Evidence of meeting #16 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was children.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:30 p.m.
Director General, International Bureau for Children's Rights
These are big topics to cover in two and a half minutes.
In English, the translation is “diversion”.
This is the translation of the term déjudiciarisation. I wanted to clarify this detail.
Diversion can prevent children from being deprived of their freedom and ending up in a process where they do not belong and which would not at all be the solution in their case. Referral to courts and incarceration should be measures of last resort.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
On a point of order, I'm sorry to interrupt but I don't have translation.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
4:30 p.m.
Director General, International Bureau for Children's Rights
Legal action is an important process. There's a world of timely opportunities. We've seen a significant number of countries, including Indonesia, Morocco, Burkina Faso and Colombia, take direct action. Many children have been released so that prisons don't become places of contamination. Incidentally, some questions must be asked both in Canada and abroad about what action should be taken under these conditions.
As you said, this also carries a risk. Do you take these children out of prison and ultimately leave them to their own devices and see other patterns of exploitation emerge?
There's a great deal of variation. However, many organizations have been working to support these processes and to ensure that, ultimately, releasing these children is only a step rather than an end in itself.
A great deal of expertise has been built up in this area. This morning, UNICEF held a global webinar, highlighting lessons from the past nine months regarding justice for children and the work done in this sector.
We could also talk about Yemen. Children are being put on the front lines without access to humanitarian rights. This violates the United Nations Security Council resolution 1612 and many other applicable international laws.
The situation is extremely troubling, since all the children's rights are potentially being violated. There are no control measures to help them. Once again, I'll repeat the messages of my two colleagues: the local structures are there.
How have these structures been used in the past to prevent or lower risk? It's through prevention and local action, hence the value of both.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
The final round this afternoon goes to Ms. McPherson, again, for two and a half minutes please.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thank you again to all the witnesses. I wish I could take you all out for coffee. I have so many questions and such a short amount of time.
I want to follow up on something Mr. Landry just talked about, and that is Yemen. What would it mean to the children of Yemen if Canada stopped selling arms to Saudi Arabia? What is the role Canada can play in terms of taking our dollars out of that conflict? I'd like you to comment on that.
4:30 p.m.
Director General, International Bureau for Children's Rights
It's a key question. It's not only the sale of arms but also the role in peace processes and the mediation that Canada has been able to play, for instance, in the Great Lakes in Africa. That role has been rather discreet in the Middle East in recent years, so the complexity of that particular conflict and the involvement of so many external actors are certainly key problems. The reduction of the space for the UN to play its role in such a context is also quite critical.
Yes, there's looking at the arms trade. There's also looking at the pressure on Saudi Arabia and the UN and the incapacity of the UN to take action in light of very strong evidence when it comes to violations committed by countries that have lots of influence on the UN.
This something we need to be extremely careful about, and Canada could play a role in that.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I see that the U.S. has paused those sales to Saudi Arabia, which is an excellent step.
I'm also wondering if you could comment on our contributions in terms of ODA—our development contributions to Yemen—and whether or not they are enough at this point considering the humanitarian crisis we're facing there.
4:30 p.m.
Director General, International Bureau for Children's Rights
In my opinion the answer is integrated in the question. There is so much more that needs to be done. We need to look at Yemen also as being in the migration path of so many populations from eastern Africa that go through Yemen to reach other places. That vulnerability is key, so it's not only looking at the situation with Yemen but having a regional perspective on things. It's not only supporting multilateral organizations that have really benefited from Canada's assistance and should continue to do so, but probably diversifying the options and the supports to civil society organizations, which are very much at the top of the list of actors that are supported by Canada.
This would make a big difference, as would looking at Djibouti and Somalia. All of those are really connected, so it's about not having just a country focus.
4:35 p.m.
NDP
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
Thank you very much.
Colleagues, this takes us to the end of our scheduled time with our witnesses this afternoon. On our collective behalf, I would like to thank all three of them for their testimony, for their expertise and, most importantly, for their extraordinary service around the world. We all feel that we would have liked to have much more time with you. Time is limited.
I would like to remind our witnesses that if you have comments you weren't able to make, the option is very much available to direct them in writing to the office of the clerk so that members of the committee can receive and review them.
I will now ask our panel to disembark the ship; we have some committee business that we will continue once you have had a chance to disconnect. Once again, thank you very much for your testimony this afternoon.
We'll suspend for a couple of minutes.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
We're back with the next item of business, which is the notice of motion that was brought to us by Mr. Chong. Mr. Chong would like to speak to his motion.
We've allotted roughly 15 minutes. We have some other business to do this afternoon in camera, so we will start with the discussion on the motion that Mr. Chong has brought.
The floors is yours.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I move:
That the committee express its deep concern about material identified in UNRWA textbooks which violates basic norms on human rights, tolerance, neutrality and non-discrimination, at a time when UNRWA is receiving funding from the Government of Canada, and report this motion to the House.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
I am looking for my notes. This caught me by surprise. I thought this was happening later in the meeting, so I'm just a bit off guard.
I will tell you right now that I'm in support of the motion, but I have an amendment that I would like to make to it. I just need to find that amendment.
If I could take one minute, please, I'll find it in my email. I'm sorry.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Mr. Chair, I have Mr. Oliphant's version in front of me. I'm happy to help if it will save a few seconds.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
Mr. Oliphant, in the spirit of collaboration and collegiality, if you agree, we will ask Mr. Morantz.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Mr. Oliphant proposes the following amendment: “That the committee express its deep concern about certain educational materials circulated to students by UNRWA during the pandemic that violates the values of human rights, tolerance, neutrality and non-discrimination, at a time when UNRWA is receiving funding from the Government of Canada, and report this motion to the House.”
Is that correct?
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Yes.
I believe Heather might have a subamendment to that as well, but let me just speak to this for a moment and say that the government, through the Minister of International Development, has expressed this concern and I think it is appropriate for this committee to express it as well. This is important. I think Canadians expect the funds that are transferred to UNRWA to be used well. I know there have been many undertakings to ensure that they are used well. There are mistakes that happen from time to time. We need to acknowledge this problem, and I think that's what we're doing in this motion.
It's a slight rewording of it. I think we would be very happy with it, but I'm also open to a subamendment that we may have to deal with first.
As they say in the States, I will yield to Ms. McPherson, at the chair's discretion.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
Of course. Thank you, Mr. Oliphant; and yes, we'll go straight to Ms. McPherson.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I didn't know that's what they said in the States.
The subamendment that I would like to include into the amendment proposed by Mr. Oliphant is the words “in error”. I think it was very clear that we were in unprecedented times, that there was an incredibly fast and challenging switch to online, to paper learning, to a number of different changes to the way that UNRWA was able to provide education in their work, and this slipped through. It was very clear and they've made a statement that has indicated that it was done in error and that it has been rectified, so I think it's important that it is articulated within this motion as well.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
