NEWS RELEASES

February 18, 2000 (10:30 a.m. EST) No. 28

APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND

DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced the appointment of Suzanne Laporte and reappointment of David Matas to the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (ICHRDD).

The ICHRDD is an independent body established by an Act of Parliament in 1988. It provides individuals and organizations in other countries with training, consultation and research services to promote the observance of human rights and the full participation of all citizens in the democratic process. The Centre's Board of Directors is made up of 13 members, including three from countries other than Canada. The Centre's President is Warren Allmand.

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Biographical notes on the appointees are attached.

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

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Suzanne Laporte is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resources at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Ms. Laporte previously served as Canadian Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire with accreditation to Benin and Niger and as Director General of the Global and Human Issues Bureau at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Ms. Laporte also gained experience in numerous aspects of international development and co-operation during her career at the Canadian International Development Agency where she held positions as Director General of Strategic Management for the Americas Branch, Director General of the Middle East and Maghreb Branch, and Counsellor for the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. She received a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa.

David Matas was first appointed to the Board of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development in 1996. He is a human rights lawyer specializing in immigration and refugee law; has written and litigated extensively on human rights issues; and has appeared in a series of landmark cases before the Supreme Court of Canada in his capacity as Counsel for Amnesty International and the League for Human Rights of B'nai B'rith. He has also been a member of a number of trial observer missions for the International Commission of Jurists, is Co-Chair of the Canadian Helsinki Watch Group and Counsel to Interamicus. In 1996, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Concordia University in Montreal.