NDP Statement on the Upcoming G20 Meeting in Saudi Arabia

NDP Foreign Affairs Critic, Guy Caron, made the following statement:

"The G20 summit just concluded, but attention is already turning to the next meeting, expected to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The many suspicions surrounding the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the role of the Saudi regime in the conflict in Yemen, and the human rights situation in the country should, according to UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, call into question the Canadian Prime Minister's presence at the 2020 summit.

When the Liberal government was elected in 2015, it promised the return of Canadian leadership on the international stage. Yet, more than eight months after committing to review arms export permits to Saudi Arabia, the government is still unable to give a timetable. In the meantime, Canadian weapons are fuelling the crisis in Yemen.

It must be said that the Liberals are not doing much better than the Conservatives before them. The atrocities committed by the Saudi regime are not consistent with Canadian values. Canada should not take part in the upcoming G20 summit in Riyadh. The Canadian government must stand up and reclaim its international leader status."