Skip to main content
Start of content

SDIR Committee Meeting

Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.

For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Previous day publication Next day publication
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
 
Meeting No. 17
 
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
 

The Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development met in camera at 1:04 p.m. this day, in Room 253-D, Centre Block, the Chair, Scott Reid, presiding.

 

Members of the Subcommittee present: Tyrone Benskin, Hon. Irwin Cotler, Nina Grewal, Wayne Marston, Scott Reid, Gary Ralph Schellenberger and David Sweet.

 

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Erin Shaw, Analyst; Miguel Bernal-Castillero, Analyst.

 
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the Subcommittee on Thursday, March 6, 2014, the Subcommittee resumed its study of the Sexual Violence Against Women Used Systematically as a Weapon of War in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
 

The Subcommittee resumed consideration of a draft report.

 

It was agreed, — That the draft report, as amended, be adopted.

 

It was agreed, — That the title for the report be reworked by the Chair and the analysts.

 

It was agreed, — That the Chair, Clerk and analyst be authorized to make such grammatical and editorial changes as may be necessary without changing the substance of the report.

 

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the Government table a comprehensive response to the report.

 

It was agreed, — That the Chair present the report to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

 
The Subcommittee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to Subcommittee business.
 

It was agreed, — That Bertha Oliva, General Coordinator of Honduras’s most respected human rights organization, COFADEH (Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras), along with Niniska Benitez, COFADEH's general administrator, will be in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 8th;

That Ms. Oliva launched COFADEH while working with 12 other families shortly after her husband, Professor Tomás Nativí, was disappeared in 1981; That under Bertha Oliva’s leadership the organization has developed into one of the most respected human rights organizations in the world, leading her to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Be it resolved that the subcommittee take advantage of their timely visit to Ottawa by having them appear as witnesses in the Honduras study.

 

It was agreed, — That the Subcommittee invite Annick Cojean, an award-winning journalist at Le Monde who has investigated sexual violence in Syria, and Dr. Hilmi M. Zawati, human rights advocate and President of the International Legal Advocacy Forum, to testify about the prevalence of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict in Syria.

 

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the Subcommittee invite witnesses to discuss the situation of the Armenian Community in Syria.

 

At 2:03 p.m., the Subcommittee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

 



Miriam Burke
Clerk of the Subcommittee

 
 
2014/04/02 8:44 a.m.