that the Saudi regime used violence — and Canadian equipment — to repress civilians in the Eastern Province. Through it all, Ottawa’s handling of …