Pursuant to Standing Order 108, we'll reconvene our meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development by welcoming the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages.
Ms. Verner has spent close to 20 years working in the communications and public service fields. She has served as the deputy speaker of Quebec's National Assembly. Most recently, Minister Verner affirmed Canada's commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS at the United Nations 2006 High-Level Meeting. In May she announced our government's $100 million response to hunger and other humanitarian crises. She led Canada's action to assist victims of Indonesian earthquakes. She worked with Canada and New Brunswick to help support Romania in hosting La Francophonie summit. She has worked to bring about a Canada-Brazil partnership for children's health in Haiti, and she has worked with our Prime Minister on humanitarian aid and support for peace in Sudan. Minister Verner chaired the ministerial conference of La Francophonie on conflict prevention and human security, a committee that had over 60 countries represented.
We thank her for appearing before our committee. Also with her today are a couple of people who have appeared at our committee before: Madame Laporte and Robert Greenhill. So we welcome you back.
Welcome, Minister, to the committee. We look forward to your presentation and to the questions.