Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Indeed, we are quite concerned about the security situation and the potential for violence in the lead-up to the forthcoming presidential elections. We very much look to MONUSCO, I would say, to provide security during this period. Part of their role will be to provide the logist

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Indeed, it's a very troubling issue, and one for which I think there is no straightforward answer. I would suggest that part of the question is that it's a larger regional problem. Much of this is rooted in the history, particularly in the recent history of conflict, and some o

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  If I may, I will just provide a few examples. Canada is supporting a $2.8 million prosecution-style project, from 2010 to 2013, which has the goal of professionalizing the military, holding the military accountable for their actions, and building a complementary capacity for crim

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  My understanding is that, generally speaking, we focus more on capacity building than on the actual bricks and mortar. Perhaps you have something to add.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  We certainly see that there has been some greater understanding and appreciation for the complexity of the problem that DRC authorities are engaged in. One of the examples I gave was the trial of the military officers who had been involved in a mass rape earlier this year. We fel

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  There could be a number of reasons the personnel strength is lower than it was at the outset. Certainly there is a shortage of troops for these international missions. This is a phenomenon that we see not just in the DRC but elsewhere. There is always the pressure to be able to m

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would say that the Great Lakes region as a whole remains an area of instability. The wars that have driven the crisis over the last few years have been brought to a halt, generally speaking, but that doesn't mean that we don't have pockets of instability, incursions across thes

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, Chairman, these figures come from the UN Security Council reporting. I would say that they are considered to be reliable, but I would also add that all of the reporting that takes place in this region marked by instability is perhaps not as rigorous as one might like. Noneth

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The issue of mining in DRC, and indeed across the region, is a complex one. And certainly mining is an essential industry in the DRC and provides much-needed revenue for the population. Canada has been largely focused on helping both DRC and other international actors develop co

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chairman, perhaps I could provide some specific examples here of where Canada has made a contribution. As I mentioned, we are working to assist the DRC in improving its capacity to regulate and control production and trade of metals and minerals in some of the strategic minin

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Certainly Canada is monitoring the lead-up to the elections and has been looking at ways in which we can support the orderly conduct of those elections. We know there is a risk of sexual violence if there is unrest at that time, and I would say that our eff

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Honourable members, thank you for your invitation to appear this afternoon. Together with my colleagues from Foreign Affairs and CIDA, I welcome this opportunity to address questions you may have about issues related to sexual violence in the Democratic R

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I believe that Canada's contribution is really based on support for the Ukrainian people, and we are continuing in that vein. Canada is the fourth-largest donor of bilateral technical assistance to Ukraine, and of course we have been active in that

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Chairman. What I intended to point out here was simply that the Russian government had criticized the judicial process involving Madam Tymoshenko. There may be a variety of reasons for that. It's very difficult to speculate on exactly what the Russian motives might be

Foreign Affairs committee  Certainly not with respect to this particular decision.