Health committee  Canada's position at the WTO is supposedly one of neutrality. However, according to Amnesty International, it is more of a blocking position. In actual fact, it does not help the temporary lifting of patents, which is really needed. There needs to be transparency in terms of revenue and other technologies, whether it's vaccines or any other product, to reach as many people as possible.

Health committee  I will hand over to my colleague Colette Lelièvre.

Health committee  This is an argument typical of multinationals and pharmaceutical companies that seek profit at all costs. We don't give much credence to this kind of argument. My colleague Ms. Lelièvre may want to add a comment.

Health committee  We favour the lifting of patents to make the process as fair and transparent as possible for everyone. We want the revenues to be shared so that countries can produce vaccines, where it is possible to do so. In fact, pharmaceutical companies are resisting the pooling of patents and revenues from drugs and vaccines.

Health committee  Indeed, Mr. Thériault, the more vaccines are produced locally, the faster they will be distributed. However, there will still be logistical challenges, particularly for vaccines that require a significant cold chain. For example, in Dakar, Senegal, the distances between regions are great, the roads are complicated, the equipment must be able to keep the vaccines at the right temperature, and so on.

Health committee  The situation...

Health committee  The vaccination situation in the world is totally inequitable. In the more affluent countries, the European countries, Australia, Israel, Canada and the United States, the population is overwhelmingly vaccinated because the vaccines are accessible. The unvaccinated are those who are difficult to reach for all sorts of reasons that other witnesses have already mentioned, or they are people who simply do not want to be vaccinated.

Health committee  What this compromise entails is too great. Indeed, the time frames will be even longer, and the number of countries that could have access to the revenues or technology will be further reduced. This even affects countries that have the potential, such as Kenya and other Asian countries.

Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for inviting us to appear before the committee. The health and lives of Canadians, in the context of a pandemic, depend on the health of all humanity. Amnesty International, as a global human rights organization, has been involved since the earliest moments of the pandemic to call for unwavering international solidarity from all countries, including Canada.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, I can certainly tell you a little more about it. Actually, I will back up my colleague's comments. People are humiliated on a daily basis and the repression is out of proportion to the reality. A huge number of young people, and adults too, find themselves in prison on all kinds of pretexts and the justice they have to face is arbitrary.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Ms. Nivyabandi, do you want to answer that question?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Briefly, I can repeat what my colleague said. Actually, however, the arms being used are contrary to international law. They are prohibited weapons. Shelling close to schools and hospitals must also be avoided, according to the law of war. The invasion of Ukraine itself, under false pretences, is in complete contradiction of international law.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you for the question. We expect Mr. Badawi to be released sometime between today and June. Depending on whether our normal calendar or the Muslim calendar is used, the release date should be either today, February 28, or in June. We are quite sure that he will be released because, in the last 18 months, human rights defenders imprisoned in Saudi Arabia and whose sentences have been served or who are under some arrangement, really have been released.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  First, Canada must speak out loud and clear in support of the Hirak movement in Algeria. Algerians have been bravely fighting for democracy for three years. There have been a lot of imprisonments and long, unjustified sentences. That should be a concern to us, first as a diplomatic issue.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  No, my colleague answered the question well. I will let you ask other questions. Thank you.