Canada marks International Day of Peace

September 21, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, and the Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today issued the following statement:

“As we mark International Day of Peace, we recognize that displacement and the ill-treatment of migrants and refugees are clear barriers to peace.

“With conflict and persecution causing millions of people to flee their homes in search of safety and protection, displacement levels are higher than they have been since World War II. Today, over 65 million people around the world are forcibly displaced, and more than 22 million of them are refugees.

“We are all capable of showing empathy toward those seeking refuge. The overwhelming generosity with which Canadians have recently welcomed more than 40,000 Syrian refugees is an example of how, in the face of rising xenophobia and hardening borders, Canada always chooses peace, compassion, protection of human rights and inclusion. As part of our Middle East engagement strategy, we are also helping Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon meet the needs of Syrian refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries.

“We remain ever mindful that women and girls are often most at risk of human rights violations and attacks on their security. We must uphold human dignity at a time when internal conflicts are proliferating and humanitarian principles, international laws and human rights are increasingly violated. Canada’s new Feminist International Assistance Policy addresses the gender dimensions of forced displacement so women and girls are able to be agents of change and participate in peacebuilding and conflict-prevention processes.

“Today, on International Day of Peace, we stand up for the rights of all those forced to flee as a result of conflict and join the United Nations and our international partners to demand respect, safety and dignity for all.”

Contacts

Adam Austen
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Adam.Austen@international.gc.ca

Marie-Emmanuelle Cadieux
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-6238
marie-emmanuelle.cadieux@international.gc.ca

Hursh Jaswal
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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