Project Ploughshares: “NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE” CANADA’S FLAWED ANALYSIS OF ARMS EXPORTS TO SAUDI ARABIA

A joint report by Amnesty International Canada and Project Ploughshares—“NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE”—presents a comprehensive analysis and rebuttal to Canada’s flawed rationale for allowing continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia, as articulated in Global Affairs Canada’s Final Report: Review of export permits to Saudi Arabia, issued April 2020.

“NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE” finds that the ongoing export of Canadian weapons systems to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is contrary to Canada’s obligations under the international Arms Trade Treaty.

Highlights:

Unreliable analysis and conclusions.
- Canada’s Final Report dismisses, omits, and misrepresents key findings in its analysis. An objective and genuine assessment would otherwise have resulted in a cessation of arms exports to Saudi Arabia.

Flawed risk assessment.
- Canada failed to correctly assess and recognize the risks associated with authorizing arms exports to Saudi Arabia. This is in part due to a failure to effectively comply with all its international obligations to control the export of weapons under the Arms Trade Treaty.

Substantial risk of misuse.
- There is a risk that Canadian weapons exported to Saudi Arabia could be misused, including to undermine regional peace and security, to commit or facilitate abuses of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and of gender-based violence, and to be diverted to unauthorized uses/users.

Report in English: https://ploughshares.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NoCredibleEvidence_EN.pdf

Report in French: https://ploughshares.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NoCredibleEvidence_FR.pdf

Questions about the report’s contents can be directed to: