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Foreign Affairs committee A strategy is critical. As I mentioned earlier, we've had five different foreign ministers in the past seven years I've been in this role. That's significant transition. Having an overarching, multi-year strategy would mean that there would be some continuity on key human rights
March 30th, 2023Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Foreign Affairs committee Certainly we would agree that this amendment to section 11 is necessary. This is something we have been calling on Canada to do since the very beginning. This remains a key concern for us. I think we're pleased that one loophole, which is the issue around investment in cluster mu
March 30th, 2023Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Foreign Affairs committee I agree that a hybrid type of solution makes the most sense, including some names where family members have agreed to it—those individuals are perhaps very public already in the public sphere—while including the number of others who are being advocated for. For example, it would
March 30th, 2023Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Foreign Affairs committee Our position has always been the same from the time we testified around the cluster munitions bill when it was being drafted nine years ago to today. Our belief is that Canada should ensure that there is a clear, categorical prohibition on assistance, foreign stockpiling, transit
March 30th, 2023Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Foreign Affairs committee Thank you. We don't actively research money-laundering issues in Canada, but we certainly share many of the concerns that were raised by Mr. Browder, earlier, around the lack of transparency and accountability in the current sanctions system in place in Canada, and the challenge
March 30th, 2023Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Foreign Affairs committee Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable members of Parliament, for inviting me to appear before this committee. My name is Farida Deif. I'm the Canada director at Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, as you know, is an independent international human rights organization that moni
March 30th, 2023Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee Yes, thank you. Loujain al-Hathloul was one of the three Saudi women's rights activists I mentioned in my earlier remarks. While released from detention, she continues to face a travel ban, so she can't leave the country. Those types of travel bans are often used. What govern
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee Yes, we've also heard those kinds of concerning reports in terms of lashings and other really abusive types of actions by the Taliban, who have become increasingly emboldened to do this.
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee It's a very large question. Yes, certainly there is very strong messaging on a feminist foreign policy, on a rules-based international order and on prioritizing human rights, but we do see that there is often a disconnect in terms of actions on the ground, particularly with state
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee No, it doesn't. We've said repeatedly that Canada should no longer sell arms to Saudi Arabia and that there should be a total boycott, given the level of humanitarian law violations committed by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee Thank you for that question. I know Ambassador O'Neill mentioned the “Voices at Risk” guidelines, which are meant to be implemented by Canadian missions all over the world. They have very clear recommendations around ambassadors requesting prison visits with human rights defende
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee I think that was adequately covered by the ambassador. Thank you.
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee Yes, that's been an issue that we've been concerned about, as well, at Human Rights Watch.
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee I think for civil society organizations in Afghanistan, women's NGOs in Afghanistan, the situation is incredibly bleak, so it's really important for states to remove any types of additional obstacles that they may face.
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif
Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee The situation of the Hazara minority is something that is very concerning to Human Rights Watch. We've documented a number of abuses. As you've seen in September, there was a suicide attack on ethnic Hazara students in Kabul that sparked protests by women and girls across the pro
November 25th, 2022Committee meeting
Farida Deif