In their appearances before the Subcommittee, Canadian officials emphasized that the Government of Canada believes the best way to promote respect for human rights in Honduras is through engagement, both as a donor country and as a trading partner. Mr. Normandin informed the Subcommittee that Canada has taken a number of steps to assist in efforts to strengthen Honduran institutions and to encourage the Government of Honduras to make additional progress on human rights issues.[151] The Subcommittee agrees with Jeffrey Marder, from DFATD, who said that Canada “must support good governance and help improve the ability to govern in a rather difficult and complex context.”[152]

A.  Canadian development programming

The Subcommittee heard that Canada supports programming designed to strengthen social, economic and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights in Honduras.

Honduras is one of 25 countries of focus for Canada’s international assistance program and is the recipient of the largest bilateral development program in Central America.[153] Canada’s development programming in Honduras is focused in the following key areas: food security; education; maternal, newborn and child health; and promotion of sustainable economic growth.[154] Examples include programming to improve agricultural productivity and water management, as well as school feeding programs for poor children.[155] Officials told the Subcommittee that these initiatives are designed to help “build up an educated middle class that demands accountability, rule of law and human rights protection.”[156]

Canada actively supports efforts to strengthen justice sector institutions in Honduras. Through an inter-American regional program, the Canadian government also supports training for justice sector personnel, including internships with Canadian justice sector institutions such as the Canadian Public Prosecution Service. Canada is also helping to improve criminal investigations and prosecutorial capacity in Honduras by funding the work of the Justice Education Society of British Columbia and by contributing an integrated ballistics identification system to Honduras. This system aims to facilitate “the identification of weapons used in crimes by mapping the ‘ballistic signature’ found on a bullet.”[157]

In addition, Canada maintains “close contact with civil society organizations” in the country, and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives has supported Honduran non-governmental organizations working on human rights issues.[158] According to Mr. Normandin, “[s]pecific projects include training for human rights promoters, informing women about their rights, and protecting vulnerable populations such as youth and the LGBTI community.”[159] Other Canadian programming has targeted youth for training related to the prevention of human rights abuses as well as the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Employment and Social Development Canada has also provided training to labour leaders on international occupational health and safety standards. Officials informed the Subcommittee that these contacts ensure Canada has a balanced perspective on human rights in Honduras.

Canada also works in cooperation with other donors and at the regional and multilateral levels. Canada participates in a donor group, called the G-16, which has engaged with the Honduran government on human rights issues.[160] Canada actively expresses its concerns on human rights issues in Honduras through multilateral bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Government of Canada also supports efforts to strengthen OAS human rights mechanisms and the organization’s work on gender issues.[161]

The Subcommittee believes that a holistic approach to improving human rights protection in Honduras is appropriate. Ensuring respect for human rights in Honduras over the long term requires efforts to address the drivers of poverty and extreme inequality; action to support protective mechanisms that can deal with human rights violations as they occur; and a commitment to build capable, resilient democratic institutions that uphold the rule of law and guarantee citizen security for all Hondurans – regardless of socio-economic status, political affiliation or personal characteristics.

B.  Engagement through trade and investment

Canada and Honduras have a strong bilateral relationship, which includes important trade and investment ties. Canada is an important source of foreign investment into Honduras. A Canadian company, Gildan Activeware, is the largest single private-sector employer in the country, employing approximately 20,000 people.[162] Canadian corporations also play a prominent role in the country’s mining industry.[163] In addition, a free trade agreement, which is accompanied by side agreements on labour and environmental protection, entered into force between Canada and Honduras on 1 October 2014.[164]

Witnesses appearing before the Subcommittee voiced differing opinions regarding the contributions that free trade can make to improving human rights in Honduras. Officials from DFATD stressed that free trade agreements increase international trade flows, thereby contributing to creating new economic and employment opportunities. Building prosperity, they said, is essential to the “full enjoyment of peace, freedom and democracy” in any country.[165] Mr. Blackwell argued that Canadian investors could promote best practices and corporate social responsibility, thereby improving traditional ways of doing business in Honduras. Moreover, by setting common standards and requiring level playing fields in the trade and foreign investment sectors, Mr. Blackwell indicated that components of trade and investment agreements can help to strengthen the rule of law.[166]

On the other hand, some witnesses expressed the view that freer trade with Honduras would only deepen inequality. Moreover, it would be unlikely to contribute to improving the human rights situation in the country, given the absence of institutions capable of effectively and impartially mediating disputes and addressing persistent inequality before the law.[167]

Overall, the Subcommittee is of the view that the strength and importance of the Canada–Honduras relationship enhances Canada’s ability to encourage the Honduran government to respond positively to human rights concerns.