Mr. Chair and committee members, good morning.
My name is Lieutenant-General Stephen Bowes, commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, and it is my pleasure to be here today to discuss Canadian Armed Forces contributions to international peace support operations.
As commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, I am responsible for the preparation and conduct of Canadian Armed Forces operations, both in the defence of Canada and around the world. I am accompanied today by MGen Al Meinzinger, director of staff for the Strategic Joint Staff, and MGen Derek Joyce, director general of International Security Policy.
These general officers are respectively responsible for the strategic military and policy dimensions of the planning and sustainment of all Canadian Armed Forces operations, including peace support operations.
My colleague Mr. Gwozdecky has described the complexities associated with modern peace operations and the efforts under way at the UN to meet these challenges.
Unlike the traditional missions of the past, today's peace support operations are multi-dimensional, with broad mandates that can range from supporting political and electoral processes, to protecting civilians, promoting human rights, and assisting and restoring the rule of law. These missions require not only well-trained personnel but also critical enabling capabilities to ensure they are able to carry out their complex mandates, such as strategic and tactical airlift, specialized engineering capabilities, field hospitals, communications, and information systems.
Today though there are approximately 120 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed on these complex operations across the globe, including both UN missions and those led by other organizations. Canadian military personnel participating in UN missions in Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Middle East serve vital functions in the domains of logistics planning, military liaison, and training, as well as surveillance and monitoring of demilitarized zones. Canada also participates in non-UN operations that make equally important contributions to regional peace and security, including the multinational force and observers in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, the Office of the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and the NATO Kosovo Force.
The Government of Canada has recently announced initiatives aimed at further enhancing UN peace support operations. This effort is consistent with Canada's defence policy “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, which states that the Canadian Armed Forces will be prepared to make concrete contributions to Canada's role as a responsible international actor, particularly through participation in UN peace operations.
As my colleague has described to you, Canada made a series of military pledges at the Vancouver UN peacekeeping ministerial last November, in addition to the two key pledges on the Elsie Initiative and the Vancouver Principles. These pledges look to leverage the expertise and enabling capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces, and include pledges for a specialized training initiative and a Canadian training and advisory team, the deployment of a quick reaction force, a planned contribution of tactical airlift support for the Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, and the deployment of an air task force in Mali in response to a request from the UN.
Canada announced its intent to deploy an air task force to MINUSMA last month in response to a request from the UN. Work to implement this operation is under way and will continue to move very quickly in order to replace the German contingent this summer for a period of approximately one year. The task force, which will consist of Chinook and Griffon helicopters to be located in Gao, northern Mali, will provide MINUSMA with a critical capability for tasks such as forward aeromedical evacuation, transportation, and logistical support. We are currently planning on the basis of up to four Griffon and two Chinook helicopters, as well as approximately 250 Canadian Armed Forces personnel. The details, such as the number of personnel and capabilities for the deployment, will be refined as our planning evolves and our discussions with the UN on its requirements proceed.
As mentioned earlier, today's peace support operations are multi-faceted and frequently call on missions to serve as a stabilization force in order to help set the conditions for political settlements. MINUSMA falls into this category. It's a chapter VII mission, which authorizes the use of armed force to protect civilians and address threats to and breaches of the peace and acts of aggression. Challenges to the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Mali have made it a safe haven for transnational threat actors, and this certainly increases the risk to the mission. Risks can come from other sources as well, such as the physical environment in which the Canadian Armed Forces are operating, and this is also the case in Mali.
The Canadian Armed Forces are accustomed to operating in high-risk environments, which makes risk management and risk mitigation critical to the military planning process at all levels. We do this in a number of ways, including by ensuring our personnel are highly trained for the mission and are enabled by the right capabilities, that they are given the appropriate rules of engagement in order to defend themselves, and that they are supported by the necessary arrangements with the UN and our partners. As we prepare to deploy to MINUSMA, as we do with every Canadian Armed Forces operation, we will take each and every step to mitigate the level of risk to the men and women deploying.
I've spoken about the upcoming deployment in Mali in greater detail given it is our current focus for future planning. However, I believe it is important to recognize the many contributions the Canadian Armed Forces already make to increase peace and stability around the world. Earlier in my remarks, I mentioned a number of UN and related operations. In addition, our members are deployed in operations designed to help build capacity in the armed forces in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Niger to maintain stability within their countries and regions. We are doing this bilaterally, in coalitions, and as NATO allies, through activities ranging from instruction on how to counter improvised explosive devices in Iraq to providing winter-capable patrol equipment to the Lebanese Armed Forces. In the Sahel region, Canadian Armed Forces members are already providing capacity-enhancing instruction to forces in Niger, in niche areas such as marksmanship, effective patrolling, and combat first aid, thereby increasing their ability to independently, and in coordination with the G5 Sahel force conjointe, effectively control their borders and combat the ever-increasing threat of violence of extremist organizations. These efforts, combined with our current and future contributions to UN peace operations and the initiatives we will conduct with our government partners on child soldiers and women in peace operations, leverage the expertise and the effective capabilities Canada can bring to bear.
In conclusion, the Canadian Armed Forces are working as part of an integrated, whole of government approach to deliver on Canada's commitment to increase its support for UN peace support operations, and help the UN respond to the complex and broad challenges it is facing in its missions around the world.
Thank you for inviting me to appear today, and I would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have.