Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for this opportunity to come forward and speak to you today about Canada's FTA negotiations and human rights in Colombia. As I mentioned, my colleague Carol Nelder-Corvari, who is the chief negotiator from the Department of Finance on this negotiation, will speak, after my introductory remarks, about the negotiations themselves.
What I would like to do is describe Canada's political engagement with Colombia generally. The relationship is a broad and diverse one. It spans a range of issues from peace-building to commercial ties to security cooperation, but given the interest of the committee, I'll focus my comments particularly on the area of good governance and human rights.
I should add that the committee's upcoming visit to Colombia, from May 11 to 14, offers an excellent opportunity for you to validate our comments with your own insights, and our embassy is looking forward to receiving you in that regard.
Canada's engagement in Colombia aims not only to promote prosperity in both countries, but to strengthen peace-building efforts and respect for human rights. Canada is doing this in multiple ways, through our advocacy on human rights, our financial and political support to Canada's peace-building efforts, and long-term development assistance.
Our commitment to Colombia stems from the priority that the Government of Canada attaches to deepening its engagement in the Americas. Canada is committed to exercising leadership in the Americas and to promoting increasing prosperity, enhanced security, and our fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Although Colombia has an established democracy, a growing economy and a stable, responsible government, it also suffers from the longest-running internal conflict in South America, which has created the conditions in which millions have been internally displaced, or suffered human rights abuses.
So we're encouraged by the Colombian government's commitment to improving Colombia's human rights situation, something that I know Ambassador Jaime Girón spoke to you about with regard to his government's achievements to date.
So what is Canada doing in this regard? We have a long-standing tradition of speaking up for human rights generally, both in multilateral fora like the UN General Assembly and in the UN Human Rights Council.
We monitor developments in Colombia's human rights situation closely, on the ground. The Canadian Ambassador in Bogota and his officials meet regularly with their counterparts from like-minded countries, as well as representatives from international organizations, Colombian state institutions, and a broad range of civil society groups to assess and discuss the human rights situation in Colombia.
The priority that Canada places on human rights is also expressed through our active participation in the G24, an international coordination mechanism for Colombia which encourages dialogue on peace and human rights.
During the first half of 2007, Canada held the presidency of the G24. Some of our presidency's key priorities relating to human rights were to encourage discussion and support for the development of Colombia's national action plan on human rights and its integration in the national development plan, to assess the role of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Colombia, and to support particularly children's rights and child protection in that country.
We don't just talk about human rights in Colombia. Since 2005, Canada has spent about $9.5 million through the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's global peace and security fund.
We have financed initiatives and projects to protect and promote the rights of victims, strengthen transitional justice and the rule of law and enhance security and stability in partnership with international and regional organizations, Colombian state entities and civil society organizations.
These initiatives are an important support for Colombia's efforts to build peace. We are also supporting human rights initiatives through our development assistance. Canada's development assistance in Colombia focuses on democratic governance, and specifically on peace-building and human rights.
Canada is a lead donor in advocacy for children's rights and child protection. Through CIDA, Canada provided $17.6 million in 2006-07, the majority of which was used to respond to the needs of vulnerable populations. I mentioned children, adolescents, and of course internally displaced people, of whom there are more than three million in Colombia.
In conclusion, Canada is deeply engaged in promoting and protecting human rights in Colombia.
I would add that Colombia has been a mature multilateral partner for Canada, the United Nations, and the Organization of American States, and we have collaborated with Colombia as we go forward to planning the 2008 general assembly, which will be hosted in Medellín, Colombia, in June. Our foreign minister will participate there.
We also support the work of the OAS to address the Colombian conflict through its mission to support the peace process, which is particularly engaged in the demilitarization of the paramilitary phenomenon in that country.
Canada and Colombia have a very positive and multi-faceted relationship with flourishing commercial ties, free trade negotiations, and support for peace-building efforts.
On that note, I will turn it over to Carol Nelder-Corvari.