April 3, 1996 No. 57

GOVERNMENT TO ACT AGAINST CHILD SEX-TOURISM

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."

"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.

Mr. Axworthy made the announcement in Geneva, where he was addressing the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

"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."

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.

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.

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For further information media representatives may contact:

Catherine Lappe

Director of Communications

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

Jennifer Lang

Minister's Office

Department of Justice

(613) 992-4621

Lucie Angers

Department of Justice

(613) 957-4750