Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, subcommittee members, hello. Thank you for this opportunity today to provide an update on the human rights situation is South Sudan. I am accompanied, as the chair pointed out, by my colleagues Eileen Stewart and Sacha Levasseur-Rivard. I will begin by providing an o

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  In terms of assistance, the former religious freedom fund did not fund any projects in South Sudan. It is certain that we're looking for options and different opportunities to further strengthen the protection of human rights in the country. We have been exploring options, includ

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  As we know, the conflict in South Sudan has some ramifications, and a number of countries in the region have a role to play in that. Specifically, the situation with respect to Sudan, as we know, has been quite challenging because there are some issues with Sudan per se. At the A

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, regarding the situation in Sudan, allegations have been made around the world for a number of years regarding Sudan in South Sudan. We know there are a number of unresolved border issues and that there are issues around the fees that are affecting.... We have heard all

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  There are about 3.3 million people who are displaced in South Sudan, about one third of the population. Out of that, we have about 1.48 million who are fleeing to neighbouring countries. As I said a few minutes ago, the majority of them are in Uganda, Ethiopia, and then Sudan, bu

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, it is clear that the food insecurity situation in South Sudan is really problematic. What we understand is that the situation is actually worsening rather than improving. Canada, through our development assistance programming, has been supporting South Sudan in helpi

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Up to 2016, most of the conflict was focused around the greater Nile region, which borders Sudan where a lot of the oil reserves are. Since then we've seen an escalation of the conflict, mostly in the Equatoria region, which is in the middle. The situation in Juba is stable, and

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The issue of children involved in conflicts is something that Canada takes very seriously, and it condemns any such involvement. As you know, Canada and the international community have imposed sanctions against individuals in the various parties in the conflict. We maintain tha

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  There were seven votes in favour of the resolution and eight abstentions. It was because of those abstentions that the resolution was not adopted. This is unfortunate, but we continue to work with our partners through the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, which monitors

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Canada is very active both diplomatically and politically. It has also been very active in the development initiatives we are working on. As to the hybrid court, that commitment was made in the peace agreement that was signed. We are working with the African Union to ensure that

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The published reports have highlighted a number of abuses, backed up by evidence. Together with the other members of the international community, we ensure that the abuses are reported. As I already said, we are members of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission. Through t

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, the issue of humanitarian workers has been at the forefront of our discussions, both diplomatically and on the ground. We have voiced our concerns and have been keeping the pressure on the Government of South Sudan to provide humanitarian access for humanitarian worker

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, there are a number of partners currently working in support of those children who have been involved in conflicts. UNICEF is one of the key players in that regard. As we know, Canada has been supporting UNICEF in different forms. There are also some non-governmental o

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, there are apparently some sanctions in place, established by the United Nations, against six South Sudanese individuals on each side of the conflict. We have also been pushing for an arms embargo, as I mentioned a few minutes ago, which unfortunately was not passed in

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, the situation of internally displaced people will certainly provide the information. Of the 3.3 million, about 1.48 million are actually outside of South Sudan. The rest are within the country, so they are internally displaced. There are some in the protection of civil