IPPNWC Consultations with the Government of Canada - Reflections

IPPNWC President, Dr. John Guilfoyle’s, Reflections from the Civil Society consultations with Global Affairs Canada, June 28, 2023.

Artist Pour La Paix, IPPNWC and VOW representatives in front of the GAC buildings.

It was with some trepidation that I took my place with the delegation from IPPNWC which was invited by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to attend the recent Civil Society consultation on Disarmament, Arms Control, and Non-Proliferation. Despite an hiatus of some years, GAC welcomed the motley crew of Civil Society Organizations who had been privileged with an invitation.

The welcome we got was warm and fulsome. The officers at GAC are smart, engaged and enthusiastic. Despite the constraints in which they have to work, they are committed to creating the best possible policies for Canada. This does not mean that civil society and GAC always see eye to eye. Quite the contrary, but it was heart-warming to be part of a thoughtful exchange of ideas and perspective. Chatham House Rule applied to encourage frank and forthright sharing.

The highlights:

• There is an increasing tension between multilateralism and more polar approaches to geo-politics. Canada is being challenged to follow a principled path.

• IPPNW’s recent resolution on the link between nuclear power and nuclear weapons challenge the current direction that Canada wishes to position itself as a leader in the field of Small Modular Nuclear Reactor technology.

• Canada supports the NPT fulsomely but not the TPNW.

• Much encouragement from civil society was given that, at a minimum, Canada send representation to the upcoming Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Meeting of states parties.

• Canada’s role in NATO was considered and the importance of confidence building measures and security guarantees once the war in Ukraine inevitably ends so that the current acceleration of the arms race does not continue was mentioned.

• The climate crisis is an overarching issue. It was clear that the climate crisis would benefit if some of the resources for war and its preparation were diverted to address the challenge it poses to our health.

• The meeting ended with commitment to ongoing dialogue and a promise that the interval to the next consultation would not be shorter