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

That the Government of Canada, through a ‘whole-of-government’ approach and with relevant domestic and international partners, explore ways to address economic insecurity and inequality as drivers of international conflict, in the Sahel region and in other parts of the world, and that

• (a) attention be given to opportunities to support the infrastructure needs of fragile or failed states that are suffering from or are at risk of conflict, and
• (b) the assessment of such opportunities include, but not be limited to:
  • Energy infrastructure;
  • Digital and communications infrastructure;
  • Water distribution and climate mitigation systems;
  • Health infrastructure;
  • Transportation, including roads, ports and airports;
  • Justice reform and judicial institutions;
  • Banking, finance and capital markets infrastructure.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada explore options to augment Canada’s contributions to the work of the United Nations in the areas of peacebuilding and conflict prevention, including:

• Efforts to increase the number of women deployed in United Nations peace operations;
• Supporting Troop-Contributing Country deployment readiness;
• Strengthening United Nations planning and coordination support;
• Supporting training programs for United Nations multi-lingual troop deployments;
• Planning for and executing the deployment of equipment;
• Increasing Canada’s contribution to CANADEM[1], which supports the deployment of Canadian civilian experts in peace operations.

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada, through a ‘whole-of-government’ approach, explore avenues to strengthen Canada’s support for the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, newly formed under the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) Reforms, which could include:

• Increasing Canada’s voluntary contribution to the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Trust Fund, which funds United Nations work in the areas of conflict prevention and resolution; and
• Increasing the number of Junior Professional Officer positions offered by Canada to the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Department of Peace Operations.

Recommendation 4

That the Government of Canada provide the Committee with a comprehensive technical briefing at minimum once every six months when Canadian troops are deployed on operations conducted in accordance with Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

Recommendation 5

That the Government of Canada recognize the important role of international peace operations in avoiding and/or mitigating humanitarian disasters and large scale human rights violations and recognize the importance of international peace operations to Canada’s national interest in reducing or eliminating drug, gun and human trafficking, refugee flows, and safe havens for international terrorism.

Recommendation 6

That the Government of Canada supplement our military contributions to peace operations with support for peace processes and with support for multidimensional programs addressing the challenges of stabilization and transition out of conflict.

Recommendation 7

That the Government of Canada develop a plan to bring Canada’s development assistance program to 0.7% of our GDP in a timely manner and that this plan explicitly recognize funding for support of peace operations as a form of development assistance.

Recommendation 8

That the Government of Canada capitalize on the unique perspectives and capabilities that Canada brings to peace operations along with our high-level military skills and that these include our bilingual and multicultural policies and capabilities, our emphasis on gender equity and the importance of including women in peace operations in all roles and at all levels, and the absence of a colonial past on the international level.

Recommendation 9

That the Government of Canada re-establish the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre with a mandate including but not limited to conflict research, conflict prevention and mediation, civilian protection, and child soldiers and a delivery model emphasizing capacity building and training the trainers.

Recommendation 10

That the Government of Canada fill the position of Ambassador on Women Peace and Security as soon as possible; and that additional funding be provided to support this position.

Recommendation 11

That the Government of Canada increase funding to grassroots women’s peacebuilding initiatives through the Elsie Initiative. Women’s participation in peacebuilding processes has been shown that women taking active roles in peace operations lead to higher success rates for those operations and help foster better relationships with local communities than predominantly male-dominated operations.

Recommendation 12

That the Government of Canada recognize the severe impacts of Mali becoming a failed state would have on ongoing humanitarian aid efforts, on counter trafficking operations aimed at stopping the flow of drugs, guns, and people across the Sahel, and on future refugees flows.

Recommendation 13

That the Government of Canada recognize the important role MINUSMA is playing in stabilizing Mali.

Recommendation 14

That the Government of Canada recommit to support for Mali in view of longstanding Canadian development assistance programming in Mali and in view of the ongoing economic ties between Canada and Mali. The Committee further recommends that the Government of Canada expedite a package of assistance measures to assist in the stabilization of Mali to flow immediately after the end of our current military mission in order to demonstrate Canada’s ongoing support for MINUSMA and that this package include additional measures to expedite the arrival of Canada’s promised contribution to the police training mission in Mali and provide additional support to the peace process in Mali, in particular the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Program.

Recommendation 15

That the Government of Canada consider additional bilateral military assistance to the G5 Sahel nations based on the successful model of Canada’s Operation NABERIUS in Niger in order to increase their capacity to guarantee their own security.

Recommendation 16

That the Government of Canada continue to increase its commitment to women, peace, and security programming.