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Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to
the Appeal of Conscience Foundation
October 1st, 2002
New York, USA
I want to begin by thanking Henry Kissinger for his kind introduction. Henry
Kissinger is, of course, a statesman of a very high order and I am honoured to
share this stage with him.
The Appeal of Conscience Foundation is about encouraging and recognizing
statesmanship in the best sense of the word. That is, leadership for the public
good.
Leaders with great responsibilities benefit indeed from encouragement and
pressure from organizations like yours. You help us aspire to the highest
standards and insist we work to promote adherence to universal values and norms.
It is my great privilege and honour to accept this award on behalf of the
people of Canada. For the honour you have given me really belongs to them.
And I stress that their conscience is my conscience. Their values are my
values. Values of freedom and justice. Of tolerance and human dignity. Of
compassion and generosity. Of prosperity and fairness.
Reflecting those values while trying to advance progressive and cooperative
approaches on the world stage represents a tradition of Canadian leaders. It has
been my duty and goal for the past nine years to try and carry the tradition
forward.
Whether we are dealing with issues like we have seen in the Balkans. Or the
war against terrorism. Or action on Africa. Or the global environment.
In my time as Prime Minister...I have witnessed the period of euphoria, and
belief in new possibilities at the end of the Cold War. And I have seen the more
recent renewed sense of global threat. The threat of terror.
Terrorism is the ultimate wrong. It has no moral justification or conscience.
Not in Ireland. Not in South and Central America. Not in the Middle East. Not
anywhere. Terrorism is about the taking of innocent life. Individually or in
groups. At bus stops. In train stations and homes.
And on September 11th...last year... in two of the greatest buildings...in
one of the greatest cities...in the world. Terrorism is an assault against
civilized values and requires forceful and determined responses by civilized
nations.
A fundamental obligation of government is ensuring the security of our
citizens. In the post -September 11th context... President Bush has...indeed...
served the American people very well in this regard. He has shown both resolve
and restraint in leading his country. He has successfully gathered an
international coalition of common purpose. And a remarkable consensus around the
need for cooperative, coordinated efforts to defeat terrorism.
Canada has been in the forefront of this coalition. The international
campaign in Afghanistan confirms a belief long held by Canadians in the
importance of multilateral approaches to international issues.
It is in all of our interests to use the power and moral weight of
international institutions in this complex world. Collective action, I believe,
produces greater long term security for all than does unilateral action.
In this vein I believe the UN has a crucial role to play in the current
situation with Iraq.
Working with and through the UN is the best way to ensure respect for
international law. It is the best way to deal with states which support
terrorism or attempt to develop weapons of mass destruction. And deal with them
we must.
We must keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein to accept unfettered inspections
by the UN. And make absolutely clear that the resolve of the international
community to see UN resolutions respected is steadfast and determined.
But we must also recognize that our peace and security requires not only
armed responses or better intelligence and cooperation. It also requires
collective measures to address poverty and despair.
To quote from the National Security Strategy recently announced by President
Bush... "a world where some live in comfort and plenty...while half the
human race lives on less than two dollars a day...is neither just nor stable.
Poverty...weak institutions and corruption can make weak states vulnerable to
terrorist networks."
For billions of people in the world...the main life-threatening dangers
beyond their control are those of famine, disease, feeble economies, inept or
corrupt governance. And regional conflicts rooted in competition for land and
scarce resources.
It is, of course, the right thing to do to advance human development in poor
countries. But helping such countries lift themselves out of poverty also
advances our own security. And will create the conditions for a broader global
prosperity.
For globalization must be made to work for the poor, not just the wealthy.
The African Action Plan endorsed this year at the G-8 Summit in Alberta is a
perfect illustration of this philosophy.
The Action Plan strikes a new bargain between Africa and the developed world.
A bargain in which progressive African leaders have pledged themselves to
advancing good governance, rooting out corruption, and supporting democracy.
In return, G-8 leaders have committed to strengthened development aid,
technical cooperation, and to encouraging trade and investment.
For Africa has been the neglected continent since the end of the Cold War. It
is essential to put their needs back on the developed world's radar screen.
Half the population of Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1.00 a day. The
average purchasing power overall is 20% below what it was twenty years ago when
we already considered Africa poor.
Twenty-five million HIV positive Africans face certain death without access
to better treatments. Leaving behind a potential 40 million orphans.
The increased aid pledged by G-8 leaders is part of the answer. So is the
commitment by Africans to good governance and the rule of law.
But Africa will not rise unless we work together to create conditions for
domestic savings, investment and trade.
That means opening our markets to goods that Africans can more readily
produce. Such as agricultural products, textiles and apparel.
As of January 1, 2003, Canada will eliminate tariffs and quotas on almost all
products from least developed countries in Africa and elsewhere.
But if I may be really frank, the biggest hurdle faced by poor nations are
the huge subsidies for agriculture currently paid by the European Union and the
United States.
These subsidies force prices down and effectively block poor countries from
competing. I recognize the domestic political pressure for such subsidies.
My government has had to deal with the same thing in deciding to drop tariffs
and quotas. But we did it because it was right. And because free trade means
greater prosperity for all sides in the long run.
Consider that last year agriculture subsidies in the European Union and
United States were greater that $300 billion. Foreign aid from developed
nations, by contrast, amounted only to $50 billion. Conscience urges us to begin
eliminating these distorting, unfair subsidies and to do it soon.
While I am on the topic of global responsibilities, I would be remiss if I
failed to mention climate change.
This phenomenon is creating new health, economic and environmental problems
that threaten to become defining challenges for future generations.
Once again, national interests would be best served by multilateral
cooperation.
It is for that reason that our government will ask the Canadian Parliament to
vote on ratifying the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. We are currently
developing an implementation strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by
the year 2012.
While the United States has decided to address climate change outside the
Kyoto agreement, I nevertheless remain hopeful that our two countries will find
ways to cooperate on this challenge in the coming period.
I believe that the health and well being of future generations requires the
world to collectively address it. And to seize the opportunities for new
technologies and investment that will come with it.
In conclusion, I want to stress three issues of overriding importance. First,
security from terror; second, development in poor countries; and third,
environmental security for the planet.
A more prosperous, secure, healthy, and hopeful world requires collective
action on these issues.
We have to recognize that acting for the greater good, and respecting our
common space is the best way to serve the long-term good of each of us
individually.
Simply put, I can say to the Appeal of Conscience Foundation: following
conscience has a pay off.
On behalf of Canadians I will continue to advocate for collective action on
each of these fronts during the time I have remaining as Prime Minister.
I want to thank you again for this recognition and for your noble advocacy
for these and other crucial issues facing humanity.
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