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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">November 3, 2005 <i>(2:00 p.m. EST)</i><br>
No. 205</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT IN
CHINA</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span> </span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew and International Cooperation Minister Aileen
Carroll today announced a $4.98 million-project addressing migrant labour rights in
China. The funding will support training and technical-assistance activities. China will
fund the implementation of policy reforms and programs based on these activities.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada is concerned about the human rights situation in China, and we believe
engagement rather than isolation represents the best means to achieve improvements
over time,” said Minister Pettigrew. “This project will help ensure that male and female
rural migrants, including minority nationalities, have access to the information they need
to benefit from formal labour markets and non-discriminatory employment.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">  </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada has an important role to play in China in areas such as governance, the
protection and promotion of human rights and the environment," said Minister Carroll.
"This project is a good example of how Canadian expertise can help China achieve
measurable improvements in realizing the human rights of migrants.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The project, which is being run in cooperation with the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities and China’s National Development and Reform Commission, will assist
China in living up to its international labour rights commitments under the UN
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the International Labour
Organization’s Private Employment Agencies Convention and Recommendation.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The announcement came as senior officials of the governments of Canada and of the
People’s Republic of China concluded their eighth annual bilateral dialogue on human
rights, which took place in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto from October 31 to November
3, 2005.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Canada-China Joint Committee on Human Rights, a major instrument in Canada’s
bilateral human rights engagement with China, permits a constructive and open
dialogue on a range of human rights issues. This year’s meeting of the Joint Committee
focused on equality, non-discrimination, and police violence.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget and is
therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.</span></span></p>
<br>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">James Christoff<br>
Press Secretary<br>
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs<br>
(613) 995-1851</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220185500/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Andrew Graham<br>
Director of Communications<br>
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation<br>
(819) 953-6238 </span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office<br>
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)<br>
(819) 953-6534<br>
</span></span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220185500/http://www.cida.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.cida.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"> </span></span></span></p>
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