UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Military Exports from Canada (1990-1999)
Year
Military Value of
Equipment Military
Types Exports
1999
3,9,10 3,251,915
1998
3,10 4,123,639
1997
3,9,10 401,268
1996
1,3
24,504
1995
1,2,3,10 538,142
1994
- 0
1993
4,10,13 978,288
1992
10 1,787,346
1991
2,4,7,10 1,366,868
1990
10
146,348
Total
$12,618,318
Sources: Export of Military Goods from Canada, Annual Reports 1990-1999.
Published by the Export Controls Division, Export and Import Controls Bureau,
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Government of Canada.
Web site: <www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/~eicb/>
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Examples of Canadian Military Exports (1990s)
CAE Electronics Ltd.
* 2 PC-7 aircraft training simulators
$14.4 million (1998)
Ploughshares Monitor, Dec. 1999.
* Navy integrated platform management $6 million (1996) Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 1997
Simunition Technologies
* Small calibre training ammunition Value unknown (1998)
Standard Aero Ltd.
* Repair and overhaul of propellers Value unknown (1998) Ploughshares Monitor, June 1999
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Canadian Government Promotes Military Exports
Military Trade Shows
There are three major international military trade events held in the UAE:
* the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX),
* the Triple International Defense Exhibition and
* the Dubai Air Show.
These events are promoted by Industry
Canada and the Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade.
---
Canadian Exhibitors at IDEX 2001
CAE
Government of Canada
Schreiner Targets
Simunition
SNC Tech
Spar Aerospace
Tecmotive Corporation
Source: <http://www.idex-2001.com/WebPages/exhibitor_list/default.htm>
---
"Dubai 2000, one of the most important aerospace industry events,
attracted over 500 exhibitors, officials from over 50 countries and 17 Defence
Ministers. The show garnered sales of
over $1.2 billion. Canadian participation included 8 companies, 45 representatives and Canada's Ambassador to
the UAE. Canadian firms, notably Bombardier and CAE, came away with more than
$450 million in contracts. This venue is a crucial channel into the world
aerospace market, both defence and civilian. Attendance and sales from every major industrialized country, and
regional buyers from Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North Africa,
clearly demonstrate the UAE's trading power and influence. The success of this
event is largely linked to the phenomenal growth in the demand for defence
equipment in the region. The Gulf States are already the world's largest arms
market with over US$100 billion in arms procurement forecast by 2010."
Source: "Dubai Airshow 2000," CanadaExport On-Line, Apr.13, 2000.
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Human Rights Violations (1999)
There are no elections or authorized political parties. The main
policy-making body is the Supreme Council of Rulers, i.e., the rulers of the
seven Emirates. They appoint a
council, which reviews and amends legislation.
Executions & death sentences
Seven of the eight sentenced to death were foreigners. Death sentences,
for drug offences, on a Lebanese, an Omani and a Canadian (Ryan Mahon-ey)
were commuted to life in prison. Death sentences on two Russians charged
with murder were commuted to 10 years in prison. In November, the death
sentence on a UAE national convicted of rape was commuted to 10 years' in
prison, 200 lashes and a fine.
Cruel judicial punishments
Sentences of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments such as flogging
reportedly occurred in 1999. In October, foreign nationals were sentenced
to flogging for sexual offences.
Source: Amnesty International Report 2000.
<http://www.amnesty-usa.org/ailib/>
-----------------------------------
Labour Rights Violations (1999)
Union rights denied
Unions are illegal. The rights to organise, bargain collectively and
strike are not recognized. Individual grievances can be addressed through
government-run committees. Domestic servants, particularly women, are
liable to mistreatment. They can take griev-ances to court, but high costs,
fear of reprisals and deportation deter them.
Abuse of migrant workers
85-90% of workers are migrants. They risk deportation for organising unions
or striking. Mainly from India, they work in extremely hot conditions
causing illness and sometimes death, live in hostels where 2 to 8 share a
room, are hired on 3 to 5 year contracts, must hand over their passports
and cannot leave the country or travel internally.
Source: Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights (2000),
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
-----------------------------------
Child Labour Violations
* UAE diplomats and businessmen were caught with slaves they smuggled into
the U.S. (American Anti-Slavery Group, Jesse Sage, Nov. 2000)
* Mauritanian slaves are sometimes exported to Sheikhs in Qatar & UAE.
(Moctar Teyeb, Tikkun Magazine)
* 19,000 Pakistani children have been trafficked to the UAE. (CATW Fact
Book, citing SANLAAP India, "Paper on Globalization & Human
Rights."
* Women and girls are trafficked from Kyrgystan, mostly to Turkey and the
UAE, and forced into prostitution.
* Underage boys are smuggled into UAE as camel jockeys. (U.S. Dept. of
State, Human Rights Report, 1999)
* The 1993 law fixing the age of camel jockeys at 15 is not effectively
observed. (Human Rights Report, 1998)
Source: <http://www.globalmarch.org/worstformsreport/world/united-arab.html>
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Canadian Government Promotes EPZs
A Government of Canada website promoting the "Hamriyah Free Zone," says
it
is "one of the most advanced Free Trade Zones in the Middle East."
Source: <http://exportsource.gc.ca>