Erin Hunt
Program Manager | Mines Action Canada
Ottawa , ON, CANADA
Humanitarian disarmament expert focusing on indiscriminate weapons, victim assistance, casualties and international disarmament treaties.
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Biography
Erin Hunt is the Program Manager 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.
She contributes to the work of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Cluster Munition Coalition, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Erin was a member of the civil society negotiating team during the 2017 process to negotiate the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with the Nobel Peace Laureate International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. She can speak about gender and disarmament, and Canadian policies on disarmament issues more broadly.
Erin has a master’s degree in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University.
Industry Expertise (3)
International Affairs
Non-Profit/Charitable
International Trade and Development
Areas of Expertise (9)
Disarmament
Landmines
Cluster Munitions
Nuclear Weapons
Civil Society Campaigning
Indiscrimiate weapons
Explosive weapons
Assistance to victims of armed conflict
Killer robots
Accomplishments (1)
2017 Nobel Peace Prize (professional)
2017-10-06
Active campaigner with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) which was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to promote nuclear disarmament and negotiate the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Erin was actively involved in the humanitarian initiative leading up to the negotiations and was a key member of ICAN's negotiating team focusing on the positive obligations found in Articles 6 and 7 in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Education (2)
Royal Roads University: Masters of Arts, Human Security and Peacebuilding 2012
University of Victoria: Bachelor of Arts, Political Science 2006
Languages (1)
- English
Media Appearances (16)
How Canada can eliminate lethal barriers to development
The Hill Times online
2020-01-30
Efforts towards the sustainable development goals often overlook the impact of landmines and other explosive remnants of war. There is an effective, made-in-Canada solution to this problem: the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning landmines.
Why ‘killer robots’ are neither feminist nor ethical
Open Canada online
2019-01-22
Autonomous weapons do not align with Canada’s current approach to foreign policy — and, as a new survey shows, Canadians’ opposition to their use is on the rise. Is it time for an outright ban?
Saudi Arabia Arms Sales and Human Rights
The Craig Needles Show radio
2018-10-25
Bombs are being sent to Trump critics, Saudi Arabia's deal with General Dynamics, and examining human rights in Saudi Arabia
Peace Prize: Reflections on a Nobel year
Open Canada online
2018-10-11
As the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons passes the Nobel torch to the 2018 winners, Erin Hunt reflects on the value of the prize and on the strength of global solidarity movements.
Atomic bomb survivors bring message of peace, hope to Halifax
CTV Atlantic tv
2018-07-10
Coverage of Peace Boat's visit to Halifax.
Sustaining Destruction: Nuclear Weapons and the Sustainable Development Goals
Impakter Magazine online
2018-06-25
For the first time in years, nuclear weapons are consistently front page news. The “will they, won’t they” of a meeting between American President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) dominated the news cycle for weeks. Nuclear politics is back in a big way with intemperate tweets, cancelled non-proliferation agreements, summits and nuclear tests. Not since the Cold War has the threat of nuclear weapons been this obvious. Underlying this return to this politics of death is a simple fact – the risk of an intentional or accidental nuclear war has been threatening our lives and planet every day since 1945. We have never stepped out from under JFK’s nuclear sword of Damocles.
US Reacts to Russia Nukes Announcement
CTV News Channel tv
TV interview about nuclear weapons.
As UN General Assembly kicks off, all eyes on Canada’s disarmament stance
Open Canada online
2017-09-13
Justin Trudeau heads to New York next week, just as a ground-breaking treaty opens for signature. As Erin Hunt asks, can he turn around Canada’s deteriorating reputation as a leader on disarmament?
By sitting out nuclear weapons meeting, Canada backtracks on its commitment to peace
Open Canada online
2017-03-21
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.
Canadian firms invested in US cluster bomb makers, report says
Middle East Eye online
2016-06-25
Interviewed for story on Canadian investment in cluster munitions and the humanitarian impact of these weapons.
Munitions researcher on ‘rain of steel’: Monitoring cluster bombs in Syria and the human toll, part one
Syria Direct online
2016-06-20
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 online
2016-06-21
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 online
2016-03-02
Podcast interview about humanitarian disarmament focusing on landmines, cluster munitions and Canadian leadership.
To this day, Nagasaki survivor’s story matters
Victoria Times Colonist print
2015-08-14
Op-ed outlining importance of survivor stories to ongoing process to ban nuclear weapons.
John Baird to travel to Laos as Canada restarts funding to clear cluster bombs
CTV News tv
2013-10-14
Television interview on the cluster munition problem in Laos and Canada's legislation implementing the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
MPs need courage in face of cluster munitions
Victoria Times Colonist print
2013-06-16
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.
Event Appearances (9)
Ignominious Anniversary: Remembering Hiroshima
Ethics in Tech Event For The 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghm1JtTHK1Y
2020-08-06
The PANEL
The AI Arms Race Should We Be Worried? (http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/public-record/episodes/61295742?fbclid=IwAR1GrNN5PnBjVkNCLZlY-jrnUY2fVe3iRuHLEGmUkI2QxD1QlZHKVwR_iWc) Ottawa, ON
2018-03-28
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
2016-10-12
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
2016-05-10
Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions; a shared responsibility
6th Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions Geneva, Switzerland
2016-09-06
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
2016-04-13
Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions; a shared responsibility
First Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions Dubrovnik, Croatia
2015-09-09
Equal Basis Report Launch
14th Meeting of States Parties to Mine Ban Treaty Geneva, Switzerland
2015-12-01
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
2015-04-13
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