National Defence committee  I don't know what those are, but I do believe that the Canadian military, with its years of experience, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, with the number of missions we have gone to and participated in, would actually be able to help the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations to develop the right tools and figure out what the right times are and what the right missions would be.

National Defence committee  Exactly.

National Defence committee  I think some of the models the Canadian government has engaged around Sudan, with the Sudan task force and similar ones, have worked reasonably well. I know that most of the participation at those tables, at least originally when I was involved in 2004 and 2005, was from CIDA and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

National Defence committee  Thank you for your question, a highly pertinent question I was hoping to avoid. Situations like Afghanistan are really hard for us, as I believe they are for the Canadian military. I believe the militaries are not necessarily the best placed nor do they have the required skills and capacities on their own to build peace.

National Defence committee  For me there are two questions there. One is about responsibility to protect in general, as an international tool that we all have. Then there's the question about how Canada can better coordinate the humanitarian assistance in its military efforts. For Oxfam the responsibility to protect was a valuable tool that should have been taken more seriously by the United Nations and by at least some of the main governmental contributors.

National Defence committee  It's not an easy question, and I don't pretend I know the answer. The responsibility to protect speaks about not waiting for the moment, like the one in DRC, in which the government invokes its sovereignty, but working alongside them, supporting them or putting pressure on them to avoid moments like this.

National Defence committee  If you'll allow me, I believe that has changed somewhat, that internationally there is an understanding that sovereignty is about not just the rights of states but also the responsibility of states to their citizens, and in that way it is limited.

National Defence committee  Good morning, everybody. I would like to thank the committee for inviting me and Oxfam to come to talk to you today. As you know, Oxfam has many years of experience in working in conflict situations alongside international peace operations and missions, as well as alongside the Canadian military in conflict and in disasters.