The
OAS: Putting People First
Notes for an Address by Hon. David Kilgour,
Secretary Of State (Latin America And Africa)
At The National Press Club Of Canada Newsmaker
Breakfast,
May 11, 2000
National Press Building, Ottawa
From June
4 to 6 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada will
host the General Assembly of the Organization
of American States (OAS) with 33 fellow
members.
In our first
decade as a member, Canada has participated
in a significant evolution in hemispheric
relations. For example, today 34 of the
35 countries in the hemisphere have democratically
elected governments. This is a far cry from
twenty years ago when there were only four
democratic countries across South America.
With democracy as the accepted norm, we
are able to work more successfully together
in the pursuit of improving the lives of
the people of the Americas.
Canada evidently
belongs to more major international organizations
than any other nation in the world. Canadians
like to think that through a multilateral
approach we have been able to enjoy a stronger
voice in international affairs than a country
of our size might normally have. Without
question, we have used this voice to advance
our own interests, but I firmly believe
it has permitted us to share our national
values with the international community
and to make a larger contribution. Canada’s
membership and work in international organizations
is vital to our foreign relations.
Our prosperity
and security are increasingly linked to
hemispheric neighbours. It is evident that
the nations of the Americas are no longer
simply a collection of countries united
by proximity. We are being transformed into
a community of nations linked by common
values and aspirations. Ties that bind the
Americas can and should be furthered to
our collective benefit. Through economic
cooperation and political dialogue, we are
in the process of building relationships
of trust and solidarity. The establishment
of strong relationships is essential to
tackle the economic and social challenges
we all face today.
Problems
such as illicit drugs, the abuse of small
arms, the spread of disease, the corrosive
effects of corruption, the exploitation
of children and the degradation of the environment
ultimately effect most of us. In this context
in which our security is linked with neighbours,
it is essential that we develop strong partnerships.
The OAS is becoming the premier hemispheric
forum in which to strengthen relationships
and address the problems of the Americas.
We await
the opportunity to continue in the pursuit
of improving the lives of our hemisphere’s
people. In this regard, it is critical that
we take steps to address the problem of
income disparity. The income disparities
in Latin America remain higher than anywhere
else in the world. For example, in some
countries, the richest 10 per cent of the
population receives fully half of the national
income, and the bottom half survives on
less than 10 per cent. In our hemisphere,
one in three children live on less $3 per
day. In many ways, income disparity is the
symptom of the difficult problems that grip
our hemisphere. We must continue to make
progress on the condition of such things
as education and health in order to truly
address the roots of income disparity.
The OAS General
Assembly in Windsor is less than four weeks
away. In the weeks leading up to it, you
may hear some misinformed statements (e.g.:
"it is only a trade meeting")
as though the OAS were some sort of regional
off-shoot of the WTO. This is not the case.
The OAS is not a trade organization; it
is not responsible for the ill-effects of
globalization; nor is it a simple appendage
of other international organizations.
The OAS is
a political organization of 34 member states,
with a common agenda, the primary goal of
which is to better the lives of the peoples
of this hemisphere generally. It does so
by the advancement of democracy, human rights
and specific solutions to a host of troubling
realities. The OAS is not the world’s
largest or most powerful multilateral body,
but it is making a positive difference.
From Canada’s
perspective, the most important priority
is to put people first. This focus on the
human dimension of hemispheric relations
was a fundamental consideration when we
joined 10 years ago. Since the first day
of our participation in the OAS, Canada
has focussed its efforts on developing the
capacity of the Organization to promote
and serve democratic development and the
consolidation of institutions that support
political and human rights. It is not coincidental
that the OAS has grown in relevance and
influence throughout Canada’s decade-long
membership.
In Windsor,
we will have a number of major objectives.
One of the most important elements will
be to further the engagement, mobilization
and participation of civil society. Canada
has been a strong supporter of initiatives
within the OAS to increase the participation
of civil society in the work of the Organization.
We are advocating a new multilateralism
in which governments, civil society and
other actors work together as partners to
seek effective solutions to problems.
Our record
of active engagement with our civil society
partners within the inter-American system
is significant. We facilitated the participation
of indigenous leaders in the Experts Meetings
that have been held in preparation for draft
Inter-American Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Populations. The Assembly
of First Nations is also working with the
Government of Canada and in consultation
with the Government of Mexico in preliminary
studies concerning the possible reform of
the Inter-American Indian Institute.
Canada has
been active in promoting gender equality
and women’s human rights in the hemisphere
and has been working in support of the Inter-American
Commission of Women (the CIM) to develop
its ability to deliver policy guidance and
support to the nations of the hemisphere.
Our Secretary of State for the Status of
Women and Multiculturalism led a strong
Canadian delegation to the recent Women’s
Ministerial of the Americas in Washington
at which Canada led a discussion of women’s
issues in the Summit of the Americas process.
The openness
of the Assembly will be demonstrated by
the presentation of a youth declaration
by representatives of the Model OAS General
Assembly which recently took place in Edmonton.
These efforts
with civil society, indigenous peoples,
women and youth reflect the OAS and Canada’s
firm belief that we must give all citizens
of the Americas every opportunity to participate
fully in the political, social, economic
and cultural life of our countries and our
hemisphere. In Windsor we await the largest
Civil Society contingent ever to participate
as observers in a hemispheric meeting.
In putting
people first, we look forward to furthering
the hemispheric discourse on human security.
In recent years it is clear that Canada’s
pursuit of human security has had a real
impact on the work of the OAS. For example,
last year’s General Assembly saw the
adoption of two resolutions are at the heart
of the human security agenda: a resolution
on the Western Hemisphere as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free
Zone and a resolution to Combat the Proliferation
of and Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms
and Light Weapons.
This year
Minister Axworthy will preside as Chair
of the General Assembly in Windsor and Canada
will lead a Ministerial Dialogue Session
on human security. Issues which will find
a place on the agenda for this Dialogue
Session include democracy and human rights,
war-affected children, the threat to our
societies posed by rising levels of criminality
and personal insecurity and the need to
involve other actors -- notably the private
and civil society -- in efforts to promote
corporate social responsibility.
With respect
to illicit drug trafficking, I would highlight
the achievement of the Inter-American Abuse
Control Commission in developing a Multilateral
Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), a truly cooperative
hemispheric undertaking designed to enhance
out ability to combat this scourge. The
MEM will allow each country to evaluate
their performance in combatting illicit
drug trafficking and money laundering against
a set of 61 criteria which have been accepted
by all member states.
Intimately
connected with the realization of human
security is the advancement of democracy.
Early in our membership in the OAS, Canada
took the lead in establishing the Unit for
the Promotion of Democracy (UPD). We contributed
ideas and financial support to the Unit
during the past decade, and underscored
our commitment in human terms by providing
the two Directors who have guided the Unit
during its ten years of existence. In addition
to election monitoring, the UPD works with
government and academic institutions and
with civil society organizations to generate
and disseminate information on the development
and functioning of democratic institutions.
Complementing
our efforts our human security and democracy,
Canada has also played an important role
supporting the development and consolidation
of the institutions of the Inter-American
human rights system. We are working at the
OAS and with our hemispheric partners in
an Ad hoc Working Group established last
November to find ways to reform the system
and to make its principal organs -- the
Inter-American Human Rights Commission and
the Inter-American Human Rights Court --
more efficient and more responsive to the
needs of the people of the Americas. A good
deal has been accomplished in the area of
human rights, but certainly a great deal
more remains to be achieved.
In conclusion,
I reiterate that the OAS is putting people
first. While the OAS offers some technical
assistance to trade discussions for the
benefit of small states, the primary purpose
of the Organization is to advance democracy,
human rights and the security of the people
of the Americas. Canada is proud to host
this important event and through productive
dialogue and cooperation we may take one
step further on the pivotal path to improving
the lives of the people of the hemisphere.
Thank you.
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