As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

The Government of Canada should continue to review the legal and policy regime governing Canadian consular services, with the objective of ensuring that Canadians are not subject to arbitrary treatment or discrimination in the provision of consular services.

Recommendation 2

The Government of Canada should ensure that Canadian policy in kidnapping situations is always guided by one fundamental objective: ensuring the safety and security of each and every Canadian.

Recommendation 3

The Government of Canada should review section 83.03 of the Criminal Code in order to clarify that Canadians who engage in peaceful actions to secure the release of a kidnapping victim, including through the payment of a ransom, will not be subject to criminal prosecution.

Recommendation 4

The Government of Canada should review each kidnapping situation with a view to identifying and applying lessons learned and to establish best practices related to family engagement, including in the areas of communication and information sharing.

Recommendation 5

The Government of Canada should review the application of the Privacy Act as it relates to the sharing of information with the families or legal counsel of Canadians who are the subject of complex consular cases.

Recommendation 6

The Government of Canada should work with provincial authorities to ensure that victims of kidnappings and their families are supported in the aftermath of critical consular incidents from a mental health perspective.

Recommendation 7

The Government of Canada should continue to support efforts aimed at building international cooperation and consensus related to consular protection for dual citizens. In this regard, the Government of Canada should continue to support the Global Consular Forum, and consider hosting an upcoming summit of the Forum’s member countries.

Recommendation 8

The Government of Canada should review how it responds to consular cases involving Canadian permanent residents who request and require emergency assistance abroad to ensure a coherent approach to such requests.

Recommendation 9

The Government of Canada should undertake a review of the consular service fee to ensure that the fee is appropriate and that the consular program is financially sustainable into the future.

Recommendation 10

The Government of Canada should review the role of Global Affairs Canada’s Office of the Inspector General and consider expanding it to include the review of consular services and standards.

Recommendation 11

The Government of Canada should develop a strategy to promote the Registration of Canadians Abroad system to target audiences of Canadians travelling to, or living in, locations that are particularly susceptible to natural disasters or political instability. As part of this strategy, the Government of Canada should leverage its outreach capacity by working with stakeholders and partners in the travel and tourism sector.

Recommendation 12

The Government of Canada should modernize its communication tools with regard to consular services, including greater use of digital tools such as online applications and social media.

Recommendation 13

The Government of Canada should ensure ongoing dialogue between Canadian consular officials and experts drawn from civil society, the private sector, the legal community, and diaspora communities, for regular discussions about best practices and lessons learned in the area of Canadian consular affairs.

Recommendation 14

The Government of Canada should develop service standards that set out concrete timelines for the formal assessment of allegations of torture or mistreatment of Canadians detained abroad, and for the notification of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in all cases where there is credible information that a Canadian detained abroad has been tortured or mistreated. Those timelines should respect the seriousness of these consular cases, while also reflecting the need for a prompt, consistent and effective response on the part of the Government of Canada.

Recommendation 15

The Government of Canada should ensure that Canadian consular officers receive in-depth and cyclical training on how to conduct prison visits in relation to Canadians arrested or detained abroad, and that Canadian consular officers also receive such training on how to detect incidents of torture, abuse, or mistreatment.