"Check Against Delivery"

Speaking Notes for
The Honourable Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Raymond Chan, PC, MP

Corruption and Bribery in Foreign Business Transactions:
Seminar on New Global and Canadian Standards
4 - 5 February 1999

Ladies and Gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to be here with you at this seminar on Corruption and Bribery in Foreign Business Transactions. Today, I will touch on a prominent theme which has emerged in Canadian foreign policy - the theme of human security.

At the end of the twentieth century, the world has seen momentous change in the way individuals and states deal with each other. We are in the process of redefining the relationships and standards that will guide us into the new millennium.

In the past few years, we have seen a redirecting of the international agenda so as to turn the focus towards individual security. The Landmines Treaty is an example of an idea that grew into a force that changed the way we deal with one weapon of war.

Canada helped galvanize that international effort and today we are proud to have an instrument that has the potential for immense good.

Similarly, the creation of a Statute for an International Criminal Court in Rome last July was the culmination of years of work. It will respond to the most heinous of crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Once again, Canada is proud to be among those countries that determined that this dream was to be made a reality.

The challenges to international security are broad in nature. Illicit drugs, terrorism, crime, the environment and corruption do not respect state boundaries and affect everyday lives.

Globalization has made our lives intertwined with those of people who, in another era, would have remained isolated from us.

We believe that democracy and human rights and the rule of law contribute to stability and security of society. Just as Landmines and the International Criminal Court will add to a greater sense of security among people.. so too is a world free of bribery and corruption.

And this brings me to the subject of this seminar, and my focus on the ratification of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials.

I would like to emphasize the importance of co-operation with the private sector in the fight against corruption. The solutions we devise in government and between states will not work unless they work for you and unless we support each other's efforts.

I would like to quote Mr. Donald Johnston the former Canadian Minister of Justice and current Secretary -General of the OECD when he said in a recent article: "Integrity in commercial transactions is essential in making the global market work and to ensure that the public supports it. A logical consequence of globalization is that honesty has to be enforced at the global. not just national, level."

The legislation that Canada has enacted to combat corruption of foreign public officials in business transactions is our contribution to meeting this goal.

Ladies and gentlemen, human security complements traditional national security, it does not replace it. But it has proven a helpful tool in providing a more inclusive approach to foreign Policy.

And the proliferation of international efforts to deal with issues such as bribery and corruption demonstrates that human security is a focus riot only for Canadian policy, but indeed for the international community at large.

Thank you