Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning and welcome, sir.
You appeared before the committee not that long ago. You said at that time that you would not take a position on a possible free trade agreement or any other economic or trading approach. You also said that free trade agreements were neither inherently good nor bad but that it was necessary to implement policies to protect both the environment and human rights. In conclusion, you made the same recommendations as the committee did in its report, recommendations that were strongly endorsed by the Liberals. And we are still counting on their support, for that matter. Clearly, we need to follow up on and assess all of the mechanisms in place to protect human rights before the agreement is signed once and for all.
Certain parties in this committee often point to the fact that side agreements on labour rights and the environment exist. I want to read you an excerpt from a study done in 2004 by the Corporate Engagement Project and commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I am quoting it loosely:
“The study did not reach the conclusion that it was possible to operate in Colombia without feeding or exacerbating the conflict, even with good corporate practices. It is clear that companies can positively influence the social and economic aspects of society. However, a part of the resources that a company helps generate can also fund many sides of the conflict through contracts, extortion, especially among contractors and staff, or corruption. For instance, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for a corporate presence not to attract illegal armed groups, given the social unrest in Colombia. Hence, that may represent the largest liability for any investment in Colombia.”
You recommend, as did the report, that we monitor the situation closely. It is said that investment is absolutely necessary, but it turns out that, given the situation, investment could serve to worsen the conflict. If you have come across or read that study, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.