"Thank you for pointing out to readers that in 2022 about 54% of the value of total military non-U.S.exports from Canada went to a country ranked among the worst in the world for human rights."
June 12, 2023
To: Steven Chase, Senior Parliamentary Reporter, The Globe and Mail.
Dear Mr. Chase,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org ) to express my appreciation regarding your article: "Saudi Arabia is top export destination for Canadian arms after United States in 2022", published June 4 in The Globe and Mail.
Thank you for pointing out to readers that in 2022 about 54% of the value of total military non-U.S.exports from Canada went to a country ranked among the worst in the world for human rights.
I also appreciated your quoting Kelsey Gallagher of Canada’s Project Ploughshares.
Although I realize space has to be considered, I would have liked to see a mention of Canada’s civil society response. Already in 2020, Labour Against the Arms Trade Canada (@LAATCanada), along with other civil society organizations, held a day of action against arms exports to Saudi Arabia; an action endorsed by the Canadian Labour Congress.
You might also have mentioned arms exports to other regimes violating human rights in the Middle East, including Israel. Canada exported more than 20M in weapons the same year that Amnesty International (among others) concluded that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid. On May 18, 2021, Unifor called on the Canadian government to issue a full weapons ban and embargo on Israel following the Gaza assault.
Saudi Arabia may be the top country that receives Canadian military exports in spite of violating human rights, but it is important Canadians know it is not the only one.
Thank you for reporting on Canada’s arms trade.
Sincerely,
Renée A. Nunan-Rappard
CJPME Saskatoon,
Lanigan, Saskatchewan.