Today on International Human Rights Day civil society groups have joined together in an open letter calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to put Canada back in the global effort to end torture and ill-treatment around the world.

On the day that marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention against TortureCanada should take the final step and ratify the instrument that establishes national and international systems for inspecting detention centres. In 2006 and 2009 Canada told the UN Human Rights Council that it would consider ratifying this Optional Protocol that was adopted by the UN in 2002.

The organizations that signed the open letter are united in calling for Canada to take this step without delay.

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Thank you to everyone who were able to attend the conference, it was a huge success and attracted a lot of attention in the media!

If you were unable to attend, you can watch the whole conference panel per panel below. And listen to the audio podcasts here.

This conference was presented in collaboration with Amnesty International, and the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, and the Centre for International Policy Studies of the University of Ottawa.

Welcome, Opening remarks and Retrospective of the past decade

Allan Rock, President, University of Ottawa

Roch Tassé, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

Alex Neve, Amnesty International Canada

Panel 1 – The people and lives behind the issues

Abdullah Almalki, Torture Survivor

Paul Champ, Counsel to Abousfian Abdelrazik and Benamar Benatta

Dennis Edney, Counsel to Omar Khadr

Sophie Harkat, Spouse of Subject of Immigration Security Certificate

Panel 2 – Perspectives from the media

Jeff Sallot, Journalist and Author

Jacques Bourbeau, Ottawa Bureau Chief for Global News

Brigitte Bureau,  Investigative reporter with French CBC

Keynot Panel – Judicial Reflections on National Security and Human Rights

The Honourable Frank Iacobucci, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Commissioner of the Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin

The Honourable John Major, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Commissioner of the Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182

The Honourable Dennis O’Connor, former Justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal Commissioner of the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar

Panel 3 – Lawyering for human rights in a national security context

Paul Cavalluzzo, Barrister & Solicitor and Special Advocate

Marlys Edwardh, Barrister & Solicitor

Barbara Jackman, Barrister & Solicitor

Phil Tunley, Barrister & Solicitor

Panel 4 – A view from community level

Sheema Khan, Author, Columnist and Community Activist

Ihsaan Gardee, National Council of Canadian Muslims

Khalid Elgazzar, Barrister and Solicitor

Panel 5 – Oversight and Review

Gar Pardy, Retired Canadian Diplomat

Craig Forcese, Associate Professor of Law, University of Ottawa

Wrap-up & Closing words

Jeff Sallott

Monia Mazigh, Author and Human Rights Activist

The video is finally here!

Featuring:

Farea Al-Muslimi

The Yemeni activist who delivered a powerful testimony in a congressional hearing on American drone strikes in Yemen and basically made Obama admit to the use of drones.

Alex Neve

Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada. Amnesty released a report on the use of drones in Pakistan and the status of U.S. drone strikes under international law.

John Packer

Constitutions and Process Design Expert, Policy and Mediation Division, Department of Political Affairs, United Nations. He was then advising the political transition in Yemen.