Thursday, May 31, 2007

As a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Charlottetown Senator Percy Downe participated in a study examining the unprecedented evacuation of over 14,000 Canadians from Lebanon in July 2006.

“This evacuation was a massive undertaking by the Government of Canada. It involved the coordination of multiple departments, the mobilization of extensive logistical resources, and the cooperation of various regional and international allies,” said Downe.

The purpose of the Senate Committee’s review was to prepare a report that would examine in depth the adequacy of contingency planning by various government departments; the effectiveness of operational and communication strategies; and the challenges of locating, protecting, and extracting Canadians who find themselves in sensitive areas.

In conducting their review, the Committee heard from many witnesses, including Peter MacKay Minister of Foreign Affairs, officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of National Defence, Citizenship and Immigration and Canadian journalists who reported on the crisis.

“The Committee concluded that public servants and members of the Canadian military involved in the evacuation performed their responsibilities diligently under extremely difficult circumstances,” continued Downe.

The Committee’s report includes a number of recommendations in areas of preparation, resource allocation, and organization. These proposals will assist relevant government departments as they consider implementing more effective evacuation plans.

Senator Downe supports the Committee’s findings including “that in undertaking large scale evacuations, the Department of National Defence should coordinate and lead the government’s evacuation efforts.”

“The issues highlighted in the Committee’s report are of vital importance to ensuring the future safety of Canadians abroad, particularly for those citizens traveling in regions vulnerable to instability,” concluded Downe.