FAIT Committee Meeting

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting No. 4

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1997

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade met in camera at 10:16 o’clock a.m., this day, in room 308, West Block, the Chair, Bill Graham, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Sarkis Assadourian, Jean Augustine, Colleen Beaumier, Réginald Bélair, Maud Debien, Bill Graham, Gurmant Grewal, Ted McWhinney, Bob Mills, Charlie Penson, Julian Reed, Bob Speller, Daniel Turp.

Acting Members present: Bill Blaikie for Svend Robinson; Raymonde Folco for Denis Paradis; André Bachand for Scott Brison.

In attendance: From the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: James Lee and Gerald Schmidt, Research Officers.

The Committee proceeded to examine its future business.

The Chair presented the First Report of the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure which is as follows :

Your Sub-Committee met on Tuesday, October 21, 1997 to consider the future business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. It was agreed, --That a proposed schedule of meetings be approved.

2. It was agreed, --That in relation to an examination of the Main Estimates 1997-1998 of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Committee invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of International Trade and the Minister for International Cooperation and Minister responsible for the Francophonie to appear before it.

3. It was agreed, --That pursuant to Standing Orders 110 and 111, the Committee invite the following Order in Council appointees to appear before it: Mary Clancy as Consul General of Canada at Boston; Gilles Bernier as Ambasador to Haïti; Maureen O’Neil as President of the International Development Research Centre; Gordon Smith as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre; and A. Ian Gillespie as President of the Export Development Corporation.

4. It was agreed, --That in relation to an examination of Canada’s participation in the Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia, a delegation of members of the Committee travel with a delegation of members of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans’ Affairs to Bosnia during the period of November 6-13, 1997.

5. It was agreed, --That some Committee members meet with a delegation of eighty (80) students from the NATO Defence College in Rome on Thursday October 30 from 8:30 to 10:30 in order to discuss the mandate and activities of the Committee.

6. It was agreed, --That an informal meeting be arranged to meet with Kevin Heppner from the Friends of Burma, who will provide a briefing on human rights abuses in Burma.

7. It was agreed, --That in consultation with the Whips, the Committee proceed to establish a Sub-Committee on International Human Rights and Development and a Sub-Committee on International Trade and Investment.

After debate, it was agreed, --That the First Report of the Sub-Committee be concurred in.

It was agreed, --That pursuant to Standing Orders 108(1) and 108(2), a Sub-Committee on Human Rights and International Development be established to inquire into matters relating to the promotion of respect for international human rights and the achievement of sustainable human development goals, as may be referred to it by the Committee;

That the Sub-Committee be composed of nine (9) members or associate members of which five (5) shall be government members and four (4) shall be opposition members, to be named following the usual consultations with Whips; and

That the Sub-Committee be empowered to send for persons, papers and records, to receive evidence, to sit no more than once a week, unless otherwise authorized by the Committee, during a time when the Committee is not sitting and to sit during periods when the House stands adjourned.

It was agreed, --That pursuant to Standing Order 108(1) and 108(2), a Sub-Committee on International Trade, Trade Disputes and Investment be established to inquire into Canada’s trade and investment relations and in particular any matters pertaining to the negotiation and implementation of international agreements, as may be referred to it by the Committee;

That the Sub-Committee be composed of nine (9) members or associate members of which five (5) shall be government members and four (4) shall be opposition members, to be named following the usual consultations with Whips;

That the Sub-Committee be empowered to send for persons, papers and records, to receive evidence, to sit no more than once a week, unless otherwise authorized by the Committee, during a time when the Committee is not sitting and to sit during periods when the House stands adjourned; and

That the evidence adduced by the Sub-Committee on Trade Disputes during the Second Session of the Thirty-Fifth Parliament relating to a review of trade dispute resolution processes, be deemed referred to the Sub-Committee.

It was agreed, --That the Multilateral Agreement on Investment be referred for study to the Sub-Committee on International Trade, Trade Disputes and Investment; that for the purpose of this study, the Sub-Committee be permitted to meet more than once a week during the times when the Committee is not sitting; and that the Sub-Committee present its final draft report to Committee no later than December 5, 1997.

In accordance with its mandate under Standing Order 108(2), the Committee commenced its examination of the two reports presented to the House by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade during the Second Session of the Thirty-Fifth Parliament, entitled: Ending Child Labour Exploitation—A Canadian Agenda for Action on Global Challenges and Canada and the Circumpolar World: Meeting the Challenges of Cooperation into the Twenty-First Century.

It was agreed,--That the Committee has considered the Fifth and Seventh Reports of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, presented to the House during the Second Session of the Thirty-Fifth Parliament entitled respectively: Ending Child Labour Exploitation—A Canadian Agenda for Action on Global Challenges and Canada and the Circumpolar World: Meeting the Challenges of Cooperation into the Twenty-First Century and has concurred in the findings of these two reports; that in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 109, the Committee requests that the Government provide a comprehensive response to these Reports; and that the Chair be authorized to report this to the House as the First Report of the Committee.

Ordered,--That the Committee staff prepare a draft resolution regarding the case of Canadian Far East Prisoners of World War II to be discussed at the next meet of the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure.

It was agreed, --That the Committee be authorized to purchase gifts to be presented to foreign hosts while travelling and as well to present from time to time when visited by foreign delegations in Ottawa.

At 11:13 o’clock a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.