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Prime Minister Chrétien announces Canada's support for Indonesian Human Rights Commission
January 17, 1996
JAKARTA - Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced
today that Canada will assist the Indonesian National Commission
on Human Rights, known as Komnas Ham, in its efforts to increase
its ability to promote and protect human rights.
The project, to be carried out by the Canadian Human Rights Commission
in cooperation with other Canadian and Indonesian institutions,
is to include technical assistance, staff exchanges, training
in monitoring of human rights issues, study of international instruments,
public education, as well as the development of human rights study
centres.
"Canada has maintained close relations with the Indonesian
Human Rights Commission since its creation in 1993," Mr.
Chrétien said. "We have agreed to translate these
good relations into concrete cooperation activities over the next
year, to increase the Commission's institutional capacity to advance
human rights issues."
The $300,000 project, financed by the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA), emerged from Prime Minister Chrétien's offer
to cooperate in the area of human rights during his visit to Indonesia
in November 1994. In addition to the Canadian Human Rights Commission,
partners are expected to include the Quebec Human Rights Commission,
the University of Ottawa's Human Rights Research and Education
Centre, the Canadian Human Rights Foundation, as well as non-governmental
organizations.
Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 1995
federal Budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal
framework.
PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
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