G21-P027 Reduce Strategic Dependency on Gross and Systematic Human Rights Violators

Submitter Name

Elvin Kao

Ratification Vote Results: Adopted

Proposal

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Canada advocates for the disentanglement of trade with, the reduction of economic dependency from, and the implementation of multilateral restrictive measures against authoritarian states where evidence confirms gross and systematic violations of International Human Rights Law (IHRL).

Objective

To develop Canada’s political leverage and economic independence on our approach to relations with countries that have demonstrated major human rights violations and deep economic ties with Canada.

Benefit

Reduce the effects of coercive diplomacy on Canada, thereby strengthening our ability to safeguard our values on democracy and human rights both at home and abroad.

Supporting Comments from Submitter

China is Canada’s second largest trading partner after the U.S. British think tank Henry Jackson Society warned in a report that members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, U.K., U.S.) were strategically dependent on China in 831 categories of goods, including in critical industries such as communications, energy, transport systems, and information technology. Canada is strategically dependent on China for 367 categories of goods. 83 of these have applications in critical national infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia is Canada's 17th largest trading partner, and is Canada's second largest export market in the Middle East. Originally negotiated in 2014, the Canadian government renegotiated the $14 billion agreement in early 2020 to continue the sale of light-armoured vehicles (LAVs) to Saudi Arabia, citing that cancellation would have meant penalties up to the full value of the agreement, along with thousands of Canadian jobs in southwestern Ontario and across the defense industry supply chain. Both the Auditor General and UN Human Rights Council subsequently found the export of LAVs to Saudi Arabia carries significant human rights concerns.

Rogers, James. Breaking the China supply chain: How the ‘Five Eyes’ can decouple from strategic dependency. Henry Jackson Society, May 2020, henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Breaking-the-China-Chain.pdf 

Chase, Steven. Crown company responsible for Saudi combat vehicle deal failed to screen for human rights risks: Auditor-General. The Globe and Mail, July 8, 2020

Chase, Steven. Canada is fuelling war in Yemen with arms sales, UN report says. The Globe and Mail, September 9, 2020.

Green Value(s)

Participatory Democracy, Social Justice, Respect for Diversity, Non-Violence.

Relation to Existing Policy

Add to current GPC policy.