Canada not campaigning for UN security council seat in 2014: Baird

By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 1:09 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – The foreign affairs minister says Canada won’t be mounting a new campaign for a spot on the United Nations security council.

John Baird says Canada is focusing on other priorities.

In 2010, Canada was trounced by Portugal in 2010 for the second of two temporary two-year, non-veto-wielding seats on the UN’s top body.

It was the first time in the six-decade history of the UN that Canada failed to win a seat for which it made a bid.

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Effort mounts to prevent UN agency from moving out of Montreal

By Peter Rakobowchuk, The Canadian Press - Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 8:13 AM - 0 Comments

MONTREAL – The federal government promises a diplomatic effort to keep Canada from losing the only United Nations agency based in this country.

The International Civil Aviation Organization has confirmed that the emirate of Qatar made a presentation this week where it promoted itself as a better location for the agency’s headquarters than the current site, Montreal.

A vote of ICAO member-states is set for this fall and, depending on the result, the move to a new permanent seat could take effect in 2016.

Industry Minister Christian Paradis said Wednesday that all three levels of government are doing everything they can to keep the headquarters in Montreal. Continue…

Harper defends UN desert convention pull out, says it is too bureaucratic

By The Canadian Press - Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 2:04 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – The Harper government says it is pulling out of a United Nations convention that fights droughts in Africa and elsewhere because it is too bureaucratic.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says less than one-fifth of the $350,000 Canada contributes to the convention goes to programming.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, in those Countries Experiencing Severe Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, is a “talkfest.”

The decision would make Canada the only country in the world outside the agreement, which Ottawa ratified in 1995, and whose participants include 194 countries and the European Union — the entire UN.

The opposition NDP accused the government of turning its back on Africa, and of diminishing Canada’s international standing.

The Harper government has repeatedly raised questions about UN institutions, and has been a vocal critic of the inaction of the Security Council, particularly in dealing with Syria.

Harper government quietly leaving UN droughts and deserts convention

By The Canadian Press - Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 6:21 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – The Harper government is pulling out of a United Nations convention that fights droughts in Africa and elsewhere, which would make Canada the only country in the world outside the agreement.

The federal cabinet last week ordered the unannounced withdrawal on the recommendation of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, ahead of a major scientific meeting on the convention next month in Germany.

The abrupt move caught the UN secretariat that administers the convention off guard, which was informed through a telephone call from The Canadian Press.

The cabinet order “authorizes the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take the actions necessary to withdraw, on behalf of Canada, from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, in those Countries Experiencing Severe Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa.”

Continue…

The quiet cuts

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 12:36 AM - 0 Comments

The Harper government is withdrawing from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The Conservative government is pulling out of a United Nations convention aimed at fighting droughts and desertification in Africa, making Canada the only country in the world to leave the agreement. The withdrawal from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification was ordered last week by the federal cabinet on the recommendation of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, but only made public Wednesday…

Sources told CTV News that the decision was made more than a year ago as part of the government’s plan to cut the deficit. It was announced to the affected departments a few months ago and there was little, if any, consultation, they said.

Julian Fantino’s office apparently won’t say how much this will save. CTV says we were providing $350,000 per year to the convention. The Canadian Press says we were providing $283,000.

See previously: The quiet cuts

Conservatives-UN long-running war of words heats up again regarding poverty report

By Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press - Monday, March 4, 2013 at 5:43 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – The Harper government is once again engaged in a war of words with a United Nations agency.

Canada can’t credibly preach human rights on the international stage when too many of its own citizens are going hungry, the UN’s right-to-food envoy, Olivier De Schutter, told The Canadian Press in an interview.

His comments come on the heels of a report De Schutter released Monday in Geneva at the UN Human Rights Council that cited several Canadian government policies as impediments to fighting poverty.

They include the cancellation of the long-form census in 2009, the ongoing Canada-EU free trade negotiations and the way Ottawa oversees the money it transfers to the provinces for social services.

“That is worrying because Canada, like any other country, is only credible when it preaches human rights to others if it is irreproachable itself,” De Schutter said.

“I think it is in the interest of Canada itself to have an absolutely stainless reputation.”

Elissa Golberg, Canada’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, fired back Monday, accusing De Schutter of unfounded criticism of Canada’s Constitution and its federalist system of government.

“Canada has a number of concerns with the approach that was adopted, as well as with some of the conclusions drawn in the report,” Golberg said.

“The special rapporteur has focused on some issues that exceed his mandate.”

The spat renewed what has become a long-running war of words between the Harper government and the UN. The conflict has seen the government criticized by a handful of UN committees for its rights record, while Canada has staged high-profile walkouts of other UN bodies for allowing despotic countries to speak or participate.

But De Schutter said in an interview that Canada would face a further reckoning at the UN because the findings of his report would be “one major piece of evidence” in front of future UN bodies assessing the country’s rights record.

Canada, he said, is a well-respected international leader in civil and political rights, and that includes its international development aid and food aid policies.

“In order to maintain its high reputation in this area, it should do more in the area of economic and social rights,” De Schutter explained.

“It is also striking that on quite a few occasions, various human rights bodies have addressed recommendations to Canada concerning social and economic rights that essentially Canada has not been following up on.”

Last spring, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized Quebec’s Bill 78, which puts limits on the size of demonstrations and sparked major protests last year.

Ottawa fired back quickly, defending Quebec’s right to pass its own laws in a democratic environment.

A few weeks later, the UN Committee Against Torture accused Ottawa of being “complicit” to human rights violations committed against three Arab-Canadian men held in Syria after 9-11.

The committee said Canadian officials played a role in the poor treatment of Omar Khadr at Guantanamo Bay, and criticized government delays in approving the child soldier’s request to serve out his sentence in Canada.

Their report called on the federal government to issue an official apology to Canadians tortured by foreign jailers, including Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin.

De Schutter’s report said that policy decisions by the Harper government — including the cancellation of the long-form census — are undermining the fight against hunger in Canada.

De Schutter said the government needs to get a better handle on how many people are using food banks.

“They were, in principle, meant to be a very temporary fix, a temporary stop gap in the system and now they’re becoming a permanent feature of the Canadian landscape,” he said.

“The reality is that the responsibility of government begins by accepting to look at the reality.”

His report also criticized the federal government for dismantling mechanisms that would have allowed it to ensure that the provinces spend transfers on food and housing for the disadvantaged.

“At the moment what we see is a real ping-pong game going on between different levels of government, and an ability of the local initiatives to be supported,” he said.

Golberg told the committee Monday that De Schutter’s report was an affront to Canadian federalism, and “demonstrated a regrettable lack of understanding with respect to Canada’s constitutional framework and the size and diversity of our nation.”

“Canada is disappointed that UN mechanisms have often failed to appreciate the co-operative nature of our multi-faceted and complex system of government,” she added.

“Canada does not see federalism as a problem or an excuse.”

De Schutter’s report urged Ottawa to create a national food strategy to fight hunger among some of Canada’s most vulnerable, particularly aboriginals and people on social assistance. It calls on Ottawa to spell out the levels of responsibility between federal, provincial and municipal governments.

Health Minister Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Monday that De Schutter was responsible for a “one-sided biased report, written by someone who chose to ignore facts.”

“Implementing the recommendations in this report would have a devastating impact on Canadians, including a $48 billion tax hike,” she said.

After his visit to Canada last year, Aglukkaq called De Schutter “ill-informed” and “patronizing.” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney called him “completely ridiculous.”

When asked about those attacks, De Schutter said the cabinet ministers were simply playing to domestic political considerations.

“I present a mirror to the government. I look at the evidence. I go through the numbers. I listen to people. And I report to the government about what I’ve been seeing,” he said.

“The mirror is one some people may not like to look at. But shooting the person holding the mirror is not the right answer.”

Alex Neve, the head of Amnesty International Canada, said the report raises “a very real human rights issue” that the government needs to take seriously.

“That’s all the more reason why it’s been particularly disappointing to see how both last year, when the special rapporteur carried out his mission in Canada, and this year, we are not at all seeing a serious response from the government,” Neve said from Geneva.

Welcome to the Dachshund UN

By Emily Senger - Friday, March 1, 2013 at 4:41 PM - 0 Comments

Dachshund dogs sit in their positions for the performance installation "Dachshund UN" in Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. (Michelle Siu/CP)

France is sleeping with Ukraine. Or, more accurately, France is sleeping on Ukraine. It’s a strangely peaceful alliance, particularly given that the United States is barking orders behind them and, down in the front row, two OPEC countries are taking negotiations a step further as Nigeria mounts Saudi Arabia.

It’s just another day at the Dachshund UN, a performance art installation created by Australian Bennett Miller that uses 36 wiener dogs and their volunteer owners to create a replica of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The work made its Canadian debut in Toronto on Feb. 28, where a crowd of approximately 300 curious spectators gathered in the downtown Harbourfront Centre to marvel at the melee.

of Photos

Miller created Dachshund UN as a project for the Melbourne 2010 Next Wave festival, which had the theme of “No risk too great.” The project was a hit with audiences and, since then, Dachshund UN has far exceeded Miller’s expectations, with performances across Australia and internationally and plenty of social media buzz, after each show is over. Miller has an explanation for the success: “It’s the dogs, really, isn’t it?” he says, laughing. “The dogs are very entertaining.”

It’s nearly impossible not to love the dogs. Before the performance, a bearded Vice journalist who has sneaked behind stage to snap some photos of the pooches coos: “Oh, they’re so cute!” as Argentina and Mexico enjoy some pre-show snacks. When the curtain rises, the crowd laughs and applauds. Calls of “Ella, over here Ella!” and “Walter! Walter!” punctuate the buzz of conversation as owners in the audience attempt to get their dogs to perform, or at least look towards the crowd. After 50 minutes, the curtain drops and the audience groans, something that never happens at the conclusion of a real United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Speaking after the show, Miller says he always hopes an audience will look for a deeper meaning, in addition to enjoying the spectacle. “It’s an attempt to describe both the positive and the negative aspects of the UN,” he says. Miller chose the dachshund for its restricted anatomy, for having “a big heart and short legs,” as he puts it. Dachshunds also have racial diversity. They come in red, black, brown and tan and can have short, medium or long hair. “It reminds people, I think, that we intend to really enjoy difference in animals, but we don’t always enjoy it, or appreciate it across cultures and between each other,” says Miller, who owns a red dachshund named Routh. (Miller’s mom takes care of Routh when her son is on the road.)

While using dogs makes each installation unpredictable, the Toronto installation had one brand-new element; it was the first time in a theatre. The installation was originally designed for an outdoor festival, where spectators come and go as they please and Miller stands in the crowd to observe. At the Toronto shows, Miller stands in the wings and people are forced to sit for 50 minutes. It gives a different feel to the show. “It gave the audience a chance to really study the object and really study the dogs and have it slow down a bit and have them think about it,” Miller says.

With the installation in a seated theatre, it did seem that there should be a bit more, well, theatre. There was no narrative arc, no plot twists or character development, as the UN human rights commission delegates yipped at each other with no ultimate conclusion. On second thought, maybe the change of venue makes the UN recreation even more realistic.

Dachshund UN in part of the Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage and it runs until March 3. Tickets are free, but can be reserved in advance. Miller is also bringing his installation to Montreal for the FTA festival on May 24, 25 and 26. That performance will be outdoors.

‘We should be thanked upside down and sideways’

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 4:14 PM - 0 Comments

Two weeks ago, officials from the U.S. State Department and the United Nations expressed concern about Julian Fantino’s comments about Haiti. In an interview with the Vaughan Citizen, Mr. Fantino responds.

And Mr. Fantino had strong words for anyone who would put Canada’s contribution to Haiti’s recovery in a bad light. “Shame on them. It’s unfortunate that people have run off without full information about what we’re going to do. These comments from (UN representatives and U.S. State department representatives) are irresponsible when matched with our commitment. We should be thanked upside down and sideways. We pledged $400 million over two years in March 2010 at an international donors conference and we are one of very few countries that actually meets its commitments,” he said in defending Canada’s participation in the rebuilding effort in Haiti since a devastating earthquake killed upwards of 300,000 people three years ago, left 300,000 homeless and caused an estimated $12.5 billion in damage.

The 10 countries that should be happiest

By Blog of Lists - Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 5:30 AM - 0 Comments

According to the United Nations, when measured by factors such as life expectancy, income and education, here are the countries that have the most reason to be happy:

1. Norway

2. Australia

3. Netherlands

4. United States Continue…

INTERACTIVE: Canadian UN deployments drop under Conservatives

By Nick Taylor-Vaisey - Friday, December 21, 2012 at 4:09 PM - 0 Comments

Did you know Canada still has a military commitment in the Balkans? A handful of personnel serve various administrative and logistical roles in Kosovo, as part of the ongoing NATO mission in the region. On Thursday, Minister of Defence Peter MacKay announced the Canadian Forces would contribute to the mission until at least December 2014. That effort is a small part of Canada’s evolving commitment to military operations overseas — a commitment that, in recent years, has focused less on the UN and more on NATO.

On the heels of the Kosovo announcement came a Canadian Press story teasing the potential deployment of additional Canadian troops to the UN mission in Haiti. The soldiers would bolster the Brazilian contribution to the stabilization effort in Haiti.

Kosovo, Haiti… Where else are Canadian troops spending the Christmas season?

Canadian Forces personnel are currently engaged in both NATO and UN missions all over the world. The largest and most well-known mission is made up of the 950 soldiers who remain in Afghanistan. The Navy’s standing commitment to anti-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea means about 250 sailors are stationed at sea. And a small number of personnel are attached to other missions. Here’s how the count breaks down (Afghanistan is excluded, since it would blow out the graph). Operations with asterisks are UN missions.

Canada has participated in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization — the mission to keep the peace between Israel, Lebanon and Syria — since 1954. CF personnel have been stationed on Cyprus continually since 1964. Those staffing levels are minimal, though. One person in Cyprus? Outside of Canada’s substantial NATO commitments — to Afghanistan and the Arabian Sea, primarily — in the recent past, Canadian presence on UN missions has been generally sparse.

Since January 2005, the last year the Liberals held power under former prime minister Paul Martin, troop commitments have dropped — note the substantial plunge as soon as the Conservatives took office. By contrast, the number of police officers overseas has remained relatively stable. That third line, UNMEM, comprises all military observers in the field.

The same trend is reflected in Canadian deployment, as a proportion of total UN forces overseas.

Even at its recent peak of 0.55 per cent of total UN forces, CF deployment to UN missions represents just a tiny fraction of the global force. It is dwarfed by the contributions of three south Asian nations that send thousands of troops to missions all over the world; Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani troops and police participate in all but a couple of UN missions. Explore this map to see just where those countries deploy their personnel. Red squares mean the three countries provide more than 20 per cent of that mission’s force, while white squares mean under 20 per cent. Click on New York City for the total number.

Israel gets thrown to the lions in latest UN resolution on Palestine

By Barbara Amiel - Monday, December 10, 2012 at 2:13 PM - 0 Comments

Mohamad Torokman/Reuters

It is a source of great historical anguish, in the United Nations, that the dreaded and odious Israel was formed as a result of a UN resolution. Accordingly it’s necessary to establish that the UN was then under the domination of the U.S., the U.S. under the domination of Harry Truman, and Harry Truman under the domination of American Jews. I wish I had assembled those thoughts but they were William F. Buckley’s in his 1974 book United Nations Journal: A Delegate’s Odyssey, after his year as a U.S. delegate. I would not call Buckley a natural Judeo-phile but he had a strong moral sensibility and saw through cant and hypocrisy.

He would have recognized the farce at the UN last week and approved of the principled position Canada’s government took. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is not really, whatever one’s taste, a classic pin-up. But stay my beating heart. His speech to the UN on the proposal to advance Palestinian status (substituting negotiation with Israel for a love-in with the UN’s non-aligned bloc) began: “Canada opposes this resolution in the strongest terms . . . ”

I expected thunder and a shaft of light from the heavens. No one in the UN ever opposes anything in “the strongest terms” apart from numbing condemnations of Israel’s brutal, racist ethnic cleansing and occupation, beside which the brutal, racist ethnic cleansing of Africa and murderous wars of the Arab world fall mild as soft summer rains.  Continue…

Reaching our GHG goals thanks to a price on carbon

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 1:32 PM - 0 Comments

Peter Kent addresses the UN convention on climate change in Doha.

Canada is halfway to achieving our national effort to meet our Copenhagen target. The combined efforts to date of federal, provincial and territorial governments, of consumers and of businesses will generate half the greenhouse gas reduction required to meet Canada’s greenhouse gas target by 2020.

This year’s report on emissions trends, surveyed the federal, provincial and territorial scenes thusly.

In this year’s report, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to be slightly higher in 2020 than in the previous report (by 0.8%), while GHG emissions are lower (by 5.3%). The projected decline in GHG emissions is thus associated with a reduction in  intensity, implying greater de-coupling between GDP and GHGs. The improvements in  emission intensity are in part due to: i) increased contribution of the services sector,  which typically emits less emissions per dollar of GDP; and ii) actual emissions in 2010 were lower than projected, while actual GDP was higher. The decline in emissions intensity was also due to the fact that consumers and businesses are making more progress in reducing emissions. Government programs are contributing to this by helping to accelerate the adoption of energy efficient technologies and cleaner fuels.

Canada is moving forward to regulate GHGs on a sector-by-sector basis, aligning with the U.S where appropriate. The Government of Canada has started with the
transportation and electricity sectors – two of the largest sources of Canadian emissions – and plans to move forward with regulations in partnership with other key
economic sectors, including oil and gas. Last year’s report included emissions regulations for light-duty vehicles for the model years 2011-2016 as well as an
electricity performance standard to phase-out coal-fired electricity, Alberta’s Specified Gas Emitters Regulation, British Columbia’s carbon tax and Quebec’s carbon
levy. Provincial policies such as Ontario’s phase-out of coal-fired electricity also made important contributions. Projected emissions levels in the 2012 version of the report have further declined, in part through the inclusion of further federal actions on additional emissions regulations for light-duty vehicles for the 2017-2025 period as well as heavy duty vehicle regulations. Recent provincial actions (e.g., Quebec’s capand-trade, Nova Scotia’s emissions cap for electric utilities, increased stringency of building energy codes, equipment standards and requirements for capturing methane from landfill gas) are also included. Total emissions in 2020 are projected to decrease to 720 Mt.

Baird not his usual blunt self on Israel’s settlement plan

By John Geddes - Monday, December 3, 2012 at 1:24 PM - 0 Comments

Nailing down the government of Canada’s stance on Israel’s controversial move to expand settlements in a contested zone east of Jerusalem is being made difficult by the foreign affair’s minister’s cagey communications strategy.

John Baird was his usual bluntly outspoken self last week when it came to denouncing Palestinian efforts to secure enhanced status at the United Nations. But Baird’s aides ask us to read between the lines and decode diplomatic language to discern his actual position on the related settlement issue.

Last Friday, White House officials decried Israel’s move to build 3,000 new housing units in the disputed area, which is claimed by the Palestinians as part of the West Bank, as “counterproductive.” Soon after, I asked Baird’s office if the Canadian government shares the U.S. concern and, if so, has that point been conveyed to the Israeli government.

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The UN votes to recognize a Palestinian state

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 7:53 PM - 0 Comments

The UN voted 138-9 this evening to give the Palestinians non-member observer status. Canada joined the United States, Israel, the Czech Republic, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Panama in opposing the move. Forty-one countries abstained, including the United Kingdom. Here apparently is the official roll call.

Here is the text of John Baird’s speech at the UN today.

This resolution will not advance the cause of peace or spur a return to negotiations. Will the Palestinian people be better off as a result? No. On the contrary, this unilateral step will harden positions and raise unrealistic expectations while doing nothing to improve the lives of the Palestinian people.

A government official is suggesting “thoughtful and deliberate” action will be taken as a result.

Canada will vote no

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 9:17 AM - 0 Comments

John Baird is in New York today to vote against a resolution that would recognize Palestine as a non-voting observer state at the United Nations. The Prime Minister referred to the resolution as a “shortcut” yesterday and has reportedly pressured Mahmoud Abbas to drop the bid. Campbell Clark now considers what Canada might do in response to the resolution passing.

Michael Petrou makes the case that Canada should support Palestinian membership.

After QP yesterday, Liberal MP Irwin Cotler explained why he doesn’t support the resolution.

This démarche by the Palestinians, I’ve said this to Mr. Abbas, I’m not saying anything to [you], ’ve not said to him, I met with him over the past year several times and the Palestinians leaders and I said that this is a breach of Israel-Palestinian agreement. It’s a breach of international agreements, UN Security Council resolutions, etc., calling for direct negotiations between the parties as a basis for just and lasting peace. It’s a breach of a whole series of bilateral agreements with as a result of this mega-rupture, so I think it’s a mistake as a matter of law, as a matter of policy and a mistake in terms of seeking, on the 65th anniversary of that initial resolution, the same two states for two peoples…

Our position should be to bring the parties together for direct negotiations without preconditions, with a view to addressing all of the standing issues that remain on the agenda and with a view to securing, as I say, a just and lasting peace. I think that should be our approach. I think that the extent that we object, our objection should be that this unilateral initiative is in breach of the UN’s own resolutions and in breach of Israeli-Palestinian bilateral agreements and international agreements.

The NDP questioned Mr. Baird on the government’s approach during QP yesterday.

Look what the UN dragged in

By Scaachi Koul - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 7:50 AM - 0 Comments

After an earthquake ravaged Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, no one could have imagined that cholera—absent from the country for more than a century—would claim the lives of thousands more Haitians. Yet some 7,400 Haitians have died from cholera since the epidemic began in October 2010; and more than 600,000 have been infected. Now, new evidence is pointing the finger at the UN for bringing the disease into the country.

Last month, Daniele Lantagne, a top U.S. cholera specialist, told the BBC that a Nepalese military unit of the UN Stabilization Mission was the “most likely” source of the outbreak; the strain of cholera found in Haiti is “an exact match,” she says, for the strain found in Nepal. At the time of Haiti’s earthquake, Nepal was in the grip of a cholera outbreak. None of the soldiers were tested because they didn’t display the symptoms of the disease (it is possible to carry cholera without showing symptoms).

Rumours that UN peacekeepers were to blame for the outbreak have long circulated in Haiti, but an independent report last year concluded that the peacekeeping agency could not conclusively be blamed. While UN personnel may have had a hand in introducing the disease, the report found that Haiti’s lack of proper sewage treatment and water purification was also at fault; the disease, found in water or food contaminated by the waste of those infected, can quickly spread in places with poor sanitation. As for the alleged negligence in not testing the peacekeepers, Kieran Dwyer, the UN’s chief of public affairs, says the World Health Organization has no recommended “reliable cholera screening tool.” Continue…

UN revises world hunger figures

By The Associated Press - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 5:26 AM - 0 Comments

ROME – The United Nations now says its 2009 headline-grabbing announcement that 1 billion people in the world were hungry was off-target and that the number is actually more like 870 million.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization blamed flawed methodology and poor data for the bum projection, and said it now uses a much more accurate set of parameters and statistics to calculate its annual estimate of the world’s hungry.

Continue…

John Baird vs. The UN

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 11:16 AM - 0 Comments

Paul Knox pans John Baird’s speech at the United Nations.

John Baird demonstrated Monday that he doesn’t understand what the United Nations is, how it operates, his own allies’ efforts to improve it or its potential for helping his government achieve its goals … Maybe we should be touched by Mr. Baird’s honesty. But maybe we should ask ourselves why he would conflate key UN bodies and roles, miss the mark in assigning blame and dismiss the idea of fixing an institution to which, as he proudly stated, Canada is the seventh-largest financial contributor … 

Too many people speak of the UN (for Mr. Baird it was “this organization”) as if it were a single, independent entity, capable of acting autonomously and decisively to change the course of history. In practice, it is highly decentralized and often hobbled by the interests of the most dominant members. Pointing fingers at an abstraction called “the UN” lets those who have the power to act and do not, or who act unwisely or maliciously, off the hook. None of this is hard to understand, really. Mr. Baird should give it a try.

‘Let us move forward’

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, October 1, 2012 at 10:50 AM - 0 Comments

The prepared text of John Baird’s speech to the UN General Assembly this morning.

It is an honour to address the opening of the 67th regular session of the General Assembly of the United Nations of the world.

Allow me to begin by paying silent tribute to all diplomats, from so many nations, who have lost their lives in the pursuit of deeper understanding among countries and in the service of our common humanity.

With the opening of this session, the General Assembly has passed a milestone.

Since the first session was convened, in Central Hall, Westminster, London, in January 1946, until the calling to order of this new session, precisely 66 years and 8 months have elapsed.

This General Assembly is now two thirds of a century old.

Two thirds of a century during which this Assembly—and the planet—have been witness to both great achievements and grave injustices; have seen both human triumphs, and human tragedies.

Continue…

Don’t give up on diplomacy to end Syrian crisis, Baird says

By The Canadian Press - Monday, October 1, 2012 at 6:17 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Canada isn’t giving up hope of a diplomatic settlement to end the violence in Syria.

As he heads to New York today and a speech to the United Nations, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the world must continue trying for a diplomatic end to the civil war in Syria.

Baird told CTV’s Question Period that he and Prime Minister Harper have been speaking with their Russian counterparts about having the UN Security Council get involved.

Russia has faced criticism for thwarting efforts to halt the violence in Syria by using its veto at the Security Council to quash resolutions against the Assad regime.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insists that it’s the West that’s standing in the way of concerted international action by failing to implement an earlier agreement on the conflict.

Canada has committed to provide $12 million to help Syrian civilians, many thousands of whom have flocked across Syria’s borders to live as refugees in neighbouring countries.

It’s estimated that as many as 700,000 could flee Syria by the end of this year.

Harper slags UN, assails Iran while picking up world statesman award

By Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press - Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 10:00 PM - 0 Comments

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a swipe at the United Nations and assailed Iran on Thursday as he picked up an international statesman award, suggesting once again that the UN has too often wooed dictators despite their appalling human rights records and sinister aims.

Continue…

Harper skips UN but will meet with leaders in NYC while picking up award

By The Canadian Press - Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 1:35 PM - 0 Comments

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is skipping the United Nations General Assembly again this year, but he was in New York City anyway on Thursday meeting with global leaders and preparing to pick up a world statesman award.

As both Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, were set to address the UN, Harper met with the Haitian president at a mid-town Manhattan hotel just a few blocks away.

Harper and Michel Martelly shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before getting down to the business of discussing the Canada-Haiti relationship.

Harper also met with Henry Kissinger, the storied U.S. statesman, at his Park Avenue office. Kissinger will present Harper later Thursday with his world statesman award from the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an interfaith peace organization.

The prime minister was also scheduled to sit down himself with Abbas, and was scheduled to meet on Friday morning with Netanyahu.

Harper will be bestowed with the world statesman honour at the annual foundation dinner at the swank Waldorf-Astoria hotel. His office says he’s being recognized as “a champion of democracy, freedom, and human rights.”

Past winners include Canada’s Jean Chretien, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy and former British prime minister Gordon Brown.

The event is taking place as hundreds of world leaders meet at the UN to discuss urgent global issues, including the situation in Syria, the growing tensions between Israel and Iran and the eruption of anti-American violence in the Middle East.

Harper has faced a barrage of criticism back home for his decision to opt out of speaking to the UN again this year.

But he’s insisted it’s not standard procedure for the Canadian prime minister to address the General Assembly every year. The UN has met seven times since he was elected; Harper’s spoken twice, in 2006 and in 2010.

In his place, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird will once again address the UN on Monday. On Parliament Hill on Wednesday, Baird conceded the government has differences of opinion with the UN on some issues but denied any antipathy towards the organization.

“We’re the seventh … biggest contributor to the United Nations. When you look at something like the World Food Program, we’re the second largest contributor,” he said.

New York-bound Harper snubs UN — again

By Bruce Cheadle, The Canadian Press - Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 7:13 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in New York today to accept a private award for global statesmanship, but he won’t be using the occasion to address the nearby United Nations general assembly.

Whether you applaud or decry Harper’s decision to spurn the UN, international watchers agree on one point: His silence speaks volumes.

“I think many UN aficionados do see it as a snub,” Fen Hampson, director of the global security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont., said in an interview.

“And quite frankly the prime minister is delivering — or re-delivering — his Tim Hortons message, which is that I have better things to do than show up and speak to a half-empty general assembly.”

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird will be speaking for Canada during UN week in New York, a common occurrence and one that Harper has characterized as business as usual.

Harper told the House of Commons this week that it’s never been the practice for Canadian prime ministers to address the UN annually.

“That said, nobody in Canada doubts — whether they agree with us or not — that the government takes strong, clear and independent decisions on foreign affairs,” Harper added.

His point on prime ministerial attendance is well taken.

Brian Mulroney addressed the general assembly three times during his eight years in office and his Conservative successor Kim Campbell once. Jean Chretien spoke to the UN five times in 10 years and Paul Martin twice during his two-year term as Liberal prime minister.

Harper has spoken at the general assembly twice since 2006 — three times when you count his back-to-back addresses in September 2010 when Canada was lobbying for a seat on the Security Council.

But a confluence of events makes this year’s prime ministerial no-show stand out.

Harper was taken to task by some in September 2009 for attending the opening of a Tim Hortons franchise in Oakville, Ont., rather than speaking at the UN, given that he had to be in Pittsburgh that week anyway.

This year’s absence from the UN on the very day he is in New York to accept his “world statesman of the year” award from an American organization is much more glaring.

Canada’s failure to gain a seat on the UN Security Council likely had a big influence, said Hampson.

“Whatever lukewarm enthusiasm he had for the United Nations, I think he now views it as a cold tub of bath water and he’s not about to jump into it.”

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair argues the Conservative government just doesn’t like the UN, or multilateralism for that matter.

“It’s this fortress Canuck mentality that they seem to be developing — we don’t have to work with the rest of the world —and I think this is just another manifestation of it,” Mulcair said Wednesday.

“I disagree,” Baird later shot back, noting Canada is the UN’s seventh biggest cash contributor, and second largest contributor to the UN’s world food program.

“We may have issues from time to time with certain decisions taken by the (world) body,” but other UN work is “absolutely essential,” Baird added.

What’s clear is the Conservative government works with the UN on certain issues but has no use for the forum as a global talk shop.

Stephen Lewis, Canada’s former ambassador to the UN under Conservative prime minister Mulroney, said the world is noticing Canada’s “petulant reaction” and calls it “a significant mistake in terms of multilateralism.”

Harper’s global statesman award, Lewis added dryly, “if it were to be taken seriously,” is the perfect opportunity to pitch Canada’s foreign policy to the world.

“But you don’t need an international statesman award to recognize that we have just effectively broken diplomatic relations with Iran, so what a great opportunity to take the platform and tell the world why,” said the former Ontario provincial NDP leader.

Lewis said Harper could speak about the carnage in Syria, and warn the global community about missing its targets on maternal and child health — an issue Harper has championed.

“There are a number of issues to which the prime minister could speak with cogency and with legitimacy,” said Lewis. “I think it’s a real lost opportunity.”

One of Canada’s most respected former diplomats, Yves Fortier, similarly called the move “unfortunate” given that Harper is in New York at a time when there are so many important global issues pertinent to Canada.

“I don’t think it sends the right signal,” said Fortier, Canada’s ambassador to the UN from 1988 to 1992 and Canada’s representative on the UN Security Council from 1989 to 1990.

“If Barack Obama in the middle of his (presidential) campaign can find the time to speak to the UN, I would have thought our prime minister could also have found the time to do so.”

As for any repercussions, Lewis joked that Canada won’t be getting a seat on the Security Council any time soon — “not during Prime Minister Harper’s tenure, at any rate.”

Updated: Canada walks out as Ahmadinejad speaks at UN

By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 11:27 AM - 0 Comments

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Diplomats from Canada are among those who walked out on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the Iranian president took the podium today at the UN General Assembly.

The Canadian delegation also walked out on the controversial leader’s speech last year.

Canada’s controversial decision to cut diplomatic ties with Iran has elevated tensions between the two countries.

The Islamic Republic News Agency today posted a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry urging Iranian citizens to avoid Canada, citing “Islamophobia,” “Iranophobia” and a “double-standard” in Canada towards human rights.

In the past, Ahmadinejad has used the UN spotlight to attack Israel, cast doubt on the Holocaust and question American accounts of the 9-11 attacks.

Ahmadinejad is speaking despite the concerted efforts of some, including Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, to convince UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to pull the plug.

“Allowing President Ahmadinejad to address the UN General Assembly is a cruel parody of law and justice that will put us on the wrong side of history,” Cotler wrote in a recent letter to the secretary general and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The letter cited Ahmadinejad for human rights violations, pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of the UN and incitement to genocide.

Cotler said the UN should be indicting Ahmadinejad, not inviting him to the podium.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decided not to speak to the opening of the assembly’s fall session. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is to speak at the UN next week.