Notes for an Address by the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States

Washington D.C., February 11, 2000

It is an honour to address you today at this session of the OAS Permanent Council.

During a recent visit to the Caribbean and South America, I had the privilege of meeting Gabriel Garc�a Marquez. He remarked to me that when he is travelling in rural Colombia, villagers accost him and tell him that the magical, fantastic and unpredictable events in his fictional town of Macondo are humdrum compared with the reality they encounter daily.

It strikes me that this observation holds true for the reality of our experience throughout the Americas. From Ungava in Canada's Far North to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina, the creativity, diversity and complexity of our hemisphere is undeniable and marvellous.

There is also much that binds us together - for example, the immigrant experience. This was brought home to me last month when I was warmly welcomed by the Welsh community in Argentina, where ancestors of mine lived before emigrating to Canada.

From these differences and commonalities, we in the Americas have built vibrant societies. Whether as Indigenous people or as relative newcomers from Europe, Asia and Africa, we have shared the hemisphere - not always easily, but certainly in a way that distinguishes the Americas from the rest of the world, that gives us unique perspectives and that makes us well placed to lead in addressing the challenges of the new century.

Throughout the hemisphere there is an increased desire to take advantage of these common ties for mutual benefit. When I speak with my counterparts, the conversation invariably turns to the notion that we need to reinforce the ties uniting us, to be more connected with each other, and to break down the old barriers of national borders, language and culture.

And there is little choice but to do so. Many of the threats we confront - such as the scourge of illicit drugs, the abuse of small arms and light weapons - are interconnected and already transcend frontiers. Many of the problems we have - such as the need to ensure the participation of all sectors in society's progress - are familiar to everyone. Many of the challenges we face - such as strengthening governance and human rights - are ones we all share.

All of these issues have a direct impact on people, in one way or another affecting their well-being or safety. At the same time, human security is central to the stability of our societies and fundamental to the prosperity of our hemisphere. Consequently, the focus of our common, hemispheric efforts needs to be on protecting people from threats. In other words, our focus should be on putting people first.

This means our collective institutions - with the OAS heading the list - should adapt to the demands of the human security agenda. And the Organization is already on the right track: it is proving increasingly responsive and flexible, particularly under the guidance of Secretary-General Gaviria.

We need to continue building an OAS for the new century, not the last one. With that goal, Canadians look forward to hosting the General Assembly this June in Windsor, Ontario. We are confident that Windsor will serve as another step in the process of renewal. As part of that effort, I will invite foreign ministers to participate in a general dialogue on human security, to take place on the first morning of the General Assembly.

In advance of this discussion and the General Assembly, I would like to outline today the challenges I see in the three areas of enhancing security, promoting inclusion and strengthening governance. I will also reflect on the Organization's role in responding to the challenges.

Enhancing Security

Without a doubt, maintaining peace between states remains a key security concern in our hemisphere as elsewhere. In the Americas, the OAS must retain its traditional role in helping to resolve interstate conflict. Last year, the Organization helped consolidate a peace agreement between Ecuador and Peru. Through demining efforts, it remains active in implementing the agreement.

Ambassador Luigi Einaudi, the Secretary-General's special representative, helped lower tensions between Nicaragua and Honduras and continues to work with the parties toward a permanent solution.

However, it is equally evident that threats to our security are evolving. They are often inter-related and have a direct impact on individuals. As a result, they demand innovative, people-oriented solutions.

The drug trade, for example, is stimulated by growing consumption and supply throughout the hemisphere. It feeds corruption and distorts value systems, benefits the money launderers, supports an illegal trade in small arms, and even sustains guerrilla and paramilitary forces. Over time the dynamics of the drug problem may have changed but our citizens continue to pay the human, economic and social costs.

Through the development of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), CICAD [the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission] has proven that our institutions can respond. The Ministerial drug dialogue process, initiated by Canada last year, was an effort to complement CICAD by bringing a human security focus to this major hemispheric threat.

As a follow-up to both the drug dialogue and my January meeting with a number of CARICOM [Caribbean Community] foreign ministers, I am examining means to strengthen the Internet-based system originally developed by CICAD with the aim of reinforcing Caribbean efforts to combat the trafficking in, and abuse of, illicit drugs. Such a system would provide the information needed for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. It would also facilitate the exchange of information on experiences and best practices.

The drug problem is most keenly felt by the least fortunate: the street children, the dispossessed who must live with its impact every day. Their voices need to be heard and their experiences shared. Using high and low tech, we need to find creative ways to bring the drug dialogue from the chanceries to the streets and to help the victims of drugs in the process.

Our youth suffer disproportionately from conflict and violence. Some lose their families and end up on the streets. Others are physically and psychologically abused. Still others lose all landmarks of normalcy: their schools, their homes, their parks and playgrounds. Whether they are street children, victims of sexual exploitation or child soldiers, the security of so many of our children and youth is at risk.

The condition of war-affected children is particularly acute. That is why Canada worked hard on the recently concluded Protocol on recruitment and deployment of child soldiers (and allow me here to welcome Colombia's decision to retire all of its military personnel under the age of 18). That is also why Canada will host an international conference later this year to address the problem and find solutions. Children in this hemisphere continue to suffer as a result of past and current conflict. Some of our countries also have considerable experience coping with the challenges - experience that might be used to help children elsewhere.

Canada will therefore propose that a strong resolution be adopted at Windsor calling for the participation of all countries of the Americas in working on specific measures to protect war-affected children in the hemisphere.

A hemispheric security review was mandated by our leaders at the Santiago Summit, and it is now under consideration by the OAS Hemispheric Security Committee. This is further evidence of willingness to adapt our security structures to the new realities. The review must proceed flexibly, bring civilian and military authorities to the same table, and focus attention on human security threats as well as traditional security concerns.

Promoting Inclusion

All of our citizens must be able to live in societies that reflect their interests, satisfy their legitimate aspirations and guarantee real participation in the political, economic and social life of our countries. This is a cornerstone of human security. Yet this basis patently does not exist in some of our societies and it certainly could be strengthened in all of them.

Globalization offers many advantages but it can exacerbate the problems: its benefits may bypass large segments of our populations and its frantic pace may leave already marginal groups even further behind. The impact is clearly being felt in our own hemisphere in such forms as increasingly uneven distribution of income, skewed access to the tools of progress, and disenchantment with the market system. I believe we need to find an opportunity to discuss the impact of the darker side of globalization on our societies.

In the meantime, the OAS - indeed, the entire family of inter-American institutions - must endeavour to reflect the needs of all sectors of our societies.

From Patagonia to Nunavut, Indigenous peoples are often the most marginalized and at-risk groups. Negotiations are moving forward on the proposed Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Populations, including the full and effective involvement of Indigenous peoples.

Strengthening the impact of the adoption of the Declaration would be institutional renewal of the Inter-American Indian Institute [III]. At the Secretary-General's request and in partnership with Mexico, the Government of Canada and the Canadian Assembly of First Nations (under the leadership of National Chief Phil Fontaine) are prepared to consult with both states and Indigenous peoples about revitalizing the Institute. Our hope is to see a proposal at Windsor for a renewed Institute that could help respond to the real needs of Indigenous peoples.

Promoting gender equality and women's human rights is also essential. Canada strongly supports the efforts by the Inter-American Commission of Women to place a gender perspective in the mainstream of OAS activities, and we endorse the hiring of women for OAS executive positions. This April, Washington will be the site for the first-ever meeting of hemispheric ministers responsible for the status of women. The meeting will endorse the Inter-American Program on Women's Human Rights and Gender Equality. This is an important step forward. We will have an opportunity to review progress at Windsor.

We ignore civil society at our peril; Seattle showed us why. The adoption by the OAS of guidelines for civil society participation makes clear that this Organization has anticipated the need to engage new partners. Including civil society partners is essential to making our hemispheric institutions more relevant to the needs of our citizens. Non-governmental actors - with their viewpoints, their special expertise, their resources - can play an important role in realizing common goals and ensuring the future vitality of our Organization.

Canada already consults widely in the development of our own hemispheric policy. We are bringing this spirit of partnership to Windsor. In collaboration with the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, Canada's International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development will hold a three-day conference to coincide with the General Assembly, on the topic of "Hemispheric Integration and Democracy in the Americas." I will address the conference and I hope other foreign ministers and delegates will join me.

The process of inclusion applies between states as well as within them. In that regard, the interests of small states cannot be ignored by larger ones. The work of the OAS Trade Unit - initiated by Canada and others - has proven useful in aiding smaller states in trade negotiations, particularly in the context of the FTAA [Free Trade Area of the Americas].

This type of assistance by the OAS should be reinforced. Last year's drug dialogue session focussed attention on the disproportionate impact of the illicit drug trade on the small island states of the Caribbean, and smaller countries in Central and South America. The Internet connectivity project I referred to earlier is an example of concrete assistance that can develop as a result. Efforts to promote the inclusion of all the hemisphere's small states must go further. They deserve a greater voice in the Organization itself.

Strengthening Governance

If inclusion is a cornerstone of human security, the bricks and mortar are promoting democratic values, tolerance, respect for human rights, and stable political institutions. In this regard, we have had much to celebrate in the past decade.

Yet recent events in Ecuador give us pause to reflect. The hemisphere responded rapidly and resolutely. The OAS sent a strong message that constitutional governance was of the utmost importance, and it played a leading role in ensuring the continuation of civilian rule.

Nevertheless, Ecuador's situation underlines the fragility of governance there and elsewhere in the hemisphere. Where support is needed, the OAS should help. That was one of the purposes behind the establishment of the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy. Indeed, effective hemispheric institutions and initiatives can go a long way toward building stable, coherent, national institutions - and vice versa.

This symbiotic relationship applies to the promotion of human rights. However, the current inter-American human rights system is in difficulty. We all recognize this. Through discussion here and through the Ad Hoc Working Group (meeting in Costa Rica this week), attempts are underway to reform it.

Canada would like to see a greater financial commitment by the OAS to the Commission. The Commission itself must also adopt more expeditious procedures.

The best institutions for the protection of human rights still are effective national human rights institutions, such as human rights commissions and ombudsman offices. The Canadian Human Rights Commission already supports several ombudsman offices. But there is room for more. The OAS can play a valuable role in co-ordinating linkages between these institutions throughout the Americas - for example, through the establishment of a Co-ordinating Office of National Human Rights Institutions. This is an idea I would like to pursue further in Windsor.

Our parliamentarians are on the front line of governance. Links between them at the hemispheric level can consolidate democratic practice at home and expand co-operation in a variety of areas. Those are the purposes behind Canada's support for a Parliamentary Network of the Americas. I am encouraged that, as a first step, chairs of our respective parliaments' foreign affairs committees will meet next month.

We can also make common cause to improve the administration of justice. Our citizens deserve a judicial process that protects, rather than subverts, their rights. Impunity often stems from the inability of national justice systems to function effectively. The reasons are well recognized: lack of resources, corruption, weak institutions and poorly trained officials. Multilateral solutions can help address the problems.

Brazil and Canada recently organized a hemispheric conference on police training, as part of a mandate from the Santiago Summit. This was a modest but worthwhile step. We now hope to build on it, extending the model to court officers and prison officials. Next month's meeting of the hemisphere's justice ministers is a means of moving this and other justice initiatives forward.

The recent establishment of the OAS Justice Studies Centre of the Americas further extends the hemisphere's role. With an effective mandate, the new Centre could serve as a useful tool to ensure that we all have coherent, functioning and fair justice systems. For example, it might examine how best to promote efforts to combat corruption and promote probity in the hemisphere.

However, good governance is not only about good governments. With globalization, more attention is being directed to the impact - positive and negative - of corporate behaviour. Corporations can play a constructive role in the promotion and protection of human rights, democratic development, conflict prevention, environmental protection and disaster response. On the other hand, some corporations can engage in activities that can compromise the security of the communities where they work.

It is therefore important to engage the corporate sector itself in order to raise the standards of behaviour in the hemisphere. To that end, I would like to find a place for global corporate citizenship on the Windsor agenda.

Perhaps the most promising initiative would be the development and implementation of principles of ethical conduct, including the protection of human rights. Our challenge in the lead-up to Windsor will be to establish a plan of action so that the proper players - states, corporations and civil society organizations - can be brought together.

Good governance also applies to hemispheric institutions themselves. This means making them coherent, taking advantage of new technologies and providing them with the resources to work effectively.

Information technology has the potential to promote linkages between key partners in solving common problems. At this moment, such technology is allowing me to be seen and heard throughout the hemisphere, and indeed around the world, by means of a Webcast via the OAS Web site. We must take better advantage of it.

The new Inter-American Agency for Co-operation and Development will promote co-operation on technical assistance and has the potential to establish linkages between development institutions in our hemisphere. This is a positive step in OAS renewal. Canada would like to play a role on the Management Board, where our experience on development issues would be useful to the Agency during its first years.

Finally, as neighbours seeking co-operative solutions to common problems, we need to muster the collective will not simply to strengthen but also to maintain our institutions. The OAS and its specialized bodies continue to be constrained by a deep financial crisis. Core programs are being left unfunded and new missions stemming from Summit mandates teeter precipitously on unstable foundations.

It is imperative that all member states in arrears establish payment plans and comply with them. We cannot demand ever more of the Organization while starving it of the resources it needs to function. I commend Secretary-General Gaviria for his efforts to cut costs and rationalize operations. We must now ensure that he has the support, tools and collective goodwill to fashion an institution for the 21st century.

Conclusion

In his story "The Library of Babel," Jorge Luis Borges imagined a library in which every book ever written and still to be written could be found, all in no apparent order. Book after book was pulled down at random from the shelves by ever more frantic library users, producing only meaningless gibberish. But just as the library contained every book, there also existed a catalogue, a single volume that brought meaning to the cacophony.

As the OAS enters the new century, our challenge is to work together and find that catalogue for our efforts - to discard the meaningless and useless, to identify our common values and bring together our shared experience for the benefit of all our peoples.

Unlike Borges' unfortunate librarians, we need not depend on chance to discover the key. Our hemispheric catalogue begins and ends with the safety and well-being of our people. I have outlined three ways that can help advance this goal: enhancing security, promoting inclusion and strengthening governance. I look forward to working with you to that end now, at Windsor and beyond.

Thank you.