MR. KILGOUR - ADDRESS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA CONFERENCE ONPROSPECTS FOR AN AFRICAN RENAISSANCE: CULTURE, DEVELOPMENT AND RECONCILIATION
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NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY
THE HONOURABLE DAVID KILGOUR,
SECRETARY OF STATE (LATIN AMERICA AND AFRICA),
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA CONFERENCE ON
PROSPECTS FOR AN AFRICAN RENAISSANCE: CULTURE,
DEVELOPMENT AND RECONCILIATION
EDMONTON, Alberta
February 25, 2000
I do not believe for a moment that human rights are less important to the 700 million residents of the African
continent than to people anywhere else on earth.
Indeed, it has occurred to me often that basic respect for one another, in many ways, is greater among Africans
than among people elsewhere. For example, when you meet someone on the streets of cities across Africa you
would not think twice of saying "good morning" or "good afternoon" before asking directions. There are a myriad
of other examples of this courtesy.
Unfortunately, North Americans tend to focus on the disastrous situations -- the so-called hot spots. The
successful stories of reconciliation and forgiveness, such as those Archbishop Tutu described at the University
of Toronto, get lost. Who among us cannot be permanently changed by Desmond Tutu or Nelson Mandela,
who after 27 years in prison walked through the gates of Victor Verster prison to the jubilation of the on- looking
crowds?
HUMAN RIGHTS IN CANADIAN FOREIGN POLICY
The international protection and promotion of human rights is an integral part of Canadian foreign policy, not
only because respect for human rights is a fundamental Canadian value, but also because respect for human
rights is a crucial element in the development of stable societies at peace with each other.
The goal of Canada's foreign policy is to influence other governments to respect international human rights
principles, in keeping with their obligations under international law.
Cross-cutting themes that Canada keeps at the forefront of our dialogues on human rights include women's
human rights, children's rights, indigenous concerns, and the fight against impunity.
Canada uses bilateral and multilateral tools to influence others to respect international human rights
principles. The key is effective influence, using the tools which will best influence those governments.
Bilateral dialogue:
influence through constructive dialogue and engagement
advocacy based on example: We do not expect others to do what we do not.
support, primarily through CIDA [Canadian International Development Agency] programming, human rights
training and strengthening of institutions that protect and promote human rights, including in Africa.
Multilateral tools:
Canada works effectively through a number of multilateral forums to influence other governments to respect
human rights: the United Nations, Commonwealth, Francophonie, Organization of American States (OAS),
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and International Labour Organisation.
The UN is the pre-eminent body through which we work for the promotion and protection of human rights;
however, in Africa, the Commonwealth and the Francophonie provide important and increasingly useful forums
and mechanisms for moving the human rights agenda forward.
Multilateral mechanisms allow us to deliver hard messages and increase our leverage.
United Nations:
Canada supports the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which is engaged in building up
human rights structures and institutions in Africa, and also the UN bodies and mechanisms for implementation
and monitoring of human rights.
Canada makes statements in UN forums, including on country-specific situations at the UN General
Assembly and Commission on Human Rights, in which we publicly criticize or encourage countries on their
human rights records.
Every year at the UN General Assembly and at the Commission on Human Rights, Canada leads a number
of resolutions on human rights themes (including impunity, violence against women, freedom of opinion and
expression, mass exodus of people due to human rights violations, indigenous peoples). We also co-sponsor a
number of thematic and country resolutions on issues such as the death penalty, Rwanda, Iran, Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Canada has provided strong support for the work of International War Crimes Tribunals and the recent
adoption of the statute to establish an International Criminal Court.
NGO consultations:
An important element of Canada's approach to the international promotion of human rights is the ongoing
dialogue between government and human rights NGOs. In addition to ongoing contacts with the NGOs involved
in international human rights work, every year, prior to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) session, the
Department of Foreign Affairs holds in-depth consultations which facilitate NGO input into the establishment of
Canadian priorities for the CHR.
CANADA'S HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY IN AFRICA
In the African context, protection and promotion of human rights is a major pre-occupation.
Regrettably, we have not seen a trend in improvements to the human rights situation.
Indeed, with the notable exceptions of South Africa, and more recently Nigeria, the human rights situation in
many African countries has deteriorated.
Canada has been active on human rights in Sierra Leone and the Sudan, but as these will be discussed in
detail by my fellow panellists, I will not raise them.
Rather, I will talk first about Canada's pressure on Nigeria to return to democracy, using a Commonwealth
mechanism that was an initiative of Prime Minister Chrétien; secondly, I will touch on a region of continued
instability, the Great Lakes region, specifically the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi; and finally, I
will comment on Canadian activities in Africa on three issues that relate directly to human rights: war-affected
children, landmines and small arms.
A: NIGERIA
The case of Nigeria illustrates how the international community, with solidarity and commitment, can bring
pressure to bear on a regime guilty of human rights violations.
During the 1995 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), despite representations led by
Prime Minister Chrétien and President Mandela, the Nigerian military regime executed writer Ken Saro Wiwa
and others. This precipitated Commonwealth action against Nigeria.
Prime Minister Chrétien proposed the establishment of Commonwealth mechanisms to respond to grave
governance problems. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), of which Canada is a member,
was established to investigate serious, persistent violations of the Harare Principles, adopted at the Harare
CHOGM in 1991. Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth "pending return to compliance with the
principles of the Harare Declaration".
Since its establishment, Canada has played a leadership role in CMAG. At the first CMAG meeting, my
predecessor Christine Stewart, in the face of stiff opposition, convinced the Group that both positive and
negative measures should be used to bring about change in Nigeria. Canada also convinced CMAG to hear
oral representations from Nigerian civil society and NGOs.
At the Edinburgh CHOGM, CMAG presented its report on Nigeria's violation of the Harare Principles of
democratic government, rule of law and independence of the judiciary, and respect for human rights. Heads of
Government agreed that if Nigeria did not present a credible program for the restoration of democracy,
expulsion from the Commonwealth would be considered.
In June 1998, the Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha died and Nigeria's transition to elected civilian rule, in line
with the Harare Principles, was hastened.
Throughout the CMAG process, Canada maintained a firm line based on the objective of bringing the
Nigerian government back to observance of the Harare Principles. I am happy to report that the present
Nigerian leadership appears determined to make Nigeria a model of good governance and respect for human
rights.
B: THE GREAT LAKES
If Nigeria can be considered a success in the international promotion of human rights and good governance,
the African Great Lakes region can be considered an area of considerable concern and instability. I preface my
comments on the region with two general remarks:
First, Canada believes that perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and other grave violations of
international law must be brought to justice. To have peace we must put an end to the culture of impunity.
Second, Canada is deeply concerned about the instability of the African Great Lakes region. Accordingly, we
continue to underline to all signatories of the Lusaka Accord the importance of respecting the terms of that
Accord in order to achieve peace in the region.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Canada is deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the DRC. The UN Special Rapporteur on
the DRC has reported ongoing and serious violations of human rights including harassment, arrest and
detention of members of human rights organizations; cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees; and
violations of rights to freedom of expression and opinion and of movement. Canada calls on all parties to put
an end to the systematic and massive violations of human rights in the DRC.
Canada co-sponsored a resolution in the UN General Assembly calling on all belligerents in the DRC to
respect the terms of the Lusaka Accord and to respect the human rights of the people of the DRC.
Canada wishes to play a more active role in Central Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. In support of the Lusaka Agreement, we have announced a $500 000 contribution to the Joint Military
Commission, established to oversee the implementation of the Agreement, $1 million in support of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, and $1 million in support of the National Commission for Demobilization and
Re-integration of Child Soldiers.
Restoring peace to the DRC will be a long and drawn-out process that will tax the resolve of the international
community.
Burundi
Canada has welcomed the nomination of Nelson Mandela as Facilitator of the Arusha Peace Process and
has contributed $1.275 million to this process in the belief that a negotiated political solution is the only means
of achieving a durable peace and the resumption of long-term, sustainable development in Burundi.
Through bilateral dialogue with the Government of Burundi and interventions in UN forums, Canada
continues to raise its concerns regarding the continuing violence against the civilian population, perpetrated by
all parties, and attacks on humanitarian workers.
By the same means, Canada urges all parties to the conflict in Burundi, including the armed groups, to:
conclude a cease-fire agreement as soon as possible; ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to
affected populations; ensure that refugees and internally displaced persons are protected and enabled to return
in safety to their homes; and provide guarantees for the safety, security and freedom of movement of United
Nations and associated personnel. Canada insists that all perpetrators of human rights and humanitarian law
violations be held accountable for their actions.
Canada also urges the Government of Burundi to abide by its decision to dismantle the regroupment camps,
in which it is estimated that over 850 000 persons are confined without access to the most basic of human
needs. Furthermore, soldiers have been looting abandoned properties and killing individuals found outside
these camps. Canada calls for full access to these camps by humanitarian workers and human rights
observers.
These comments outline our concerns for human rights in this troubled region and detail some of the actions
Canada has taken and is taking in support of human rights in these countries. But Canada is active also on a
number of issues which cut across geographical boundaries.
THEMES
1. WAR-AFFECTED CHILDREN
The plight of war-affected children, in particular the emerging trend of targeting children both as fighters and
as victims, is one of the most disturbing human security issues facing the world at the beginning of the 21st
century.
The issue of war-affected children is one of the priorities on Canada's human security agenda. Through
existing bilateral, regional and multilateral networks, Canada is an active player among a growing number of
countries committed to war-affected children.
Canada's overarching objective is to promote and protect the welfare and rights of war-affected children. This
includes:
- preventing the targeting of children in times of war;
- raising the minimum age for recruitment in armed forces and participation in combat; and
-demobilizing, rehabilitating and reintegrating war-affected children into their families and communities.
To this end, Canada has positioned itself to play a leadership role on the issue of war-affected children in two
central ways:
1. This April in Accra, Canada will co-host with the Government of Ghana a regional conference on war-affected children. The meeting will consider concrete measures with relevance for West Africa and undoubtedly
for the DRC and the Great Lakes region. The lessons learned from these measures will be shared and built
upon at a global conference to be hosted in Canada in September 2000.
2. The September conference in Canada will address the full range of problems of all war-affected children and
aims at producing a global plan of action to consolidate political and programmatic commitments to protect
children.
2. LANDMINES
As you know, Canada led the world in the fight against the use of landmines, which resulted in the Ottawa
Convention in December 1997. However, the Ottawa treaty is not Canada's achievement alone. I wish to pay
special tribute to the African NGOs and diplomats who assisted in this undertaking.
Africa has been at the forefront of the issue since the beginning of the Ottawa Process, from the leadership
role that South Africa undertook in the negotiation and drafting of the treaty, to Mozambique's hosting of the
First Meeting of States Parties.
Our shared pride in this achievement does not blind us to the fact that much remains to be done to bring the
Convention into force, and to ensure implementation. Canada and our African partners cannot wait for these
objectives to implement themselves, and we are not waiting.
There are now 137 signatories to the Ottawa treaty and 91 ratifications. We hope to achieve 100 ratifications
by March 1, 2000, the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention. We urge all African countries to
join those who have already acceded to the treaty.
In the meantime, work must continue on the removal of the millions of landmines which still lie in the ground
after decades of war and thousands of victims. Canada has pledged $100 million to this urgent humanitarian
effort, including $2 million committed to the United Nations. Significant portions of this budget will go to Africa
where over thirty million landmines, indiscriminately laid in rural fields and paths, kill and maim hundreds of
innocent victims in 18 countries.
3. ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN SMALL ARMS
The increasing illicit traffic in small arms is a major human security issue facing our modern world and one
which Canada has raised in several international forums.
In 2001, the UN will hold a major international conference on the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons
in all its aspects.
The Organization of African Unity (OAU) is formally co-ordinating the African input to the UN-sponsored
conference. Kenya will host a sub-regional small arms conference in advance of the OAU planned sub-regional
process. As there has been no previous activity on arms proliferation from a sub-regional perspective, this
conference will allow countries of the sub-region to meet and begin to frame a perspective. Outcomes of this
meeting will feed into the OAU preparatory process.
The objective of the Kenyan conference is to provide a forum to negotiate a common approach to combat the
accumulation and circulation of small arms that is currently evident in the African sub-region. It is also hoped
that the conference will contribute in a practical way to the search for peaceful resolutions to the conflicts in the
sub-region, and to the international initiatives underway on the issue of small arms.
Canada is working with the Government of Kenya on this issue and has provided support in the form of
expert advice and on-the-ground participation in the preparation of this conference. Of course, we will be
officially represented at the conference itself.
Thank you.