The committee has consistently heard that transnational repression is a growing and sophisticated threat, with witnesses across multiple meetings identifying China, Iran, and Russia as primary state perpetrators. A recurring theme is that these regimes target diaspora communities in Canada through coordinated campaigns involving surveillance, digital intimidation, legal harassment, and pressure on family members abroad. Witnesses have described the chilling effect this has on civic participation and free expression, and have repeatedly called for clearer legal definitions of transnational repression, dedicated reporting mechanisms for victims, and stronger enforcement of sanctions and foreign influence transparency laws. Several witnesses have also noted that Canada’s warming diplomatic relations with certain states risk emboldening further repression.

A second major theme has been the deteriorating global environment for human rights defenders and democratic institutions. Witnesses have documented shrinking civic space, the criminalization of advocacy, and the erosion of international protection mechanisms. There is broad agreement that democracy support is underfunded and that Canada should move from short-term project-based funding to predictable, multi-year partnerships. Witnesses have also highlighted the vacuum left by U.S. withdrawal from democracy programming and urged Canada to fill that gap through convening power, rapid response capacities, and support for election monitoring and civil society networks. The committee has heard from a wide range of constituencies, including exiled defenders, women’s rights activists, and organizations working on democratic resilience.

On children’s rights, the committee has heard testimony on three distinct but severe crises. Witnesses described the systematic placement of Tibetan children in Chinese state-run boarding schools, which they characterized as an effort to erase Tibetan identity through forced assimilation, including bans on mother tongue use and religious practice. On Ukraine, witnesses detailed Russia’s abduction, indoctrination, and militarization of children in occupied territories. On Haiti, witnesses reported a dramatic increase in child recruitment by armed gangs and a surge in child trafficking. Across these contexts, witnesses agreed that child protection must be central to security and humanitarian responses, and that funding cuts are reducing the ability of organizations to respond effectively.

On displacement, the committee has heard that conflict and climate change are converging drivers of record levels of internal and cross-border displacement. Witnesses have emphasized that humanitarian aid alone is insufficient and that durable solutions require addressing root causes such as governance fragility, statelessness, and economic exclusion. There has been disagreement on specific issues, notably the role of UNRWA, with some witnesses arguing it perpetuates refugee status and others insisting it is indispensable for life-saving assistance in Gaza. Witnesses have also called for Canada to expand refugee admissions, create mobility pathways for climate-displaced people, and adopt long-term immigration policies that integrate displaced populations into receiving societies.