Foreign Affairs committee  I have been involved in research, but I didn't want to suggest that technology always comes from elsewhere. On the contrary, we've been working on a research project in which we've seen the inventiveness of technologies within Africa and by Africans. In the field of mining, it

Foreign Affairs committee  I referred to the 2002 MMSD report, in which there are good examples of frameworks. It was put together through many years of effort. We see 10 years later that some of these elements are still there—I'm thinking in particular of this issue of regulating compensation for land use

Foreign Affairs committee  Of course. Let me answer the first question. You talk about the Congo. I have already alluded to Burkina Faso, which is a very different country, but which also has certain problems to which money is not always a solution; rather, it can be a problem. That's why I've insisted so

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you very much. This is an important question. What I have indeed stressed very strongly today is that perhaps CIDA should first of all cater to contingencies around the mining site. I'm very strongly insisting on that. The reason is that mining has effects on livelihoods,

Foreign Affairs committee  You're asking me to give examples of where it did not work at all, and mining companies got so much leeway that—

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm not sure I can answer that question right away, because in many countries, in the current moment, mining companies have a lot of room to manoeuvre, and that is one of the things we should point out. That's why I have argued very strongly for this separation. In many countri

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, I've heard of it, for sure.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'll answer the question, but first, with regard to Talisman, I think what actually happened in that case was at the time very specific. In fact this company was Canadian, but it had its home, by the way, in Amsterdam. It had a subsidiary in the Netherlands. Talisman was indeed

Foreign Affairs committee  Exactly.

Foreign Affairs committee  I think so. I think that's why I'm insisting that the environment has to improve. Of course, we know there are many conflicts, including examples in Burkina Faso. I've just heard President Compaoré being mentioned, but of course he is also identified as being a dissenter of wha

Foreign Affairs committee  Pardon?

Foreign Affairs committee  Exactly. In my presentation, I really tried to insist that it is very important for the companies to do the job right at the sites where they operate, and to be careful and be aware that they are working in an environment that is very often difficult to operate in. They should

Foreign Affairs committee  On the other hand, there is indeed a task for public-private partnerships and bilateral partnerships in order to reinforce the institutional capacities of the host government that has to manage the companies and also operate itself in a better way.

Foreign Affairs committee  You're asking me whether this public-private partnership would not allow more control over companies. Is that what you're saying?

Foreign Affairs committee  There are the long-term commitments that companies have to make. One of the problems you see occurring in countries such as Burkina Faso is the contingency of the mining sector as such. I said in my introduction that I have been working particularly on Canadian exploration countr