NEWS RELEASES
AXWORTHY TO ATTEND FOLLOW-UP TO PEACEMAKERS' SUMMIT IN LUXEMBOURG AND COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP IN LONDON
April 17, 1996 No. 71
AXWORTHY TO ATTEND FOLLOW-UP TO PEACEMAKERS' SUMMIT
IN LUXEMBOURG AND COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION
GROUP IN LONDON
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced that he will attend a
follow-up meeting to the Summit of the Peacemakers in Luxembourg on April 22. He
also announced that he and Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) Christine
Stewart will participate in the second meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial
Action Group (CMAG) on the Harare Declaration of 1991 in London on April 23 and
24.
The Luxembourg meeting will bring together representatives of the parties that
attended the Sharm el Sheik Summit in March 1996 to pursue the objectives set out
at the Summit.
"Canada is proud to be contributing to this international effort to advance the
Middle East peace process," said Mr. Axworthy. "The Luxembourg meeting is an
important step in restoring confidence in this process."
Mr. Axworthy will be joined by Secretary of State Stewart at the Commonwealth
meeting in London. Mrs. Stewart participated in the first CMAG meeting in
December 1995, following its creation through a Canadian diplomatic initiative by
Prime Minister Chrétien at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in
Auckland, New Zealand, in November 1995. The first CMAG meeting dealt with
serious and persistent violations of the principles contained in the Harare
Declaration and focussed on restoring democracy in the military regimes of
Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Gambia.
"I look forward to working closely with my counterparts from the seven other
Commonwealth countries that form the CMAG," said Mr. Axworthy. "The Action Group
offers a dynamic forum to discuss violations of democracy within the Commonwealth,
and particularly in Nigeria where the situation has deteriorated since the
execution of human rights activists last November. Clearly, as Canadians, we
cannot accept the current violations taking place in Nigeria without pressing,
through the CMAG, for new and stronger measures."
CMAG is a foreign ministers' action group with representatives from Canada, New
Zealand, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Malaysia, Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The Group's purpose is to recommend collective Commonwealth responses to flagrant
or persistent violations of the principles contained in the Harare Declaration.
"The Commonwealth has been effective in helping to begin the process of restoring
democracy in Sierra Leone and the Gambia," said Secretary of State Stewart. "I am
confident the Commonwealth can help achieve similar results in Nigeria."
Mr. Axworthy also plans to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts while in
London.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Lappe
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
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