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CANADA CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON HUMANITARIAN WORKERS

August 12, 2002 (10:20 a.m. EDT) No. 96

CANADA CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON HUMANITARIAN WORKERS

Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Susan Whelan, Minister for International Cooperation, today condemned recent attacks on international and local humanitarian workers in Russia and African countries. They called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and for measures to be put in place to better protect staff delivering assistance in dangerous situations.

The ministers made their comments following the recent death of a Kenyan World Vision International employee in Sudan and the kidnapping of aid workers in Liberia, Russia, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.

"Incidents of attacks on refugee camps and violence against humanitarian workers, who are endeavouring to provide relief and enhance the safety of vulnerable people in conditions of civil strife, must not be tolerated," said Mr. Graham. "Canada condemns these attacks and appeals to national and local authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. State and non-state actors must be held accountable for the protection of aid workers operating in territory under their control."

"Humanitarian workers must be able to carry out their work free from fear and intimidation. This must be clearly confirmed as a fundamental tenet of international behaviour," said Ms. Whelan. "Parties to conflicts worldwide must reinforce the ability of humanitarian workers to have full, safe and unhindered access to affected populations."

Canada also called on governments that have not already done so, to ratify the 1994 United Nations Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel, and to put in place appropriate domestic legislation to hold the perpetrators of such acts accountable, as a signal that the international community will not tolerate violence against humanitarian staff.

Attacks against aid workers--those working for the UN system, the Red Cross Movement and other non-governmental organizations--have increased dramatically over the last 10 years. Canada has been an important advocate for enhancing the safety of aid staff, and has provided political, diplomatic and financial resources toward this end.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Isabelle Savard

Senior Communications Adviser

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Hilary Humphrey

Office of the Minister for International Cooperation