News release details

Mr. Stuart Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), and His Excellency Wim Geerts, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Canada (Netherlands Embassy), signed a memorandum of understanding today that will facilitate collaboration for the promotion of human rights through joint projects and education.

"Both Canada and the Netherlands play leading roles in the field of human rights," said Mr. Stuart Murray. "Our mandate speaks to a special, but not exclusive reference to Canada. This type of international partnership will allow us to collaborate in projects of international scope and further our mandate of enhancing knowledge about human rights and encouraging reflection, while challenging people to take action for human rights."

"Promoting respect for human rights is an important pillar of Dutch foreign policy," said Ambassador Geerts. "Our human rights policy aims to strengthen human resistance to injustice and repression. We look forward to working with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in support of a number of fundamental rights."

The memorandum of understanding provides a solid foundation for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Netherlands Embassy to work together on a wide range of projects that promote human rights and provide educational and training opportunities for citizens of both countries. These collaborative efforts may include academic exchanges, student internships, co‐ordination of visiting speakers, seminars, and workshops.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Netherlands Embassy will focus, but not limit, their official cooperation on the promotion of freedom of expression, including internet freedom; the promotion of freedom of religion and belief, including the protection of minorities; the protection of human rights defenders; the promotion of social responsibility, including combating child labour; and combating discrimination based on gender, gender identity and sexual orientation.

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About the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), currently under construction in Winnipeg,
Manitoba, was established to provide a place for Canadians, and the world, to explore the subject of human rights and to encourage human rights action. With construction slated for completion in 2012, the CMHR is the first national museum to have been established in over 40 years, and the first national museum to be located outside the National Capital Region. For more information about the CMHR please visit http://humanrightsmuseum.ca/ or follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cmhr_news and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/canadianmuseumforhumanrights.

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