OTTAWA - Paul Dewar, the Chair of the Canadian All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity (the APPG) will join an international delegation to Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo tomorrow.

“The ongoing conflict in the Congo has caused massive civilian deaths, displacements, torture, kidnapping and an undetermined number of rapes” said Dewar. “This trip will be an opportunity to explore ways that Canada can help resolve the conflict and bring long-lasting peace to this war-torn country”.

The delegation, organized by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank, is composed of twelve parliamentarians from Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Denmark, France, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The delegation will focus on poverty reduction strategies, natural resources, conflict resolution and governance.

The delegation will visit various development projects, including hospitals, schools, and women’s micro-crediting projects in and around the capital city.

This field visit marks the first time that the Group has formally sent a representative to participate in such an endeavour. This is a milestone event for the APPG and will allow the Chair to contribute to the global dialogue surrounding international development and foreign policy. As part of the group’s mandate, Dewar will report on his findings and recommendations for Canadian action upon his return from the Congo.

Background on the All-Party Parliamentary Group:

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes Against Humanity was created in December 2006, to ensure that Members of the House of Commons and Senators have timely access to the information and resources they need to identify and respond to situations of concern before crimes against humanity take place. The Group is currently chaired by Paul Dewar, MP and has one vice-chair from each party. They are: Patrick Brown, MP (Conservative); Johanne Deschamps, MP (Bloc Québecois); Megan Leslie, MP (NDP); and Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP (Liberal). The Honourable Romeo Dallaire, Senator and the Honourable Yoine Goldstein, Senator sit as ex-officio members.