Thank you very much. This is the first time I attend the meeting of this committee since the return of Parliament. I am pleased to see you here, Mr. Neve and Mrs. Farha.
I have been a member of Parliament since 2004 and what I have seen since then leads me to conclude that there has been a significant decline of the Canadian situation relating to leadership and human rights, domestically as well as internationally. I find that those organizations working to protect human rights are facing increasing difficulties. They are barely consulted and it is difficult for them to criticize because there are risks in doing that. For example, KAIROS, an organization working overseas, has had its funding cut after having been funded for many years by CIDA. Similarly, one cannot ignore the crisis currently facing Rights and Democracy. All this is extremely worrying.
Even here, in Canada, the first organizations to have their funding cut were women's organizations. To wit, Status of Women Canada has cut the funding of groups or organizations that had been working to promote women's rights through the Women's Program. I have the feeling that it may be a way to hide the issue under the carpet.
Mrs Arbour said recently that Canada is absent or is not very constructive on most human rights issues. Canada is often the only country opposing or systematically voting against Council resolutions. We have also seen that Rights and Democracy lost its seat in Geneva. Why was it deprived of its role when it had been established beside the Human Rights Council? That is how I read the situation.
Amnesty International has produced a report containing fantastic suggestions as well as recommendations that are very important for us, parliamentarians, and that we want to fight for.
I wonder if you want to add anything. I did not ask any questions but, based on what I have just said, would you like to make any comments?