FAAE Committee Report
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PART I: CONTENDING WITH THE CURRENT INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
RECOMMENDATION 1
The Government of Canada should explicitly recognize relations with the countries of the Muslim world as an important area of foreign policy attention and strategic planning. In addition, the Government should use the forthcoming international policy review as a means to deepen Canadian public engagement on issues of foreign policy development involving Muslim communities in Canada and relations with Muslim countries.
RECOMMENDATION 2
The Government of Canada should strengthen the analytical and diplomatic capacities required to be effective in enhancing Canada’s relations with the countries of the Muslim world.
PART II: DEVELOPING THE ELEMENTS OF A CONSTRUCTIVE CANADIAN APPROACH
RECOMMENDATION 3
The Government of Canada must ensure a proper understanding of the complexities of the diverse countries of the Muslim world and develop a constructive long-term approach toward them. In particular, the Committee is convinced that there cannot be genuine democratic progress without a serious process of increasing equality for women — economic, social, and political equality — in law and in practice.
As part of this constructive approach, the Government should:
| • | ensure full consultation with a broad range of groups, including Muslim groups, in the ongoing development of its foreign policy; | |
| • | place greater emphasis on generating and communicating knowledge at home and abroad; support secular education abroad which upholds human rights and individual freedoms; and, noting the example of McGill University’s successful program in Indonesia, in cooperation with the provinces as necessary, encourage other Canadian educational institutions to establish similar programs in Muslim countries; | |
| • | continue to support intercultural and interfaith dialogue; | |
| • | in cooperation with the provinces as necessary, expand student and other exchange programs; | |
| • | emphasize values such as pluralism and multiculturalism, and encourage the adoption of universal human rights values and freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, association, enterprise and ownership of property; | |
| • | continue to support civil society and democratization throughout the Muslim world and elsewhere; | |
| • | continue to strongly condemn all human rights abuses; | |
| • | place even greater emphasis on the need for gender equality and women’s rights; | |
| • | speak out strongly in defence of minority rights, including minority religious communities, and encourage their full participation in the national affairs of their countries; | |
| • | pursue a more aggressive strategy for the protection of Canadians detained abroad; | |
| • | strongly consider supporting the idea of establishing a Canadian news service televised by satellite; and | |
| • | ensure adequate resources for enhanced linguistic and analysis capabilities within the Canadian government, and consider the establishment of a mechanism within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to coordinate dialogue activities with the countries of the Muslim world. |
PART III: CANADA’S RELATIONS WITH MUSLIM COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
RECOMMENDATION 4
Canada should encourage the Government of Turkey to be a voice of democracy and moderation within the Muslim world and to continue to implement democratic and human rights reforms, including respecting the rights of its Kurdish minority, in compliance with Turkey’s international obligations and aspirations to join the European Union.
RECOMMENDATION 5
The Government of Canada should explore ways to facilitate further contacts with Turkey both at the official level and through private sector, civil society, educational and cultural connections. Consideration should be given to inviting Prime Minister Recep Erdogan to visit Canada and to address Parliament on, among other matters, strengthening ties with countries of the Muslim world.
RECOMMENDATION 6
Canada should strongly protest the February 2004 electoral process that disqualified serving parliamentarians and appeal to Iran to conduct open and fair democratic elections. Canada should also continue to work closely with other countries in multilateral forums, and with democratic forces inside Iran, including where still possible through parliamentary and political channels, to press for improvements in Iran’s human rights performance.
RECOMMENDATION 7
The Government of Canada should vigorously continue its efforts to achieve a full accounting from the Government of Iran for the illegal detention, torture and murder of Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi, and should pursue all avenues of redress that will result in a just and satisfactory resolution.
RECOMMENDATION 8
Canada should at the same time explore ways to increase constructive contacts with Iranian civil society through educational, cultural and other exchanges, private sector and NGO links.
RECOMMENDATION 9
Canada should continue to put pressure on Iran to abide fully by its obligations under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, and specifically, to implement the undertakings made to the International Atomic Energy Agency following Iran’s admission of non-compliance in October 2003.
RECOMMENDATION 10
The Government of Canada should urge Saudi Arabia to address the sources of terrorism and religious extremism within its borders, and offer Canada’s cooperation in common efforts to combat such terrorism and extremism. The Government should also actively pursue opportunities to promote dialogue and to build ties with Saudi Arabia. In particular, Canada should:
| • | Strongly encourage changes in the direction of human rights, democratic, and educational reforms as being in Saudi Arabia’s interest; | |
| • | Explore increased intellectual, educational and cultural as well as political exchanges. |
RECOMMENDATION 11
The Government of Canada should at the same time continue to impress upon the Government of Saudi Arabia the need for it to conduct a full investigation of the allegations of miscarriage of justice and torture made by Canadian citizen William Sampson, and the need for Saudi Arabia to comply fully with its international human rights obligations. Until justice is done, and seen to be done, bilateral relations will not be able to develop as constructively as we believe is in the mutual interest of both countries.
RECOMMENDATION 12
In engaging the Government of Egypt in political dialogue, Canada should consistently encourage Egypt to institute democratic reforms and to respect basic standards of internationally recognized human rights, including in the necessary common efforts to curb political violence and religious extremism. Such efforts should also address underlying conditions of poverty and social exclusion.
RECOMMENDATION 13
The Government of Canada should use the 50th anniversary in 2004 of the establishment of bilateral relations with Egypt to significantly upgrade Canada’s capacity to carry out educational and cultural cooperation activities and exchanges within Egypt and benefiting the wider Arab region. In particular, the Canadian government in cooperation with the provinces should strongly support the Al-Ahram Canadian University project and should consider the feasibility of establishing a Canadian Cultural Centre in Cairo.
RECOMMENDATION 14
The Government should ensure that Canadian development assistance to Egypt is concentrated in people-centred projects, working with independent NGOs wherever possible. Canada should also work with the private sector to advance responsible investment and trade that benefits both countries.
THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS, ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
RECOMMENDATION 15
In order to encourage all possibilities for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Government of Canada should consider how Canada can play a stronger role in supporting:
| • | good governance, social development and educational efforts, working with pro-democracy partners in the region; | |
| • | conflict resolution, community dialogue and confidence-building measures that strengthen civil society; | |
| • | peacebuilding initiatives, including facilitating, sponsoring and hosting peace activities in the region, in addition to playing a more active role in advancing the established Roadmap process for political negotiations. |
RECOMMENDATION 16
Canada should ensure that its humanitarian and development assistance activities in the Palestinian territories make the maximum contribution to meeting human needs priorities while promoting peaceful and pluralistic solutions to the conflict.
RECOMMENDATION 17
Canada should continue to impress upon Israeli and Palestinian authorities their responsibilities to respect international human rights obligations and their mutual interest in ending all violence, particularly terrorist violence targeting innocent civilians, and pursuing peace negotiations in good faith.
RECOMMENDATION 18
The longer term role and capabilities of Canadian diplomatic, defence, and development assistance resources in advancing the Middle East peace process should be re-assessed in the context of the forthcoming review of Canada’s international policies announced by the Government in February 2004.
RECOMMENDATION 19
The Government of Canada should strongly encourage the Government of Jordan to continue along a path of liberalizing socio-economic, democratic, good governance and human rights reforms. Canada should also pursue cooperation with Jordan on regional peace and democracy-building objectives, including cultivating channels for interfaith dialogue and for political dialogue at both official and civil-society levels.
RECOMMENDATION 20
Canada should continue to encourage and provide support to the Government of Morocco as it pursues its broad program of reform. In particular, Canada should increase assistance in the area of education, and continue assistance for democratization, governance reform and strengthening civil society.
PART IV: CANADA’S RELATIONS WITH COUNTRIES IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
RECOMMENDATION 21
Given the importance of the states of Central Asia and the developments that have taken place there since September 2001, the Government of Canada should revisit the recommendations contained in the Committee’s 2001 report Advancing Canadian Foreign Policy Objectives in the South Caucasus and Central Asia in the context of reviewing its relations with the countries of the Muslim world.
RECOMMENDATION 22
The Government of Canada should encourage India and Pakistan to continue their composite talks, and should stand ready with the rest of the international community to contribute to the resolution of long-standing disputes, particularly that over Kashmir, as appropriate.
RECOMMENDATION 23
The Government of Canada should continue to urge the governments of Pakistan and India to work together to reduce the risk of nuclear escalation in South Asia and, given recent revelations, redouble their efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.
RECOMMENDATION 24
The Government of Canada should continue to insist on the restoration and strengthening of democracy in Pakistan, as well as greater respect for human rights and faster action on reducing poverty and meeting other development challenges, and should continue to pursue these goals through a policy of constructive engagement.
RECOMMENDATION 25
Given the critical importance of increasing access to adequate and inclusive education in Pakistan, the Government of Canada should apply stringent conditions to ensure that its debt for education swap results in tangible progress toward this goal; increase scholarships and other forms of academic exchanges with that country; and encourage the Government of Pakistan to proceed with its commitment to register all madrassas and regulate their curricula.
INDIA
RECOMMENDATION 26
The Government of Canada should continue to pursue its current policy of re-engagement with India, and, where possible, support Indian government efforts to provide adequate education for the most disadvantaged groups in society. Canada should also support efforts to decrease intercommunal tensions.
RECOMMENDATION 27
Recognizing the recent democratic progress made by Indonesia, notably in embracing pluralism, as well as its potential as a model for the rest of the Muslim world, the Government of Canada should continue to both encourage and assist the Government of Indonesia in emphasizing pluralism as a key element of its democracy.
RECOMMENDATION 28
The Government of Canada should continue to strengthen its bilateral cooperation with Indonesia in the areas of democracy and governance; support civil society groups that work to reduce ethnic and other tensions; and support education reform, building on the exemplary experiences of McGill University’s programs.
RECOMMENDATION 29
Canada should also pursue increased counter-terrorist and security cooperation with the Government of Indonesia, including for the peaceful resolution of ethnic and other conflicts.
RECOMMENDATION 30
Given that most Canadian development assistance to Malaysia will end in 2004, the Government of Canada should ensure adequate resources remain available to continue working with other countries and moderate civil-society groups — particularly women’s groups — to strengthen institutions of governance and support democratic development, pluralism, minority and other human rights in Malaysia.