transactions regarding a diplomatic or consular mission or an international organisation enjoying immunities in accordance with international law, insofar as such transactions are intended to be used for official purposes of the diplomatic or consular mission or international organisation.

In communicating with the Government, the diplomatic missions and other consular posts, wherever situated, of the sending State, the consular post may employ all appropriate means, including diplomatic or consular bags and messages in code or cipher.

(Return tabled) Question No. 4 Hon. Irwin Cotler: With regard to international treaties and conventions dealing in whole or in part with human rights and with Canada’s international obligations in this regard: (a) does the government have any formal or informal procedures for regular review of those international human rights treaties that Canada has not yet signed, ratified, or otherwise accepted; (b) does the government have any formal or informal guidelines according to which it determines whether the specific obligations contained in a treaty or othe ...[+++]r international undertaking conflicts with the Constitution Act, 1867, and if so where can these guidelines be accessed; (c) do the guidelines referred to in (b) specify the standard according to which the government determines if any obligation contained in a treaty or other international undertaking violates any section of the Constitution Act, 1867; (d) has the government engaged in any review of its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD); (e) does the government have any formal or informal guidelines according to which it determines whether the specific obligations contained in a treaty or other international undertaking require implementing legislation in order for Canada to be able to ratify or otherwise accept it, and if so where can these guidelines be accessed; (f) does the government have a position as to whether international agreements that establish a complaints mechanism or communications procedure for enforcement of the rights and obligations contained therein are necessarily unconstitutional; (g) does the government have a policy as to whether Canada will accept such agreements referred to in (f); (h) does the government undergo review of proposed international human rights agreements that would establish such a mechanism or procedure referred to in (f) on a case by case basis, (i) who is involved in this review, (ii) are the provinces and other inte ...

(Return tabled) Question No. 440 Hon. Marlene Jennings: With regard to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: (a) how much money has the department spent for each of the last ten fiscal years, including the current one, in pursuing free trade agreements between Canada and foreign entities organized as (i) a dollar figure by the country or multilateral organization with which the free trade agreement was being negotiated, (ii) a percentage of the department’s total operating budget organized by the country or multilateral organization with which the free trade agreement was being negotiated; and (b) how much money has the department spent for each of the last ten fiscal years, including the current one, on ...[+++]consular affairs organized as (i) a dollar figure by diplomatic or consular mission, (ii) a percentage of the department’s total budget organized by diplomatic or consular mission?

It recalls the special duty of states under the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations to protect diplomatic agents and the premises of diplomatic and consular missions.

The Common Position adopted today amends its 16 April 1999 Common Position on Libya (which suspended the sanctions imposed in 1992-1993 after the Lockerbie bombing), by equally lifting the sanctions decided in 1986 in reaction to Libyan support to terrorism: restrictions on the freedom of movement of diplomatic and consular personnel, reduction of the staff of diplomatic and consular missions and stricter visa requirements and procedures - the arms embargo however will remain in place.