It was agreed, — That the subcommittee hold one meeting to study the use of VenApp by the Maduro regime to target civil society in Venezuela, following the fraudulent presidential elections of July 28, 2024, peaceful demonstrations were met with repression and surveillance, and now Maduro’s government has repurposed a government application designed to report public service failures, to instead persecute dissidents, that the subcommittee hear from witnesses, including human rights defenders, civil society advocates and any relevant technology companies.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), and given that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee estimates that the number of forcibly displaced persons around the globe has doubled from 51.2 million persons in 2013 to 108.4 million persons in 2023, the subcommittee undertake a comprehensive study on the patterns of forced migration in different regions of the world, the impact of such migration inflows on pivotal regional states, the international community’s response to such a sharp rise in displaced persons, as well as examine practices, including innovative approaches, adopted for intake by a network of refugee resettlement centres around the world; that the subcommittee hold at least four (4) meetings on the subject; that the findings be reported to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the subcommittee undertake a study examining implementation of the recommendations contained in its 2010 report Canada’s Universal Periodic Review and Beyond – Upholding Canada’s International Reputation as a Global Leader in the Field of Human Rights; that the subcommittee dedicate 90 minutes to this study; that officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage be called to appear; that the subcommittee invite to appear any other witnesses it deems relevant; and that the subcommittee issue a press release following the study.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the subcommittee hold two meetings of hearings with experts to speak to the issue of “transnational repression in developing democracies,” where authoritarian states employ a toolbox of diverse and aggressive tactics abroad to control their citizens, or non-citizens, to silence dissent among diasporas and exiles.

At 4:23 p.m., Hon. Mike Lake took the Chair.