27/06/2024 | 12:22:44 Honourable colleagues, Canada is home to the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world. Indeed, almost one in every 24 Canadians, close to 4% of the Canadian population, is of Ukrainian origin. That’s why, when the Putin regime launched its barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, displacing millions of Ukrainians from their homes, we felt a particular sting. As the former speaker of the Senate of Canada said weeks after the invasion: “For Canadians, Ukraine is... 26/06/2024 | 20:12:56 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues: Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important reflection that will, hopefully, lead to the creation of the new proposed conflict resolution mechanism. As I read the report, several examples of reparation and reconciliation processes cited by Lord Keen had the effect of a mirror, reflecting back to me the image of the ongoing reconciliation process between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada... 26/06/2024 | 12:21:09 Honourable colleagues, The three reports under consideration in today’s joint debate cover a wide range of vital, overlapping issues related to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. As much as I’d like to speak to all three, with my limited time today, I’ll focus on some of the legal and human rights aspects raised by Rapporteur Mr Davor Ivo STIER. More specifically, I’ll focus on the unlawful transfer or deportation of Ukrainian children. According to Ukraine’s Children of War platform... 25/06/2024 | 20:09:44 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Dear colleagues, I would like first to thank the rapporteur for this very comprehensive report. With it, she sheds light on issues that are often overlooked: violence against human rights defenders, and more specifically against women who take a stand and defend human rights around the world. Yet, as she notes, those women “play a crucial role, which should be widely recognised.” The United Nations reports that, “Although restrictions of... 19/04/2024 | 11:13:52 Honourable colleagues, Online activities are borderless, and the resolution in Mr Joseph O'REILLY's report rightly insists on the importance of international and cross-border co-operation in protecting children from online violence. This is a challenge for all of us, and particularly for investigators and prosecutors. From that premise, I would like to offer a Canadian perspective. In Canada, criminal law prohibits all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation and makes it illegal to possess... 28/09/2021 | 19:41:39 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Honourable colleagues, Mr. President. As some of you are surely aware, in Canada last week, we held our 44th federal election. What many of you likely don’t know, however, is that 43% of the candidates were female or gender diverse – an all-time high in Canada and a small increase from the 2019 federal election campaign. This is progress. As recently as 1970, a woman held only one of the then 264 seats in Canada’s House of Commons. That a... 30/01/2020 | 17:45:46 Thank you Mr Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion. I'll focus my comments particularly on human trafficking as a significant global problem that affects all countries: developed, developing, rich, and poor. Indeed, all countries represented here today, including Canada, are countries of origin, transit or destination for trafficking in human beings. Conservative estimates indicate that more than 25 million people worldwide are currently exploited by... 28/01/2020 | 18:42:25 Mister Chair, Dear colleagues, Thank you for the opportunity to join in this very important discussion. I would like to begin by acknowledging the very important work of the Council of Europe and its partner organizations on the topic of freedom of the media and protection of journalists. This is crucial work, for all democratic countries. On behalf of Canadians, I wish to express my condolences to the families of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, and Jamal...