Madam Speaker, the motion currently before the House in its amended form calls on the government to continue and intensify efforts with other nations to further develop multilateral initiatives in order to strengthen the capacity of the international organizations to enable them to identify the precursors to conflict and improve their conflict prevention capabilities.
Canada attaches great importance to conflict prevention and improving existing international capabilities for early warning. We continue to be involved in ongoing efforts to strengthen the existing tools of international conflict prevention in a variety of fora which have been discussed in previous debates.
Today I will highlight the important work of the G-8 in the area of conflict prevention. As mentioned in previous debates, the G-8, of which Canada is an active member, is seized of this issue. In advance of the G-8 summit in Japan this July, officials have held several policy meetings on a variety of subjects, including conflict prevention.
At a meeting of the G-8 conflict prevention officials in March of this year, it was agreed that recommendations would be made in advance of the leader's summit to undertake a series of initiatives related to small arms, conflict and development, diamonds, and children in armed conflict.
Canada has been heavily involved in advancing key aspects of the human security agenda in the G-8 context and working to ensure efforts complement work in other fora, in particular the UN Security Council.
The work undertaken by the G-8 conflict prevention officials reveals a strong commitment to the implementation of the Berlin communiqué agreed to in December 1999.
There has been considerable development of action oriented conflict prevention initiatives which will draw on the comparative advantage of the G-8 in specific areas. Officials also recognize the importance of effective consideration of the economic side of the conflict prevention in order to ensure a truly comprehensive and coherent approach by G-8 partners.
The G-8 is working in support of national, regional and global efforts to ensure that the challenges of destabilizing proliferation of small arms faced by the international community are addressed.
The G-8 conflict prevention officials have advanced several ideas in response to these challenges which will lessen the impact of destabilization, accumulations of small arms on ongoing conflict, as well as preventing new conflicts.
In particular, the G-8 intends to continue exercising a high degree of responsibility in licensing exports of small arms, while recognizing legitimate defence and security concerns of importing states. It will be implemented in conjunction with demand side measures. In this context the G-8 conflict prevention officials stress the importance of the adoption of the ECOWAS moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacture of light weapons in October 1998.
The G-8 intends to work to ensure that its expert policies and decisions respect the moratorium and will provide support to capacity building projects in states directly affected by illicit small arms trafficking.
Recognizing that economic growth and sustainable development will exist only when there is peace and democratic stability, the G-8 will promote the consideration of conflict prevention and development assistance strategies. It will enhance assistance to ensure a focused, quick response with the aim of conflict prevention. It will ensure a smooth transition from emergency humanitarian assistance to development assistance in the post-conflict stage.
Specifically the G-8 will work with bilateral and multilateral actors and the international financial institution to promote and develop good governance and respect for the rule of law, including capacity building of administrative, police and judicial institutions.
Along with the organizations such as the OECD development assistance committee, DAC, the G-8 will also monitor and assess bilateral donors practices in seeking to address conflict prevention within the broader development assistance strategies.
As Canada has advanced as chair of the UN security counsel Angola sanctions committee, there is international recognition that illicit trade of certain high value commodities, in this case particularly diamonds, provides funds for arms purchases, which fuels conflict and creates humanitarian crises. This is evidenced by the ongoing conflicts in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.
The G-8 conflict prevention officials have called for producing and consuming countries and leaders in the diamond industry to ensure transparency and accountability in the diamond trade.
The G-8 also supports the efforts of African states in strengthening regional law enforcement and internal capacity building for controlling the illicit trade of diamonds.
Of particular interest to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and many other Canadian parliamentarians is the impact of armed conflict on child participants and child victims.
I had the pleasure of leading as chair of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum a delegation in January to discuss this issue with parliamentarians from Asia, the United States and Latin America. Several approaches to the subject have been agreed upon by the G-8 conflict prevention officials.
These include maintaining pressure against those who involve or target children in armed conflict in breach of international standards such as the ILO convention on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, which prohibits forced recruitment of those 18 years of age into armed forces and the early adoption of the optional protocol to the convention on the rights of the child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
The G-8 continues to be an important forum for discussion on armed conflict prevention because of its important influence in setting the international agenda.
With four of the five permanent members of the United Nations security council and the largest financial contributors to the UN, the G-8 countries have much to offer in support of international conflict prevention initiatives.
Canada will continue to support continue to support, participate in and advocate strong co-ordination of initiatives at the G-8 and in other fora that seek to build national and international capacity to prevent conflict. I am pleased to conclude by saying that the government supports the amendment and the amended motion.