Canada Hosts Five Country Ministerial Meeting and Quintet of Attorneys General

June 28, 2017
Ottawa, Ontario
Public Safety Canada

The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship hosted meetings on June 26-27 in Ottawa with their counterparts and representatives from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States during the Five Country Ministerial Meeting and Quintet of Attorneys General.

These annual meetings provide a forum to share experiences and best practices as well take concrete steps to address issues and challenges from within our jurisdictions, and enhance cooperation with our international partners on migration, countering terrorism and cyber threats to Canada and the world.

This year’s meetings began with the Five Country Ministerial meeting where the Ministers built on the strong cooperation with international partners to enhance safety and security and exchanged views concerning countering violent extremism, refugee screening, migration and other border issues.

Following those discussions, a joint session was held bringing together Ministers responsible for public safety, immigration and attorneys general to discuss shared security priorities such as information sharing, human trafficking, and cybersecurity. Ministers Goodale, Wilson-Raybould and Hussen highlighted Canada’s efforts to counter terrorism and keep citizens safe and secure, including the recently proposed National Security Act, 2017. The Government of Canada’s recent package of proposed measures to bolster rights and security in a comprehensive proposed legislation represents an extensive and much-needed improvement to Canada’s national security framework.

Lastly, the Quintet meeting of attorneys general focused on issues that included the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the criminal justice system, trans-border issues related to protecting safety, rights and freedoms, and improving international cooperation. Hosting the Quintet meeting in the nation’s capital provided Canada with the opportunity to showcase the work that is being done to transform our criminal justice system to better focus on safety for Canadians and compassion for victims.

The Government of Canada continues to work to strengthen Canada’s national security and safeguard Canadians’ rights and freedoms.

Quotes

“Cooperation and dialogue with our allies is essential to addressing common national security concerns, including violent extremism, border security and cyber security. I’m grateful for our productive discussions at this Five Country Ministerial meeting. The Government of Canada continues to work with our international partners to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and the world we live in, while safeguarding our rights and values.”

– Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“I was pleased to welcome some of our closest allies and international partners to our nation’s capital.  We had insightful and fruitful discussions regarding our respective justice systems and the legal challenges that we face in our countries. We engaged on a range of issues such as information-sharing, national security and cybercrime, and the over-representation of Indigenous Peoples in the criminal justice system. I look forward to continuing our work and following up on some of our discussions.”

– Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

“I was very pleased to meet with my colleagues at the Five Country Ministerial. It was an opportunity to share Canada’s success in resettling over 40,000 Syrian refugees since Operation Syrian Refugees began in November 2015, as well as some of our lessons learned. I look forward to further collaboration with our close partners on global refugee and migration issues, as we continue to keep the safety and security of Canadians front and center, while contributing to a diverse, inclusive and prosperous Canada.”

– Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick Facts

• The first Five Country Ministerial Meeting was held in 2013. These meetings provide an important opportunity for the five countries to discuss common areas of interest, including security.
• The Quintet of Attorneys General has been meeting annually since 2009 to discuss legal and justice system issues. The Quintet last met in Canada in 2012.

Associated Links

• Five Country Ministerial Joint Communiqué
• Our Security, Our Rights
• Canadian Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence
• Cyber Review Consultations Report

Contacts

Scott Bardsley
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-998-5681

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
media@ps-sp.gc.ca

Kathleen Davis
Communications and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613-992-4621

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca

Bernie Derible
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

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