Bill 111 2004

An Act to proclaim Genocide Memorial Week in Ontario

Preamble

The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide came into force on January 12, 1951. Article II of the Convention defines genocide as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group as such:

1. Killing members of the group.

2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.

3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.

4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.

5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Genocide has been a dark and tragic aspect of the history of humankind. Many of Ontario's citizens have lost loved ones to genocide and have personally felt the horrors of genocide.

The citizens of Ontario abhor the genocides that have fouled human history in all ages and parts of the world.

The United Nations commemorates the "International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination" on March 21 of each year, and that day commences the "Week of Solidarity with Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination".

Canada recognizes April 4 of each year as "Refugee Rights Day".

A Genocide Memorial Week would provide all citizens of Ontario an opportunity to mourn the victims of genocides and to study and learn from the past to ensure that those injustices do not happen again.

Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Genocide Memorial Week

1.  The week beginning on the fourth Monday in March in each year is proclaimed as Genocide Memorial Week.

Commencement

2.  This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

3.  The short title of this Act is the Genocide Memorial Week Act, 2004.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill proclaims the week beginning on the fourth Monday in March in each year as Genocide Memorial Week.