Evidence of meeting #76 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 mexican.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Cheryl Hardcastle NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to start by pointing out that Mr. Lozano's testimony is in keeping with our study on the Canadian mining companies and Latin America. I'd like to have his testimony folded into our study. If that's agreeable, I'd make that a motion.
NDP
Cheryl Hardcastle NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Thank you.
Further to that, thanks to all of you for your testimony here today. I am specifically intrigued by hearing from you on how we can use our current opportunity with NAFTA and other treaties to leverage and use these trade agreements to help advance human rights. I'm particularly troubled to hear about the issue of collective land ownership or communal aboriginal treaties—here, we would call them treaty agreements—and how we have encroached on these agreements with NAFTA.
As a country that is participating in any trade agreement, in any treaty, and specifically with NAFTA, how can Canada assert human rights in Mexico? It sounds as if you have some more ideas on that, Mr. Lozano. I'd like to hear from you—and anybody else—about how you think we should be asserting that.
Human Rights Defender, Mexican Network of Mining Affected People
Thank you very much.
This is a complicated question. This is an opportunity to call into question the very relevance of trade agreements. We shouldn't only wonder about how we can improve them but wonder even if they should exist in the first place.
In our region, we haven't done the preliminary work that should be necessary before signing such an agreement. Ultimately, the treaty is a paradoxical one because our region.... Well, we've already had agreements like this in our region, but in this case, we've forgotten to negotiate about human rights and incorporate them into the treaty. In some cases, the treaty even undermines human rights, because we're constantly giving priority to economic issues. We're prioritizing economic development, trade in goods, and all of that at the expense of other questions—for example, labour mobility. Look at the border wall issue, which is a crying shame.
Very often, for example, for indigenous people, we haven't signed the same agreements. For example, Canada did not sign convention number 169 of the ILO, unlike Mexico. I don't think Canada signed that agreement.
We need to take the opportunity of these negotiations to really question the relevance of the agreement and to consider in-depth issues such as human rights, which are currently not discussed at all in the treaty. As Santiago was saying earlier, Canada could take on a greater role in the negotiations with Mexico, the whole region, and the entire world. It could even replace and take over the space that the U.S. has left vacant.
We need regional interests and the interests of individuals to be treated as more important than the interests of big corporations, which are often defended by foreign nations, as we've seen with the Canadian embassy in Mexico.
Human Rights Lawyer and Deputy Director, Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center
It is very important for us to highlight that the size of the human rights crisis in Mexico is so big that we are not only talking about addressing it with some mentions in some chapter of NAFTA: we are talking about a big human rights crisis that is going on in Mexico, and the question is, how can Canada help to build the rule of law in Mexico?
What we have learned in the last years of NAFTA is that you can have trade without justice. You can have free trade without the rule of law. That's the reality of our country. You need to question if this is the model of trade that Canada wants to support.
For us, Canada can do more and do better to support the work of journalists on human rights. It is important that the Canadian state follow up specific cases of the analysis of abuses against indigenous communities, of abuses regarding the disappearance of people, the extrajudicial killings, and the aggression against journalists. To publicly show support to the civil society of Mexico is becoming more and more important.
We have a government that sees much of the work of civil society as work that is against their interests. We are talking about a government that uses spyware against human rights NGOs. Canada needs to question if this is the partner that it wants for free trade in North America and needs to be more demanding and more exigent with regard Mexico's failure in the rule of law and the respect for basic rights.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Michael Levitt
Thank you very much. I see that our time is actually up because we have a little committee business to do in camera.
I want to thank each and every one of you for being here today.
Conservative
David Sweet Conservative Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Chair, I have just one last thing.
If they have any further recommendations for actions that Canada could take specifically, could you ask that they submit them electronically or by paper so that we have some solid recommendations?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Michael Levitt
Yes.
Please feel free to do so. Absolutely, if there are any submissions you would like to make, the committee will gladly take those on board. Thank you.
I want to thank each and every one of you, especially our out-of-town guests, for being here today.
On this committee, we understand the serious risks involved and the sacrifices you make to speak publicly on these kinds of issues. Unfortunately, we've heard that repeatedly from a number of witnesses over the last two years that this particular version of the committee has been in play. We know the risks and we know the threats, and you raising your voices to draw attention to this is greatly appreciated by us here in the Canadian Parliament and certainly by all of us on this committee. I thank you for being here today and providing testimony.
[Proceedings continue in camera]
