February 20, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER

Prime Minister Paul Martin welcomed today’s announcement that United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has informed the UN General Assembly of his intention to appoint Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour as the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:

"I warmly welcome Secretary-General Annan's decision to nominate Justice Arbour, a respected and formidable international jurist with a wealth of experience in the area of human rights, to this pre-eminent position.

At a time when human rights have become a central concern of citizens throughout the world and when abuses of human rights are still all too prevalent, the nomination of Justice Arbour sends a clear message to the international community. Here is a strong, fearless advocate of equal human rights of all; here is a champion of those whose rights have been violated.

As Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda from 1996 to 1999, Mme. Arbour worked unrelentingly to ensure that there would be no impunity for those who perpetrated heinous atrocities against their fellow human beings.

As a country which has been a consistently strong voice for the promotion and protection of human rights, from our central role in drafting the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights to our work at the United Nations today, Canada is very proud of Justice Arbour's nomination. She has the full and enthusiastic support of the Government of Canada."