FAIT Committee Meeting

Meeting No. 17

Thursday, December 16, 1999

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade met at 9:26 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, Maud Debien, Bill Graham, Francine Lalonde, Diane Marleau, Ted McWhinney, Deepak Obhrai, Denis Paradis, Bernard Patry, Svend Robinson, Yves Rocheleau, Bob Speller.

From the Parliamentary Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: Gerald Schmitz, James Lee and Daniel Dupras, Research Officers.

The Committee proceeded to examine its future business.

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

Your Sub-Committee met on Tuesday, December 7th , 1999 to consider the future business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

It was agreed, --That the Committee approve a budget in the amount of $253,407.00 for travel to London, England; Ankara, Turkey; Tbilisi, Georgia; Yerevan Armenia; Baku, Azerbaijan; Almata, Kazakhstan; Akmola Kazakhstan; Bishkek, Krygyzstan; Kumptor Mine, Krygyzstan; and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in relation to its examination of Canada's foreign policy interests in Eurasia.

 It was agreed, --That the Committee approve a supplementary budget for its operating expenditures for the period ending March 31, 2000, in the amount of $30,000.00.

 It was agreed, --That the Committee convene hearings on Canada's role in the conflict in Kosovo and that the research staff prepare a study plan related thereto.

It was agreed, --That the Committee convene a meeting in February 2000 with the Canadian Society of the Red Cross to discuss the results of the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.

It was agreed, --That the Committee convene a hearing on the situation in Chechnya on Thursday, December 9, to which the Minister of Foreign Affairs and/or Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade be invited to testify.

It was agreed, --That the Committee invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of International Trade to appear before it in relation to an examination of the Performance Report of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade for the period ending March 31, 1999.

It was agreed, --That in relation to the first item regarding its examination of Canada's foreign policy interests in Eurasia, the Committee agree to travel to Eurasia during the period of April 1 to 11, 2000, and that it postpone the consideration of a budget and itinerary for this travel to February 2000.

It was agreed, --That the third item be amended by inserting after the words "conflict in Kosovo", the following: "and the period following the conflict".

After debate, the Second Report, as amended, was concurred in.

At 9:57 a.m., Colleen Beaumier took the Chair.

After debate the following resolution was agreed to as amended:

It was agreed, - Reaffirming the importance of the universal protection and promotion of human rights;

Noting the stated commitment of the Government of Colombia to the protection of human rights and the achievement of peace in that country;

Noting that another round of peace talks between the Government of Colombia and the guerrillas are to begin in January 2000;

Noting that Canada is an important trading partner of Colombia as well as a donor of official development assistance;

Noting the repeated criticism at the UN Commission on Human Rights by the Government of Canada of the poor human rights situation in Colombia;

Deeply disturbed by the findings of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law in Colombia have increased and are "serious, gross and systematic";

Deeply disturbed over evidence provided to this committee both by Canadian NGO representatives as well as Canadian Government officials that illegal paramilitary groups continue to receive active and widespread support from Colombia’s state security forces;

Noting the public statement by the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs after the 1998 massacre in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, calling on the Government of Colombia "…to investigate these assassinations thoroughly";

Having met and listened to Church, human rights and trade union organizations as well as Canadian Government officials, deeply concerned with the situation in Colombia;

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade:

• Condemns the repeated violence, kidnappings, massacres and the abuse of human rights by all parties in Colombia;
• Calls upon the Government of Colombia to intensify both its investigation of the Barrancabermeja massacre and its activities to reduce and prevent violence and the abuse of human rights in the country and to end impunity especially with regards to crimes against humanity;
• Calls upon the Government of Colombia to implement without delay the recommendations made to it repeatedly by UN and OAS human rights bodies, in particular those calling on the Government "to permanently disband paramilitary groups by apprehending, trying and punishing those who belong to, lead, organize, support or finance them";
• Calls upon the Government of Canada to intensify its multilateral and bilateral efforts to bring an improvement in the situation in Colombia and to examine the question of whether it has legal jurisdiction to charge and prosecute the perpetrators of the Barrancabermeja massacre in Canada and report back to the Committee on this issue;
• Calls upon the Government of Canada to exercise increased monitoring of the impact of Canadian Corporate trade and investment in Colombia in order to ensure that the presence and activities of Canadian corporations are not worsening the conflict or the human rights situation and to report back to this Committee on this issue.
• Will hold a meeting early in the new year and invite the Canadian Ambassador to Colombia to follow up on these issues and ensure that the Committee’s deep concerns are conveyed to Canadian and Colombian officials at all levels.
• Will remain seized of this issue, and will consider what further bilateral measures may be appropriate to increase pressure on the Colombian authorities.

It was agreed, --That the resolution be adopted as the Third Report of the Committee and that the Chair be authorized to present it to the House.

On motion of Svend Robinson it was agreed,--That the Committee, recognizing the importance of studying the issue of globalization, ask the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure to review this question to determine the most appropriate means of following up on it.

Svend Robinson moved, --That the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade urge the Parliament of Canada to recognize as the legitimate authority in Burma today the Committee for the Restoration of a People's Parliament; and further urge the Government of Canada to consider the imposition of investment sanctions on the regime in Burma.

After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.

It was agreed, --That the resolution be adopted as the Fourth Report of the Committee and that the Chair be authorized to present it to the House.

At 10:32 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Janice Hilchie

Clerk of the Committee