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<title>GOVERNMENT TO ACT AGAINST CHILD SEX-TOURISM</title>
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<p><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2">April 3, 1996 No. 57</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+2">GOVERNMENT TO ACT AGAINST CHILD SEX-TOURISM</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Courier">Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Minister of Justice and Attorney
General of Canada Allan Rock today announced that amendments to Canada's Criminal
Code would be introduced to permit the prosecution in Canada of Canadian nationals
and permanent residents who engage in prostitution-related activities with
children while abroad. The practice is commonly referred to as "child sex-tourism."</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"We are acting on the commitment we made in the February Throne Speech that
protecting the rights of children is a Canadian priority. The exploitation of
children for money and other considerations is among the most disturbing of all
abuses involving children. We are convinced that one of the strongest signals we
can send internationally about Canada's intolerance of such practices is to make
our own citizens and permanent residents accountable for their behaviour in this
regard when they travel abroad," said Mr. Axworthy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Mr. Axworthy made the announcement in Geneva, where he was addressing the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"The involvement of young people in prostitution, whether in Canada or outside of
Canada, is a serious and tragic problem," said Mr. Rock. "This legislation will
bring us one step closer to addressing the rights of children by making it
possible to prosecute Canadian nationals returning to Canada after having obtained
child sexual services for consideration."</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">The amendments will be included with those of the former Bill C-119, which was
dropped from the legislative agenda at the close of the last session of
Parliament, and will be reintroduced in Parliament in the coming weeks. The Bill
already deals with child prostitution, criminal harassment and female genital
mutilation. </font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Canada will continue to push for an Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child that would include provisions obliging states to adopt
legislation to deal with child sex-tourism. In making its Criminal Code
amendments, Canada will join 11 other countries -- Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Belgium, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and the United
States -- which have already enacted similar legislative measures.</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">Jennifer Lang</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Minister's Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Department of Justice</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 992-4621</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Lucie Angers</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Department of Justice</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 957-4750</font></p>
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