Mr. Speaker, my colleagues in the New Democratic Party and I share with all Canadians the immense relief that the terrible conflict in Kosovo is drawing to a close. A peace settlement has been signed. Yugoslav forces are withdrawing.
My party wished for and worked for an earlier suspension of the bombing, and we regret that did not happen. However today we are immensely relieved that the NATO bombing campaign has been suspended at long last.
Let us hope that the Yugoslav withdrawal and the demilitarization of the KLA proceeds rapidly. During the withdrawal and its aftermath, let all civilians in Kosovo, Albanian and Serb, be spared further harm.
Let us hope with the entry of the peacekeeping force into Kosovo that the creation of a common security and the rebuilding of basic physical, economic and social infrastructure will enable the Kosovo refugees to return safely and swiftly to their homes.
Let us take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to the members of the Canadian forces, who have served faithfully during this conflict and who are now going to take part in the peacekeeping force about to enter Kosovo.
These women and men have run great risks in performing their duty and their families have made sacrifices that deserve our heartfelt thanks.
We also pay tribute to other public servants who have worked with the refugees in the Balkans and with the many aid workers in non-governmental agencies who have done their best to help the refugees faced with this terrible humanitarian disaster.
I know from visiting with refugee families in the province of Nova Scotia the gratitude that they themselves feel for the assistance and the support provided to them in their hour of need.
The beginning of the Yugoslav withdrawal and today's suspension of the bombing are only the first step in a long journey toward a true peace settlement and true human security. The challenge of ensuring the safe return and resettlement for all Kosovo civilians lies ahead. The massive destruction inflicted in Kosovo and the rest of Yugoslavia must be repaired. The economic and social institutions of the entire region must be rebuilt and revitalized. War crimes must be investigated and prosecuted where indicated by the International Criminal Tribunal.
A temporary civilian administration must be established in Kosovo, and beyond that a permanent political settlement recognizing the legitimate rights and interests of all peoples of the region must be achieved. Let us make no mistake about it. This will be an enormous task.
Today we urge the Government of Canada to provide leadership in this economic, social and political reconstruction process. We urge the Government of Canada as well to play a leading role in the essential redefining and reconstruction of our international institutions, because above all else this conflict demonstrates how currently incapable and ill equipped the United Nations is today to help resolve and, where necessary, to intervene in civil conflict taking place within the borders of a sovereign state.
NATO intervened in this humanitarian disaster in part due to that fact. As this terrible conflict moves to the reconstruction now necessary, let us redouble our efforts to ensure that in future neither NATO nor any other military alliance acts outside of the sanctions of the United Nations.
Let us now set to work to reform and revitalize the United Nations so that it is able to deal more effectively and less catastrophically with future humanitarian crises that arise in the world.
We have in Canada a proud history of successful international innovation and international achievement. We have a large internationalist community with considerable expertise, ready and eager to contribute to the project of creating the conditions and the instruments to secure and maintain peace in the world. We call on the government to make use of these resources as it works with the international community on these vital questions.
Let us as parliamentarians, in concert with others around the world who value peace and human security, learn the lessons of this conflict. Surely we have learned that while there are international emergencies such as this one, where the horrors of the humanitarian crisis require military intervention as a last resort, such military intervention always carries with it grave threats to the lives of innocent civilians, to the environment, and grave risks of catastrophic escalation.
Let us make it a central task of the international reconstruction to face up to the difficult ethical dilemmas involved in such crises.
If Canada and others in the international community take up these challenges and can find ways to respond more effectively to such grotesque human rights violations, this conflict can be seen as the beginning of an era when the international community recognizes its responsibilities and finds effective means to defend human rights and secure peace in our global human family.