Annual lists 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

Ottawa, April 29, 2001
2001-044

Canada Says Education is Key to Combatting Global Poverty

Related document:

• Statement Prepared for the Development Committee.

To combat poverty, the international community must increase its efforts to expand educational opportunities for the world’s poor, particularly in the area of basic education, Finance Minister Paul Martin said today at meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

"Education is a fundamental human right and the cornerstone in the battle against poverty," Minister Martin said. "It is critical that bilateral and international institutions work together more closely to ensure that support is increased to national education programs for the poor."

At the April 2000 meeting of the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, more than 180 nations agreed that no country demonstrating a commitment to the goal of universal basic education would be impeded by a lack of resources. "The fact that an estimated 113 million children are still denied access to education represents an enormous lost opportunity not only in terms of resources for poor nations, but for the millions who do not have access to proper education," the Minister said.

The Minister said the Canadian International Development Agency has committed to quadruple its investments in basic education to $555 million over five years. He said this reflects Canada’s commitment to basic education as a key priority for its bilateral development assistance program.

"In the debate over globalization many are legitimately concerned about the increasing gap between rich and poor," said Minister Martin. "A sustained investment in education can ensure that we help bridge this gap."

The Minister is in Washington for three days of meetings concluding Monday. During the weekend he met with the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the International Monetary Fund and attended a meeting of G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors, and will participate on Monday, April 30, in a meeting of the Development Committee of the World Bank.

Minister Martin’s Development Committee statement is available on the Department of Finance Web site at www.fin.gc.ca.

___________________
For further information:

If you would like to receive automatic e-mail notification of all news releases, please visit the Department of Finance Canada Web site at http://www.fin.gc.ca/scripts/register_e.asp.