Mr. Chair, Canada has taken it upon itself to be a leader in the fight against human rights violations in Syria. Just over a year ago, as I recall, Canada joined many other nations in imposing its first round of sanctions against the Assad regime in Syria and our government condemned the regime. We moved forward very quickly. The Canadian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council led the way in condemning the current Syrian regime and delivered its condemnation on behalf of 54 countries from various regions. Canada also co-sponsored a request to convene a special session of the council to conduct an independent investigation into those human rights violations.
Canada remains at the forefront of international efforts to bring an immediate end to Assad's violent campaign of terror. The Syrian people will have their day. Canada stands with them as they push for a better and brighter future, one where their fundamental freedoms are respected and their families can live in peace and security. That is all of our goal.