SPEECHES
MR. KILGOUR - ADDRESS AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF CANADANEWSMAKER BREAKFAST ON CANADA'S HEMISPHERIC RELATIONS - OTTAWA, ONTARIO
2000/24 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY
THE HONOURABLE DAVID KILGOUR,
SECRETARY OF STATE (LATIN AMERICA AND AFRICA)
AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF CANADA
NEWSMAKER BREAKFAST
ON
CANADA'S HEMISPHERIC RELATIONS
OTTAWA, Ontario
May 11, 2000
(9:25 a.m. EDT)
From June 4 to 6 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada will host the General Assembly of the Organization of American
States [OAS] with 33 fellow members.
In our first decade as a member, Canada has participated in a significant evolution in hemispheric relations. For
example, today 34 of the 35 countries in the hemisphere have democratically elected governments. This is a far
cry from twenty years ago when there were only four democratic countries in South America. With democracy
as the accepted norm, we are able to work more successfully together in the pursuit of improving the lives of
the people of the Americas.
Canada evidently belongs to more major international organizations than any other nation in the world.
Canadians like to think that through a multilateral approach we have been able to enjoy a stronger voice in
international affairs than a country of our size might normally have. Without question, we have used this voice
to advance our own interests, but I firmly believe it has permitted us to share our national values with the
international community and to make a larger contribution. Canada's membership and work in international
organizations are vital to our foreign relations.
Our prosperity and security are increasingly linked to hemispheric neighbours. It is evident that the nations of
the Americas are no longer simply a collection of countries united by proximity. We are being transformed into a
community of nations linked by common values and aspirations. Ties that bind the Americas can and should be
furthered for our collective benefit. Through economic co-operation and political dialogue, we are in the process
of building relationships of trust and solidarity. The establishment of strong relationships is essential to tackle
the economic and social challenges we all face today.
Problems such as illicit drugs, the abuse of small arms, the spread of disease, the corrosive effects of
corruption, the exploitation of children and the degradation of the environment ultimately affect most of us. In
this context, in which our security is linked with that of our neighbours, it is essential that we develop strong
partnerships. The OAS is becoming the premier hemispheric forum in which to strengthen relationships and
address the problems of the Americas.
We await the opportunity to continue in the pursuit of improving the lives of our hemisphere's people. In this
regard, it is critical that we take steps to address the problem of income disparity. Income disparities in Latin
America remain higher than anywhere else in the world. For example, in some countries, the richest 10 percent
of the population receives fully half of the national income, and the bottom half survives on less than 10
percent. In our hemisphere, one in three children live on less than $3 per day. In many ways, income disparity
is the symptom of the difficult problems that grip our hemisphere. We must continue to make progress on the
condition of such things as education and health in order to truly address the roots of income disparity.
The OAS General Assembly in Windsor is less than four weeks away. In the weeks leading up to it, you may
hear some misinformed statements like, "it is only a trade meeting," as though the OAS were some sort of
regional off-shoot of the WTO. This is not the case. The OAS is not a trade organization. It is not responsible
for the ill-effects of globalization, nor is it a simple appendage of other international organizations.
The OAS is a political organization of 34 member states with a common agenda, the primary goal of which is to
better the lives of the peoples of this hemisphere generally. It does so by the advancement of democracy,
human rights and specific solutions to a host of troubling realities. The OAS is not the world's largest or most
powerful multilateral body, but it is making a positive difference.
From Canada's perspective, the most important priority is to put people first. This focus on the human
dimension of hemispheric relations was a fundamental consideration when we joined 10 years ago. Since the
first day of our participation in the OAS, Canada has focussed its efforts on developing the capacity of the
Organization to promote and serve democratic development and the consolidation of institutions that support
political and human rights. It is not coincidental that the OAS has grown in relevance and influence throughout
Canada's decade-long membership.
In Windsor, we will have a number of major objectives. One of the most important elements will be to further the
engagement, mobilization and participation of civil society. Canada has been a strong supporter of initiatives
within the OAS to increase the participation of civil society in the work of the Organization. We are advocating a
new multilateralism in which governments, civil society and other actors work together as partners to seek
effective solutions to problems.
Our record of active engagement with our civil society partners within the inter-American system is significant.
We facilitated the participation of indigenous leaders in the Experts Meetings that have been held in preparation
for the draft Inter-American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Populations. The Assembly of First Nations
is also working with the Government of Canada and in consultation with the Government of Mexico in
preliminary studies concerning the possible reform of the Inter-American Indian Institute.
Canada has been active in promoting gender equality and women's human rights in the hemisphere and has
been working in support of the Inter-American Commission of Women [CIM] to develop its ability to deliver
policy guidance and support to the nations of the hemisphere. Our Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and
the Status of Women led a strong Canadian delegation to the recent Women's Ministerial of the Americas in
Washington at which Canada led a discussion of women's issues in the Summit of the Americas process.
The openness of the Assembly will be demonstrated by the presentation of a youth declaration by
representatives of the Model OAS General Assembly which recently took place in Edmonton.
These efforts with civil society, indigenous peoples, women and youth reflect the firm belief of the OAS and
Canada that we must give all citizens of the Americas every opportunity to participate fully in the political,
social, economic and cultural life of our countries and our hemisphere. In Windsor we await the largest civil
society contingent ever to participate as observers in a hemispheric meeting.
In putting people first, we look forward to furthering the hemispheric discourse on human security. In recent
years it is clear that Canada's pursuit of human security has had a real impact on the work of the OAS. For
example, last year's General Assembly saw the adoption of two resolutions that are at the heart of the human
security agenda: a resolution on the Western Hemisphere as an Anti-Personnel-Mine-Free Zone and a
resolution to Combat the Proliferation of and Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons.
This year Minister Axworthy will preside as Chair of the General Assembly in Windsor, and Canada will lead a
Ministerial Dialogue Session on human security. Issues which will find a place on the agenda for this Dialogue
Session include democracy and human rights, war-affected children, the threat to our societies posed by rising
levels of crime and personal insecurity, and the need to involve other actors -- notably private and civil society
-- in efforts to promote corporate social responsibility.
With respect to illicit drug trafficking, I would highlight the achievement of the Inter-American Abuse Control
Commission in developing a Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism [MEM], a truly co-operative hemispheric
undertaking designed to enhance our ability to combat this scourge. The MEM will allow each country to
evaluate their performance in combatting illicit drug trafficking and money laundering against a set of 61 criteria
which have been accepted by all member states.
Intimately connected with the realization of human security is the advancement of democracy. Early in our
membership in the OAS, Canada took the lead in establishing the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy [UPD].
We contributed ideas and financial support to the Unit during the past decade, and underscored our
commitment in human terms by providing the two directors who have guided the Unit during its ten years of
existence. In addition to election monitoring, the UPD works with government, academic institutions and civil
society organizations to generate and disseminate information on the development and functioning of
democratic institutions.
Complementing our efforts on human security and democracy, Canada has also played an important role in
supporting the development and consolidation of the institutions of the inter-American human rights system. We
are working at the OAS and with our hemispheric partners in an ad hoc working group established last
November to find ways to reform the system and make its principal organs -- the Inter-American Human Rights
Commission and the Inter-American Human Rights Court -- more efficient and more responsive to the needs of
the people of the Americas. A good deal has been accomplished in the area of human rights, but certainly a
great deal more remains to be achieved.
In conclusion, I reiterate that the OAS is putting people first. While the OAS offers some technical assistance to
trade discussions for the benefit of small states, the primary purpose of the Organization is to advance
democracy, human rights and the security of the people of the Americas. Canada is proud to host this important
event and through productive dialogue and co-operation we may take one step further on the pivotal path to
improving the lives of the people of the hemisphere.
Thank you.
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