SPEECHES
January 6, 2005
JAKARTA, Indonesia
2005/1
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NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY
THE HONOURABLE PIERRE PETTIGREW,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
AT THE SPECIAL
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)
LEADERS’ MEETING
ON THE AFTERMATH OF THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI
On behalf of Prime Minister Paul Martin and the people of Canada, and along with my
colleague the Minister for International Cooperation Aileen Carroll, allow me to express
our most profound condolences to all nations, communities, families and individuals
affected by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
I would also like to express Canada’s appreciation to the Government of Indonesia for
hosting this meeting—particularly in view of the heavy burden already on your
shoulders in terms of disaster response within your own country.
It has become commonplace to say that we live in an increasingly interconnected world.
But rarely have we witnessed an event that more vividly demonstrates this reality than
the one that occurred on December 26, 2004.
The loss of life and destruction suffered by so many is so vast it is almost impossible to
comprehend. Canadians grieve for those who have perished and those still
missing—our own citizens, as well as the tens of thousands of people affected by this
disaster. They are linked to all of us through the human bonds of family and community.
As the initial shock subsides, it is incumbent upon all of us to ensure a timely, flexible,
coordinated and ultimately effective global response to this global tragedy. Canada
stands ready to do its part to ensure this aspiration is met.
The immediate humanitarian requirements are immense; the longer-term impact and
reconstruction needs have yet to be determined, but it is clear that a sustained effort
and the steadfast engagement of the international community will be required for some
time.
Governments, civil society, private sectors and armed forces have all collaborated to
meet the urgent needs of those affected by this crisis. As we move forward, we must
continue to ensure that our responses remain demand-driven and not donor driven—no
matter how well meaning.
In this regard, Canada fully supports the United Nations as the premier organization to
coordinate the international response to this crisis, and is working with other countries
in support of the UN’s role. We will support this UN Flash Appeal and the consolidated
appeal that will follow in Geneva.
The UN, in partnership with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
and well-established non-governmental organizations, has both the mandate and the
expertise to ensure an effective and needs-based response to this dramatic crisis.
Our response must also emphasize building domestic capacities to prepare and
mitigate such crises in the future.
Partnership with the affected nations is also essential. We appreciate the spirit of
collaboration that has directed the relief efforts to date. We also believe that the crisis
has presented an important opportunity for building relationships and solidarity among
communities that should be supported.
We must live up to the challenge of meeting the critical needs of affected populations,
and must do it fast enough to make a real difference in their lives.
Let me share with you the highlights of what the Government of Canada has
undertaken in this regard:
• First, Prime Minister Paul Martin announced on January 2 that Canada was
raising its contribution for immediate relief and recovery efforts to C$80 million
(US$67 million).
• Canadian citizens are also contributing extremely generously to the work of relief
agencies. In order to further support this expression of solidarity, our government
will match private donations from Canadians.
• As an additional way of making funds available to address the crisis in the
region, Canada will put an immediate debt moratorium in place for any country
affected by the crisis, upon request by that country.
• To assist humanitarian relief efforts, we are deploying a Canadian Forces
Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Sri Lanka, a team that provides
water purification and medical assistance on the ground, in support of existing
capacities.
• The Canadian Forces, working with the Canadian International Development
Agency [CIDA], also provides airlifts to facilitate the delivery of critical goods and
equipment in the region. The Government of Canada has also made a significant
portion of its national emergency stockpiles available for distribution by the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the
World Health Organization.
• Further, we are working to provide technical support desperately required by
affected nations. In this regard, we have deployed a team of forensic and public
health specialists to assist recovery and identification efforts in Thailand.
Additional humanitarian contributions are currently being considered by a Canadian
assessment team. This delegation is now in Indonesia in order to carry out a tour of
affected areas.
Like many of the countries represented here, Canada has focused its initial efforts on
responding to the immediate humanitarian demands. But let me assure you we are fully
aware that the international community will need to remain engaged in the region over
the longer term, and we stand ready to do more as these longer-term needs become
clear. The January 11 UN Pledging Conference in Geneva will be an important forum
for us to consider further how our global response to this crisis can be most effectively
managed.
During the coming months, it is also crucial that we effectively manage the transition
from relief to rehabilitation and reconstruction. This means coordinating reconstruction
efforts not only among ourselves and with core relief and development agencies, but
also with domestic constituencies that may have unique value to add during the
reconstruction phase.
In the coming weeks, it will also be crucial that we reflect on the lessons of this disaster,
in particular the importance of strengthening global disaster preparedness and early
warning mechanisms. The forthcoming World Conference on Natural Disasters, to be
held in Kobe, Japan, provides a key opportunity to pursue such discussions.
Now, more than ever, the international community must pull together as one and help
where we are needed.
We know this is an effort that will take months, even years, to complete—and that the
road ahead is a challenging one. The message our Prime Minister has asked me to
convey to you today is that Canada will be there—as a full partner—for as long as it
takes.
Thank you.
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