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<title>MR. KILGOUR - ADDRESS TO THE NATIONAL STUDENT COMMONWEALTH FORUM, OTTAWA, ONTARIO</title>
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<p><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><u>CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY</u></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS </strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>BY THE </strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>HONOURABLE DAVID KILGOUR</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>SECRETARY OF STATE (LATIN AMERICA AND AFRICA)</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>TO THE </strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>NATIONAL STUDENT COMMONWEALTH FORUM</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong></strong></font><font size="+1"><strong>"THE COMMONWEALTH: A FORCE FOR CHANGE IN SUPPORT OF DEMOCRACY
AND HUMAN RIGHTS"</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1">OTTAWA, Ontario</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="+1">May 6, 1999</font></p>
<p>Thank you for inviting me to speak at the closing of your forum. It is always a pleasure to speak to young Canadians, particularly
those who have demonstrated an interest in our foreign policy. You have demonstrated such an interest this week by participating in
a number of activities. I hope you found them interesting, educational and fun. The two young people from Alberta staying with my
own family, Brett Ireland and Lindsay Anderson, were very pleased.</p>
<p>As student representatives from across Canada, you have chosen to spend time together, share perspectives and co-operate among
yourselves. So too have the countries of the Commonwealth chosen freely to participate in the Commonwealth club -- a global
family of 54 countries and 1.7 billion people. In addition, like the delegates here today, chosen from across Canada, many countries
apply to become members of the Commonwealth. All Commonwealth countries must adhere to the basic principles of democracy
and human rights and have had constitutional association with an existing Commonwealth member. Those who have been
suspended, as seen with Nigeria, spend considerable energy and diplomatic resources to seek re-admittance.</p>
<p>Peoples and governments clearly value their Commonwealth connection. Whether for reasons of historical association, shared
values of democracy and respect for human rights, similar political and legal institutions, common language, or flexible mechanisms
for technical assistance, all of our countries and many of our citizens invest considerable human and financial resources in our
Commonwealth ties.</p>
<p>Canadians are proud of our long association with the Commonwealth, an institution in which we play a very important role.</p>
<p>For me, the promotion of democracy and good governance continues to be a defining feature of the modern Commonwealth. In
addition to the Commonwealth's advocacy of democratic and human rights, there are a number of practical actions that the
Commonwealth is pursuing to make the 1991 Harare Declaration a reality. These are important to Canada. They are among the
reasons why we continue to value our Commonwealth membership.</p>
<p>There is one area in particular that I'd like to mention -- the 11th Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group [CMAG] meeting in
London, which I attended last week, and the discussions held there on Nigeria and Sierra Leone.</p>
<p>Canada is one of the eight member countries in the CMAG that work together to implement collective Commonwealth action in
support of the Harare principles of democracy and human rights. Personally, that forum has been my main Commonwealth interest.
Since becoming Secretary of State, I have, together with Minister Axworthy, regularly attended CMAG meetings and participated
in the group's mission to Sierra Leone.</p>
<p>At last week's CMAG meeting in London, England, I, on behalf of Minister Axworthy, along with the foreign ministers of the other
seven member countries, again discussed the situation in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. In the past, Nigeria has rightly been the primary
focus of CMAG concern, since the Action Group's inception three years ago coincided with the suspension of Nigeria's
Commonwealth membership by heads of government at the Auckland Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Given the
positive events in Nigeria over the past several months, we had the happy task at our meeting last week of discussing not further
sanctions against Nigeria but whether we should recommend that heads of government welcome the country back into the
Commonwealth family with the inauguration of the new democratically elected government on May 29.</p>
<p>As you probably learned yesterday during your briefing on Africa, Canada, through the Commonwealth, played an active role in
supporting the transition in Nigeria, in particular by participating in election monitoring over the five sets of elections earlier this year.
This is just one of the ways in which the Commonwealth works to assist countries in their transition to democracy and supports
human rights and good governance. Indeed, CMAG has become a real jewel in the modern Commonwealth crown.</p>
<p>A new critical area of concern for CMAG is Sierra Leone and the dire humanitarian and security situation that currently prevails
there. As you know, human security, human rights and peacebuilding are particular interests of Canada and of our Foreign Affairs
Minister. Canada is clearly deeply concerned about the deteriorating conditions in West Africa. Canada and other member
countries support the Government of Sierra Leone and its efforts to pursue dialogue with the rebels to reach a lasting peace
settlement. The ministers also decided to name publicly the two governments that are assisting the rebels in Sierra Leone -- those of
Liberia and Burkina Faso.</p>
<p>In London, we all commended the continuing important role played by the Economic Community of West African States Cease
Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and the continued good offices role played by the Secretary-General, and called for further
material and logistical assistance. Canada has already contributed $1 million in support of ECOMOG in Sierra Leone. As CMAG
has in the past been a flexible instrument to pursue our concerns about the need for change in non-democratic countries, Canada
believes that it should remain a tool in the international arsenal. I believe CMAG should re-emphasize its role as one where
ministerial support can be mobilized for Commonwealth and bilateral action in support of positive steps being undertaken by
member states in accordance with the Harare principles.</p>
<p>Today I have concentrated on one aspect of the Commonwealth of interest to me and to Canada's foreign policy: support for our
common values of democracy and human rights.</p>
<p>This is not to deny the very valuable work of the Commonwealth in many other areas. The Commonwealth is many things to many
people. I know that ministers of finance, education, youth and health, among others, find the Commonwealth a valuable forum in
which to discuss policy issues. Indeed, our heads of government also find this. Professional associations and non-governmental
organizations likewise find common ground on many issues with their counterparts from Commonwealth countries.</p>
<p>All of these groups report to the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. In November 1999, the CHOGM will
take place in Durban, South Africa. At the Senior Officials' Meeting last November, it was agreed that the next CHOGM should
focus on "the impact of globalization, not only in its economic terms but also with respect to its political, human and people-centred
ramifications." This theme will be refined further over the course of the next year in consultation with the Secretary-General, the host
South African government and other Commonwealth governments. We are now in the process of reflecting upon this theme.</p>
<p>Looking at the agenda of the last National Student Commonwealth Forum, I notice that the theme was globalization. Perhaps you
are one step ahead of us and have already provided some new ideas to us throughout this week.</p>
<p>I am also very interested in the theme you have chosen to discuss this year -- poverty. As your negotiations today no doubt
underlined, fighting poverty is a multi-faceted challenge that must address both social and economic aspects. Canada promotes the
development and realization of these basic needs in the developing countries of the Commonwealth through our bilateral and
multilateral aid programs and through our economic and trade negotiations. The Commonwealth supports poverty alleviation,
education and health through a number of different channels including the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Assistance; the
Commonwealth of Learning; Commonwealth health, education and finance ministers' meetings, and the Commonwealth Secretariat
Economic Division. I commend you for tackling such a critical and complex subject, and I hope that your discussions have borne
many useful lessons for us all.</p>
<p>Finally, thank you delegates for participating in the National Student Commonwealth Forum and for coming to the Department of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I hope you will not only take away knowledge and facts from this conference and this week
of learning but also appreciate the sharing, understanding, co-operation and negotiation that are even more valuable and form the
cornerstone of basic Commonwealth values. </p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
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