Mr. Speaker, today is the fourth anniversary of an historic day in international humanitarian law, the signing of the Ottawa convention banning anti-personnel mines. The Government of Canada is celebrating the convention's anniversary by highlighting Canada's commitment to landmine survivors.
Today the Minister of Foreign Affairs' special adviser on landmines, Senator Sheila Finestone, announced Canada's continued support for the Landmine Survivors Network's Raising the Voices initiative. This project will empower landmine survivors to represent, organize and advocate on their own behalf.
Joining Senator Finestone are Mr. Jerry White, a landmine survivor from the U.S.A. and co-founder of the Landmine Survivors Network, and Mr. Porfirio Gomez Zamora, a landmine survivor from Nicaragua and a Raising the Voices participant.
I am pleased that Mr. White and Mr. Gomez have joined us in the House today to witness our proceedings and to help us celebrate this important anniversary.