James Rajotte is an Executive member of the newly-formed All Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes Against Humanity which has released a statement that calls on the Government of Canada to scale up its efforts to stop the violence that is taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan.
The group noted Canada’s current involvement in the Darfur region, which has included the deployment of Canadian Forces personnel, the provision of basic military equipment and armored personnel carriers to the existing African Union force, and $40 million in humanitarian assistance for Sudan and the region.
However, Senator Roméo Dallaire, the Chairperson of the group, stressed the need for heightened Canadian leadership in the situation. “There is a tendency to blame the UN for failures to prevent. What we forget is that the UN’s effectiveness lies in the will of its sovereign states. Canada - and its Parliamentarians - must be willing to stand up for the principle we ourselves put forward - the responsibility to protect.”
This view was echoed by NDP Vice-Chair Paul Dewar, MP for Ottawa Centre, who further underlined the importance of all-party cooperation in response to the crisis. “Now is the time for action in Darfur. Canadians expect all political parties to work together to prevent another Rwanda from happening. If we do nothing, then we are all complicit in what happens in Darfur and we as a human family will have failed yet again our collective responsibility to protect one another.”
Vivian Barbot, the Bloc Québécois MP for the riding of Papineau, expressed her hope that diplomatic efforts would be able to resolve the crisis peacefully. “The fate of thousands of people and an entire unfortunate population, the future of thousands of children, and finally the future of Darfur itself require that Canada and the international community act tactfully in order to convince the government of Khartoum, the actors in the crisis (including others like China, Russia, and the countries of the Arab League), as well as the rebel groups that did not sign the May 5 peace accord to join in this agreement.”
The members of the Group also stressed the urgent need to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach those in need. “Darfur is an ongoing tragedy,” said Conservative Vice-Chair Dr. James Lunney, MP for Nanaimo-Alberni. “Canada’s contribution has been noted by the international community, but as international aid workers have once again had to flee the Darfur region, we must seek every avenue to protect the population at risk.”
Senator Yoine Goldstein, the Liberal Vice-Chair, expressed his hope that the new Parliamentary Group would also help Canada to address critical situations beyond Darfur as well. “Instances of genocide are increasing exponentially in our troubled world. This Parliamentary Group is a step towards drawing attention to these horrors and mobilizing Canadian opinion about the special role that Canada must play in the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity.”
Background on the All-Party Parliamentary Group
The All-Party Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes Against Humanity was formally created on December 12, 2006, but has been operating on an interim basis since September of this year. It is composed of MPs and Senators from all parties and is completely supported by the contributions of its members.
The Group’s objectives are to ensure that Canada does all that it can to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity; to increase the flow of independent information and analysis that is available to Parliamentarians; to raise awareness on the importance of long-term approaches to genocide prevention; and to engage in collaboration with like-minded bodies in other Parliaments. Its previous activities include co-sponsoring a panel discussion on genocide prevention at Carleton University and hosting an awareness-raising reception at Parliament with Juan Méndez, the Special Advisor on Genocide Prevention to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
The Group is currently chaired by LGen., The Hon. Romeo A. Dallaire, Senator and has one vice-chair from each party. They are: Vivian Barbot, MP (Bloc Québecois); Paul Dewar, MP (NDP); Yoine Goldstein, Senator (Liberal); and Dr. James Lunney, MP (Conservative).
The following is the text of the declaration:
Declaration on the situation in Darfur
The All Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity hereby calls on the Canadian Government to:
1. Actively pursue all diplomatic means to ensure:
- that the Government of Sudan accepts the deployment of a UN intervention force as mandated in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1706 to protect civilians in Darfur;
- that the strengthened international force has the requisite mandate and capacity to provide effective protection to civilians in Darfur and along the Chad-Sudan border.
2. Continue to encourage insurgent groups that did not sign the Peace Accord of May 5, 2006 to do so as suggested by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Sudan.
3. Work through multilateral channels to ensure that the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan is able to travel to and within Darfur as deemed necessary by the UN in order to safely and freely execute his or her mandate.
4. Immediately develop a clear plan of action on how Canada can fulfill its obligations under the principles of Responsibility to Protect and help bring peace and security to the people of Darfur. This plan would include, but not be limited to:
- an increase in Canada’s humanitarian assistance to Darfur,
- an increase in logistical and technical assistance to the AU force,
- pressuring the Government of Sudan to allow aid agencies in Darfur to reach victims of violence, with attention to victims of rape and other forms of sexual and gender based violence.
Furthermore, the All-Party Group encourages the Government of Canada to provide military support to a UN force.
