Mr. Chair, I will share the time I have been given to speak with the member from Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca.
I rise today in this House to appeal to our international responsibility, our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable, our responsibility to act, our responsibility to combat impunity, our responsibility to human solidarity.
The recent developments in Darfur are both encouraging and disturbing. They are encouraging because the African Union last month agreed that its mission in Darfur should be transformed into a United Nations peacekeeping mission. They are encouraging because the Sudanese government accepted the peace proposal of the African Union mediators yesterday, although the main rebel groups have so far refused to accept it.
The humanitarian situation, however, is very disturbing and continues to worsen, as this debate has clearly shown. The World Food Programme last week announced that, for lack of money, it must now cut in half the daily food rations distributed in Darfur in May.
Violence and the humanitarian crisis have caused the deaths of 200,000 to 300,000 people in Darfur since the beginning of the crisis in 2003. I think that the Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed the seriousness of the situation well.
Yes, we Canadians have a responsibility towards the Darfur refugees and towards peace in Sudan.
The Liberal government fulfilled this responsibility by increasing political, diplomatic, military and development initiatives in order to support the efforts to resolve the conflict. I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs for having mentioned it. I would like to mention the role of the right honourable member for LaSalle—Émard, who as prime minister demonstrated his leadership on this issue.
Canadians hope that the current government is equally concerned about the situation in Darfur and just as determined to act. Again I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs for having expressed the government’s concern. Since, until now, the Prime Minister had not made any official statements pertaining specifically to Darfur or Sudan since he took office.
We know that the Prime Minister did not renew the mandate of the prime ministerial advisory team on Sudan, set up by the right honourable member from LaSalle—Émard. The purpose of this multidisciplinary team, composed of my colleagues Senators Jaffer and Dallaire, and the Prime Minister’s personal representative, was to broaden the Canadian contribution to seeking a solution to the conflict.
It goes without saying: the Prime Minister is completely within his rights to want a new advisory team, appointed and selected by him, but he has chosen to appoint no one.
My colleagues, the member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca and the member for Mount Royal, will also outline the official opposition's proposals for what we hope will be a most robust engagement from the Canadian government, but allow me to concentrate on a few measures.
Canada, as one of the biggest donors to the world food program, should lead an international effort to get donors to fill the shortfall in the WFP's appeal for Sudan. The current government must increase its logistical assistance to the African Union mission in Sudan. The government must push for the chapter 7 deployment of UN troops to Darfur to protect civilians. The government should be forceful in proposing Canadian logistical expertise to the United Nations mission.
Canada can also offer training via the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre to member countries that are part of the UN force, their police contingents and civilian aid workers to help them work together in a complex peace operation. Getting civilian aid workers, civilians, soldiers and police officers from different countries and cultures working together in a peace operation is a difficult thing to do, but Canada has proven know-how in this area and it is an important contribution we could make.
We also call on the government to provide increased funding and Canadian expertise to the International Criminal Court and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in order for them to increase the scope of their inquiries in Darfur and to bring those guilty of war crimes to justice.
In conclusion, since my colleagues will add other proposals, I will say that, as more and more voices are being raised to criticize the lack of interest of western governments in the situation in Darfur, the Government of Canada should above all not distinguish itself by a lack of leadership. On the contrary, it should increase its efforts, since such is Canada’s calling: to be a good citizen of the world, dedicated to the cause of peace and justice.