I'll call the meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 27 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade. Today's meeting is webcast and is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of January 25, 2021. Our first hour is in a public session, and our second hour will be to consider the two draft reports.
Pursuant to Standing order 108 and the motion adopted by the committee on March 12, the committee is resuming its study entitled “Canada's International Trade and Investment Policy: Selected Considerations Concerning COVID-19 Vaccines”. With us today we have, from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Steve Verheul, chief trade negotiator and assistant deputy minister, trade policy and negotiations; and Loris Mirella, director, intellectual property trade policy. From the Department of Industry, we have Mark Schaan, associate assistant deputy minister, strategy and innovation policy sector; and Darryl Patterson, director general, projects and policy, biomanufacturing strategy implementation team.
Also from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we are expecting Ambassador de Boer to join us.
We will turn the floor over to Mr. Verheul—