June 21, 1996 No. 118

GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO RECOMMENDATIONS

OF THE SECOND ANNUAL NATIONAL FORUM

ON CANADA'S INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy, Minister for International Trade Art Eggleton, and Minister for International Co-operation and Minister Responsible for la Francophonie Pierre S. Pettigrew today tabled before Parliament the Government's reply to the report of the Second Annual National Forum on Canada's International Relations. Held in Toronto in September 1995, the Forum's theme was "Canada and International Institutions."

In expressing its agreement with the main recommendations of the report, the Government affirms that international institutions must become more coherent, more efficient, more responsible and more transparent. The Government will continue to regard reform of the international financial institutions and of the United Nations as a priority. It will also place special emphasis on regional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Organization of American States (OAS), while reaffirming the importance of the Francophonie and the Commonwealth.

As for the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Government will place priority on applying the terms and conditions of the WTO, including the dispute settlement mechanism. The purpose is to establish a multilateral trade regime based on mutually agreed upon market access conditions and on trade rules that apply equitably to all the member countries.

In addition, as recommended by the Forum, the Government intends to make civilian peacekeeping a priority of its foreign policy. With this in mind, it intends to have non-governmental organizations play a larger part in developing strategies for conflict prevention and peacekeeping.

The annual Forum is part of the Government's commitment to seek greater public participation in formulating foreign policy.

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