Foreign Affairs committee  I would like to clarify a response made earlier to Mr. Rae with regard to where the CSR counsellor is housed. Perhaps I responded to that too literally. Her staff will be staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. We will be developing a protocol with her

Foreign Affairs committee  The type of work we do abroad in support of embassies and missions is related to key services that we deliver to Canadian companies. In addition, there is a whole range of generic support that we provide in relationship-building. We also advocate on behalf of Canadian interests,

Foreign Affairs committee  I think I would have to limit myself to saying that it would be a significant amount of resources we would be looking at, as we said in the previous statement.

Foreign Affairs committee  We have with us today the director general for Latin America and the Caribbean. With respect to our relationships with countries in the hemisphere, perhaps I could invite him to comment on the implications the bill would have for our foreign policy relationships.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. The mandate of the CSR counsellor for extractive industries as set out in the order in council is, we believe, complementary to the work currently being done by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade both here and abroad. Her mandate is twofold. On

Foreign Affairs committee  She will be able to undertake fact-finding abroad, yes, but to undertake formal investigations, my understanding is that she cannot.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, that is correct.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for your question. In this case, at this stage in our analysis, we are indeed aware that additional resources would be required, not only human resources, financial resources, but also significant investment in training or in recruiting highly qualified individuals who

Foreign Affairs committee  We take it very seriously. We examine every complaint that is brought to our attention, whether directly or through a report in the media. Clearly, there are repercussions on our relationship with the country in which the company in question is carrying out its activities. With

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. To clarify my answer, we do not have the authority to undertake formal investigations abroad. We do not have the authority to establish who is at fault in situations like this. When I mentioned that we lend our offices to open dialogue with a view to seeking results-

Foreign Affairs committee  Perhaps I could ask my colleague from the legal division to address this question, given the legal implications.

Foreign Affairs committee  The counsellor will be housed in an office, which we are identifying currently, in Toronto. We are seeking space within a government office building in Toronto. This was a decision that was taken on the basis of proximity to key stakeholders, civil society organizations, and he

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. During the course of the past months, after this department appeared before the committee in June, following our written submission after the appearance in June and in the lead-up to our appearance today, we felt that as the department that would ulti

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you for inviting the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade-- “DFAIT”, as we refer to it--to return to this committee. Today we would like to build upon previous testimony made by this department and comment on the potential