Mr. Chair, my colleagues have raised some excellent points about the work that Canada is involved in and the steps we are taking to ensure safety for the residents of Darfur.
Speaking personally, I too am proud of Canada's work. In my lifetime I have had the opportunity to personally serve on a number of overseas short term mission projects addressing human need in developing countries. I am reminded on almost a daily basis that Canadians everywhere are a generous people. Most Canadians, if they are asked, would adhere to an ancient proverb which reminds us that sometimes we can become rich by being generous or on the contrary, we can become poor by being greedy. Generosity will be rewarded. Or consider the biblical proverb which clearly says that the Lord blesses everyone who freely gives food to the needy.
The African Union mission in Sudan has achieved a great deal under exceptionally challenging circumstances. International partners have been, and continue to be, generous in their support of the African Union peacekeeping mission on the ground in Darfur. While Canada is a significant supporter of the African Union mission, it is now clear that the international community needs to ensure that we do more with urgent UN involvement.
Canada is employing all diplomatic efforts to urge the government of Sudan to accept the transition to a UN mission in Darfur. As we have heard from my esteemed colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada was present at the United Nations last week and my colleague took the opportunity to raise our concerns with Sudan's foreign minister and foreign ministers from key African nations regarding the need to move forward with the transition to a UN led force in Sudan's troubled region of Darfur.
Canada is proud of our partnership with the African Union. We are helping to build the African Union's capacity to develop effective mechanisms to deal with threats to peace and security in Africa. While Canada is pleased to recognize the considerable efforts of the African Union, we have also welcomed the African Union's decision to request a transition to a UN mission.
The United Nations is already present in Sudan in a peacekeeping role in the south supporting the ongoing implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement that ended the civil war. Canada is working closely with its international partners to promote a transition to a UN mission while ensuring that the African Union emerges stronger from its Darfur experience and is able to translate the lessons learned from this operation to the future of African Union peace and security engagement in Africa.
As people continue to live their lives in constant fear, or worse yet, lose their lives, it is difficult to see who is representing the interests of the people in Darfur. These people have suffered for far too long and they are losing hope. By transitioning the African Union mission in Sudan to the United Nations, the international community will consolidate our efforts in Sudan in one operation.
There are significant efficiencies to be gained by transitioning the force in Darfur allowing a UN presence throughout Sudan. Drawing upon a broader pool of material and human resources, the UN brings stable funding and decades of experience. With the UN already on the ground in the south of Sudan and coordinating humanitarian efforts in Darfur, transition in Darfur will provide benefits of economies of scale, a unified command and control structure.
We remain hopeful that agreement on the way forward will be forthcoming in the very near future. The new government's commitment to promoting freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights remains strong, as does our commitment to doing so through multilateral institutions.
In closing, Canada looks forward to continuing to work with the African Union, the United Nations, the government of Sudan and the international community to ensure an end to the suffering of the people of Darfur. Canada will work to ensure blessings for others because we have been richly blessed. Our responsibility as a blessed nation working to achieve a lasting peace throughout Sudan will continue to be a major foreign policy priority for Canada.