Erin Hunt

Co-Director, Mines Action Canada

Humanitarian disarmament expert focusing on indiscriminate weapons, victim assistance, casualties and international disarmament treaties.

Media

Killer Robots & Proportionality

Mines Action Canada and the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots have serious concerns about autonomous weapons and their ability to apply international humanitarian law concerning proportionality.

CCW Review Conference Day 2

Our Erin Hunt recaps Day 2 of the Convention on Conventional Weapons Review Conference.

John Baird to travel to Laos as Canada restarts funding to clear cluster bombs

CTV News, October 14, 2013Television

URL: http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/baird-to-travel-to-laos-as-canada-restarts-funding-to-clear-cluster-bombs-1.1496583

Television interview on the cluster munition problem in Laos and Canada's legislation implementing the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

To this day, Nagasaki survivor’s story matters

Victoria Times Colonist, August 14, 2015Print

URL: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-to-this-day-nagasaki-survivor-s-story-matters-1.2030280

Op-ed outlining importance of survivor stories to ongoing process to ban nuclear weapons.

MPs need courage in face of cluster munitions

Victoria Times Colonist, June 16, 2013Print

URL: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-mps-need-courage-in-the-face-of-cluster-munitions-1.322122

Co-written op-ed on legislation to implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions which was being debated in the House of Commons at the time.

By sitting out nuclear weapons meeting, Canada backtracks on its commitment to peace

Open CanadaOnline

URL: https://www.opencanada.org/features/sitting-out-nuclear-weapons-meeting-canada-backtracks-its-commitment-peace/

Article on Canada's failure to participate in the negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

As UN General Assembly kicks off, all eyes on Canada’s disarmament stance

Open CanadaOnline

URL: https://www.opencanada.org/features/un-general-assembly-kicks-all-eyes-canadas-disarmament-stance/

Article outlining concerns about Canada's disarmament policy at the United Nations.

As UN General Assembly kicks off, all eyes on Canada’s disarmament stance

Open CanadaOnline

URL: https://www.opencanada.org/features/un-general-assembly-kicks-all-eyes-canadas-disarmament-stance/

Article outlining concerns about Canada's disarmament policy at the United Nations.

As UN General Assembly kicks off, all eyes on Canada’s disarmament stance

Munitions researcher on ‘rain of steel’: Monitoring cluster bombs in Syria and the human toll, part one

Syria Direct, June 20, 2016Online

URL: http://syriadirect.org/news/munitions-researcher-on-%E2%80%98rain-of-steel%E2%80%99-monitoring-cluster-bombs-in-syria-and-the-human-toll/

Two part interview on the use of cluster munitions in Syria.

Munitions researcher on ‘rain of steel’: Monitoring cluster bombs in Syria and the human toll, part two

Syria Direct, June 21, 2016Online

URL: http://syriadirect.org/news/munitions-researcher-on-%E2%80%98rain-of-steel%E2%80%99-monitoring-cluster-bombs-in-syria-and-the-human-toll-part-two/

Part two of a two part interview on humanitarian impact of cluster munition use in Syria.

Erin Hunt on landmines, cluster munitions and Canadian diplomacy

Face2Face Podcast, March 2, 2016Online

URL: http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/face2face/2016/03/erin-hunt-on-landmines-cluster-munitions-and-canadian-diplomacy

Podcast interview about humanitarian disarmament focusing on landmines, cluster munitions and Canadian leadership.

Canadian firms invested in US cluster bomb makers, report says

Middle East Eye, June 25, 2016Online

URL: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/canadian-firms-invested-us-cluster-munitions-manufacturers-report-says-380553793

Interviewed for story on Canadian investment in cluster munitions and the humanitarian impact of these weapons.

By sitting out nuclear weapons meeting, Canada backtracks on its commitment to peace

Open Canada, March 21, 2017Online

URL: https://www.opencanada.org/features/sitting-out-nuclear-weapons-meeting-canada-backtracks-its-commitment-peace/

Whether due to U.S. pressure or a lack of political courage — or both — Canada is expected to be absent from next week's negotiations in New York. Erin Hunt looks at the motives behind the move, and the message it sends.

Biography

Erin Hunt is a co-director at Mines Action Canada. She has been working in humanitarian disarmament in various capacities since 2006 and doing public education on the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines since 2003. Hunt's areas of expertise include the humanitarian impact of landmines and cluster munitions, particularly in Syria and Yemen, as well as the Ottawa Treaty, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, ongoing diplomatic efforts to prohibit autonomous weapons systems (killer robots) and nuclear weapons. She can speak about Canadian policies on disarmament issues more broadly. Hunt has a master’s degree in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University.

Past Talks

Positive obligations in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly

United Nations (New York)

Positive obligations in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly

United Nations (New York)

Positive obligations

United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination

United Nations (New York)

Positive obligations in a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons

United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination

United Nations (New York)

Positive obligations in a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons

United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination

United Nations (New York)

Statement on Victim Assistance

United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination

United Nations (New York)

Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions; a shared responsibility

6th Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Geneva, Switzerland, September 6, 2016

Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions; a shared responsibility

First Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Dubrovnik, Croatia, September 9, 2015

Statement on Autonomous Weapons Systems

United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons (https://stopkillerrobots.ca/2015/04/13/mines-action-canadas-opening-statement-at-convention-on-conventional-weapons/)

Geneva, Switzerland, April 13, 2015

Statement on Victim Assistance

United Nations Open Ended Working Group taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations (http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/OEWG/2016/Statements/10May_MinesActionCanada.pdf)

Geneva, Switzerland, May 10, 2016

Statement on Weapons Reviews

United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons (https://stopkillerrobots.ca/2016/04/13/mines-action-canadas-intervention-on-article-36-weapons-reviews/)

Geneva, Switzerland, April 13, 2016

Equal Basis Report Launch

14th Meeting of States Parties to Mine Ban Treaty

Geneva, Switzerland, December 1, 2015

Campaign to Stop Killer Robots Statement

United Nations General Assembly First Committee First Committee (http://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com16/statements/12Oct_CSKR.pdf)

New York, New York, October 12, 2016

Expertise

  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Landmines
  • Killer robots
  • Indiscrimiate weapons
  • Explosive weapons
  • Disarmament
  • Cluster Munitions
  • Civil Society Campaigning
  • Assistance to victims of armed conflict

Education/Éducation

  • University of Victoria
    Political Science
    Bachelor of Arts, 2006
  • Royal Roads University
    Human Security and Peacebuilding
    Masters of Arts, 2012