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Canadian Foreign Minister at UNCHR





The Canadian government has identified the SLORC regime as one of the
world's worst human rights abusers. In a speech April 3 in Geneva to the UN
Commission on Human Rights, Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy made it
clear that the Rangoon dictatorship's record has become a major foreign
policy concern.

"Let us give voice to outrage at regimes like Nigeria's where oppression and
corruption prevail; at gross violations of human rights in countries like
Burma and at ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia," Axworthy declared.
They were the only countries cited in the speech as warranting "outrage" on
the part of Canada.

Axworthy is the first Canadian foreign minister to address the UN Human
Rights Commission's plenary session in many years. He also announced that
the government of Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien will introduce
legislation to enable criminal prosecution - in Canada - of Canadians who go
overseas  "to engage in prostitution-related activities with children.''

"By extending Canadian jurisdiction abroad, the new legislation will address
squarely the problem posed by sex-tourism when it involves children under
the age of 18,'' Axworthy said.   He said that while there is not yet any
interntional legal agreement to deal specifically with child sex-tourism,
there does exist an emerging concensus that would permit countries to deal
effectively with the issue. Axworthy added that the Convention on the Rights
of the Child provides a sufficient basis for this extension of jurisdiction,
in the opinion of Canadian authorities.

Axworthy also indicated that Ottawa intends to curb government-backed export
financing for companies doing business in countries with unsatsifactory
human rights records, although he offered no specifics.

"Consumers are another powerful resource in pushing the human rights
agenda," he said. "Consumer labelling, such as the rug-mark scheme, allows
purchasers to choose products that do not involve exploited labour,
particularly of children. Retailers, in turn, will have an incentive to
provide more choices."

Canadian Friends of Burma
Ottawa, Canada
cfob@xxxxxxxxxxx