Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on Oct. 25th, 2011

[Julia Hill]

Canada is very proud of the leadership role it played with respect to MNCH, and there are of course a whole range of issues and approaches to MNCH.

We are quite confident that we have a well-considered approach to the issue, in partnership with other countries. As you know, it's a multilateral kind of initiative because other countries have come on board.

Everyone brings to the table that which they judge to be the most appropriate and the most effective in their circumstances. The maternal, newborn and child health initiative in Kinshasa province, for example, deals with women and children in a more stable environment but also tries to develop models and examples for the rest of the country.

Thank you for the question on MNCH. We think it's a very solid initiative.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

No, I commend the initiative. That's what I began by saying. I commend the initiative. I think it was an important initiative, and I think it was responded to with overall praise.

But there has been concern with respect to the programming restrictions in matters related to sex education and the like, which, if funded, would help to secure the very objectives that Canada itself is putting forward. That's my whole point. In order to better secure your objectives, remove certain restrictions on funding.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

That actually was the end of the available time.

Is there a very quick answer you could provide to that?

[Julia Hill]

I would simply say that it's an international initiative, so there is a full range of services available and projects available. I think all of the bases are covered.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

I wonder if the committee would indulge me very briefly and let me ask one of the suggested questions our analysts had put forward for the committee members to ask. Seeing as nobody else raised it, maybe I could do that.

Some of the witnesses we had before the subcommittee in the previous Parliament, when we were looking at the question of violence toward women in areas of conflict, indicated that in the DRC some local non-governmental organizations are beginning to mistrust some of the international agencies. They feel that the agencies aren't responding to their needs. I wonder if you could comment on that.

In particular, Ms. Stirk, I wonder if you could explain whether and how CIDA is ensuring that the programs it's funding are not dismissing the views of people who have such concerns.

[Julia Hill]

With respect, Mr. Chair, if it's CIDA, it's Hill. If it's Foreign Affairs, it's Stirk.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

I'm sorry, I.... It's dyslexia.

[Julia Hill]

That's okay. Thank you.

I did read that in the previous transcripts. We are not aware of that concern. The one initiative that I mentioned....

Actually, this gives me an opportunity to come back a little bit to the question from the honourable member for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale on the education levels.

With regard to the work we are funding through CECI, our Canadian NGO, CECI works directly with these eleven women's organizations. They are from DRC. They are congolaises. They develop the programs. So it's empowering or supporting these organizations, and it's these organizations that determine really what their needs are and how best to address those needs.

In this respect, the role of CECI is really to support them to bring in any technology or any ideas they may have learned from elsewhere to help move this forward. But it's very much in the hands of these congolaises women.

To my knowledge, I cannot think of CECI ever having been viewed with mistrust by any NGOs. In the broader world, I'm not aware of any examples.

So I can neither support nor refute that statement.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Yes, Mr. Sweet.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

On that point, if I may, those eleven organizations are indigenous to the DRC?

[Julia Hill]

Yes.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

All right. Thank you very much.

Thanks for the indulgence of the committee in letting me ask that question.

I will send out the memo, as I mentioned, regarding times for interventions.

As well, our clerk may have already distributed, or perhaps is about to distribute, the minutes from previous meetings in the last Parliament, the evidence that was submitted relating to the DRC. So that will be coming around.

As a final note, on Thursday we had a request from Mr. Marston—I thought it was a good request, but I want to confirm that the committee agrees—that we invite Desire Kilolwa relating to today's subject. He would be testifying as a witness with a bit of a ground-view perspective. I believe the information relating to that was sent by Mr. Marston to everybody.

Does it seem acceptable to the group that we do that?

Is that a “yes”, Mr. Cotler, or is that an “I want to comment”?

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

It's a yes. I've met with the people, and I support it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

All right. Good.

In that case, we are adjourned. Thank you very much.