Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. Minister, for being here today.
I just want to start off with a couple of concerns I have regarding reporting. You know that recently it was noted in the press that there was a human rights overview report done by DFAIT. Included in that report were things that aren't in this report. This committee has looked at what could be shared with the committee. We had a whole committee meeting about the sharing of information, confidentiality, sensitive documents, etc., but it seems to me that a DFAIT human rights report would be something that should be reflected here. It's important information, and I just want to cite a couple of things.
First of all, there is the fact--if you've read it, and I'm wondering why perhaps it isn't in here--that according to the report there's a major problem in trafficking of children, and particularly of boys, for purposes of sexual exploitation or forced labour. Fifty-seven percent of Afghan marriages involve girls under the legal age of 16. My take on it is--and you can see here--that women are being used as a form of currency to pay off debts. I know this isn't new in terms of cultural facets here, but it is happening.
Then finally there is the question of schools. Respectfully, Minister, we've heard the government say at different times that we're there, we're building schools, and kids are going to school, and girls are going to school when they haven't before, and we all want that, certainly. The report from DFAIT says that half of school-aged children don't attend, that we've had schools that were built but in fact no one's in them. Five hundred and thirty-eight schools have closed as of June 2008, and 58% of the schools that were closed, out of the number I just cited, were in Kandahar, where we are. As well, 147 students and children were killed.
First of all, have you read the report I'm referring to?