Human security

For a long time, Canada has really been in the forefront of children’s rights movement internationally. So what we are looking for is more of a continuation of the priority given to human security issues in Canadian foreign policy. What makes us a little bit anxious as a human rights agency, as a refugee organization worldwide, is that, especially in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, but also in the context of other things that are going on in the world, the focus has been shifting a bit from the security of individuals, human security, to the security of states. So we are keen to see a real effort made by Canada to keep a focus on the security of individuals, especially on civilians in conflict situations - among them, of course, children - to avoid their being “lost” in the current focus on broader security issues. And the reason for that is evident: we don’t think that you can ensure the security of states, unless the people themselves can live lives that are free from need and free from fear. Refugee children basically live in climates of fear and need all the time. So I guess the general theme for us is: keep the focus on human security, be relentless about it; because without that, we’ll never see a broader climate of security that we’re looking for in the world today.

Foreign policy and human rights standards

Foreign policy is, of course, about diplomacy. It’s about relations among states and between states. In dialoguing with states, it’s important always to remind other governments that Canada operates within a framework where certain basic principles, certain basic human rights are established, and that Canada is seeking a world in which other countries live up to these standards. So when we talk about children for example, refugee children, we want states hosting refugees, large refugee populations, to be reminded that it’s not acceptable to allow children to be recruited into military forces; it’s not acceptable to allow rampant sexual violence in the camps; it’s not acceptable to exclude these children from access to education; it’s not acceptable to use these children as forced labourers.

I think it’s important always to keep a focus on that, because these are things that happen out of the limelight; the ordinary citizen of most industrialized countries doesn’t have a chance to see what’s going on in the life of a refugee child. Foreign policy can give everyone a “window” on what life is like for others somewhere else in the world. And try – it’s of course difficult, it’s a process and doesn’t happen over night – but try to work toward a world where there is a rights-based framework that everyone subscribes to that will eventually protect all of the people of the world, not just the most fortunate, the most prosperous, the most visible.