Evidence of meeting #109 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was region.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative David Sweet
To Mr. Fragiskatos' question earlier, you mentioned one of the reasons this continues is that there was a feeling of the lack of justice in the previous two wars.
Do we have organizations on the ground collecting evidence now to be able to bring about, not only peace, but justice, afterwards?
1:55 p.m.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy, University of Denver, As an Individual
Yes. Of course you have the UN panel of experts that continues to document human rights violations. I have colleagues at Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch who try their best to document and put names on who's responsible. The ICC has also been involved. The problem with very big international tribunals is that they try to focus on the big names and not the actual implementers, like the people who engage in the violence.
Because of the complicity of some portion of the government, it's difficult to get access to be able to investigate, and transparency is sometimes a challenge. Also, I know the South Africans—if I'm not mistaken, because they are deployed there—have a mobile unit that deals with sexual violence within their ranks to try to hold their soldiers accountable. You know, the UN has had issues as well, with sexual violence and abuse of populations in Congo and elsewhere. This is also a component that is not often discussed very much.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
1:55 p.m.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy, University of Denver, As an Individual
It's my pleasure.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative David Sweet
Your expertise is very evident. We appreciate it.
Colleagues, we will see you the day after tomorrow.
The meeting is adjourned.