Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  It almost happened, but it was cancelled on Cuba's part at the last moment. There were a number of good people in reasonably senior positions, I know, in the Cuban government at the time who were in fact encouraging this, but it didn't happen. It seems to me something, again, that maybe the Government of Canada could promote.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I'll respond to the political party question, if I understood it correctly. I think the appropriate diplomatic route has to be pursued with care. On the one hand, you don't want to take what we would call, in a free and developed democratic society like Canada, a partisan role of indicating that we favour, in one sense, one political party over another.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I'd like to begin immediately by agreeing with one suggestion that Mr. Vosalik has made; namely, the use of our diplomats in Havana to encourage meetings with so-called dissidents, as described by the Cuban government, to make it clear not only to those courageous activists who are trying to push for more freedom in Cuba that there are sympathetic voices....

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by saying that it's a delight to be back with former colleagues representing all parties. When I was here recently, we had I think a high degree of inter-party cooperation, particularly on human rights, and therefore it's a great pleasure for me to be here on this occasion.

Foreign Affairs committee  They can, should, and I'm sure would be totally willing to do more. I suspect it's a question of funding. I know they do good work. To go back to my point, we already have that institution established. We have Rights and Democracy established. In fairness, I didn't hear Tom Axworthy's presentation, but I've heard the general argument before.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, I do.

Foreign Affairs committee  I want to emphasize my view. I don't think we need another institution. I think Rights and Democracy is there. It's beautifully structured and at arm's length from the government. It has a universal mandate, that being the UN system of rights and freedoms. It's focused on the kind of thing Gerry Barr has talked about, which is building civil society.

Foreign Affairs committee  It would be vain of those of us in the west to say we were a cause. It would not be vain to say we were a facilitator or that we helped. Many people I worked with in the nineties had their lives on the line in Guatemala, in El Salvador, in Indonesia. They were the risk-takers. I never was.

Foreign Affairs committee  That's a very tough one. I think we have to reply frankly that, yes, there are different cultures, there are different values, there are different religions, but there is one declaration that all members of the United Nations are committed to, and that's the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Foreign Affairs committee  I think that in general, it is a good idea to work with members of the diaspora, but I have to say that, in the past, we have experienced some difficulties in certain countries. In one instance, members of the diaspora took sides in a conflict that was raging in their country of origin.

Foreign Affairs committee  I want to deal with that—another “easy question”. What do you mean, in this context, by double standards? What do you mean there?

Foreign Affairs committee  Okay. I don't have an easy answer to deal with that. Again, the institution Gerry Barr works at would probably give you a better.... I mean, we could do as some countries do, direct all our aid just to the poorest countries. I don't have an easy answer to that. I think there are some reasons for us....

Foreign Affairs committee  It's a totally reasonable question and my answer is that there is no easy answer, no guarantee. As I mentioned, we did a lot of work, we being Rights and Democracy. It is a very interesting model of a government-funded but an arm's-length institution supported, as I said, by all parties.

Foreign Affairs committee  Do you have another question you'd like to ask instead?

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's a pleasure for me to be back here with former colleagues from, as one says, all sides of the House of Commons. I want in my brief opening comments to deal with some observations about democratic development—if you like, a framework for a modern democratic state: what we should be doing as one of those modern democratic states who help facilitate the development of democracy.