Mr. Speaker, before I give the annual statement on national security, I would like to express my sincere thanks to colleagues on all sides of the House for their expressions of support, encouragement and good wishes. I appreciate them very much, as I appreciate similar expressions from Canadians in every part of the country.
I am especially touched by expressions of support and encouragement from people I likely have never met who have faced situations similar to the one I am facing and have surmounted them. Once again, my deep thanks to all these expressions of encouragement and support. I am deeply touched by them and I appreciate them very much.
I am pleased to rise today to present to Parliament the fifth annual statement on national security and to table in the House the 1995 public report and program outlook of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. This document provides both parliamentarians and the public with a review of the current global and domestic security environment.
Additionally, the program outlook provides information on CSIS resource levels for the current year and for the two next fiscal years. We are providing this information in keeping with the government's commitment to more openness and accountability.
It is the view of the government that a well focused and effective security intelligence capability is vital in today's world. Let me review the efforts of CSIS to protect Canada's interest and, most important, to protect Canadians from threats to their safety and security.
Today's security threats are multi-faceted. I say this because they are global in their reach and effect, they come from a variety of sources, not just a few states as during the cold war era, and they are targeted against a wider range of institutions.
For example, today economic espionage is a real concern. So is the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weaponry. Ethnic conflict and the collapse of states threaten international security and have numerous implications for a country such as Canada which is noted for its refugee efforts and peacekeeping contributions.
Transnational crime was identified by leaders at the last G-7 summit as a growing threat to the security of nations. I think the House is well aware that terrorism remains the primary concern of security agencies around the world. We know the terrorist threat is increasingly sophisticated and global in nature, with some organizations having transnational structures while some continue to be state sponsored.
We must also face the reality of domestic extremism which has been manifested so tragically in the United States in the bombing of a United States federal building in Oklahoma City last year and in Japan with the poison gas attacks on Tokyo subways.
In another act of domestic terrorism we were horrified late last year by the assassination of the former prime minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, an act which has threatened the very delicate efforts which we hope will bring about peace in the Middle East and which contributed to the latest resurgence of violent outbreaks between Israel and Hamas in Lebanon.
In another corner of the world we see the resumption of IRA bombings of civilian targets in Britain. The assassination of Prime Minister Rabin and the resumption of IRA bombings are examples of how promising political solutions to longstanding grievances can be jeopardized when terrorists strike.
I want to confirm that Canada has been a keen and active participant in international co-operative efforts to combat terrorism. In June of last year the Prime Minister chaired the G-7 summit in Halifax which placed international terrorism high on the agenda of discussion by world leaders.
The heads of government agreed to share their experiences of and lessons learned from major terrorist incidents. As well, they agreed to strengthen their co-operation in all efforts against terrorism.
Following up on this commitment, last December in Ottawa I chaired the very first ministerial level meeting of the G-7 countries, together with Russia, to discuss specific co-operative measures to prevent and investigate terrorist acts. The result of that meeting was a document known as the Ottawa declaration. It is a milestone in international co-operation and in the strengthening of our common resolve to defeat terrorism. I would like to briefly review the agreements contained in the Ottawa declaration.
First, we all know of the existence of a number of international conventions that spell out concrete actions against terrorist acts such as hijacking and hostage taking. We resolved that greater efforts needed to be made to get all states to join in and implement these conventions by the year 2000. We agreed that this is the key to circumscribing the ambit of international terrorism and denying it sanctuary.
In this spirit, the ministers were unanimous in denouncing states that support terrorists. The declaration called on all states to renounce terrorism and deny financial support as well as the use of territory to terrorist organizations. Ministers also committed to action to inhibit the movement of terrorists and to develop measures to prevent falsification of travel documents.
The Ottawa declaration was unequivocal on the need to bring perpetrators of terrorist acts to swift justice. We also agreed to increase our preventative efforts against terrorism in our aviation, maritime and other transport systems.
One of the most important tools we have to counter terrorism is the sharing of information. We agreed, through the Ottawa declaration, to strengthen the sharing of intelligence in information on terrorism in a large number of specific technical areas.
We were encouraged by the progress made in Canadian and multilateral efforts to combat terrorism, and we are proud of the significant accomplishment embodied in the Ottawa Declaration.
As the Prime Minister stated to the participants of the March Summit of Peacemakers in Egypt, Canada is doing its part to fight terrorism and we are doing so in a way that is consistent with international standards of human rights and laws.
He noted that Canada is pursuing the objectives of the Ottawa Declaration in every available international forum.
Further progress was made on this front just last month, when Canada joined with twenty-one western hemisphere countries in signing the Lima Declaration, at an anti-terrorism conference of the Organization of American States.
Here at home we continue to monitor threats to security and their implications for Canada. We are concerned, for example, with the potential for foreign conflicts to spill over to Canada and threaten Canadians. Canada, by its very peaceful and democratic nature, can be attractive to terrorist organizations seeking sanctuary or funds to continue terrorism in other lands. CSIS identifies and investigates such groups. It acts as the linchpin in assuring effective consultation and information sharing with appropriate Canadian law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other police services as well as with its foreign counterparts.
The primary role of CSIS is to forewarn and advise. CSIS threat assessments provide timely information to the government concerning potential or imminent threats. As well, CSIS helps keep terrorists and other dangerous individuals from entering Canada through its assistance to Citizenship and Immigration Canada in screening individuals wishing to enter our country.
I mentioned that CSIS, while not itself a law enforcement agency, works in co-operation with the police, in particular with the RCMP. I should point out that the RCMP has an important role to play because of its extensive role in security enforcement under the Security Offences Act and in providing security to designated persons, federal property, as well as foreign embassies and missions here in Canada.
Violence in the pursuit of political objectives has no place in Canadian society. While CSIS and the police have separate mandates, they are joined by a common mission which is to protect the interests of all Canadians. Co-operation and co-ordination between police and security authorities has proven successful in defining threats and getting the best possible intelligence on criminal activities of terrorists.
Although since the end of the cold war espionage has changed its focus and its character, its intensity remains a concern to Canada and its allies. CSIS remains vigilant and active in discerning and investigating such threats to the security of Canada.
Canada plays a prominent role in the world community. We all know well that in various areas of the world, the world community is fraught with strife and unrest. In this volatile environment persistent threats must be dealt with and new ones emerge almost daily.
I want to conclude by reiterating that this government continues to put a premium on the need for reliable and timely security intelligence and security enforcement in order to protect the interests of all Canadians and of Canada.