NEWS RELEASES
SECRETARY OF STATE STEWART TO ATTEND COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL MEETING IN LONDON
February 14, 1997 No. 30
SECRETARY OF STATE STEWART TO ATTEND
COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL MEETING IN LONDON
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced that Secretary of State
(Latin America and Africa) Christine Stewart will attend the Commonwealth
Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting on February 17 and 18 in London. The
meeting's purpose is to review the report of the CMAG mission to Nigeria.
"As an active and supportive member of the CMAG, Canada believes that continuing
consultations among the members is a positive step toward achieving appropriate
Commonwealth responses to persistent violations of the principles of the Harare
Declaration on human rights and democracy," said Mr. Axworthy.
In November 1996, some CMAG members visited Nigeria to evaluate the Commonwealth's
concerns on the lack of progress in the transition to democracy and the continuing
violation of human rights in that country. The report of this mission will be
presented and discussed by all of the members of the CMAG in London.
"In preparation for the CMAG meeting and the review of the Nigeria mission report,
Canada has consulted with a variety of individuals and organizations,"
Mrs. Stewart said. "These discussions with lawyers, magistrates, journalists and
trade unionists of various Commonwealth Associations have given us valuable
insight into the situation in Nigeria."
Created in 1995 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in New Zealand,
following an initiative by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to increase the
Commonwealth's effectiveness in promoting democracy, CMAG includes the eight
member countries -- Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Malaysia,
Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Other situations to be discussed by CMAG
include those in the Gambia and Sierra Leone.
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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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