Women, indigenous, marginalized. This is why I've identified the protection of children as one of my top four development priorities in my department. This includes ensuring access to education and health services, protection from diseases, freeing them from the horrors of child labour and the sex trade, and protecting their basic human rights. Minister Axworthy and I will also be focusing on the issue of war-affected children at an International Conference this September in Winnipeg, where I encourage broad participation from the Americas. Access to education and basic health services is eroded.
Economic stability is threatened and basic governance structures fail.
In more extreme cases, public safety is put at risk, and societies break down. Weeks of insecurity can often set back years of positive development. The poor and marginalized must be helped and included in the social, economic, and political growth of their societies. They must be treated fairly, and given opportunities to grow. To do this, we must support improved access to health services and education.