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<html> <head> <meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8"> <title>MR. AXWORTHY - ADDRESS TO THE CANADIAN COMMISSION FOR UNESCOANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY - OTAWA, ONTARIO</title> </head> <body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> 99/25 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE LLOYD AXWORTHY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE CANADIAN COMMISSION FOR UNESCO ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY OTTAWA, Ontario March 26, 1999 (1:30 p.m. EST) "Since war begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defence of peace must be constructed." Over a half-century has passed since these familiar words were inscribed in the constitution of UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]. Promoting global peace and security through the well-being of the individual remains at the heart of what UNESCO represents. Since its inception, UNESCO has worked from the premise that peace cannot rest simply on political and economic accords between governments, but must be based on the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind. In the modern information age, the heart and soul of UNESCO's mission -- peace through science, education and culture and communications -- remains as relevant and as attainable as ever. The tools now at our disposal -- the Internet, satellites, telecommunications -- are tailor-made for this purpose. Used positively, these technologies can build new links and create new bridges for understanding while breaking down traditional barriers that lead to mistrust, prejudice and conflict. We have an unprecedented opportunity to reach the minds of all people and to make real progress in constructing peace as envisaged by UNESCO's founders. The concept of building a culture of peace -- adopted as the leitmotif for UNESCO's activities -- is therefore a logical, timely and welcome development. The objectives behind this concept -- "universal values of respect for life, liberty, justice, solidarity, tolerance for human rights and equality" -- will sound familiar to those who have followed the evolution of human security in Canada's foreign policy. I am very pleased, therefore, to have the opportunity to speak to you today about the human security agenda and to comment on the links between human security, the concept of the culture of peace, and Canada's participation in UNESCO. UNESCO's culture of peace (an idea originating in Africa in 1989) and the human security agenda share the same beginning: the end of the Cold War and the rise of globalization. Together these events have precipitated a dramatic transformation in the international environment. Notwithstanding the uncertainties, one truth has emerged with considerable clarity: global peace -- how it is defined, how it is threatened, how it is pursued -- is increasingly conditioned by the security of individuals. Armed conflict remains, as always, the most immediate threat to stability. However, its most prominent feature now is its human cost. Civilians are overwhelmingly the victims, targets and instruments. They are the losers from the rise in intrastate conflict or failed states, which in some cases allow for the emergence of modern day warlords. They bear the brunt of the new practices of war -- for example, the deplorable use of child soldiers. And they carry scars from the inexpensive and all-too-readily-available weapons of modern war, such as landmines and military small arms and light weapons. Civilians also pay a heavy price through the abuse of information and the misuse of the means of communication. And the toll can be staggering. In Rwanda, radio broadcasts were used to incite ethnic hatred, directly contributing to the genocide. In the Balkans, state-controlled media has been misused as an instrument to prey on traditional fears, to foment prejudice, to reinforce stereotypes and to promote extreme and exclusionary nationalism -- the results of which we have all been tragically witness to. This civilianization of conflict has led to human tragedies of devastating proportions and brutality: the exploitation of civilians, massive refugee flows and the grossest violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including genocide. At the same time, it is these human tragedies that increasingly seize our attention and serve as the impetus for global action. The crisis in Kosovo is a stark example. It is the humanitarian crisis there -- the plight of thousands of innocent civilians, deprived of their livelihood and chased from their homes, with many hundreds beaten and massacred -- that demands a response from the international community and that has precipitated NATO action this week. Alongside violent conflict, there are a number of less traditional threats, multifaceted threats -- the darker side of globalization -- that also put human security directly at risk. They include environmental degradation, illicit drug production and trafficking, and terrorism. The information superhighway for all its potential for good has also been used for evil -- to transmit hate speech and propaganda or to promote child pornography and prostitution. The impact of these threats on ordinary lives -- on all our lives -- is very real. In a wired world of instantaneous communication, rapid transportation and increasingly porous borders, our lives are interconnected as never before. The security or insecurity of others is very much our own security or insecurity. Human security is thus a new ground zero for concerted global action. If we are serious about global peace and security, we must take human security seriously. That is why human security has become a central element in Canada`s foreign policy -- in the initiatives we take, the themes we promote, the partnerships we pursue both new and old, and the methods we use -- soft and hard power. At its core, the human security agenda is an effort to construct a global society in which the safety and well-being of the individual is an international priority and a motivating force for international action, a society in which international humanitarian standards and the rule of law are advanced, woven into a coherent web protecting the individual, where those who violate these standards are held fully accountable and, finally, a society in which our global, regional and bilateral institutions -- present and future -- are built and equipped to promote and enforce these standards. In short, the aim is to develop a culture of human rights, very close in fact to the goals of the culture of peace. An ambitious agenda certainly, but not necessarily unrealistic. The human-centred approach to our foreign policy has in fact produced concrete results in responding to the new global realities. Last summer, the international community adopted the Statute of the International Criminal Court. This milestone achievement will help to deter some of the most egregious breaches of international humanitarian law. It breaks new ground in addressing the particular plight of women and children. It creates new binding standards of human behaviour that are a guide for the future. Last month, at Canada's initiative, the United Nations Security Council examined the need to protect civilians in armed conflict. This is part of our effort to integrate human security issues into the Council's activities. As a result, Secretary-General Annan is producing a concrete list of recommendations on how the Council can act more effectively. This month, Nigerians went to the polls to elect the first democratic government in 20 years. Canadians can take some satisfaction in this development. With our Commonwealth partners, Canada was in the forefront of efforts to bring democracy back to Africa's most populous country. In Algeria, Bosnia, Cambodia, Guatemala and around the globe, through our peacebuilding initiative Canada is supporting efforts to strengthen democracy and reconstruct societies and lives damaged by war. This month also, the Ottawa Convention banning the production, use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines became part of international law. Canadians and people around the world rightly celebrated this achievement. We are not "home free," but the results are indisputable: 14.5 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed, there has been a dramatic slowdown in international trade in these weapons, and close to 100 new mine action projects have been launched in 25 countries. We have also been using culture and education in new ways and taking advantage of the information technologies that I mentioned earlier to move human security forward. For example, the Cultural Initiatives for War-Affected Children Program -- launched last July -- is aimed at helping children traumatized by conflict and raising awareness about their situation by promoting cultural activities at the international level. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's human rights Web site including For the Record: The United Nations Human Rights System -- a unique compilation of the work of the United Nations human rights system -- uses the Internet to serve the needs of human rights defenders and citizens interested in human rights. Through the Canadian Youth International Internship program, young Canadians are helping human rights NGOs around the world to use technology better. Through our peacebuilding initiative, we have helped legislators in South Africa use teleconferencing to build their democracy. At UNESCO, we are examining ways to stop child pornography on the Net. All of these achievements reflect progress in creating a culture of peace and promoting human security -- by all accounts, this is an approach firmly supported by Canadians. We have never been more self-confident about our place in the world. Eighty percent of Canadians believe that Canada has more influence today than 30 years ago. Over 64 percent of Canadians feel prouder about our international role now than 5 years ago, and 68 percent rate foreign policy as a top priority for the Government of Canada. This is perhaps because the human security agenda is one that promotes Canadian interests while projecting Canadian values: Canadians are perhaps the most travelled people anywhere, which means that we are also vulnerable. Canada's economy depends in large measure on global trade and investments, which means that our prosperity is susceptible to international instability. Canada is an open society with a vast geography, which means that we are exposed to the dangers of terrorism, illicit drugs and international crime. Canadians are donors, which means that we devote significant resources to assisting the victims of conflicts far from our shores. It is therefore indisputably in Canadians' interest to be engaged in the search for solutions promoting the security of individuals elsewhere. We do so in order to establish a more secure, receptive, less expensive, cleaner and healthier world in which Canadians can prosper. However, the human security agenda is more than enlightened self-interest. It is an approach to the world that also very much reflects Canadian values and experience. It is a direct expression of how the Canadian talents of accommodation, negotiation and goodwill seeking to overcome differences -- leading to a unified, tolerant Canada -- have application and use internationally. It reflects the principles that Canadians have used to build our country: the rule of law, democracy, respect for civil society and tolerance of differences. It is the projection on the world stage of a history and tradition that have allowed Canadians to build a unique, dynamic society where our diverse cultural heritage has not only been protected but has flourished and celebrated both at home and abroad. Canada's participation in UNESCO not only demonstrates these interests and values in action; it shows how they serve all Canadians. By definition, the issues UNESCO addresses -- science, education and culture -- require wide consultation and co-operation among Canadians at the federal and provincial levels. Civil society -- the artistic, academic and scientific community -- has a unique role to play as well. It is a process that reflects our diversity and one that I personally welcome and appreciate. That is why the Canadian Commission for UNESCO -- this Assembly and its work -- is central to Canada's commitment to the Organization and its programs. Unique in composition and role, it provides guidance and recommendations on the direction of Canada's activity at UNESCO. That is why Canada's delegation at UNESCO, including our current Ambassador Jacques Demers, maintains such close, active contacts at all levels of government and throughout Canadian society. Indeed, Ambassador Demers has recently undertaken visits to all the provinces and territories to consult on UNESCO-related issues. That is why Canadian delegations to UNESCO conferences are sometimes led by provincial officials. This was the case last year when British Columbia's Minister of Advanced Education, Training and Technology headed Canada's delegation to the UNESCO Conference on Higher Education in Paris. It was the case in 1997 when Quebec's Minister of Education did the same at the UNESCO Conference on Adult Education in Hamburg. That is why, in light of provincial jurisdiction, for example, in the areas of culture and education, every effort is made to consult, co-operate with and invite Canadian provinces to join -- and indeed even lead -- Canada's representation at relevant UNESCO meetings and conferences. This co-operation reflects an extensive network of mechanisms for federal-provincial consultation. Almost no day passes without a meeting taking place at which federal and provincial representatives discuss and work out common Canadian approaches on various international matters. But the fact is that at UNESCO, only sovereign states can be members. This is not a Canadian invention. All UNESCO member states, including federal states in a situation similar to Canada's, respect this. And regardless of who intervenes, for example, on behalf of Spain, Belgium and Germany, they do so in that country's name; likewise Canadians from all provinces and territories have, should and will continue to do no more or less. This flexible, consultative way in which we approach our representation may be a creature of necessity and indeed is not without its challenges. It is nevertheless the hallmark of Canada's pragmatic involvement in UNESCO. And it has worked in all our interests. At UNESCO as elsewhere, speaking with a united Canadian voice has enhanced, not diminished, the power and influence of our individual voices, however distinct. If the way Canada participates at UNESCO reflects the Canadian experience, the Organization's objectives are closely linked to our own goals. There is a strong fit between the concept of the culture of peace and Canada's human security agenda. Both make peace and security their primary objective through the well-being and development of the individual. In order for UNESCO to put these ideals into action, the Organization must be capable of delivering the goods. For that reason, Canada has been a leader in the Organization's reform process. It is aimed at keeping UNESCO relevant, making it more responsive and giving it the kind of structure and programming it needs to respond to the challenges ahead. UNESCO has one of the largest budgets of the agencies in the UN system. In co-operation with the UNESCO Secretariat and other delegations, we are working to ensure that these resources are used as effectively and efficiently as possible. There has been good progress to this end and in focussing the Organization's activities -- through a more results-based management practice, more coherent follow-up to projects and the beginning of more flexible long-term planning. But more must be done, including greater balance between the three pillars of the Organization. The year 2000 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of the Culture of Peace. The UNESCO General Conference this spring is a turning point in the Organization's history as member states meet to help set the direction for the Organization's future. Your gathering therefore takes on particular importance, and your recommendations this year will be especially pertinent in guiding Canada's actions. The concurrent exercise by the Canadian Commission to restructure itself to meet those challenges is most welcome Firmly grounded in our interests and shaped by our values, the human security agenda is a Canadian response to a rapidly changing world. We have made some progress toward creating a society where global peace and human security are synonymous and mutually reinforcing. I believe this human security agenda finds expression at UNESCO, where it clearly resonates with UNESCO's culture of peace. Looking ahead, I encourage you to consider during the course of your deliberations how we might build on this philosophical connection and use our presence at UNESCO to develop further concrete links. Thank you. </body> </html>

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