Good morning.
Welcome to this meeting of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
We are here this morning to begin a study into the question of the Canada-China bilateral human rights dialogue. This is actually the first hearing of this committee in this Parliament.
We're pleased to welcome our witnesses.
I'd ask that any video recording equipment should leave the room at this point. Media are permitted to stay, but there can't be any video recording of the committee because there hasn't been a motion to approve that.
We have before us today Mr. Razmik Panossian, the director of policy, programs, and planning at the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development in Montreal; Mr. Alex Neve, the secretary general for the Canadian section of Amnesty International; and Professor Charles Burton from Brock University.
It isn't indicated on the agenda in this respect, but I would like to ask Dr. Burton to begin insofar as I think his report will in part be responded to by the other witnesses.
We have about ten minutes.
Please go ahead, Dr. Burton. Thank you for coming.