Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you. Thank you so much for prioritizing Honduras as well. It's a real concern to us, and we really appreciate your providing that time.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think the lack of real, proper, thorough action in relation to accountability for the police force and the military is fundamental. Without those proper accountability mechanisms for the police, and a greater faith by the population in the mechanisms of justice.... There are areas where we do have real concern about the lawlessness and the levels of violent crime that go on, and of course, the impunity that accompanies those acts of violent crime, regardless if they're human rights violations or if it's just violent crime in the common crime sense.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I can certainly speak about Antonio Trejo. No one has been held to account as yet. I'm unsure about where the investigation is at the moment. With José Trejo, I understand there is an investigation under way. I don't know what the results of that have been as yet. Obviously, the fact that he had just returned from Tegucigalpa from carrying out those meetings, from speaking to the media about his brother's death and trying to push that agenda was deeply concerning to us.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Part of that comes back to human rights protection. If human rights were really put at the forefront as the focus across all ministries, it would help. For example, having a proper human rights plan and implementing it across all ministries would help to bring a human rights focus, which perhaps had been absent in the years before, to ensure that human rights offenders, who we've been talking about today, can operate freely, but also to ensure that the government takes a different perspective in terms of the human rights of its population, and protecting the human rights of its population.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  For a start, encourage the Honduran authorities to develop a program in conjunction with human rights defenders who work on LGBT issues, with human rights defenders who work on women's and girls' rights issues, with human rights defenders in the community as a whole, and with journalists in the discussion around what would be a good proper protection program for them that they could have faith in and that they could count on.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Well, as I've said before, the situation of threats doesn't only touch on the lives of human rights defenders, but of justice workers as well and those operating in the justice system, including lawyers. We've spoken to many lawyers who have come under attack or have been threatened as a result of carrying out their professional duties.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Obviously, if we can see Canada coming out publicly in cases like that of Antonio Trejo, that also sets a precedent and the tone that the national government should also be taking in relation to cases like that to make sure that the situation of protection for human rights defenders is right at the forefront of any agenda.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would like to see the Honduran authorities work across all ministries to implement human rights protection and ensure that all ministries are working together to ensure the protection of human rights defenders, and in the case we're talking about here, to ensure the proper investigation of attacks against human rights defenders.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  That's not an area we've looked at. I'm really sorry not to be able to provide that information off the cuff. We have ongoing concerns about the land disputes in the northeast of Honduras particularly, but generally there are concerns across the whole country in relation to land disputes between large campesinos, peasant communities, who want to claim the lands or have legal rights to the land as they see it and are arguing through the courts for that, and either landowners or companies who argue that they own the land.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Coming back to what can be done, I think there is hope in Honduras. There is a vibrant human rights community there who carry on regardless of the threats they receive. I find this amazing. We have seen some glimmers of hope as well in the government's extending an open invitation to UN and inter-American special rapporteurs.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  It's by providing support for training programs for judges and lawyers, but particularly for judges, perhaps, in the implementation of international human rights instruments. Also, constitutional human rights protection would be crucial in a context like Honduras, where we have seen some judgments that have been of concern last year in relation to women and girls.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  There's so much that Canada can do and has done. There has been a lot of really good involvement post-coup d'état among the international community present in Honduras. I know Canada was very important in coordinating those efforts to provide support. What we would like to see is Canada really push the government to take a stand on human rights defenders; provide support for the civil society and the community who are working to protect and uphold human rights; work to improve and strengthen the institutions that we've mentioned, that we've talked about today, both in terms of the judiciary, training for the judiciary, support for the judiciary, strengthening those institutions.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think it's by encouraging the development of a proper protection program and by ensuring and encouraging the immediate implementation of the special protection measures that are ordered by the inter-American system. We've seen terrible delays in the implementation of protection measures.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Amnesty International hasn't taken a position on this. We haven't really looked into the model cities, or even the draft legislation that's being mooted into them. We've had our time taken up by human rights defenders in Honduras at the moment, but no, it's not something we've taken a position on.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I agree with you. It's a global concern that doesn't only pertain to Canadian mining companies, but to many international companies operating particularly in, for example, Central America. In Honduras, there's the context in which there are so many concerns about impunity and the ability of people to speak out and express their concerns without receiving a threat.