Thank you very much, Chair, and good afternoon, everyone.
I'm going to say a few brief words just to situate the presentation you're going to hear from us this afternoon. Amnesty International is a member of the Americas Policy Group, which many of you will know is an organization made up of approximately 40 trade unions and faith groups and other non-governmental organizations. Obviously these organizations were deeply concerned by the coup in Honduras in 2009 and the human rights abuses that continue to be committed in its aftermath.
Last year, the Americas Policy Group submitted a policy brief on Honduras with specific recommendations to the Canadian government, and we certainly welcome this appearance today before your committee to share and build on those concerns and recommendations.
To make the best use of your time and ensure you can hear from those whose views truly matter, Amnesty International detailed our concerns in a written submission, the central message of which is that the terrible abuses that were committed during the coup and its aftermath have not yet been addressed by the current government--far from it. The Honduran reality today is one of continued human rights abuses and impunity.
Therefore, Amnesty International remains concerned about an ongoing pattern of threats and attacks, together with a failure to properly investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.
In such a context it cannot be business as usual for Canadian policy. There certainly needs to be accountability, and therefore there needs to be careful monitoring of what has and has not been done by the Honduran government. There needs to be thoughtful, firm pressure by Canada to repair the damage done by the coup and to achieve conditions of respect for human rights and the rule of law.
At a minimum, there also needs to be transparency around negotiations for a free trade agreement with Honduras and an independent human rights impact assessment carried out before proceeding to sign any such agreement.
It's crucial that Canadian policy toward Honduras be informed by the observations of Honduran civil society organizations, which are doing tremendous work at great personal risk and amid huge obstacles, so this afternoon you will have the opportunity to hear from important leaders engaged with different sectors of Honduran civil society, including the most vulnerable sectors.
First you will hear from from Bertha Oliva, of the renowned Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras; then Pedro Landa, coordinator of the respected Honduran Centre for the Promotion of Community Development; then, on the phone, Maria Luisa Regalado, who is the coordinator of CODEMUH, which promotes the rights of working women; and finally Professor Craig Scott, who is currently serving as a commissioner on the Honduran civil society Truth Commission.
At the end, obviously, we all look forward to answering your questions.
With your permission, Mr. Chair, I will now turn it over to Bertha Oliva for the first presentation.