Latest news with #G7RapidResponseMechanism
Epoch Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Canada, Other G7 Nations Condemn Hong Kong Warrants for Overseas Activists
Canada and other G7 countries have issued a joint statement condemning the Hong Kong police for issuing arrest warrants and bounties on democracy activists overseas. Hong Kong law enforcement issued warrants and bounties for 19 individuals living in other countries, including Canada, on July 25. It accused the individuals of planning to undermine Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. Members of the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism, which include Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the European Union, as well as associate members of the G7 RRM, including Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden issued a joint statement on Aug. 8 saying the move targets those 'exercising their freedom of expression.' The G7 RRM was formed in 2018 to 'identify and respond' to foreign threats to democracy, such as 'hostile state activity' that targets democratic institutions or processes, according to Global Affairs Canada. The Hong Kong police's moves target pro-democracy activists, including those in G7 RRM countries. 'This form of transnational repression undermines national security, state sovereignty, human rights, and the safety of communities,' the joint statement said. It added that the G7 RRM members were committed to strengthening efforts to safeguard sovereignty, keep communities safe, and defend individuals from 'the overreach of governments trying to silence, intimidate, harass, harm or coerce them within our borders.' 'We encourage individuals to report suspicious activities and any incidents of intimidation, harassment, coercion, or threats to their law enforcement authorities in accordance with domestic laws and regulations,' the joint statement said. The countries' said the G7 RRM and 'likeminded global partners' stood together in 'countering these ongoing malign activities.' G7 nations also issued a joint statement in June at the conclusion of their summit in Canada condemning transnational repressions. 'We, the Leaders of the G7, are deeply concerned by growing reports of transnational repression (TNR). TNR is an aggressive form of foreign interference whereby states or their proxies attempt to intimidate, harass, harm or coerce individuals or communities outside their borders,' the statement said. Ministers Condemn Hong Kong Police's Announcement The Aug. 8 joint statement comes about two weeks after Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree spoke out against the Hong Kong police's decision, calling it an attempt for Hong Kong 'to conduct transnational repression abroad.' Hong Kong law enforcement issued the bounties and warrants for 19 pro-democracy activists, including some who live in Canada. It said the warrants were issued for 'suspected contravention' of its national security law for promoting self-determination in the city. Canadian Victor Ho is one of the activists on the warrant list, and already faces a warrant from a December 2024 announcement by Hong Kong with a HK$1 million reward for his arrest. Three other Canadian residents are on the list, including Vancouver-based activist Keung Ka-wai. Anand and Anandasangaree said that Canada stands in solidarity with other 'international partners' who have citizens or residents that were also targeted by the Hong Kong law enforcement decision. 'Canada reiterates its previous calls to repeal this law, which violates Hong Kong's international human rights obligations, and withdraw all related warrants and bounties,' the ministers said in a joint statement.
News18
17-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
India, Canada Agree To Restore Diplomatic Presence After PM Modi-Carney Meeting At G7
Last Updated: The decision was announced after a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. India and Canada have agreed to restore full diplomatic ties and appoint new high commissioners, marking a significant thaw in strained relations following months of tension. The decision was announced after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. As per Canadian Prime Minister's Office, both leaders agreed to normalize diplomatic services for citizens in both countries and move forward with new appointments to key diplomatic positions which remained vacant since the tit-for-tat expulsions last year. In 2023, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials after its law enforcement agencies linked Indian government agents to the murder of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. In retaliation, India expelled Canada's acting high commissioner and five other diplomats. The diplomatic rift, the worst in India-Canada relations in decades, has since stalled high-level engagement. During their meeting, PM Modi called the interaction with Mark Carney 'excellent," emphasizing that 'India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy, freedom and rule of law." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, 'PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship." Mark Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister in April, welcomed PM Modi to the G7 by calling it 'a great honour" and described India's participation as a testament to its global relevance. 'It's a testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership, and to the importance of the issues that we look to tackle together- from energy security and AI to the fight against transnational repression and terrorism," Mark Carney said. The G7 nations, in a joint communique issued as the summit closed, expressed 'deep concern" about rising instances of transnational repression- defined as acts by foreign states to intimidate or harm individuals beyond their borders. The statement explicitly condemned such behavior and pledged to develop new frameworks to detect, report and counter these activities through the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism. First Published:
Cision Canada
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
G7 Leaders' Statement on Transnational Repression Français
, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - We, the Leaders of the G7, are deeply concerned by growing reports of transnational repression (TNR). TNR is an aggressive form of foreign interference whereby states or their proxies attempt to intimidate, harass, harm or coerce individuals or communities outside their borders. TNR undermines national security, state sovereignty, the safety and human rights of victims, and principles of international law. It has a chilling effect in our countries. TNR often impacts dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders, religious minorities, and those identified as part of diaspora communities. We condemn all acts of TNR including but not limited to those involving: Threats or acts of physical violence such as harassment, assault, abduction or assassination; Misuse of cooperation with other foreign states, international bodies and intergovernmental organizations, in order to detain, forcibly return, or repress targets, such as leveraging extraterritorial law application and counterterrorism and investigative tools; Forced return by confiscating passports, invalidating documents, or denying consular services; Digital transnational repression, such as doxing and sexualized smear campaigns particularly targeting women, to induce compliance, silence, threaten, discredit, or retaliate; Misuse of spyware and cyber tools to engage in surveillance, and to enable physical targeting and tracking, hacking, or cyber harassment; and Direct or implicit threats against family members. We also remain seized of threats by foreign states and their proxies to our citizens outside our borders, such as arbitrary detention. We recognize the important role played by all partners, including civil society, academia and the private sector, in countering this threat. We welcome the recommendations for action emanating from the G7 multistakeholder Dialogue on Transnational Repression, hosted in Ottawa in February 2025, to develop concrete strategies for protecting those who are targeted. Building on the 2018 Charlevoix commitment on defending democracy from foreign threats, and these recommendations, we, the Leaders of the G7, commit to foster a common understanding of TNR, raise awareness, and promote accountability to increase the costs for those who engage in acts of TNR. As part of these efforts, we intend to: Build global understanding of the threat and its corrosive impact, including on human rights and democracy; this includes reporting on TNR as an important vector of foreign interference in G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) public reports, and strengthening engagement with likeminded partners and engaging more broadly in relevant multilateral fora. Develop a TNR Resilience and Response Framework that includes: measures to boost G7 cooperation to counter TNR; a compendium of operational, diplomatic, policy, legislative, and community engagement best practices; and information sharing around the latest techniques, trends and vectors of TNR observed globally, drawing on wider initiatives such as the Pall Mall process related to cyber intrusion capabilities. Launch a Digital TNR Detection Academy through the G7 RRM to build collective capacity to detect TNR online; the Academy will provide G7 and partners with the technical skills and tools for identifying and responding to the latest technology-enabled threats. Support those who may be targets of TNR as well as members of civil society who are actively working to counter the threat, including through initiatives like the Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund, and by acting in solidarity with other states affected by TNR. We will redouble our efforts to keep our communities safe, to defend human rights, including the freedom of expression online and offline, and to safeguard our sovereignty.
