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<html> <head> <meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8"> <title>MR. AXWORTHY - ADDRESS TO THEINTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ONUNIVERSAL RIGHTS AND HUMAN VALUES 'A BLUEPRINT FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND FREEDOM' - EDMONTON, ALBERTA</title> </head> <body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> 98/79 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE LLOYD AXWORTHY TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON UNIVERSAL RIGHTS AND HUMAN VALUES "A BLUEPRINT FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND FREEDOM" EDMONTON, Alberta November 27, 1998 (4:15 p.m. EST) This document is also available on the Department's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca Human rights have been much in the news recently. During his visit to Asia this month, Prime Minister Chrétien highlighted the human rights dimension of our foreign policy. He called attention to some of Canadians' concerns on repressive governments. This week, the visit to Canada of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, has further focused attention on international human rights challenges. Two days ago, the British House of Lords denied Chilean General Augusto Pinochet immunity from prosecution for serious human rights violations. This is a milestone decision. It marks a major step in the battle against impunity and gives renewed impetus to the creation of an International Criminal Court. For this reason, today's conference is both opportune and timely. It allows us to put these developments in the perspective of international human rights as they have evolved over the last 50 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The world is a different place than it was 50, 25 or even 10 years ago. Over the past decade, the course of global events has shifted from the stale impasse of the Cold War to a new, evolving, still uncertain path towards the next century. The face of war has changed -- civilians, especially the most vulnerable, are increasingly the main victims and targets of violent conflict. Many of the challenges we face are transnational: protection of children, arms proliferation, illicit drugs. These threats have no borders and yet have a direct impact on daily lives everywhere. In a wired world of instantaneous communications and a global economy, our lives are more interdependent than ever. We continue to grapple with how to deal with these changes. However, one thing is certain. These new realities put the individual -- the security of the individual -- at the centre of our concerns. As a result, promoting humanitarian objectives -- increasing protection from abuse, reducing risks of physical endangerment, improving quality of life, and creating the tools to guarantee these goals -- are providing a new impetus for concerted global action today. It is within this context that Canada has been reshaping and refocusing our foreign policy priorities. We are increasingly occupied with issues that strike directly home to the individual, and we are taking a more human security-centred approach to our global relations. This year of human rights milestones is an occasion to underline the role human rights play in shaping the human security agenda and how they can move it forward. Indeed, the protection of the human being and the advancement of human dignity is what human security is about, and is what provides the foundation for our evolving human security policy. We have built an impressive international human rights record. Since Canadian John Humphrey drafted the first version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Canada has played a prominent role in advancing, defending and expanding the reach of human rights at the UN and elsewhere on the international stage. First, we have worked hard to strengthen the human rights system, notably, through the creation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and support for human rights treaty bodies. At the United Nations, we proposed and moved forward the creation of special rapporteurs to focus on specific threats such as freedom of opinion and expression, and violence against women. We advocated the inclusion of women's human rights as an integral part of the global human rights agenda. And we obtained international agreement on a binding convention to protect human rights defenders. Certainly, these achievements were made in partnership with others. However, we can be justifiably proud of the Canadian contribution in giving form and life to the lofty principles of the Universal Declaration.They reflect an impulse for tolerance, democracy and respect -- important features of Canadians' nature. They also highlight our belief in shared values and standards as well as a sense of a common human community. The Universal Declaration has served as the model for an expanding web of international human rights norms and mechanisms. The assertion of state sovereignty -- which for so long served as a pretext to hide human rights abuses -- is losing its potency and credibility. Some states have shown a new willingness to accept scrutiny of their human rights records. International organizations are finding new courage to probe with the deployment of on-site visits by monitors and special rapporteurs and international human rights offices in the field . Undeniably, there has been progress since the Universal Declaration was concluded. And there are positive trends. However, our approach to human rights must continue to evolve. Our human rights activities must keep pace with the changes around. As Prime Minister Chrétien noted recently, the respect for human rights is an increasingly crucial factor in stability, security and good governance everywhere -- and upon which our own well-being resides. For these reasons, we must attempt to broaden the range and scope of human rights initiatives. This means sustaining efforts at the United Nations, while making new efforts at the regional and bilateral level. This means mainstreaming human rights into all other aspects of our global activities. This means establishing and expanding partnerships with civil society. Finally, this means developing innovative tools with which to advance human rights goals. Canada, as a member of the bureau of the UN Commission on Human Rights this year, is working with the Office of the High Commissioner to ensure that the international human rights mechanisms are strong enough to fulfil the tasks we have given them. This week, Canada announced a $500 000 contribution to the work of the High Commissioner in Colombia to build lasting peace by strengthening human rights. We will maintain our active engagement at the United Nations to ensure human rights decisions are implemented effectively. We must also pursue human rights goals at the regional level. In the Americas, we have made human rights and democracy a central pillar of the Summit of the Americas process as well as at the OAS [Organization of American States]. At the APEC Summit in Kuala Lumpur, we proposed including a human dimension into APEC deliberations. We will pursue this concept further. And in the Commonwealth, through the CMAG [Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group], we are working with others to advance democracy in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. We have reached out at the bilateral level too, retooling our approach with a number of countries to develop civil society initiatives, construct democratic institutions and engage in serious human rights dialogue. This is the objective behind the establishment of bilateral human rights mechanisms with countries such as China, Cuba and Indonesia. Such agreements have led to substantive engagement on human rights issues and the opportunity to invest in building up human rights groups and institutions in these countries. For instance, with China, we have created a Joint Committee on Human Rights. It recently met in Winnipeg and Whitehorse to exchange views on a range of human rights issues. We held a pluralateral symposium on human rights, which included independent human rights institutions from the region. We are currently working on projects relating to legal reform and economic, social and cultural rights. As we broaden the "where" of human rights, we must also work on the "how" by integrating human rights concerns into other areas of foreign policy, including peace and security, disarmament, development and trade. The respect for human rights is an important condition for lasting peace and security. Canada takes it seat on the Security Council in January. This week, I discussed with High Commissioner Robinson how we can push for a more human-centred approach to the Council's peace and security mandate. Human rights and humanitarian concerns should be better woven into the Council's activities, for example, through greater consideration of the impact of conflict on civilians. Elsewhere, we are building on our traditional commitment to peacekeeping to include human rights and humanitarian assistance components in peace support operations. The OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Kosovo Mission, involving military, civilian police and human rights monitors working side-by-side, is only the most recent example. The landmines treaty points to a new norm for global efforts in the area of disarmament. Concern about the devastating impact of these weapons on human security provided the main motivation for international action. For the first time, arms control concerns were combined with elements of humanitarian and human rights law. Canada has been looking at international development assistance through a human rights lens. Our development assistance includes extensive programming -- $62 million last year through 460 projects -- in support of human rights goals and democratic development -- the emergence of participatory and pluralistic societies, for governments that respect the rule of law and human rights, and through activities that promote economic, social, cultural rights, civil and political rights. Perhaps the most contentious area in terms of mainstreaming human rights is the relationship between trade and human rights. The issue has never been a crude trade-off between promoting commerce or human rights. They are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing. The promotion of good governance, democracy and human rights are essential to the creation of a climate for sustainable economic development which benefits everyone. Economic prosperity in turn enhances the prospects for stable societies that allow human rights to flourish. The Asian crisis shows what can happen when this equation is out of balance. Almost three years ago when I addressed our annual consultations with NGOs [non-governmental organizations] for the first time, I underlined the need to fold human concerns into commercial and financial issues. This is still the case. But we have been making progress. We have been working to establish rules strengthening the link between trade and the respect for human rights. At the ILO [International Labour Organization], Canada worked actively for the adoption of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We support OECD [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development] efforts to examine corporate codes for the ethical conduct of business abroad while working with Canadian businesses to facilitate the development of voluntary codes of conduct. I mentioned our efforts at APEC to address the human face of the crisis and to make globalization work better.The human impact, whether of financial crises or trade liberalization, cannot be ignored. Just this week, I met with the Canadian directors at the IFIs [International Financial Institutions] about how to reinforce good governance and democracy as a consideration in lending decisions. And we need to better and more actively integrate human concerns into international forums dealing with commerce and trade. This is not utopian nonsense -- it is simply good business sense. Human rights concerns are climbing out of their traditional box. As we integrate human rights concerns into other areas of international activities we must also expand our horizons for co-operation. The cast of actors on the international scene is expanding. States now share the stage with a growing number of NGOs, business associations and individuals. These actors can play a positive role, bringing new tools, resources and experience to the table. New, creative partnerships with civil society are needed to move forward human security goals, including the international human rights agenda. A few examples come to mind. In regions where there is no intergovernmental human rights infrastructure -- Asia for instance -- regional networks of human rights defenders can help create a space for discussion of human rights. In isolationist regimes where human rights abuses might otherwise remain invisible -- Burma, for instance, or Nigeria under the former regime -- it is human rights NGOs that get information out to the international community and insist on action. And in Cuba, we are working to expand the capacity for local NGOs to advance human rights goals. In many cases, government channels are still the best route for addressing human rights concerns and for pressing human rights themes onto the international agenda. However, in other instances, NGOs will be better placed than governments to make inroads and build local capacity for human rights. Our past experience has provided valuable lessons about creating effective partnerships in the future. One of the most important is that those who have the most at stake should be closely involved. The most compelling voices during the landmines campaign were those of the landmines survivors. The most powerful advocates against child labour are the children who have suffered through it. That is why Canada is committed to capacity building in the field of human rights -- to ensure the vulnerable and the disenfranchised can find empowerment and express their voice. In Indonesia, for example, through the Canadian Human Rights Commission, we have fostered the growth of an independent human rights institution. But we need to build capacity at home, too, something we have been doing through the Youth Internship Program and CANADEM, our stand-by force of human rights experts, ready to be deployed around the world. The human rights of populations living in countries emerging from or at risk of conflict are particularly vulnerable. That is why in 1996 we launched the Canadian Peacebuilding Initiative. It has supported over 40 projects, from Central America to the African Great Lakes region to East Asia. The aim is to rebuild institutions and societies thereby allowing countries to deal with conflict before it spills over into violence and leads to human rights abuses. New global instruments that expand the reach of international criminal law will also serve to advance international humanitarian and human rights law. The other side of human security is human responsibility. The situation of General Pinochet has renewed focus on the problem of impunity for serious violations of international humanitarian law. Impunity impedes reconciliation -- a prerequisite for lasting peace. Sooner or later, the unresolved will resurface. The expectation of impunity also encourages violators. It is an Achilles heel in efforts to promote human rights. The decision of the House of Lords makes clear the global dimension of this challenge and our collective responsibility to address the issue. It is precisely with this in mind that Canada is working to establish the International Criminal Court. The time has come for a permanent institution to deter some of the most egregious breaches of humanitarian law. The Court will help ensure the respect for fundamental minimum standards of humanity. It will be an effective tool to ensure that those who commit abuses are held accountable. The Pinochet decision reaffirms the need for an International Court to help develop a framework with which national courts can work. We recognize the need to constantly re-evaluate and reassess our approaches. To that end, I announced an examination of our human rights strategy last December. The objective was not to prepare another report but to launch on ongoing dialogue -- with the NGO community in particular -- to maintain an open-ended process to reformulate and recalibrate our human rights approaches. This leads me to identify those areas that we believe need greater attention and resolution: 1) Children's rights. In an uncertain world it is the most vulnerable, in particular children, who are most at risk and who pay the highest price, and, as a result, require special attention. Three issues are of particular concern: sexual exploitation, child labour and war-affected children. We are working to conclude a Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to address sexual exploitation while we attempt to better implement our own domestic legislation. Concerning child labour, efforts are underway at the ILO to develop a new Convention eliminating the worst forms of child labour. At the same time, we will continue to pursue efforts to involve the private sector more actively in the development of codes of conduct. Our approach to war- affected children is multidimensional with a focus on issues relating to child soldiers. And, in all areas, peacebuilding and development projects are underway to meet the needs of children victimized and traumatized by these abuses. 2) Freedom of religion and belief. The reaction of some to the stresses of a world in transition is to retreat to more traditional, sometimes extreme, values as a way of asserting their identities. Freedom of religion appears particularly vulnerable in situations like these. No faith is exempt. And wherever religious intolerance appears -- as it has recently in different forms in Indonesia, Russia, India or Iran -- it must be opposed. We are pursuing the issue on several fronts. This will be a priority subject at our consultations with NGOs next February in preparation for the UN Human Rights Commission. In the coming months, the Centre for Foreign Policy Development is supporting a number of roundtables with Canadian civil society to address different aspects. As a follow-up to the Oslo interfaith Declaration, we have been exploring a partnership on religious freedom with Norway -- at both the government and civil society levels. Finally, the subject is part of the agenda in our bilateral human rights dialogues with China, Indonesia and Cuba. We are working hard to foster dialogue between Chinese and Canadian civil society groups. In Cuba, the progress made by the Catholic Church -- most recently, authorization for 40 foreign religious workers to come to Cuba -- results in no small part from the emphasis Canada and others have put on the issue. 3) Freedom of the media. The media remains at risk either by its use as an instrument for hate and division or through efforts to suppress access. And we do not need to look far for examples. Last week in British Columbia, newspaper editor Tara Singh Hayer was slain defending the right to free media here in Canada. We must remain vigilant in exposing violations while taking measures to defend the principle of an independent media and the security of the individuals at risk. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression was created for this purpose. These efforts need to be complemented by concrete assistance in nurturing free and independent media. To this end, we have supported projects through the Canadian Peacebuilding Initiative in Bosnia, South Africa and, most recently, on the margins of APEC where we are supporting the initiation of a regional network of journalists to defend and promote free media in the region. If "the medium is the message," diversity in the medium is essential. Yet in an increasingly interconnected world, ownership of the medium is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. We need to be wary that the range of information, opinion and viewpoints -- the messages -- are not diminished as a result. 4) The challenges of new information technologies. While the information superhighway can transport the best, it can also transport the worst. Hate speech, child pornography and child prostitution have moved onto the Internet.They have to be dislodged.The aim is not to control the Internet per se, but to take aim at those who would misuse it for criminal and other illegal activities that can hurt or harm. Some months ago, I received a wonderful gift, a talking stick, from Phil Fontaine, the head of Canada's Assembly of First Nations. It is a millennia-old technology. When handed to a speaker, it is supposed to imbue that person's words with courage, honesty and wisdom. We must sustain efforts to ensure that today's talking stick -- cyberspace technology and the Internet -- contribute to the common good and advance human rights while denied to those who would foment hatred, crime or exploitation. The Human Rights Web site created by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and its hyperlinks to our new report -- For the Record 1997: The UN Human Rights System -- developed with Human Rights Internet is a contribution to this effort. For 50 years, Canada's commitment to advancing international human rights has been clear and consistent. We have accomplished a good deal. This legacy has helped to shape the human security approach to our foreign policy. Canada's human rights policy is an indispensable part of moving the human security agenda forward. Our objective now is to adapt this policy to keep up with and make the most of a changing global environment. I have outlined some of the emerging challenges and some of the ways we are responding. Canada has a special role to play. Given our own record, we can employ soft power levers -- influencing events by using attractive ideas, and using shared values and partnerships -- to promote human rights around the world. "Ce sera là une grande aventure" -- this will be a great adventure. These words were addressed to John Humphrey convincing him to work on human rights at the United Nations. The 50th anniversary of that inspirational document is an appropriate occasion to reflect on the achievements, struggles and lessons learned in moving human rights forward. And to think about how to continue "the great adventure." Thank you. </body> </html>

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