Recommendation #1

The people of South Sudan have voted overwhelmingly for independence. With the Comprehensive Peace Agreement coming to an end and South Sudan getting ready to announce independence in July, there is still much work to be done. In order to avoid future conflicts, the Canadian government needs to focus on facilitating a dialogue between both parties in order to resolve the following outstanding issues (among others):

1. Border demarcation
2. Nationality and citizenship
3. Oil revenue sharing
4. The future of oil rich Abyei
5. Sudan’s external debts

Recommendation #2:

In December 2010, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) issued a report on the referendum in Sudan, wherein one of the key recommendations reads:

Canada should send a high-level delegation that includes Ministers and parliamentarians to both North and South Sudan immediately following the referendum in order to communicate its continuing interest in a peaceful future for the Sudanese people, including in Darfur. The delegation should assess, with civil society, needs on the ground and establish with governments the most effective types of assistance Canada can contribute toward optimal outcomes.

Because this recommendation was arrived through a bipartisan committee process and to signal Sudan Canada’s continuing commitment in the region, STAND calls for the government to implement this recommendation as soon as the official referendum results have been announced in South Sudan.

Recommendation #3

In order to effectively prevent, monitor and address grave human rights abuses and mass atrocities, the Government of Canada should create a Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity which should be attached to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. This would allow parliament to conduct:
• MONITORING: keep MPs informed about the onset of genocide and crimes against humanity, including the identifiable stages of these crimes
• PREVENTION: become proactive in its response to such crises, allowing MPs to act early and utilize a wider set of policy mechanisms
• COORDINATION: centralize Canada’s institutional approach to the issue of mass atrocities by giving one central committee the mandate to comprehensively monitor, study and recommend courses of actions.

Recommendation #4

Civil society participation in the Darfur peace process is essential if a sustainable peace is to occur. The inclusion of Darfur civil society in the Doha peace consultations will give the process the legitimacy it requires but it continuous to be fraught with difficulty. Canada has extensive experience in including civil society in public consultations and therefore should call on:
1. The fair representation of Darfuri civil society.
2. The lifting of security measures and restrictions on civil society members that hamper their
participation in the consultations.
3. UNAMID (United Nations African Mission in Darfur) to help organize civil society members and
facilitate their participation in the civil society consultations in Darfur and Doha.