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<title>CANADA TO SUPPORT PROJECTS FORPROTECTING CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT</title>
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<p><font face="Univers" size="+2"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2">April 2, 1998 No. 81</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+2">CANADA TO SUPPORT PROJECTS FOR</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+2">PROTECTING CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Minister for International Co-operation and Minister responsible for la Francophonie, Diane Marleau, today
announced that Canada will support four projects to protect children in armed
conflict. The announcement was made following meetings in Ottawa with the UN
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">These projects are aimed at demobilizing child soldiers and reintegrating them
into civil society.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">According to a recent United Nations study, child soldiers are described as boys
and girls with weapons, as well as children who "follow or serve armies" as
fighters, cooks, porters, messengers, spies, and as sexual slaves.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"The use of children as soldiers has escalated worldwide due to the advent of
light weapons technology, the rise of intrastate conflict, and the increase in
guerrilla and rebel forces," said Mr. Axworthy. "However, those forms of
exploitation or deplorable situations that deprive children of their right to
fully realize their mental and physical potential, and expose them to hazardous
and dangerous situations, contravene a basic human right."</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Canada has actively supported working groups established by the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights to elaborate two optional protocols to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child: One on the sale of children, child prostitution, and
child pornography, and the other on children in situations of armed conflict. </font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"Over the past decade, civil conflicts have led to the deaths of an estimated two
million children, four to five million children have been disabled, and more than
a million have been orphaned or separated from their parents," said Madame
Marleau. "In supporting these initiatives announced today, Canada seeks to
protect these children from abuse, exploitation, and violence by giving them a
chance at life." </font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Canada will support four projects worth $650 000 to help child soldiers in
Liberia, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (ex-Zaïre).</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">The projects announced today include:</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"> A project in northern Uganda, funded by the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA), will assist children abducted by rebel forces. It is estimated
that between 5 000 and 8 000 children have been abducted. The main objectives are
to stop the abduction of children; to support the advocacy work under way for the
release of the abducted children; and to facilitate the tracing and resettlement
of children who manage to escape captivity. CIDA's contribution is $200 000.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"> A project in Liberia, supported by CIDA, targets 800 child soldiers. Its aim is
to demobilize and reintegrate child soldiers into their families and their
communities by providing financial and technical support such as skills and
literacy training. It will also help to assess the psychological condition of the
children, support their psychological recovery, and rebuild their self-confidence
for reintegration into civil society. CIDA's contribution is $200 000.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"> A project in the Democratic Republic of Congo </font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(ex-Zaïre), supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade (DFAIT), will encourage and assist national and provincial authority to
demobilize 1 500 child soldiers, ages nine to sixteen, and to reintegrate them
into their families and civil society. It will also help to reinforce existing
mechanisms for allowing demobilized children to complete their primary school
studies, augmented by local and professional skills training. DFAIT's</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">contribution is $200 000.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"> A project funded by DFAIT to support a coalition of international non-governmental organizations, Child Soldiers Coalition, in its effort to raise
awareness of young child combatants in armed conflict. DFAIT's contribution is </font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">$50 000.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Canada supports the efforts of Mr. Otunnu to act as an advocate for children in
situations of armed conflict. Canada has been supporting children in areas of
conflict for many years with clean water, food, health care, and shelter.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Funding for these initiatives was provided for in the February 1998 federal
budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Courier">- 30 -</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Debora Brown André Doren</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Office of the Minister Office of the Minister</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">of Foreign Affairs for International Co-operation</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1851 and Minister responsible</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">for la Francophonie</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(819) 997-6919</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Media Relations Office Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Department of Foreign Affairs The Canadian International</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">and International Trade Development Agency</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1874 (819) 953-6534</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade Internet site:</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</font></p>
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