(OTTAWA) Justice Minister David Lametti admitted Wednesday that his government still hasn’t figured out how to solve a legal problem, which other countries solved months ago, to allow Canadian humanitarian organizations to helping Afghans on the ground.
Posted at 6:10 p.m.
Even though it is now known that Ottawa has had regular talks with the Taliban regime, the Liberals cannot explain why Canadian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) still cannot provide desperately needed aid to Afghans.
“It’s a complex issue and we are looking for solutions,” Minister Lametti told the Senate on Wednesday.
NGOs say they are unable to provide aid to people in need in Afghanistan because they could face reprisals because of anti-terrorism laws in Canada, which consider the Taliban a terrorist entity.
They had explained to MPs last spring that according to Global Affairs Canada, they could not pay a driver in Afghanistan to deliver food or medical supplies, because this salary would contribute to the payment of taxes to the Taliban.
These MPs were members of a Commons committee examining Canada’s response to the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Last June, the committee recommended that the government change the law to allow NGOs to help Afghans on the ground without being prosecuted for “helping a terrorist organization”.
Months later, the law has still not been changed. Opposition parties and humanitarian groups accuse Ottawa of dragging its feet on this file, since Canada’s allies already found exemptions months ago.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Federal Justice Minister David Lametti
Minister Lametti said Tuesday in an interview that his government was “sensitive” to this “complex issue”, but he admitted that the various ministries in the file had not been able to find a solution.
“Amendments to the Criminal Code are one of the options considered, but not the only one, and we will do our best to find the right solution. The minister added that it was important that the solution chosen by the government not lead to adverse effects, without giving examples.
Senator Ratna Omidvar said Wednesday that the situation in Afghanistan was more than urgent and that Ottawa should have already found ways to offer some sort of exemption for humanitarian aid. “I don’t care how they solve the problem. I don’t care if it’s an exemption from prosecution or a change to the terrorism court — I just want them to fix it. »
She also wonders if the government is really seized with the problem, as he said, since it is still juggling various options months after this issue was first revealed. “To think about it is not to seize on it,” she declared, adding that Canadian NGOs “have their hands tied”.
Lametti in the Senate
Mme Omidvar pressed Minister Lametti on the issue in the Upper House on Wednesday, asking for a specific timeline. Instead, the Minister of Justice reiterated that this was a serious matter.
“Obviously, I can’t take the lead in the process as it moves forward, given the way our Parliament works,” he said. We’re looking at all the options, and I can’t say more. »
In late August, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said that more than half of Afghanistan’s population — some 24 million people — needed assistance and that nearly 19 million people were facing acute levels of food insecurity.
Charity ‘Street Child’ says child labor has tripled in Afghanistan as the country grapples with drought, economic turmoil and high oil prices — and officials expect the situation to be even worse as winter sets in.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the Liberals will soon have something for non-governmental organizations. “We need to make sure the money can get to NGOs, so we will be coming up with solutions on that very soon […] to find ways to help Afghans suffering from the Taliban regime,” she said in an interview on Wednesday.
Mme Joly also confirmed a media report that Canada had regular talks with the Taliban just weeks after they took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
The Taliban, which Canada considers a terrorist organization, have had recurring discussions with Western officials at meetings in Doha, Qatar.
“We have no intention of recognizing the Taliban regime, and so what we’re doing in Doha is really making sure that we advance the issues that matter to Canadians, and that includes girls and education,” said M.me Pretty.
She did not comment on the possibility of Canada joining with allies to open a “multi-country” representative office, a solution some experts have proposed instead of an official embassy, to monitor the situation of human rights in this country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that the Doha talks were aimed at strengthening human rights in Afghanistan and helping Afghans who want to leave the country. “Unfortunately, we have to have implications with these people,” he said.