Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll put some of my remarks into context. I'm subbing in on this committee and I'm very privileged to be able to do that. In the short period of time that I've turned my attention to the topic of study this committee has undertaken, I have sensed the frustration and disillusionment that individuals who have been working towards a solution on this issue might be feeling because of some of the barriers that have been put in place. I come to this having done a little reading on the subject.
My first question comes out of some of the information I've read. It's about the announcement that the Minister of Foreign Affairs made earlier this month in regard to providing the UN peacebuilding fund with $15 million over three years. That fund transferred funds to the African Union to support the deployment of 100 human rights experts and 100 military experts to Burundi.
It's my understanding that the committee has heard testimony from officials in Global Affairs that Burundi has put up significant administrative barriers to the deployment of these experts. What recourse do we have as a country if we've set money aside to provide assistance in this area? What recourse does a country have when the country where the atrocities are taking place has put up barriers to experts coming in?