FAAE Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development met in camera at 9:01 a.m. this day, in Room 308, West Block, the Chair, Kevin Sorenson, presiding.

The Committee resumed consideration of a draft report.

At 9:45 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 9:46 a.m., the sitting resumed in public.

The Committee resumed consideration of the motion of Bernard Patry, — That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development asks that the Department of National Defence provide a fulsome monthly table of the number of prisoners captured during our mission to date, how many have been handed over to Afghan authorities, and any records, if available, of their present status. This reporting is to coincide with the appearance of the Canadian officials and diplomats who wrote the report entitled Afghanistan 2006: Good Governance, Democratic Development and Human Rights before the Standing Committee.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 7; NAYS: 3.

The Chair presented the Twelfth Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure which read as follows:

1. It was agreed, —That the Committee refer the Third Report of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights concerning the issue of “comfort women” back to the Subcommittee for further study.

2. It was agreed, —That the Comittee invite the Auditor General to appear before the Committee concerning Chapter 3, of the report presented to the House, May 1, 2007, entitled Human Resources Management - Foreign Affairs and International Trade and that, the appropriate officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade be invited to appear before the Committee in the fall of 2007 to apprise the Committee of any action that has been taken in response to the Auditor General's report.

3. It was agreed, —That the Committee invite Carlos Zorilla, to appear before the Committee at an informal meeting on May 15, 2007 from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m.

4. It was agreed, —That the Committee refer a request for a meeting from Rights and Democracy with Ms. Suciwati and Mr. Hamid, Indonesian human rights defenders, on May 29, 2007, to the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.

5. It was agreed, —That the Committee invite Ernie Regehr and the Honourable Douglas Roche to appear before the Committee on the issue of disarmament on the same date as the appearance of Paul Meyer, Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament.

6. It was agreed, —That the Committee postpone its study of the report by Subcommittee on International Human Rights on human rights in China until May 31, 2007.

It was agreed, —That the report of the Subcommittee be concurred in.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That two representatives from the Embassy of Afghanistan be allowed to attend the in camera meeting.

At 9:59 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:00 a.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

At 11:00 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.