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Canada and Colombia – Solving Problems Together

Notes for a talk by Hon. David Kilgour,
M.P. Edmonton Southeast, Secretary of State (Latin America & Africa)
YMCA Enterprise Centre, 10211 - 105 Street, Edmonton
February 12, 1999

It’s a pleasure to be here to discuss Colombia with you. I know that the Edmonton YMCA has a long history of working with Colombia – 20 years – and I’m pleased you are planning to assist victims of last month’s tragic earthquake.

I’d like to set the record straight on one thing. I was in Colombia at the time of the earthquake, but I was nowhere near the epicentre. The quake devastated the Armenia area of western Colombia, but I was in Bogotá. Still, when the chandelier started shaking, the Colombians in the room with me were extremely frightened. It was the first earthquake of that strength in more than 15 years. I moved away from the chandelier, but our ambassador, Bill Ross, stayed put and calmly continued our discussions of the drug problem.

As you know, Colombia faces a number of serious domestic problems – political instability, the decades-old civil conflict, narco-trafficking, and a deteriorating human rights situation. Canada’s focus has primarily been on helping Colombia to address these problems.

In my role as Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa, I have visited Colombia more often than any other country of Latin America – four times in total. Last month’s visit was to meet with foreign ministry officials in support of the Hemispheric Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue on Drugs that was recently launched by my colleague, Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy.

This drug initiative results from an idea put forward by Prime Minister Chrétien at the Summit of the Americas in Santiago in April last year. We believe that a dialogue at the foreign minister level can help provide political impetus for the countries of the hemisphere to work cooperatively on the illegal drug problem. We see it not only as an enforcement problem, but one with broader human security concerns affecting such areas as governance, the small arms trade, international commerce, education and health, and social development. The presence of illicit drugs in our societies is a corrosive force, ruining young lives, putting families in peril, and diverting public and private resources away from productive uses.

One official in Ecuador told me that, "Drugs not only kill people, but also institutions." That is particularly true in Colombia, where judges and politicians are often "bought" by the drug cartels.

Colombia is often seen as the number one problem country in the region when it comes to drugs, with the widespread perception unfortunately being that the country is simply a narcotics factory. In reality, Colombia suffers from all aspects of the problem. Its government must not only confront the criminal cartels that produce and transport illicit drugs, but it must cope with the social and economic cost exacted by domestic consumption. It faces insurgent forces whose operations are often financed by drug money. Colombia has developed an expertise in analyzing and dealing with these facets of the drug problem. Given this expertise and the government’s enthusiastic response to the initiative, I expect Colombia will be a valuable and active participant in the Dialogue Group.

Canada is especially active in expressing concerns about the Colombian human rights situation and is contributing to addressing this problem. Through our Development Assistance Program, we provide bilateral and multilateral funds. Our bilateral assistance helps to fund local human rights NGOs and democratic development projects, as well as human rights training for police, assistance for displaced people, and other activities. Our embassy actively works with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. These efforts are welcomed by Colombians and Canadian NGOs.

Prospects for a solution to the civil conflict remain uncertain. The Colombian government began a formal peace process dialogue in January with the major guerrilla groups. Canada has expressed a willingness to assist in peacemaking efforts if all parties agree.

Our commercial relations with Colombia are growing as a result of an open investment climate. Colombia is our third largest trading partner in South America after Brazil and Venezuela. Two-way trade has increased 50 per cent in the past 5 years. In 1997, bilateral trade totalled $772.6 million, with $472 million in exports and $300.6 million in imports. Canada is active in energy, transportation and telecommunications.

As you know, the recent earthquake devastated a large area and killed almost 1,000 people, injured 4,000 and left 250,000 people homeless. Canada immediately provided $750,000 in emergency relief, of which $100,000 was for generators delivered through the Canada Fund Local Initiatives, and another $100,000 was provided to the Pan-American Health Organization. A half a million dollars is being channelled through the International and Colombian Red Cross to supply generators, lanterns, tents, clothing, first aid supplies and blankets, and another $50,000 is being used to provide tents.

I am very pleased to note that many Canadians are contributing privately, as occurred recently with Hurricane Mitch in Central America. I strongly commend the Edmonton and other Canadian YMCAs for their plans to help out in seven communities of the coffee region in cooperation with local YMCAs.

Finally, I congratulate you on your other work to help Colombia and other countries around the world. In August last year, while attending the inauguration of President Pastrana, I had a chance to visit the YMCA project for street children, and was very impressed. I note that the Edmonton YMCA is also piloting a program here at home based on the family intervention programs developed by the Bogotá YMCA. This kind of international cooperation between organizations such as yours is wonderful, and I applaud what you are doing.

Thank you.

 
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