PROMOTING A CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP, RESPECT AND HONOUR The Canadian Armed Forces is fully committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. In addition to a range of gender, diversity and inclusion initiatives and the Total Health and Wellness Strategy, we will continue to fully implement the recommendations of the Deschamps Report on sexual misconduct in the military, in addition to continuing defence ethics and leadership programs, and other initiatives related to inclusivity, diversity and respect. The progress achieved to date in meeting the recommendations of the Deschamps Report is a clear demonstration of the Canadian Armed Forces’ commitment to eliminating and preventing harmful and inappropriate sexual behaviour and sexual offences within our ranks. ENHANCED INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF SEXUAL OFFENCES The Canadian Armed Forces is committed to improving the way it investigates and prosecutes sexual offences and has implemented a number of initiatives towards this end, including: • the creation of Military Police Sexual Offence Response Teams. Members of these teams receive specialized training in investigating crimes of a sexual nature including the latest forensic and interviewing techniques; This began with the unequivocal acknowledgement by senior military leadership that inappropriate sexual behaviour is a serious and unacceptable problem that exists in the Canadian Armed Forces. This policy affirms our commitment to work towards solutions that result in positive and enduring culture change. Positive culture change requires a commitment to promoting the respect of all members as equal contributors to the Canadian Armed Forces community. Until this culture change is fully realized, the first priority will remain on taking better care of victims and survivors with responsive, individualized support. The Sexual Misconduct Response Centre has been established as the firstever dedicated independent support centre for Canadian Armed Forces members and provides victims with options to reach out for information and support in a confidential manner. Resources across the Canadian Armed Forces – from health services, to chaplains, to the Ombudsman and senior leadership, as well as military police and the military justice system – have also been enhanced and more improvements are forthcoming. To ensure that results are achieved, monitoring and measuring mechanisms have been put in place. The Defence team is providing regular updates on its progress in addressing this important issue. Adjustments will be made as necessary to ensure that a positive culture change is achieved. • broader training to Military Police to help meet the needs of victims and survivors while also collecting the necessary evidence; • measures to ensure that sensitive information collected during investigations is protected from unnecessary disclosure so that victims and survivors have the confidence to come forward; • new direction from the Director of Military Prosecutions to military prosecutors to help minimize the trauma to victims and survivors during court proceedings and to ensure they are treated with the appropriate sensitivity; and • ongoing training for military prosecutors to enhance the prosecution of sexual offences in line with leading best practices. The Canadian Armed Forces is committed to effectively investigating and prosecuting these serious crimes and will continue to explore further initiatives to enhance its ability to support victims and survivors and bring perpetrators to justice. 27