Justice committee  Again, this comes back to what Claude was saying, and I'm sure she can build on this. She's clearly saying that an organization operating according to the humanitarian principles and providing aid impartially has the protection of IHL and already has, then, the right to intervene and provide that service.

Justice committee  Because we are so firmly committed to the humanitarian principles and because we are so firmly under the protection of IHL and we know this and we have the experience of it, we did not alter our operations in Afghanistan, nor have we altered them anywhere else.

Justice committee  Yes, again, we have been operating before the Taliban takeover and after the Taliban takeover under the protection of international humanitarian law.

Justice committee  I think Claude can jump in here, but there are a a lot of other organizations active in Afghanistan, because other states have already made exemptions similar to the one we're talking about here. The United Nations Security Council has not only called for counterterror measures to be in line with IHL but has also made resolutions that provide these kinds of exemptions, including in Afghanistan.

Justice committee  What would happen in a hypothetical case of an exorbitantly high demand for taxation? Is that your question?

Justice committee  MSF and other humanitarian organizations.... We've been doing this for 52 years now, in all sorts of contexts where armed actors are present and operating. It is part of our job, and it is consistent with providing aid to people who need it most. We're constantly negotiating with these armed groups in a way that minimizes....

Justice committee  With MSF, as with any organization, we have a duty of care to staff. The way that the authorization regime is set up in Bill C-41 poses risks to individuals. The sharing and the providing of personal data and information in such a way that we don't know how that information will be used, where it will be stored or how many agencies will have access to it will pose at least unknown risks to our staff.

Justice committee  Claude, do you want to speak on the ICRC and maybe others?

Justice committee  Sure. I think there's a high risk of politicization on both sides of the fence. There's a high risk on this side. Once you start this authorization process and have to submit all of this information to all of these government agencies, there is a risk, either now or in the future, that it could be used for purposes beyond the scope of what Bill C-41 is about.

Justice committee  I think it's pretty clear from what we've been saying so far that we think that an exemption is possible. That is the way to go. We think that it could be expedited relatively simply. If you back up a little bit, you will see that this problem has existed since the Anti-terrorism Act was put in place in 2001.

Justice committee  I think the starting point here is that international humanitarian law already gives protection and already says that when you're operating in an area where there are armed groups, whether deemed terrorist or otherwise, and even in situations where you might have to pay these sorts of administrative fees, landing fees or whatever it might be, this kind of activity is authorized because the humanitarian imperative exists and we need to be able to respond to it.

Justice committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the past 52 years, and today in over 70 countries, Doctors Without Borders or Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF, has alleviated suffering through medical care consistent with the fundamental principles of humanitarian aid: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and in line with medical ethics.