NEWS RELEASES

April 4, 2000 (4:00 p.m. EDT) No. 61

CANADA TO MOBILIZE INTERNATIONAL ACTION TO PROTECT

WAR-AFFECTED CHILDREN

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Minister for International Co-operation Maria Minna today appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to present Canada's agenda for the coming year to address the issue of war-affected children. The meeting took place on the occasion of the visit to Ottawa of Mr. Olara Otunnu, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict.

The ministers discussed the West African Conference on War-Affected Children, to be held in Accra, Ghana, on April 27 and 28. The Conference, to be co-hosted by Ghana and Canada, will mobilize specific action to protect children in the region, where they have been so severely affected by armed conflict and violence. The Conference will be attended by representatives of all West African governments, civil society organizations and donor governments, as well as young people affected by war, in order to define an action plan to help war-affected children in West Africa.

"We hope to add further impetus to the 2001 United Nations Special Session on Children by working this year within the Security Council and with governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) committed to preserving and promoting the human security of children affected by war," said Mr. Axworthy. "Actively engaging youth in political action will be a key ingredient to ensuring a positive outcome for this process."

"Children have paid a heavy price for armed conflicts over the last decade and there is an evolving understanding in the international community that meaningful youth participation is essential to breaking cycles of violence, rebuilding communities and building future peace," said Minister Minna. "Canada fully supports this view."

Minister Axworthy will represent Canada at the West African Conference. He will then travel to Freetown, Sierra Leone, on April 29, where he will visit the Amputee Camp at Murray Town and meet with war-affected children, including former child soldiers, amputees, and abducted girls. The Minister will also meet with representatives of political parties, members of civil society and members of the UNAMSIL (United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone) including the Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN in Sierra Leone. Mr. Axworthy will then meet individually with President Kabbah, Vice President Foday Sankoh and the Chairman of the Committee for the Consolidation of Peace, Johnny Paul Koroma.

From September 9 to17 in Winnipeg, Canada will host the International Conference on War-Affected Children. This event will be the first global ministerial-level gathering on the issues facing war-affected children, and will include the participation of UN agencies, youth, NGOs, the private sector and academics. The purpose of the Conference is to mobilize international attention and produce a declaration and joint action plan for protection of war-affected children.

These documents will then be submitted to the 2001 United Nations Special Session on Children, where the progress made since the 1990 World Summit for Children will be reviewed and agreement will be sought on a new global agenda for children.

In preparation for this year's International Conference, Canada will facilitate a series of meetings and workshops in which Canadian and international youth will discuss and propose steps to address the devastating effects of war on children and their communities.

The engagement of Canadian youth for the Winnipeg Conference will be undertaken through the National Forum process, which will host a series of youth meetings across Canada and which will culminate in a national youth gathering on the issue of war-affected children immediately prior to the Winnipeg Conference. Both concerned and war-affected youth will participate in these meetings. These Canadian youth will prepare a statement of their recommendations for action and will select a number of delegates to participate in the Winnipeg Conference.

International youth will be engaged through the Children as Peacebuilders project. War-affected youth from 6 regions (the Balkans, Southern Africa, East-Central Africa, South/South-East Asia, the Middle East and South/Central America) will identify and analyse, through creative methods, the issues most important to them. A small number of these youth will meet to consolidate their views in written and video format and will also participate as delegates to the Winnipeg Conference.

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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 Office

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

(819) 953-6534

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

Web site: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca (electronic version of this document)

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