NEWS RELEASES

September 13, 2000 (9:45 p.m. EDT) No. 232

CANADA AND NORWAY WELCOME THE MACHEL REVIEW

Canada and Norway today welcomed the launch of The Machel Review 1996-2000: A Critical Analysis of Progress Made and Obstacles Encountered in Increasing Protection for War-Affected Children. Graça Machel presented this comprehensive review four years after her ground-breaking study on The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, which resulted in an agenda for action to improve the protection and care of children affected by armed conflict.

The Machel study made recommendations to governments, the United Nations and civil society in a wide range of areas relevant to war-affected children, including the adequacy of international standards; health and psycho-social services for children; education; gender-based violence; preventing the use of child soldiers; conflict resolution; and peacebuilding. The study also called for the appointment of a UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, a role since assumed by the co-host of the Ministerial-level Meeting at the International Conference on War-Affected Children, Olara A. Otunnu.

"Four years ago, Graça Machel captured our collective imaginations and challenged us to make the world a better place for children. The review launched today is a crucial part of the Conference, and of our work on war-affected children," said Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy. "I hope the review will help to catalyze and mobilize international support for future implementation."

"We are pleased to have given financial support to this review document, which will facilitate international, regional and local initiatives to improve children's and women's protection in conflict situations, and will make child and gender-related issues more central to political, human rights and humanitarian agendas," said Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland.

The Machel Review, while focussing on the substantive themes of the original study, has five new chapters -- on peace and security; HIV/AIDS; women and peacebuilding; small arms and light weapons; and children and the media.

"We welcome this report, which gives us insight into solutions to help children affected by war," said Maria Minna, Minister for International Co-operation. "With its new priorities in social development, the Canadian International Development Agency is significantly strengthening its work in areas highlighted by the report, such as health, education, HIV/AIDS and child protection."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, through its Human Security Program, and the Norwegian Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided Ms. Machel and her original team with $275 000 and $217 000 respectively, through UNIFEM and UNICEF, to undertake this important work.

In early 2001, The Machel Review will be published in book form, to build upon the international commitments mobilized by the original report and to take the results of the International Conference of War-Affected Children to an even wider international audience, including the general public, practitioners and policy makers.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Debora Brown

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

Robin Walsh

Office of the Minister for International Co-operation

(819) 953-3160

Media Relations Service

Canadian International Development Agency

(819) 953-6534

E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca

This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca and on the Canadian International Development Agency's Internet site: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca

The Winnipeg International Conference on War-Affected Children's Internet address is http://www.waraffectedchildren.gc.ca