A major cross-cutting theme of Mines Action Canada’s work is gender and how it relates to disarmament. This has resulted from 25 years of experience witnessing the different effects weapons and conflict have on boys and girls as well as women and men. We cannot end the problems nor adequately assist those injured or harmed if we do not take into account the different gendered impacts and experiences.

For far too long, disarmament at the grassroots, national and international levels was considered “men’s work.” This mistaken assumption has resulted in a well below average involvement of women in disarmament policy and practice with very serious consequences. 

Gender doesn’t mean biological sex or just talking about women. It means the socially constructed ideas of how we are supposed to act as women and men or non-binary identities. The different roles men, women, girls and boys play in a society, their gender roles, can influence how they are impacted by weapons.  If collecting firewood is women’s work, only women may know about landmines in the forest. If, for example, mine action surveys do not speak with women, it will be easy to overlook contaminated areas that only affect women. Without hearing from women and girls, the priorities for clearance might miss out on some of the highest risk areas.

One of Mines Action Canada’s priorities is to increase the number of women, especially young women, working in disarmament and to ensure their voices are heard in decision-making about disarmament. When disarmament is inclusive, programs are more effective and we will reach our goals faster. 

Mines Action Canada works with our partners to promote inclusive decision-making and treaty implementation. The Mine Action Fellows youth program is explicitly designed to increase the number of young women who can meaningfully participate in national and international decision-making about humanitarian disarmament. The program has a majority of women and participants of all genders receive training on gender mainstreaming. The goal is to ensure that all youth campaigners can advocate for gender equity in disarmament.

There are significant links between work on gender and disarmament and the work on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Following the ground-breaking United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the international community has recognized that women and girls are affected by armed conflict in different ways and they have the right to participate in peace talks and post-conflict decision making. As is the case with disarmament programs, research has shown that peace agreements are more successful when women are involved. There are now eight Women, Peace and Security resolutions calling on states to ensure the rights and participation of women in conflict and post-conflict situations. MAC continues to work to strengthen the links between humanitarian disarmament and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Canada and internationally. We believe disarmament is an area where the Women, Peace and Security agenda can not only make much needed progress but call also have a major impact internationally on both peace and disarmament.

You can read all our news about Gender and Disarmament here. The civil society Gender and Diversity in Mine Action Working Group and Reaching Critical Will are also key resources on this topic.  

Nuclear weapons are described today as the most destructive, inhuman and indiscriminate weapons ever created. First tested in July 1945 by the United States, these weapons have only ever been used twice in warfare. Both times were by the United States on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War 2. The bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people both from immediate blast-related injuries, as well as radiation-related illnesses.

Since 1945, 2,056 nuclear tests have been carried out by at least eight nations in 60 sites around the world leaving behind a legacy of human and environmental harm. Today, nuclear weapons continue to pose an existential threat to civilization as we know it. The small number of nuclear armed states are expanding or modernizing their nuclear programs despite the known harmful consequences and international obligations to work for disarmament. Disconcertingly, most of today’s nuclear weapons being produced are many times more powerful than the ones dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nine countries, the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea possess all of the nuclear weapons stockpile. Another 26 countries around the globe are under a nuclear umbrella meaning they also endorse the use of nuclear weapons. Canada is one of these nuclear umbrella states that allows the potential use of nuclear weapons on our behalf as part of NATO.

While most countries do not possess nuclear weapons and are committed to nuclear disarmament, the mere existence of any such weapons is extremely problematic and worrisome due to their potential catastrophic harm.

Nuclear explosions release large amounts of energy in the form of blast, heat and radiation and cause a large and powerful shockwave reaching speeds of hundreds of kilometers an hour leveling buildings for kilometers. The heat resulting from the explosions is so intense that almost everything close to the point of detonation is vaporized. Fires spontaneously erupt and coalesce into a fireball. Those who survive the initial destruction and fires face slow and painful deaths from radiation poisoning.

The use of nuclear weapons also comes with long-term negative effects on communities. Nuclear weapons produce ionizing radiation, which can kill or sicken people who are exposed to it by causing cancer, birth defects or other genetic damage. Nuclear weapons also cause environmental damage. Areas in Australia, Algeria, Kazakhstan, the United States, the South Pacific, and Russia continue to see high levels of contamination with radiation after nuclear weapons tests. It is estimated that using less than one percent of the nuclear weapons available in the world could greatly disrupt the global climate, while the thousands of weapons that are possessed by the U.S. and Russia could cause a nuclear winter. If used again, intentionally or accidently, nuclear weapons could induce a worldwide famine, straining all existing disaster relief resources in the world, and create a refugee crisis larger than ever experienced.

Nuclear weapon testing, also, causes humanitarian harm. Physicians predict that some 2.4 million people worldwide will eventually die of cancers due to atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1945 and 1980. Included among those impacted by nuclear weapon testing are an estimated 700 former Canadian military personnel who participated in up to 29 American and British nuclear weapon tests to simulate nuclear wars between 1946 and 1963. As a result, many endured direct radiation exposure and developed reproductive problems and cancers. The atomic veterans of Canada only recently received recognition and compensation for the harm caused by their dangerous assignments.

Due to the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, a coalition of several hundred non-governmental organizations formed the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, (ICAN). ICAN is working towards the goal of prohibiting and eliminating nuclear weapons. The adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on 7 July 2017 took a large step towards accomplishing this goal. The Treaty entered into force on 22 January 2021 and made nuclear weapons illegal in all respects under international law. Those states who join the Treaty agree to never develop, test, produce, acquire, stockpile, transfer, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. The Treaty also requires countries to provide appropriate assistance to all victims of the use and testing of nuclear weapons, as well as take measures for the remediation of contaminated areas. Currently, there are 86 signatories and 54 state parties of the treaty. The TPNW aims to advance the process of the elimination of nuclear weapons by helping to delegitimize the need for nuclear weapons during warfare and the need for states to possess such dangerous weapons.

Like climate change, nuclear weapons are an existential threat to humanity. In 2014, Mines Action Canada hosted an event on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons where speakers outlined the links potential impacts of nuclear weapons on the climate. Since then states have negotiated the Paris Accord and the TPWN. If we can end the existential threat from nuclear weapons, more resources can be made available for addressing the climate crisis.

Canada remains outside the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons but you can help fix that. See how you can Act today.

Read all our news about nuclear weapons here and learn more about nuclear weapons, the TPNW, and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons here.

Killer robots or fully autonomous weapons sounds like something from a Hollywood movie but these machines are actually dangerously close to becoming a reality. Due to the increased unregulated development of new technologies, countries are now closer than ever before to manufacturing fully autonomous weapons. The risks that these weapons pose to civilization as we know it are not well understood but looming nonetheless.

We are still able to prevent fully autonomous weapons ever being used if ordinary people take action.

Unlike other existing weapons, killer robots would not depend on human control or intervention, rather, these weapons would actually choose and fire at targets on their own based on sensors, algorithms (computer programming) and artificial intelligence. Without meaningful human control, autonomous weapons bring many new dangers that non-autonomous weapons do not pose.

Robots do not possess human judgement, the ability to understand context, or a sense of compassion, without these characteristics their capacity to make moral and ethical decisions is non-existent. Military personnel on the other hand use their training, education, situational awareness, morals and ethical code to make decisions on the battlefield in line with international humanitarian law.

Legal and technical experts believe it is simply impossible for these machines to follow international humanitarian law.  While a human may be able to distinguish between a civilian and solider, issues with sensor failure, programming bias and technological mistakes mean that autonomous weapons cannot be trusted to make this distinction. This puts civilians further at risk of harm.

Additionally, the creation of killer robots could make the decision to go to war easier for countries, as they would not need large masses of the population to fight and would not be risking as many lives. A lower barrier to conflict would increase the likelihood of war occurring in even minor situations and would further shift the burden of armed conflict onto civilians.

The creation of these autonomous weapons also creates a question of accountability as to who is held responsible for the weapon’s mistakes. The autonomous weapon itself cannot be held accountable under international law. Would it be the person who deployed the system who is held accountable or is the person who created or programmed the autonomous weapon at fault?

Fully autonomous weapons have not yet been used in conflict; however, technology is advancing much faster than the law. In 2012, in order to counter the threat of autonomous weapons, Mines Action Canada co-founded the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots with six other organizations. The campaign is a coalition of non-governmental organizations all working towards the same goal of banning fully autonomous weapons and ensuring meaningful human control over the use of force. The coalition includes 180 international, regional and national NGOs in 65 countries. Mine Action Canada is also one of eleven members of the steering committee.

We are calling on states to launch negotiations on the creation of an international treaty to retain human control over targeting and attack decisions through the prohibition of the development, production and use of fully autonomous weapons. In addition, the campaign hopes to persuade all tech companies and organizations working to develop artificial intelligence and robotics to pledge never to contribute to the development of fully autonomous weapons.

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots hopes to make productive progress towards the banning of autonomous weapons before they become a reality. If even one state deploys fully autonomous weapons, it is feared that others may feel obligated to develop similar weaponry on their own, thus leading to a possible robotics arms race between countries.

Join #TeamHuman to help ensure fully autonomous weapons are never fielded and humanity remains in control of the use of force.

To learn more about autonomous weapons, the problems they cause, and the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, click here!

Pour en savoir plus sur les robots tueurs en français, veuillez cliquer ici!

Mines Action Canada is seeking a consultant to facilitate our strategic planning process. Read the full Statement of Work for the details.  

Check back soon or contact us info@minesactioncanada[dot]org for volunteering opportunities. 

On June 14, 2021, the Mines Action Canada Board of Directors issued the following statement:

Landmines have killed or injured some 35,000 women, children, and men in Afghanistan, and vastly more around the world. Their presence in any country or region endangers economic and social progress, and can prevent the long term, meaningful development of a peaceful society.

Fortunately, an international effort is underway to eliminate these mines with a key role being played by deminers employed by the HALO Trust, a charitable organization working globally to end the terror of landmines.

Tragically, and senselessly, one of the HALO Trust teams was attacked by armed terrorists in Northern Afghanistan on June 8, 2021, resulting in 10 deaths and 16 injured. 

On behalf of the Mines Action Canada Board of Directors, I would like to offer my deepest condolences and sympathy to these victims, their families, friends, and their dedicated HALO Trust colleagues. 

Mines Action Canada stands in solidarity with the HALO Trust in our dedication to ridding the world of landmines, unexploded ordnances, and other weapons that indiscriminately victimize our fellow citizens. We know that this criminal act in Afghanistan will only reinforce the resolve of the HALO Trust and our other partners striving for a better world for all.

Stephan Telka

Chair, Mines Action Canada

In Canada, we are fortunate to be able to live relatively safe lives, the risk associated with leaving our households to do simple daily tasks is relatively low. Unfortunately, not all countries around the world share this same experience. In some countries, even running errands can be considered a dangerous affair due to frequent attacks on civilians. Every year, the detonation of explosive weapons such as grenades, missiles and bombs, kill and injure thousands of civilians indiscriminately with their blast and fragmentation. However, despite this worrisome trend, many students remain uninformed on the issue of explosive weapons. While not occurring on our home territory, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is a prominent issue that needs international efforts to be resolved. Here are five of the many reasons why students should expand their knowledge of disarmament issues, specifically the use of explosive weapons in cities and towns and what is being done politically to reduce their impact on civilians

1. Effect on Civilians: First, the impact of explosive weapons in populated areas felt disproportionally by civilians, rather than military targets. In 2020, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) recorded 18,747 deaths and injuries as a result of explosive weapons; of those, civilians accounted for 11,056 or 59% of the deaths. When used in populated areas, the percentage of civilians affected was even higher; in 2020, 89% of those harmed by explosive weapons in populated areas were reportedly civilians. In addition to the immediate civilian casualties caused by explosive weapons, casualties can also occur as a result of a disruption of essential services such as damage to essential healthcare infrastructure. The indiscriminate and disproportionate harm these weapons cause to civilians is one reason that students should pay attention to the issue.
2. Urbanization and Increasing Threat: Second, with the tactics of war changing and urbanization trends increasing, civilians are more greatly at risk of being affected by explosive weapons than ever before. While wars were traditionally fought strictly between soldiers on open fields, in today’s world, it is not uncommon for wars to take place in city centres and for civilians to experience harm as a result. Civilians now face the burden of war more than ever before with higher risks of experiencing death, injury or displacement. This trend will be exacerbated by the rapid urbanization occurring in developing nations. By 2030, two-thirds of the global population is predicted to be living in cities; 96% of this urban growth is expected to take place in developing countries in cities that are already at a higher risk of experiencing fragility. Together, the trends of wars increasingly being fought in urban areas, and more individuals re-locating to urban areas will cause more civilians to be at risk of experiencing the traumatic effects of explosive weapons in populated areas. Many students may have friends or family who live in the areas that are most affected by explosive weapons; these worrisome trends may put loved ones at risk of being targeted by such attacks.
3. Environmental Impact: Third, explosive weapons have negative implications on the environment. Currently, our world is facing a climate crisis that continues to worsen and accelerate. It is well-known that we are quickly approaching a point of no return for global warming, which could have devastating effects on our planet in the future. Unknown to many, explosive weapons can have devastating effects on the environment in numerous ways. One example of such is how explosive weapons leave behind unexploded ordnance, which results in long-term harm and can cause contamination of water, soil and air for years. In Syria, it is believed it will take more than 30 years to clear the contamination. This contamination can as a result hinder agricultural efforts, kill livestock and cause harmful human health effects. In addition, the destruction caused by the crumble of infrastructure can release other hazardous materials into the air and the ground, such as toxic smoke. With explosive weapons having such negative environmental effects on our planet, it is essential students educate themselves on these weapons, so student climate activists can take these negative consequences into account when advocating for climate action and building their climate platforms.
4. The Power of Education: Another reason for students to inform themselves on the issue is the power of education and the positive effect it can have. By educating themselves on explosive weapons and the political efforts being put forth to help reduce the consequences they have on civilians, students can help to create change on the issue by raising public awareness, as well as, empowering more individuals and future generations to explore the subject. Education is believed to be crucially important in keeping peace and reducing future risks of violence and is recognized by many NGOs as critical to creating positive change in the world. Another political declaration, the Safe Schools Declaration, focuses on the impact of armed conflict on education and the military use of schools and universities. It has commitments designed to strengthen the protection of education and ensure it continues during armed conflict and those commitments are having an impact on behaviour in conflict. A political declaration on explosive weapons used in populated areas could build on this success further.
5. Immigration / Past Experiences: Lastly, while explosive weapons may not be a large threat within Canada, the country’s large immigration numbers mean that it is likely that most students have a relative or a friend who has in some way been impacted by the use of explosive weapons. In Canada, immigrants make up around 9 percent of the total population, meaning that Canada is compiled of individuals from all different walks of life with different experiences. In 2019 alone, Canada welcomed 10,121 new permanent residents from Syria, that same year,  7,268 civilian casualties were recorded in Syria as a result of explosive weapons, the most of any country. This is one current example of Canada welcoming individuals who have possibly experienced first-hand the negative consequences of explosive weapons. For other individuals, the connection to explosive weapons may date back further to their grandparents or great-grandparents fleeing bombings from World War II or other conflicts since then. Regardless, most students likely have at least one connection to someone who has in some been negatively impacted by the use of explosive weapons, whether they be a friend, family member, neighbour, or simply an acquaintance. By educating themselves on the topic of disarmament of explosive weapons, students can show empathy and compassion for their fellow Canadians who may have been exposed to explosive weapons in their family histories.

It is essential for students to remain invested in the progress being made in the disarmament of explosive weapons. It is through the expansion of knowledge on this subject that progress can be made, so that future generations can live in a world without the dangers associated with explosive weapons that many individuals around the world know and fear today.

Danika Brown is an Undergraduate Student at the University of Ottawa and completed an extracurricular volunteer placement as a Research Assistant at Mines Action Canada.

We want to hear from you! 

In Canada, MPs and Senators are key contacts for changing Canada’s policy on humanitarian disarmament issues. They are also supposed to represent you and your views so let them know what you are thinking!

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR PARLIAMENTARIAN:

In Canada, you can find contact information for:

• Your MP by going to www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en and typing in your postal code.
• Senators in your area by going to www.sencanada.ca/en/senators-list/. Once there, you can see which Senators are in your area by filtering the list by Province.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO APPROACH YOUR GOVERNMENT

There are several different ways you can let your government hear your voice on this issue:

• Send an email, letter or tweet detailing your concerns and the actions you want taken.
• Book a face-to-face meeting with your MP or local Senator. Go alone or with other constituents to discuss your concerns.
• Call and let your concerns and request for action known to staffers. Also take the opportunity to ask about the official position on the issue.

WHAT TO PREPARE BEFORE YOU MAKE CONTACT

Before you make contact with your government official – whether by email, phone or in person – it is useful to prepare yourself ahead of time by outlining a short case statement:

• Background: a couple  paragraphs on the facts and history of the problem
• Core issues: note the main areas of concern are currently and why it needs to be addressed now. Tell them why you personally care about this issue!
• Recommendations: Specifically what action is being requested and how it will address the problem.

KEY POINTS TO MAKE

On landmines and cluster munitions:

• Landmines and cluster munitions are lethal barriers to development.
• Canada should finish the job on landmines and cluster munitions.
• One dollar per Canadian per year to mine action projects around the world will save lives and return Canada to a global leader on landmines and cluster munitions.

On explosive weapons in populated areas:

• When explosive weapons are used in populated areas over 90% of the casualties are civilians.
• Policy and practice change can save lives and protect civilians during armed conflict.
• Canada needs to universalize and implement the new Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. 
• Parliamentarians should join the International Network on Explosive Weapons’ International Parliamentary Appeal.

On fully autonomous weapons:

• A majority of Canadians are opposed to fully autonomous weapons.
• Canada needs to ensure that our investments in artificial intelligence are not tainted by the development of fully autonomous weapons.
• The Minister of Foreign Affairs has a mandate to advance international efforts to prohibit fully autonomous weapons but Canada has not yet spoken up.

On nuclear weapons:

• Nuclear weapons put us all at risk. We are not equipped to respond if nuclear weapons are ever used again by accident or intention.
• Canada should join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in accordance with our stated goal of nuclear disarmament.
• It is possible to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and belong to NATO.
• Parliamentarians should join the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons’ Parliamentary Pledge. Use this template email to ask them to join. 

At Mines Action Canada, we believe that Ordinary People having an Extraordinary Impact is the key to building a safer and more peaceful world for us all. We work to end the suffering caused by indiscriminate and inhumane weapons such as landmines, cluster munitions, autonomous weapons, explosive weapons in populated areas and nuclear weapons with colleagues from around the world. 

Humanitarian Disarmament 

Mines Action Canada is Canada's leading humanitarian disarmament organization. Humanitarian disarmament seeks to prevent and remediate arms-inflicted human suffering and environmental harm through the establishment and implementation of laws and norms. This approach to disarmament puts people at the centre of policy and practice. Humanitarian Disarmament is an umbrella term for a collection of disarmament initiatives driven by humanitarian imperatives to strengthen international law as well as protect civilians. By advancing disarmament from a humanitarian perspective, governments and civil society work together to prevent further civilian casualties, avoid socio-economic devastation, and protect and ensure the rights and livelihoods of victims. The main purpose of humanitarian disarmament is the prevention of needless suffering and injury through the regulation and restriction of weapons that pose significant risks for civilian populations both during and after conflict. 

Humanitarian disarmament initiatives have included the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, the Arms Trade Treaty, the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We know it works!

Humanitarian disarmament allows all of us to have a say in global peace and security. No one needs to be an expert on security theory to understand that weapons which are indiscriminate and inhumane should not be used. Communities affected by these weapons are the experts but everyone can speak up. Together, we can make change. 

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A large majority of Canadians want the government to join the nuclear ban.  

A new poll released by Nanos Research on 6 April 2021 shows strong support for the nuclear ban among the Canadian public with 74% of respondents expressing support for joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).  

Commissioned by three civil society organizations, Hiroshima Nagasaki Day Coalition, The Simons Foundation Canada and le Collectif Échec à la Guerre, the poll follows an Appeal to Parliament published in the Ottawa Hill Times on January 18 and 20 that was endorsed by over 400 individuals and organizations including Mines Action Canada. Ever since the Treaty’s Entry into Force, more and more voices are questioning the government’s position towards the TPNW. The poll results indicate that only 14% of respondents agreed with the current Government of Canada position towards the treaty. 

Support for the nuclear ban treaty remained high even in the face of potential American pressure. The poll found that about 73% of Canadians agreed that Canada should join Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, "even if, as a member of NATO, it might come under pressure from the United States not to do so.” The Government of Canada has frequently (and incorrectly) said that Canada’s obligations under NATO and the alliance with the United States prevent the country from joining the TPNW. These poll results from Canada are similar to the results from a 2020 poll of six European NATO countries. It seems that Canadians, also, want the government to stand strong and make our own decisions on nuclear weapons. 

Support for a ban is strong amongst all demographic groups with young Canadians, ages 18 to 34, having the highest level of support for the TPNW.  

With young Canadians already facing the existential threat of climate change, it stands to reason that this demographic would also want to end the risk posed by nuclear weapons.  

It is not only government policy towards nuclear weapons that Canadians are concerned about. Canadian financial institutions need to pay attention. The poll also found that 71% of respondents would withdraw money from any investment or financial institution that was investing funds in anything related to the development, manufacturing or deployment of nuclear weapons. The Don’t Bank on the Bomb report has found 16 Canadian financial institutions with investments in nuclear weapons producers. Financial institutions just like governments need to be responsive to public opinion. Canadians do not want to profit off a weapon of mass destruction.  

Released days just after Montreal and White Rock, BC, became the 13th and 14th Canadian cities to join the ICAN City Appeal, this poll is clear evidence that momentum towards the ban treaty is growing in Canada. 

If Canada’s 3 largest cities and ¾ of its citizens support The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, it is time for the Government of Canada to take action. The Canadian government should: 

• Study the TPNW in Parliament, it is a logical topic for the House of Commons and Senate Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs; 
• Send a delegation to participate as an observer in the 1st Meeting of States Parties of the TPNW which must take place within the next year; and 
• Support the positive obligations found in the TPWN with regards to victim assistance and environmental remediation through our international cooperation efforts. 

These steps are necessary for Canada to begin to follow the direction of its people. For too long, Canadian policy towards nuclear weapons has been divorced from the will of the Canadian people. It is time for Canadian leaders to listen to their citizens and join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.  

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Visit our homepage to learn more about humanitarian disarmament!

Every year, explosive weapons harm and kill thousands around the globe. In 2022, there were at least 20,793 documented civilian casualties from explosive weapons, while in 2021 a total of 11,102 people were reportedly killed or injured by the weapons.

Taking many forms, such as bombs, grenades, missiles and more, these weapons use explosive force to affect the area surrounding their detonation, killing and injuring individuals indiscriminately with their blast and fragmentation. When used in populated areas, these weapons are known to disproportionately affect civilians with both immediate and long-term effects. Specifically, civilian deaths and injuries account for approximately 90% of casualties when explosive weapons are used in populated areas, compared to 20% when they are used in other areas. Particular concern exists over the higher risk posed to civilians by the use of explosive weapons with “wide-area effects.” This concern is due to their increasingly dangerous characteristics such as their inaccuracy, the scale of their blast or their use of multiple warheads.

As a result of the trauma endured by experiencing explosive weapon attacks, civilians often experience psychological and psychosocial harm, in addition to physical harm. The suffering of civilians is also exacerbated due to the destruction of infrastructure, such as sanitation systems or energy networks, within their communities that occur as a by-product of attacks. Consequently, this destruction causes indirect effects, referred to as “reverberating effects,” on essential services, such as healthcare, that individuals within the community depend on. From an environmental standpoint, these destructive weapons are harmful to the natural environment, as they can contaminate the air, the soil, and other natural resources.

While international law offers a series of protections to civilians during armed conflict to help reduce the harm inflicted on them, the legal perimeters for the use of explosive weapons is thought to be “incoherent and fragmentary,” with inadequacy to sufficiently regulate the use of the dangerous weapons. Due to this gap in the legal framework, several states and international actors have expressed a desire to urgently enhance the protection of civilians from explosive weapons through other means. In total, 112 states and territories, as well as, numerous UN actors, have publicly acknowledged the harm caused by explosive weapons in populated areas.

The International Network for Explosive Weapons, INEW, is an international network of NGOs that plays a large role in working towards reducing human suffering as a result of explosive weapons. Through research, policy and advocacy, the network’s members work to increase awareness of the negative effects of these destructive weapons, while also taking concrete steps to address their negative implications. Mines Action Canada is a co-founder of INEW and we continue to work closely with the network. This work on explosive weapons is directly related to and informed by our efforts to end the suffering caused by landmines and cluster munitions.

Because much of the international community is concerned about the humanitarian harm caused by the use of explosive weapons, particularly in populated areas, a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) was created and signed by 82 states, including Canada, in November 2022. The declaration emphasizes the importance of offering protection to civilians from such weapons and the importance of compliance with international humanitarian law. While not new international law, the political declaration has the ability to change behaviours. Additionally, it seeks to provide tools that could reduce the impact of such weapons, such as the implementation of policies and changes to practices by militaries to reduce civilian harm. This political declaration can reinforce and enhance current international humanitarian law and the obligations that come with it.

Read all our news about explosive weapons here and learn more about INEW here.

We can absolutely solve this problem in our lifetime – but not without your help! Please ACT, GIVE or LEARN more today.

From Nepal to Uganda, Iraq to Bosnia, Argentina to Zimbabwe, women are leading the way towards a safer and more peaceful future by advocating for disarmament and for the rights of victims of indiscriminate weapons. In small communities and on the world stage, women leaders are making change each and every day. Women clear landmines, provide services to survivors, advocate for nuclear disarmament and push governments to disarm despite large gender inequality in disarmament decision making. Today as every other day of the year, we #ChooseToChallenge the idea that disarmament is “men’s work” and salute the world-changing women and their allies working to eliminate inhumane and indiscriminate weapons. 

Learn more about how the humanitarian disarmament community is marking the day and how women's leadership is paving the way towards a world without indiscriminate and inhumane weapons by checking out these articles and posts.

• Conflict and the Environment Observatory interviewed women working in mines action around the world on their work and its links to the environment profiling a number of the Mine Action Fellows. Read it here.
• The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is re-sharing posts and stories on gender and autonomous weapons all week. They started with a post from our Program Manager, Erin Hunt. Read it here.
• The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has a great briefing paper and video on gender and nuclear weapons. Read and watch here. 
• The Gender Working Group has so many resources on gender in mine action. Check out the page here. 
• Watch this film from Norwegian People's Aid in Laos. 
• Listen in as Beatrice Fihn of ICAN and Susi Snyder of PAX talk about International Women's Day on this Instagram Live. 
• Read more about what MAC and our partners in the Feminist Foreign Policy Working Group hope to see from Canada's Feminist Foreign Policy here. 
• Mines Advisory Group has a number of stories out. You can check them out here. 
• Watch this panel discussion on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 

On the second day of informal consultations on the draft political declaration the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, Mines Action Canada took the floor to share our views on Section 4 of the draft text.

Here is the statement: 

Thank you Ambassador.

One strength of a political declaration over a legal document is the increased availability of descriptive and human-centred language. Section 4 of the draft Political Declaration allows states to commit to making real life-saving change using language that puts civilians at the centre of their actions.  We support INEW’s stamen on this section but would like to highlight a few key points.

In particular Paragraph 4.4 should be strengthened significantly to put civilians at the centre. Revising this paragraph with more detail of what victim assistance includes will avoid creating differential obligations towards victims of different weapons. INEW, HRW and HI have all made excellent suggestions so I will put our support behind those.

The reference to urban warfare in paragraph 4.1 should be deleted since not all populated areas can be considered urban. The mention of urban here focuses the paragraph too narrowly on civilians who live in urban areas rather than civilians living in all populated areas.

We welcome the commitment to make data collected public in paragraph 4.2, however, we would like to see the phrase “where possible” deleted as it weakens this paragraph. Data is crucial for understanding how explosive weapons impact civilians and for providing life-saving services as mentioned by MAG therefore that data should be available widely. 

Paragraph 4.3 like others, should refer to all use of explosive weapons, not just that with wide area effects. Our efforts to limit the harm caused by explosive weapons should not exclude some types of these weapons. Additionally, the word “relevant” in qualifying civil society should be removed from this paragraph. We share Chile and Mexico’s questions about this language.

We support the suggestion by the Conflict and Environment Observatory to include language encouraging state signatories to support the work of the United Nations and other international and domestic stakeholders in identifying and implementing best practices in the assessment and environmentally sound management of conflict debris and pollution resulting from the use of explosive weapons.

We also support the inclusion of civil society in section 4.6 as mentioned by New Zealand, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland and others. We agree with Canada’s suggestion to ensure participatory and gender sensitive inclusion of civil society at all levels.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to strongly encourage states to be ambitious as we move towards a final version of this declaration. An ambitious document like the treaties adopted in Oslo in 1997 and Dublin in 2008 will save lives. Please keep people at the centre of your work here today and in the future.

Thank you Ambassador for your able and open chairing of week. We look forward to continuing the process.

On the second day of informal consultations on the draft political declaration the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, Mines Action Canada took the floor to share our views on Section 3 of the draft text.

Here is the statement: 

Thank you Ambassador.  

We support the comments from INEW on this section which will be delivered later.

Like our colleagues at Norwegian People’s Aid, we believe risk education should be added to paragraph 3.5. The Mine Ban Treaty, the Convention on Cluster Munitions and CCW Protocol V have all shown the need for and the value of risk education.

Because our purpose this week is to protect civilians, we note that there is no need to wait for the end of active hostilities to conduct risk education especially because explosive weapons use causes new contamination and during armed conflict civilians are often forced to undertake risky activities or travel to new areas with contamination due to displacement or infrastructure damage.

Finally, I would like to make a general comment. Yes it is important to take into account the views of states with operational experience and of civil society but it is crucial to include the experiences of states and communities living with the long term and extensive impact of explosive weapons use.

Thank you.

On the first day of informal consultations on the draft political declaration the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, Mines Action Canada took the floor to share our views on Section 1 of the draft text.

Here is the statement: 

Thank you Ambassador and thanks to the whole Disarmament Ireland team for their work to keep this process going.  

The purpose of this political declaration is to change behaviour and therefore the text must go beyond merely restating International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The evidence gathered over the past decade has shown that civilian harm continues even when IHL is applied. IHL is the bare minimum and all actors must take additional measures to prevent harm to civilians when using explosive weapons. As a member of INEW, Mines Action Canada has the following suggestions for strengthening section 1. 

As many state and civil society speakers have noted, the word “can” in the title and in paragraphs 1.2, 1.3 and beyond should be removed because there is significant evidence of the harm caused by explosive weapons. We have noted a small number of states have said that explosive weapons use in populated areas do not necessarily result in civilian harm but we have not seen any evidence to that extent, the evidence shows that when explosive weapons are used in populated areas, civilian harm will result. Like others in INEW, we would also recommend removing the qualifier “with wide area affects” throughout the declaration.  

On the title specifically we support INEW’s detailed comments. 

Articulating the harm caused by explosive weapons use in populated areas in paragraph 1.2 is a key part of the political declaration. This paragraph should clearly outline the direct, indirect and reverberating effects of explosive weapons used in populated areas as mentioned by many of my colleagues. Adding a direct mention of the gendered impacts in this paragraph would be beneficial here.  Though we would also support Mexico, Chile and Spain’s suggestion of a specific paragraph on gendered impacts.  

Reference to environmental harm in paragraph 1.3 is welcome. This point could be strengthened by referring to the environment rather than the natural environment. Also, as mentioned by Finland and perhaps others replacing the word urban with populated would strengthen this paragraph by not limiting the declaration to one type of populated area. 

Like Switzerland we believe that in Paragraph 1.4 the term “unexploded ordnance” should be changed back to the appropriate technical term “explosive remnants of war,” which includes both unexploded ordnance and abandoned ordnance since they both cause harm to civilians. This change is also in line with the mention of explosive remnants of war in paragraph 3.5. 

We welcome the reference to the need for additional data on the gendered impacts of explosive weapons made in paragraph 1.8, however, WILPF has said the word “potential” should be removed as there is significant evidence that there are gendered impacts of explosive weapons use.  

In the last three decades there have been numerous additions to IHL in response to the changing nature of conflict and human settlement. These changes have been motivated by preventing death, injury and destruction from different weapon systems. They have been welcome additions to IHL making it more robust. Nevertheless, we should not be afraid to do more than existing IHL requires to protect civilian populations. 

Thank you.  

In 2017, Canada became the one of only five countries to commit to developing an explicitly feminist foreign policy. So far, this effort includes multiple specific directives, including the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), but an official outline of the feminist approach to Canada’s foreign policy has yet to be published. 

During this period, the world has seen continued conflict in multiple regions, with frequent use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA). The use of EWIPA poses specific humanitarian threats to civilians. In addition to immediate death and injury, EWIPA causes severe damage to critical infrastructure including roadways, electrical grids, schools, water and sanitation centres and hospitals. Many people are forced to flee from unlivable and dangerous conditions, including women and children.

The international community took notice of this humanitarian problem and has come together for negotiations of a political declaration to protect civilians in populated areas from explosive weapons. This declaration has the potential to set a benchmark for Canada’s feminist foreign policy. The text of the agreement adopts a non-partisan, rights-based, humanitarian centred approach to restricting the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. The political declaration aims to be transformative to those living in conflict affected areas by having states commit to updating military policy to protect civilians in populated areas from explosive weapons.

The draft declaration also supports policy coherence for Canada by reinforcing not only several action areas in FIAP, but also Canada’s commitments to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals generally known as the SDGs. Multiple SGDs are endangered by the use of EWIPA; specifically, goal 4 of good health and well-being and goal 16 of peace, justice and strong institutions. This declaration supports the achievement of these goals. The declaration also reinforces the government’s commitment to the Safe Schools Declaration, which aims to protect education in conflict by restricting schools as military targets. Due to infrastructure loss, education is often disrupted when explosive weapons are used in populated areas.      

The Feminist Foreign Policy Working Group, a team of individuals from multiple civil society and academic organizations, has recently published a set of suggested core policy principles, including adopting a rights-based approach and upholding policy coherence, for Canada’s feminist foreign policy and the text of this declaration is in alignment with those core principles. While being a feminist document, it also promotes feminist outcomes; specifically, non-violence and sustainable development. 

More and more people are moving to and living in populated areas, making them critical locations for sustainable development. The use of EWIPA is catastrophic to this ambition. Not only is infrastructure lost, but the economy grinds to a halt, the health of the population is endangered, and the next generation is forced out of school. This turns back the clock on the economic and social development strides that have been made in the last two decades; but this declaration allows for significant gains in development to be recovered and built upon.   

We know what a future free from the impacts of EWIPA can look like. From the incredible work of humanitarian mine clearance organizations and others, including the Canadian government for their leadership with the Ottawa Treaty, areas that were once uninhabitable from landmine contamination are now thriving cities. Including Huambo, Angola, where Princess Diana made her famous landmine walk in 1997. Fast forward to today and women, men and children are safe, can get an education, can contribute to the economy and can continue to develop in a sustainable way. What was done once with landmines can be done again with explosive weapons in population areas.

Combating humanitarian consequences of the use of EWIPA must be central to Canada’s feminist foreign policy. As a first step, Mines Action Canada calls on Canada to lend its support and leadership to the Draft Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences that can arise from the use of Explosive Weapons with Wide Area Effects in Populated Areas negotiations and to implement the Feminist Foreign Policy Working Groups core policy principles in the official policy. Mines Action Canada has specific suggestions on how Canada and other states can improve the Draft Political Declaration in line with a feminist foreign policy available here.

Blog post by MAC Research Associate, Madison Hitchcock who is a graduate student in globalization and international development at the University of Ottawa.

Erin Hunt is the Executive Director of Mines Action Canada. She has been doing public education on the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines since 2003 and working in humanitarian disarmament in various capacities since 2006. 

Erin's areas of expertise include the humanitarian impact of indiscriminate weapons, victim assistance, gender in disarmament and Canadian disarmament policy. She contributes to the work of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Cluster Munition Coalition, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and Stop Killer Robots. Erin contributes to the Women, Peace and Security Network - Canada and to national and international working groups on feminist and gender sensitive approaches to foreign policy and mine action. She also spent two years as a senior researcher on casualties and victim assistance for the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. Erin was a member of the civil society negotiating team during the 2017 process to negotiate the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with the Nobel Peace Laureate International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.  

Prior to joining Mines Action Canada, Erin worked on victim assistance programs for landmine survivors in Uganda, implemented sport-based peacebuilding programs for youth in a post-conflict setting and worked in child welfare. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of Victoria and a Masters Degree in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University.