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Rights & Democracy Condemns Canada's Vote in Geneva

Canada's voted to oppose Mary Robinson's investigation of human rights violations in the Middle East.

MONTREAL, 5 april, 2002 -- Rights & Democracy's President Warren Allmand today condemned Canada's opposition to sending a human rights mission to the Middle East.

Canada's position in Geneva is "shameful," Mr. Allmand told Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham in a letter.

At a special meeting earlier today, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights agreed to immediateley dispatch the High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson for "a visiting mission for the establishment of an international monitoring presence to deter violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory." The motion was adopted by 44 States while only two - Canada and Guatemala - voted against it. Seven abstained.

In his letter, Mr. Allmand called on the minister to explain such a surprising decision and suggested that Canada should help and support Mrs. Robinson's mission as an overwhelming number of countries support this human rights mission.

Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution created by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to promote, advocate and defend the democratic and human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports programmes to strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally in developing countries.

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Patricia Poirier (514) 283-6073.