Thank you for that question.
That was one of my points, and I would really urge the committee to think about that very hard.
This is not an exceptional case. It is being cited internationally as undermining the progress that's being made. I would just repeat the point I made: If Canada is not going to follow UN Security Council resolutions and the optional protocol, how can we ask other countries to do so? It is setting a precedent. It will be cited in the child soldiers global report. It was already cited in the last report of the special representative of the Secretary General for children and armed conflict. It will be again. It will be re-cited at the United Nations Human Rights Council in terms of Canada's record.
There is a global impact. We can set a precedent.
I would also appreciate this committee focusing on the positive precedent we could set, even at this late stage. If we decide to do something now, we could change that precedent and show some leadership and, as I argued, also help the U.S. fulfill commitments it has made under the optional protocol. It is not too late to turn what could be a bad precedent into a good one.