There is no doubt that life in the hemisphere has improved over the past decade: we have stronger democracies, more productive economies, more stable institutions and more open societies.

This is encouraging progress. It derives from the energy and dynamism of people throughout the region who are committed to building better lives and flourishing communities.

Yet there are also challenges. Indeed, the forces of globalization, for all its benefits, have raised new concerns and new risks for the security and welfare of our peoples.

For some, the result has been uncertainty, marginalization and insecurity; for others, dissatisfaction and frustration. There is clearly a gap in governance that demands our attention.

Business as usual is no response. Neither is isolation. Neither are misguided and misplaced efforts to shut down discussion here or in any other forum that seeks constructive, concrete ways to deal with the concerns of our citizens.

Indeed, in preparing this General Assembly, much attention has been paid to listening directly to the voices of our constituents, to involving civil society in our work, and to developing an agenda focussed on promoting human security and human well-being.

As foreign ministers, it is now up to us to act. We need to take ownership of the governance agenda. This means adapting and even re-inventing our global and regional institutions to address the concerns of our peoples most effectively - and collectively.

As our forum for hemispheric discussion and regional action, the OAS [Organization of American States] is on the front line. To be relevant to our citizens, our agenda must have at its centre their security � their rights, welfare and safety.

This does not displace the Organization's vocation to promote and respect the sovereignty of member states. On the contrary, a people-centred approach serves to strengthen, not diminish, national stability and the legitimacy of open and democratic governments. And, as we have seen this year, the OAS's role in ensuring peace between countries remains relevant.

Similarly, those who might be tempted to set up an opposition between human security and human development should think again. Freedom from fear and freedom from want are two sides of the same coin.

We need look no further than countries in our region to see the two freedoms working together. It is hard to improve one's GDP [gross domestic product] when fear of crime stops people from walking the streets, when illicit drugs lower people's productivity, when lives broken by conflict must be mended using valuable resources, and when the lack of stable political institutions makes donors wary of releasing development funds.

For the OAS, freedom from fear - that is, advancing human security -involves action on three fronts: with regard to the issues we address, the partnerships we pursue and the methods we use.

A key issue is the promotion of good governance, which means democracy and respect for human rights. It is the cornerstone of human security.

Democracy begins with free and fair elections. In our Hemisphere, the news is largely positive. Yet there have been setbacks too. The presidential vote in Peru is a matter of deep concern to all. Left unexamined, it will certainly diminish the credibility of this Organization.

Through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, with its electoral assistance, and observer missions, the OAS plays an important role in promoting open and fair elections.

We need to do more to ensure that all elections can meet this standard, and that openness and fairness are the norms all people can expect.

Governance depends as well on full respect for human rights. Our Organization can and should do more.

To this end, we welcome progress in moving forward hemispheric approaches to the rights of Indigenous peoples and the human rights of women; we applaud steps to help democratize national judiciaries and to assist in the reform of security sector institutions; and we support initial efforts to review the inter-American human rights machinery.

These undertakings need to be nurtured. Canada is committed to providing support and resources to reform efforts, such as human rights training for the security sector. We are further committed to specific and practical human rights projects in the field. For example, we are examining the development of a Network of National Human Rights Institutions, and we offer continued support for national human rights offices. In addition, in consultation with our provincial and territorial governments, Canada's federal government is committed to seriously examining the options for ratification of the American Convention on Human Rights.

However, human security depends not only on strengthening the mechanisms that enhance it but also on taking action against forces that diminish it.

Violent armed conflict within or between states is a major, direct challenge to the security and safety of our peoples. We have made collective efforts with regard to the tools of war - for instance, the anti-personnel mines ban and better controls over the illicit trade in military small arms and light weapons. These serve to enhance the safety of our citizens while setting an example for the world.

I am encouraged that this General Assembly will adopt a resolution giving the Committee on Hemispheric Security a mandate to develop, in anticipation of the 2001 UN [United Nations] conference, a declaration on responsible small arms and light weapons transfers in the region.

We now need to be equally vigilant in helping those affected by armed conflict, and particularly war-affected children. I am very encouraged by the decision we will take here moving forward hemispheric efforts. It will be supportive of preparations under way for the Winnipeg Global Conference on War-Affected Children this autumn. We have circulated for future discussion an 11-point draft Framework for International Action on

War-Affected Children. We hope it will be the basis for decision at Winnipeg- and I hope to see you there.

In addition, we have an opportunity to be leaders in global efforts to hold accountable those who commit the most egregious violations of humanitarian law and crimes against humanity. Just as we led the world in the anti-personnel mines campaign, let us now lead the world in ending impunity for war crimes. Let us be the first region whose national representatives both sign and ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Armed conflict and its consequences are not the only source of human insecurity in our region. Other threats as well directly jeopardize the security of our citizens: the illicit drug trade, crime and corruption.

Their transnational dimension necessitates co-operative, regional solutions. It is encouraging that we are making collective efforts to address the illicit drug trade through CICAD [the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission] - in particular, the creation of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism - and the Hemispheric Drug Dialogue. We must now maintain the momentum created by these initiatives.

Advancing human security also requires the broadest possible co-operation and participation to attain common goals.

For that reason I invited the heads of the IDB [Inter-American Development Bank], PAHO [Pan American Health Organization], the World Bank and ECLAC [the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean] to join Secretary General Gaviria and the foreign ministers in yesterday's private dialogue on Summit themes.

The involvement of parliamentarians, through the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas, is another important step. In this regard, I welcome the participation of Bill Graham, Chair of Canada's Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, who will address the Plenary Session on this initiative.

The full engagement of civil society is also essential to making our hemispheric institutions more relevant. NGOs [non-governmental organizations], with their viewpoints, special expertise and resources, can play an important role in realizing common goals and ensuring the future vitality of our Organization.

I think we understand this. How seriously we take their views is plainly shown by the ongoing participation of civil society in the work of the OAS, the presence of civil society representatives here in Windsor, and the NGO Symposium - supported by the OAS and Canada - taking place alongside this General Assembly.

The corporate sector also needs to be involved as well. With globalization, more attention is being directed to the impact, both positive and negative, of corporate behaviour.

Business brings economic development and can play a constructive role in promoting human rights, democratic development, conflict prevention, environmental protection and disaster response. On the other hand, someforms of commercial activity can compromise the security of the communities where they take place.

The resolution we will adopt here is an important first step in addressing the issue of corporate social responsibility - an area that Canada intends to pursue vigorously in the coming months.

Finally, we need to be creative in the tools we use to promote human security. In this regard, we must see the ongoing revitalization of the Organization's institutions, and a lasting solution to the issue of its financial health.

Legal conventions clearly have their purpose - for example, the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Production of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials, or the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. Equally valuable are other, more traditional forms of collective action.

But there is a need for greater attention and imagination in harnessing the potential of new tools, such as information technology, in advancing our human security goals.

We're all familiar with the explosion in "dot-com" enterprises, e-commerce and integrated networks for the purposes of profit and commerce. We need an equivalent creative burst in the use of this technology for the common good.

It is in this context that Canada is launching a hemispheric version of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse's Virtual Clearinghouse. This is an Internet-based project aimed at improving electronic communications between government agencies, NGOs and others involved in the prevention of substance abuse and the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users.

Further, Canada is funding a pilot project with local NGOs to provide street children in Ecuador and Colombia with alternative, informal education through training in information and communications technology.

These are but two small examples. To be sure, applying the technological advances widely will take resources, energy and commitment. However, ignoring them may ultimately prove more costly.

We may not believe that the protesters at this Assembly are fully justified in their complaints. After all, this is perhaps one of the most inclusive international gatherings of recent times.

However, their presence is a wake-up call, a signal of the emergence of new concerns, challenges and risks centred around the security of people.

We need to place the security of people front and centre in our activities - in the issues we address, the partnerships we pursue, and the methods we use. This approach will help put the OAS on a more certain and relevant footing for the future.

It will give us an Organization capable of facing the challenges of the new century rather than one stuck with outdated preoccupations of the past one. I look forward to your views and to our discussion.

Thank you.