Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the witnesses. They are from well-respected organizations. I'm more familiar with Amnesty International, as I'm a member. I support Amnesty International, and I appreciate all the wonderful work they're doing on behalf of human rights all over the world.
We've heard that Canada has signed and ratified several major international treaties on the rights of the child. I think we have to realize that Canada has a positive obligation to make sure that we are fulfilling the commitments that we have signed and ratified. The U.S. has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I think it's the only country besides Somalia that has not ratified it. But the U.S. still has obligations, because it has also signed the convention.
Most of us would agree that the situation in Guantanamo is outside the scope of international law. This is the case of a child soldier who is the only one in the western world still there. It seems to me that we ought to hold to the commitments we've made on international treaties. The Paris principles talk about child soldiers more as victims, and I think that's the way we have to see this.
How do we get the government to follow with their positive obligations? This is something they have to do as a matter of law if we are to adhere to our international commitments. Maybe you can elaborate on this.