OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting 2017

Statement by the Honourable Chrystia Freeland

7 December 2017, Vienna

Thank you very much.

I wanted to start by congratulating our host, Chancellor-elect Sebastian Kurz and the Austrian Team overall for your very hard work in a challenging year and your welcome to your absolutely magnificent city of Vienna. We are chairing the G7 next year and we have been taking notes because you are doing such a terrific job. Thank you very much.

Just before the Helsinki Final Act was signed in 1975, then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau noted that, “the difficulties appeared so overwhelming and the progress so slow that we may have had reason to believe we carried on our shoulders the weight of the entire world.” That was a long time ago but I am sad to say that these words have fresh relevance today. I would like to join our allies in the European Union and the United States in singling out Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Ukrainian territory as a particularly egregious violation of international law and a threat to our collective security. Canada stands by Ukraine and supports its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and we condemn Russia’s actions both in Crimea and in the Donbas.

Like the Estonian foreign minister, I began my day at a breakfast in support of the Crimean Tatars and I would like to take this opportunity to particularly highlight the oppression this brave group of people is facing and to offer them Canada’s support. Canada also stands with Georgia and Moldova when they call for their sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected.

I would like to also commend the brave and dedicated work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine and recognize the sacrifice of Joseph Stone, the American paramedic. We honour him, and that is important to do. The OSCE Mission faces unacceptable threats and access restrictions. The SMM must be given security guarantees and unhindered access to all of Ukraine within its recognized international borders.

(in French)

Mr. Chairperson,

Advancing gender equality, the inclusion of women and girls, and the protection of their human rights in peacetime, conflict, and post-conflict settings, are significant priorities for the OSCE. We know that conflict disproportionately affects women and girls, including through gender-based violence. And although they are crucial to international peacebuilding, stabilization, and humanitarian efforts, women often remain excluded from these processes. This needs to change. Canada’s second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has the goal of ensuring that gender considerations are fully integrated in our approach to security. We applaud the work of the OSCE, and in particular its Senior Gender Advisor and her team, in supporting participating States as they develop their own plans, and in providing specialized training aimed at mainstreaming gender into all aspects of the OSCE’s structure and work. Canada will continue to promote these efforts, knowing that the challenge is great but the potential security benefits even greater.

(continues in English)

The attempts of some OSCE states to roll back provisions of democracy and the rule of law, including by restricting freedom of the media and pressuring civil society organizations, undermine democracy and adversely affect everyone – in particular vulnerable groups such as migrants, women and girls, LGBTQ people and people with differing faiths and beliefs.

All governments – including my own – face challenges when adapting to our world and security threats. As we face these issues, we must keep in mind that our OSCE commitments – and our international obligations – guarantee the universality of human rights and fundamental freedoms. These rights and freedoms do not vary as a function of culture, social context, or time. They apply equally to citizens, residents, and migrants, and we in Canada believe our government must also be held to account. That is why last month my prime minister, Justin Trudeau, formally apologized to LGBTQ2 Canadians for the historical discrimination they suffered in our country at the hands of our government simply for who they were, and who they loved.

(in Italian)

In closing, I wish to say to our Italian friends and Minister Alfano that we are looking forward to working together with you during Italy’s Chairmanship next year. Thank you very much.