Madam Chair, on April 9, 2020, the former minister of foreign affairs and the then minister of finance announced the creation of an advisory panel of independent experts to review best practices in arms exports of states party to the Arms Trade Treaty to ensure that export controls were as robust as possible.
When the acting director general of export controls at Global Affairs Canada appeared before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in October 2020, she said that the group would be tasked with evaluating permits. At several committee meetings, many witnesses with expertise in the matter told us that no action had been undertaken by Global Affairs Canada and the minister's office to set up this advisory panel of independent experts.
Where do things stand now?