NEWS RELEASES
AXWORTHY ADDRESSES UNITED NATIONS
September 24, 1996 No. 172
AXWORTHY ADDRESSES UNITED NATIONS
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today delivered Canada's address to the
51st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. In his
speech, the Minister identified two major challenges facing the UN: the new and
complex global agenda and the renewal of the organization to respond effectively
to this agenda.
Minister Axworthy called on the member states of the UN to commit themselves to
collectively work together in support of the UN and in support of advancing the
key objective of "sustainable human security," both in the context of addressing
more traditional military threats to peace and security and in response to new
threats.
The Minister highlighted the importance of UN member states adapting to the
changing needs of peacekeeping and peacebuilding with innovative approaches, such
as the Canadian-led promotion of a UN rapid response capability, and other actions
including preventive diplomacy, post-conflict reconstruction, and democratic
institution-building. To assist these objectives, he announced that Canada will
offer a roster of human rights experts available for rapid deployment as part of
larger peacebuilding operations or for specialized human rights tasks.
He stressed the need to move forward in certain key areas such as disarmament, and
noted that Canada had just signed today the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and was
pushing for international support to ban anti-personnel land mines.
Among newer but equally deadly threats to sustainable human security, the Minister
emphasized such issues as environmental degradation, terrorism, international
crime and the growing gap between rich and poor. He argued that the road map is
clear: now is the time for action.
Referring to the fact that 1998 will mark the 50th anniversary of the UN Universal
Declaration on Human Rights, Minister Axworthy pointed to the need for better
international co-operation on human rights to advance sustainable human security,
and singled out the plight of the world's children as a priority area for Canada.
He called for greater co-ordination between the International Labour Organization
and the World Trade Organization as a new approach in dealing with trade and
labour standards.
Canada will also focus on co-operation to combat hate propaganda, in part through
the use of new information technologies. He also called on the international
community to help restore and sustain democracy around the world, citing Nigeria,
Burundi, Haiti, and Burma in particular.
Finally, the Minister addressed the difficult but critical questions of UN
financing and institutional reform, including the Security Council and the General
Assembly.
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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
This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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