National Defence committee  I'm not sure whether Canada is engaged with the current processes in the UN. I would assume so, but there are different levels you can engage at. So it could be at the level of one person from DFAIT occasionally contributing to discussions where I think Canada could be a leader in the New Horizons process.

National Defence committee  Its credibility, values--

National Defence committee  The way it's seen in the world is important, because Canada is still seen as a player that doesn't really have an interest in conflict somewhere else, other than Afghanistan, I would say. It's not only that Canadians would see the value in Canada engaging in UN peace operations reform and peace operations in general; it's that most of the international community--the nations within the United Nations--would be open to Canada shaping it and contributing to it and changing it.

National Defence committee  The support for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the number of troops being contributed by the countries with more capacity has declined over the last ten years. It's not only Canada; it's other countries as well. It has not been so radical as Canada pulling out of the UN mission, but that has been the case.

National Defence committee  I don't know that it was a high point. They were there late. The whole village, and everything, was burnt down. But it was a principled action based on the values of protecting civilians, protecting civilian property, and so on. And once they were there, they were able to protect civilians.

National Defence committee  I don't think they have a deadline. I don't think they do. I don't know of one. Knowing the United Nations, it will probably drag on for a couple of years. That's why I said in my presentation that this is a good time to engage. I know that they are having consultations, including consultations with civil society and with the biggest contributing nations.

National Defence committee  Mostly Afghans. We have staff. We mostly focus on humanitarian assistance, but we have some development activities. Most of our staff...in general, it's one international to ten locals. In Afghanistan it's even higher. I think we only have three internationals currently, and they engage with the United Nations and the civil-military relations committee and so on.

National Defence committee  It would resonate with the Canadian public.

National Defence committee  I don't know if I'm an expert on it. Oxfam has been trying to engage the United Nations and the DPKO, actually, in broadening their consultations and engaging with everybody else. I know that recently they had a report issued that outlined options for reform and different kinds of missions they could have, and so on.

National Defence committee  Yes. The one that scares me a lot is Zimbabwe. I hope not, but the country faces so many problems: the humanitarian crisis; the effects of climate change; the years of subsequent droughts; the cholera problem; the hyper-inflation that they have now stopped, but really, the fundamentals of the economy haven't been resolved; lack of political freedoms; and basically the dictatorship.

National Defence committee  I think, possibly, talking about protection of civilians in peace operations. Peace operations covers the gamut of it, which I think is fair to be used. But then knowing the Canadian public, and knowing how they react to suffering of people overseas, focus on protection of civilians would be clearly one that I think would have the broad approval of the Canadian public.

National Defence committee  The Haiti one is easy. It's coordination, coordination, coordination. If we coordinate really well, we will have the information and we won't be falling prey to fake tent cities and so on. Coordination in general has been a big problem in Haiti, partly because there are too many organizations, partly because of the weaknesses in the UN and the Government of Haiti.

National Defence committee  I honestly don't know what the answer to that is. I have spoken with a person from Tufts University who has done the research and who went around and talked to Afghani people, focus groups, women, men, and so on. He said that one thing that jumped out of what they thought would resolve the conflict is law and order and decreasing corruption.

National Defence committee  Maybe using the efforts that we put into building schools that then get blown up should be put in the military, should be put into training Afghani security forces. Honestly, I'm not an expert, and I don't know if I can speak with any credibility on this, but I would say that restoring law and order and....

National Defence committee  Pakistan, for example, is a case where the government has taken control, as in ideal circumstances each government should. They coordinated the effort, and we all worked as a part of their plan for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. I think they did receive lots of support, including from the Government of Canada, to their earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation agencies.