NEWS RELEASES

November 7, 2005 (11:30 a.m. EST)
No. 207

MINISTER PETTIGREW ANNOUNCES NEW

SPECIAL ADVISOR ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced the appointment of Maria Minna, Member of Parliament for Beaches-East York and former Minister for International Cooperation, as his Special Advisor on Women, Peace and Security.

“Maria Minna is ideally positioned to act as my Special Advisor on Women, Peace and Security,” said Minister Pettigrew. “She has a strong commitment to women’s rights, particularly in the international arena. Her experience as Minister of International Cooperation, where she championed gender-equality issues as development priorities, is invaluable to our work on women, peace and security.”

Ms. Minna was first elected to Parliament in 1993 and was appointed Minister for International Cooperation in 1999, and served in that capacity until 2002. As Minister for International Cooperation, Ms. Minna initiated an overhaul of Canada’s international development assistance priorities. As Canada’s representative, she was appointed Co-Chair of the Global Coalition of Africa.

As a member of Parliament, Ms. Minna has been a strong supporter of Canada’s social safety net, universal health care, the National Child Tax Benefit and programs to support early childhood development. She is a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

Women’s rights and gender equality are an integral part of Canada’s foreign and development policies. Canada remains committed to ensuring that the particular needs of women, men, and children affected by armed conflict are effectively met and that their rights are protected. Foreign Affairs Canada is the lead federal government department on the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. Foreign Affairs Canada plays a lead role internationally in ensuring the participation of women in all aspects of conflict prevention, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction.

Minister Pettigrew’s previous Special Advisor on Women, Peace and Security was Senator Mobina Jaffer. Prime Minister Paul Martin and Minister Pettigrew thank Ms. Jaffer, who is currently Canada’s Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan, for her excellent work. 

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

James Christoff
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca