Thank you.
Parliamentary Secretary Obhrai has stated very correctly that we are already preparing an annual report, and certainly that is something that can be very readily made available to this committee or tabled in Parliament.
With regard to the very specific reporting requirements made in the draft amendment, I would suggest that what it does, in fact—speaking here as a professional diplomat—is that it in effect would require us to report on diplomatic activities undertaken. There is a wealth of legislation already passed by this Parliament that protects detailed information on diplomatic activities, because, quite frankly, some states don't want it to be known that certain diplomatic contacts have been made, so that would be problematic in and of itself.
But in addition, this is, as we have repeatedly stated here, and as my colleagues have repeatedly stated, a criminal law bill. To put a positive obligation into the context of a criminal law bill is, well...unconventional, I suppose, is one point, and I'm sure my colleague from Justice will comment on it, but it could also suggest that refusal to do so might give rise to criminal sanctions. That is certainly not something that I think we would want to see.
Essentially, the convention does apply these obligations on states, but they are not mandatory obligations. States are called upon to do these activities because, again, treaties cannot compel states how to conduct their relationships with each other. They can prohibit certain activities, but they cannot compel positive obligations. Therefore, putting such a kind of obligation into Canadian implementing obligations would go far above and beyond what, first of all, the treaty requires, but also what is state practice worldwide.
I think my colleague from Justice has some additional comments.