Let me begin with the question about numbers and statistics, which I agree with you has.... And not just in the context of the hearings you're holding, but with respect to a whole variety of international-level discussions and debates about Colombia's human rights situation. There is this back and forth, this tussle about statistics.
What I would urge upon you is.... By any measure, the statistics do nonetheless point to a grim human rights reality in Colombia. Even if one measure has gotten a little bit better this year and gone down again the next year, if others are at a relatively stable level, and if others are still perhaps getting a bit worse, by any measure, whatever numbers you are using, the aggregate picture still points to a very grim human rights reality, even if certain issues are starting to see some progress.
I think that has to be what is of concern to you, that as an overall picture, this is still a human rights crisis by any measure, one of the worst in the world, one of the most entrenched in the world. And it is one where we simply are not seeing the sort of concerted, obvious action that is necessary to address the underlying systemic problems of those abuses. For instance, recommendations made by reputable UN human rights bodies going back many years remain unimplemented--recommendations that would really get at the heart of the paramilitary reality, for instance, which is such a major part of the human rights situation in the country.
You raised the question that if a human rights impact assessment did go ahead, could it or should it perhaps be Canada that does so. Amnesty would say it's Canada's responsibility. We would say that with respect to any proposed free trade deal, regardless of the severity or relative lack of severity of the human rights record of the country concerned, that should become an automatic part of the process at the outset before negotiations even begin to advance.
We have put this in front of the government, going back at least a year now, and have raised it in more general settings frequently when wider issues of free trade--not this particular deal--are being discussed. And we continue to lament the fact that there is no take-up of that, no willingness to move ahead with the idea of starting to institutionalize that and put it in place.
All sorts of very commendable models are being developed by institutions around the world as to what a good human rights impact assessment would be, whom it would be carried out by, how it would be done, how you ensure broad consultation, and what you would do with the results of the assessment, because it's one thing to do the assessment, but unless that feeds into and thus guides how the free trade deal develops, it's meaningless. So that's absolutely out there.