NEWS RELEASESMarch 18, 1998 No. 58 AXWORTHY TO VISIT HUNGARY, BOSNIA AND THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN GENEVA Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy will visit Budapest, Hungary, Banja Luka and Sarajevo in Bosnia, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva from March 26 to 30. His visit will focus on the issues of anti-personnel (AP) mines, peacebuilding, and human rights. While in Budapest, on March 26, Minister Axworthy will meet with Foreign Minister Lazlo Kovacs, and is expected to meet with President Arpad Goncz, Prime Minister Gyula Horn, and President of the National Assembly Zoltan Gal. Mr. Axworthy will also address the Budapest Regional Conference on anti-personnel mines organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Committee to Ban Landmines, with the support of the host Hungarian government and Parliament. Representatives from Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine are expected to attend the conference. Experts from a number of non-governmental organizations will also participate. Conference discussions will focus on the key issue of military effectiveness versus the humanitarian impact of AP mines. "As a number of the conference's participant countries are not signatories to the Ottawa Treaty, it is crucial that we maintain an ongoing dialogue with them on the landmines issue in forums like this conference," Minister Axworthy said. Minister Axworthy will then travel to Bosnia to reinforce Canada's commitment to the Dayton Accords and to focus on demining issues. Mr. Axworthy is expected to meet with Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic and Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, and tour the Canadian area of operations of the NATO-led Stabilization Force on March 27. On March 28, Mr. Axworthy will meet with Bosnian Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic, Muslim-Croat Federation President Ejup Ganic, and Deputy High Representative Hanns Schumacher, and visit the United Nations Mine Action Centre. In Geneva, on March 30, Minister Axworthy will address the 54th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). The Commission, which this year meets from March 16 to April 24, has an extensive mandate that allows it to examine the whole spectrum of human rights issues. The 53 Member States of the Commission will scrutinize human rights conditions in at least 16 states and territories at this year's Commission, and consider a number of issues such as the rights of national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, and Indigenous Peoples. "This year's 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights marks a crossroads for Canada and the international community," said Mr. Axworthy. "Over the last 50 years, an impressive array of international human rights instruments have been developed. It is now time that Commission members move beyond setting standards and into implementing our human rights commitments." While in Geneva, Minister Axworthy will also meet with Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. - 30 - For further information, media representatives may contact:
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (613) 995-1851
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (613) 995-1874 This document is also available on the Department's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca |