Evidence of meeting #15 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 companies.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:40 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I've been interested that in the testimony at committee, we've heard really nothing about the impact of narco-trafficking on Honduras. I'm wondering if you have any comments on that. We're hearing about corruption and the failure of the justice system, with judges being intimidated and police unwilling to do their work. I'm wondering what the impact is of the drug trade in the area. Is there a reason that we haven't been talking about that at this table?
1:40 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Chair, I can speak to members about the last part of your comment. There is no doubt that the drug trade is an issue, not just in Honduras but in Central America.
I don't know if your previous witnesses have talked about this, but Honduras has weak institutions. Whether on the judicial side, whether on the government side, Honduras has weak institutions. When you have weak institutions, you are inevitably getting into the challenging areas that the member has talked about. That is in great part the situation we're facing in Honduras and in other parts of Central America.
The focus of our programming, the focus of what Canada intends or wants to achieve in Honduras, is the strengthening of those institutions and the strengthening of the capacity of officials in those institutions to conduct their work. This is where it starts. It starts at the local level and it starts at the national level where Honduras institutions need to be strengthened, and that's the focus of our programming.
I can't comment as to why you haven't talked about the drug trade around this table, but it is certainly a significant issue in Honduras and neighbouring countries.
June 9th, 2016 / 1:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I guess I'd like to come back to a question we had the other day, because we heard a little bit about police and security forces and how the national police really weren't doing the job, so military police were established, and that doesn't seem to be working out well. The military has a bit of credibility and many people have private security forces. I believe the Canadian government has put money into the support of trying to develop that police structure. Has that been effective?
1:45 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes, Chair. Of all the areas we've talked about today, this is one area where we are seeing a bit of progress.
You heard from Mr. Craig the other day that it's a big part of what his organization is doing there. The Canadian government, in part of its capacity building and the anti-crime capacity building program, has been putting funds into that. That's one area.
This is probably not the best functioning police force that you will see. That being said, I think progress has been noticed in that regard.
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Where is the success? We have four or five different kinds of paramilitary operations going on. Where's the success been?
1:45 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
The professionalization of the police force and their capacity to conduct investigations is an area where we've seen improvement. We saw that recently in the Cáceres case, and others, where I think they're up to five arrests in the former case. We saw that the police were able to conduct proper investigations into these murders. This is a far cry from what it was not too long ago.
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Were you satisfied with the response to her death? We've had witnesses who seem to be on both sides of that equation. From the government's perspective, were you surprised or satisfied with the way the police responded?
1:45 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
The only thing I can comment on is that Canada was quickly vocal about this. Within 24 hours, the Government of Canada, through our ambassador, issued a statement condemning this crime and asking Honduran officials act quickly on this and to find these criminals and bring them to justice. That continued throughout the days and the weeks that followed. I would say the same thing for the international community: the Americans were quite vocal on this, and other countries as well.
I would answer, yes, to your question. This was a tragic event in Honduras, and Canada and other partners came out quickly and condemned this brutal killing.
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
In May 2015, the government brought in a law to protect human rights defenders. They created what's called a National Council for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, as well as, we're told, a protection system. Do you know anything about that?
1:45 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
You mean the Honduran government?
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Yes. Are you familiar with that law and what it did? It's come up a couple of times, but it hasn't been mentioned much, and I'm wondering if it's been effective or if it hasn't come into play yet.
1:45 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
The only law I am familiar with is the one I mentioned in my remarks. I'm not sure that it's the same one the member is referring to. I mentioned the law for the protection of human rights defenders, journalists, social communicators, and justice operators.
1:45 p.m.
A Voice
It's the same one.
1:45 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes, that's the one. We are talking about the same law, which is something that Canada publicly supported and advocated for with the Honduran government.
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Do you see it as being effective already? Is it making an impact?
1:45 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
I would suggest that we can come back to the committee perhaps a year from now and provide an update to the member.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
David Sweet Conservative Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON
Can I make two requests? Can we get in writing what the 11 programs are?
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
David Sweet Conservative Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON
Also, I'd like to know the companies involved in setting up the council.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Michael Levitt
Certainly.
I'm not going to speak for my colleagues around the table, but I'm feeling a little less than satisfied that we're getting to the root of some of the concerns regarding the grave human rights abuses we've heard about in this country. I'm not sure that we're getting to the root of that issue with some of the answers that you're providing. This is something that we're exploring in this committee, and we're also looking in our foreign affairs and international development committee at our countries of focus and issues of international development assistance, international trade, and human rights.
In 2014, Canada signed the Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement. In the preamble, there was a commitment to honouring and abiding by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I'd like to hear from you about how these issues are affecting our trade relationship with this country, with a touch more depth in respect of what we can do, and maybe some thoughts on the road ahead.
We've heard that things are getting worse, not better, certainly as it relates to the murder of a human-rights defender. The human-rights defender of the year 2015 got shot in Honduras. We have activities there. They're a country of focus. Can you provide some perspective on this for us?
1:50 p.m.
Director General, Trade Negotiations, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
I'll start at least on the elements in the trade agreement. You're right about the reference in the preamble.
I would underscore, as my colleague indicated, that our basic premise is that engagement with Honduras is better than isolating Honduras. We think that having stronger commercial and economic ties with Honduras gives us an added opportunity to continue our dialogue with the Honduran government and the Honduran authorities in the area of human rights.
Let me stop there on the free trade elements.
1:50 p.m.
Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau (Foreign Affairs and Trade), Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
If I may, Chair, regarding the latter part of your comments, there's no doubt that the situation in Honduras is a difficult one and not one that we think is acceptable. The Honduran authorities need to take action and to make decisions to address issues of human rights in their country.
Canada and other partners, other donors, need to continue to put the pressure on Honduras to take action. This is exactly what we're doing. We have programming, and we've talked about that, but advocating for the respect of human rights is what we need to be doing, and this is something that we continue to do. As I have mentioned in response to the other members' question earlier, we do it bilaterally, regionally, and multilaterally.
I do understand the frustration about this particular situation—and, quite frankly, there are many others in the region as well. The best thing that I think we can do is to continue to hold the Honduran government accountable, to continue in our development programming that you've referred to, and continue to advocate for the respect of human rights. This is what we continue to do.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Michael Levitt
Thank you to both of you for providing clarity there. I appreciate that.
You used the term “accountability” before, and it was followed up on. I want to ask the question again, because it's probably the last minute of testimony we're going to have from you. Talk to us about accountability. What does that look like in this scenario?