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<title>AXWORTHY WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF MARY ROBINSON AS UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS</title>
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<p><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2">June 13, 1997 No. 103</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+2">AXWORTHY WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF MARY ROBINSON AS
UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Courier">Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today welcomed the appointment of Mary
Robinson, President of Ireland, as the new United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"I am delighted with this appointment. Ms. Robinson is eminently qualified for
this position and has demonstrated a strong commitment to human rights and
humanitarian issues, both in her own country and internationally. Canada looks
forward to working with her, and I commend Secretary-General Kofi Annan for this
appointment." said Mr. Axworthy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Ms. Robinson will assume principal responsibility for the human rights activities
of the UN, including the tasks of integrating human rights throughout the UN
system and guiding the work of the Centre for Human Rights in Geneva.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Canada attaches great importance to the role of the UN in protecting and promoting
human rights internationally and played a central role in the creation of the
position of High Commissioner for Human Rights following the Vienna World
Conference on Human Rights in 1993. Ms. Robinson is the second person to hold the
position of High Commissioner, replacing Mr. José Ayala Lasso, who resigned the
post last March to become Foreign Minister of Ecuador.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Secretary-General Annan announced Ms. Robinson's appointment at the UN in New York
yesterday.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">-30-</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Catherine Lappe</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Director of Communications</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1851</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</font></p>
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