Let me give you a specific example. If you have positions within the Department of Foreign Affairs called gender advisers or specialists in gender-based analysis, gender equality focal points, or gender focal points, that means when you put someone in that position there's an expectation that they'll have expertise in that area.
If there's a position referred to in terms of human rights--which I believe is what has happened in the human rights policy division, although you would have to ask them because these processes aren't totally transparent to me--as a human rights adviser or someone who does human rights analysis, you may have someone in that position who is extremely expert on the protection of civilians, for example, but may have no expertise in international norms and laws related to gender equality.
I understand that Ms. Bejzyk said specifically on Tuesday that those people would be giving advice to our foreign service officers about international norms and laws related to gender equality and women's human rights. So a change in language around the position can lead to a change in the expertise of the person in that position, which affects the kind of advice our foreign service officers might be getting.
That means our foreign service officers, who are extremely bright, well-educated, and well-trained people, may have a gap in their knowledge. At best, that gap could result in the kind of miscommunication Ms. Brown spoke about around “high speed” versus “higher speed”. Then, in interactions with other members of the international community, there could be miscommunication because the language being used is different. But at worst it could mean that they just don't have the tools at their disposal, because of the lack of expert advice on these issues, to engage substantially in building these norms.
On these norms around the protection of women, the response to gender-based violence, and women's equality and gender equality, it is rare that we have economic sanctions or send in peacekeepers--on occasion, but very rare. Mostly these norms are built through international cooperation, international consensus, international dialogue, naming and shaming, discussion, and incorporation and reiteration of the language in these norms. That process can be undermined if people aren't using the same language.