Canada Must Uphold Arms Exports Ban to KSA

Canada Must Uphold Arms Exports Ban to KSA

International United Nations Watch (IUNW) has written to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne and the Minister of Finance Bill Morneau, urging them to reconsider their decision to lift the ban imposed on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. In their decision to rescind the ban, the two Ministers cited the fact that there had been “significant improvements” since it was first implemented

IUNW contends that, contrary to the claimed improvement, there have been no indications of improvements, significant or otherwise, with regard to the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.

In its letter to the Canadian ministers, IUNW points out how hundreds of people, many of them human rights advocates, still languish in jails in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, IUNW adds, “Saudi Arabia has been leading a war against Yemen which brought about thousands of deaths in the country and saw millions of Yemenis displaced and infected with diseases or lacking clean water or food.”

In noting its “extreme surprise” at the Canadian government’s decision to reverse its ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, IUNW cited the prevailing human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, typified by “the monstrous murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi whose family and friends are still waiting for justice and bringing those responsible for his murder to account.”

IUNW urged the Canadian government to revoke its decision, given there was no evidence of any improvement in Saudi Arabia’s notorious human rights record and mindful that ”the Canadian government should put human rights first”, now and at all times.

To read full press release, click here.