Romeo Saganash

[Situation in the Central African Republic, February 12th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my colleague from Beauport—Limoilou for his question. He raises a very important point that very few people have talked about this evening: there seems to be little reaction when an African country is involved.

There is a very strong reaction when this happens elsewhere. However, when it happens in Africa, we seem to react differently. Like my colleague from Ottawa Centre, I am shocked to see this. It makes me sad. I know that I represent a riding that is quite removed from all of this. I am referring to the far north, the Arctic. Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou is very different from Africa, not just in terms of the climate, but in many other respects. I know that we must always have a moral obligation when it comes to this type of situation. It may not be very evident because we are concerned with many other things it seems. There again, I would like to reiterate that it is rather shocking that when this situation occurs in an African country it elicits less of a response.

[Situation in the Central African Republic, February 12th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member for his very important and very troubling question. When the United Nations Security Council takes the trouble to point out in its resolution that this is the direction we seem to be heading in and that we have already seen this in the past two decades, I think it is important to take action.

First of all, as we have emphasized many times here, Canada must continue doing what it does best: helping on the ground with humanitarian assistance, in co-operation with non-governmental organizations that are experts in this area. I think we need to continue this co-operation that must exist between the Canadian government and those organizations. This partnership has always proven effective, I believe, and this co-operation must continue.

I would like to point out another important part of his question, namely the international co-operation that is always needed in any crisis, not just in the one we are discussing here this evening. In any crisis, international co-operation is the shared responsibility of all member nations under the United Nations charter, as I mentioned, and this must continue.

[Situation in the Central African Republic, February 12th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, I must begin by saying that, as someone who has worked internationally for almost 25 years, including with the United Nations and the Organization of American States, I am pleased to contribute to this evening's debate.

In addition, as a new member and vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity, I am pleased to speak to the issue this evening.

When I rise in the House, it is always an honour for me to be able to at least try to contribute to all the debates that we hold here. The topic of this evening's debate saddens me a great deal. I rise sadly, but also with what I might call some nostalgia. Indeed, there was a time when our country, Canada, had great credibility and great influence on the international scene, in conflicts of all kinds. We have lost a little of that credibility over the years, especially in recent years.

If we look back over the last 20 years, perhaps even further back, and we consider all the crises that we have seen since, the list is so long that the 10 minutes I have been granted would not be sufficient to allow me to read it.

First, I am simply going to go back to some points that we have raised in this debate. Clearly, our party strongly supports the people of the Central African Republic in this crisis. Our thoughts are with the population as a whole and with all those who have fallen victim since it all started. We are also deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis and the violence that are ravaging the country, as is the United Nations Security Council.

We need to remember that our concern is indeed shared by the United Nations Security Council. In the fifth paragraph of the preamble of its resolution 2127, the Security Council underlines:

…its particular concern at the new dynamic of violence and retaliation and the risk of it degenerating into a countrywide religious and ethnic divide, [and this is the important part] with the potential to spiral into an uncontrollable situation, including serious crimes under international law, in particular war crimes and crimes against humanity…

That is a concern that we share with the United Nations Security Council. It bears repeating given the context of this debate.

It makes sense for the opposition parties and the parties present in the House to draw attention to some of Canada's obligations as a member of the United Nations.

Every member country has a number of obligations under the United Nations charter. International co-operation is one of the cornerstones of the United Nations charter. It is such a basic obligation that we sometimes forget about it. We need to work with other countries during these types of crises, and that is what we are urging the government to do with this debate tonight and in the days to come.

Our credibility on the international stage and the influence we used to have with other members of the United Nations have eroded somewhat over the years. The action we take with regard to this conflict can help us restore that.

Much has been said about the need for prevention. Our international network allows us to take preventive measures, which are important around the globe. Where there are risks, it is easy to see them coming.

Before coming to Parliament Hill, I took a quick look at previous reports from the human rights commission and the human rights committee. These are two separate authorities that have different roles to play given their respective mandates. I noted that the human rights committee began criticizing the CAR in 2006 for not submitting its periodic reports, as is required of countries that sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

According to article 40 of this covenant, a periodic report must be submitted to the human rights committee every four or five years. The committee must verify whether the country that signs the human rights covenant is respecting the rights set out in the covenant and how it is doing so. Therefore, the country must submit periodic reports.

Beginning in 2006, the Central African Republic was being chastised for not fulfilling its obligations under article 40. Anyone who looked at previous reports would have seen signs of the country's attitude toward human rights in general. There were warnings. That is the beauty of our international human rights system. Tools are in place to warn us about the kind of crisis we are talking about tonight.

Again, we are asking the government to provide additional emergency humanitarian aid and to direct that aid to the most effective and experienced humanitarian organizations on the ground. That goes without saying. The experts on the ground are familiar with the local situations. They are usually in the best position to help these people.

I hardly need to remind everyone that the crisis in the Central African Republic is a level three humanitarian emergency. Other members pointed that out earlier. This is serious. There are two other level three situations going on right now: the Philippines and Syria.

I have just a minute left, but I want to emphasize that we need to take immediate action on this issue. This conflict is affecting 4.6 million people, 2.3 million of them children. It has displaced more than 820,000 people and caused 256,000 refugees to flee the Central African Republic. Those are huge numbers. Such a long list tells us that the crisis is severe and the need for action is immediate.

[Situation in Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for her question. I want to comment on a point she raised.

I remember another debate in the House in which someone pointed out to a member of cabinet that we were involved in a demonstration occurring right outside our doors, and the minister told us to carry on, adding that, for their part, they intended to act. That is precisely what we want. We demand action from the government. There is a distinct lack of action at this point.

My colleague, the foreign affairs critic, made some suggestions earlier on, but now the time has come to act and to send an even stronger message than the one the member just suggested.

[Situation in Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his important question.

First and foremost, Canada needs to send a clear message regarding the current situation in Ukraine.

Our critic for foreign affairs made another suggestion I totally support: that we should consider sanctions against the people responsible for this violent repression. Perhaps we could keep them from travelling or seize their foreign assets. Harsh sanctions targeting the people responsible for the repression and human rights violations are in order.

[Situation in Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

As a member state of the United Nations, we need to keep in mind the UN's goals and principles any time a situation such as this one arises anywhere in the world. Respect for human rights is one of these key goals and principles. In cracking down on protesters in the streets of Ukraine, the Ukrainian government is failing in that regard. This failure is troubling and needs to be talked about. As a member of the United Nations, Canada has a duty to remind other states of their essential obligations.

[Situation in Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am very honoured to rise today for this emergency debate on Ukraine.

I know that earlier today, during question period, my leader thanked the Speaker for operating this House so effectively and wished him and the clerk a happy new year. The same should also be said to the interpreters, who also ensure the House operates effectively. They make sure we understand each other here. I would like to wish the House interpreters a happy New Year.

I said earlier that I was honoured to rise on this matter because I worked for the United Nations for over 23 years and I took part in various international trials. I negotiated and participated in multilateral negotiations involving a number of documents, the best known being the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in 1987.

I mention this because, in the entire time I spent at the United Nations, I saw that the most important thing is international co-operation. It is an obligation of United Nations member states. In fact, it is set out in the first few articles of the United Nations charter. Therefore, that co-operation is essential for the effective operation of the world.

In that sense, I saw just how important international co-operation is in all the debates we will have today, tomorrow and in the ones we have had in the past. It is very important to remember that international co-operation is rather essential to the effective operation of inter-country relations.

I would be remiss if I were to forget the importance of the Ukrainian community's contribution to Canada. I know that, in general, the Ukrainian community has made a very important contribution to our economic development, particularly in mining development in a number of regions, especially mine. My riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou is large, but the Abitibi region is home to a large Ukrainian community, and I would like to take advantage of this debate to say hello to them.

From the outset, one of the things we need to emphasize in this debate—as I mentioned earlier—is the special relationship Canada has with Ukraine. We need to make the most of it. Indeed, if we can make the most of that relationship with Ukraine, we can play an important role, an effective role and a positive role. We could even play a decisive role in this debate, if we make the most of our relationship with Ukraine. That is what matters in all of this.

It is always important to remember the major responsibilities of members of the United Nations. The purposes and principles are outlined in article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations. I would like to quote paragraph 3 of article 1, to remind the members of this Parliament of the purpose of the United Nations:

3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all....

I think this first article of the United Nations charter is important, and member states need to remember this every time there is a crisis, like the one happening in Ukraine right now. It is important to remind our friends that we have this responsibility, this objective set out by the UN charter. We tend to forget this.

For many years, I took part in international debates at the United Nations, and we often talked about the rule of law, human rights and democracy. All three of these principles are absolutely essential in international debate—again, the rule of law, human rights and democracy are equally essential. It is also crucial to remember that these three principles are interrelated. They cannot be separated in international law. It is important to remember that.

As for the human rights situation in the current crisis in Ukraine, it is important to repeat that we still have concerns in that regard, since we have been talking about this for some time now. Various international mechanisms within the United Nations have highlighted those concerns in various reports.

Earlier, while listening closely to the debate, I was looking at a report published by the Human Rights Council on February 9, 2009, about arbitrary detention in Ukraine, as well as a report by a special rapporteur, published in 2008, on freedom of opinion and freedom of expression in Ukraine.

These are just two examples of reports on human rights violations in the Ukraine, which is exactly what is happening during this crisis. It is important to remember that this is not a new issue.

It is also important to remember that United Nations member states have obligations, which are an essential part of our role in international co-operation.

I would just like to mention the words of José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, who said that the European Union has the right and the duty to stand by the people of Ukraine at this very difficult time, because they are giving to Europe one of the greatest contributions that can be given. Those young people in the streets of Ukraine, with freezing temperatures, are writing the new narrative for Europe.

I would like to end with something my colleague for Ottawa Centre mentioned earlier. Our party submitted a supplementary report as part of a study on Canada-Ukraine relations.

That report underscores the importance of ensuring that all potential trade deals with Ukraine be dependent upon free, fair and transparent elections that comply with recognized international standards. As well, before the elections, all political prisoners would need to be released. The NDP also recommends that Canada work together with the European Union.

There is another example. That is why we insist on international co-operation when we debate issues that are so crucial to maintaining world peace.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 27th, 2014]

With regard to the total expenditure of the government, incurred by all departments, defending against Aboriginal rights claims made against the government, and appealing against case decisions upholding Aboriginal rights in court: for each fiscal year from 2002-2003 to the current fiscal year, (a) what was the actual amount spent on these activities; and (b) what was the amount budgeted to be spent on these activities?

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 10th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it is very nice to believe in Santa Claus, but we also have to believe in the people who live in the north.

There is growing anger against the Conservative agenda on education for first nations. From the members of Idle No More who are protesting on Parliament Hill today to the Assembly of First Nations, which is holding its special assembly, everyone agrees that the minister needs to redo his homework.

Instead of confrontation, the minister could choose co-operation and consultation to truly ensure that aboriginal children have equal access to quality education.

When will the minister listen?

[First Nations Elections Act, December 10th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that I was just there. I spoke to the protesters outside. One thing I said was that this would not be the last time we see each other, because the government has not changed its attitude toward the rights and interests of aboriginal peoples across the country at all, even though the Prime Minister promised in January of last year that there would be a radical change in the government's relationships with aboriginal peoples.

It was just rhetoric, which is unfortunate.