Canada plans to make a bid for a seat on the UN Security Council, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday as he hosted UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Advertisement
Trudeau confirmed that Canada is looking to win a seat on the Security Council as part of a move to renew its relationship with the world body.
During the secretary-general’s visit, Trudeau said Canada will “reaffirm its commitment to the United Nations”, and highlight Canada’s commitment to global issues including “climate change and climate finance; the situation in Syria, Iraq, and surrounding countries; refugee resettlement; and the health of women and children around the world”.
“The weather here is quite cold”, Ban said.
“I want to restore Canada’s voice and leadership role at the UN”, Trudeau said ahead of Ban’s arrival in Ottawa, casting the first visit of a UN chief in years as recognition of the new Liberal government’s commitment to working in concert with other nations.
Ban recalled how Trudeau used his “charm and popularity” during the November and December UN Paris climate-change talks, energetically moving from delegation to delegation. He praised Canada repeatedly for deciding to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees, and for the more than $1 billion in development and humanitarian spending earmarked towards the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
But now, the prime minister is backing away from that.
Last week, Britain came under renewed pressure to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia over concerns the country was involved in indiscriminate bombing of civilians in the conflict in Yemen, following a speech by the secretary general in London urging United Nations permanent security council members to do more to halt the influx of weapons to the region. “By how much? We’re examining that now”, Trudeau told La Presse.
In 2010, Canada lost its bid for a two-year council term to Portugal, even though it held a seat at the table off and on for six decades.
Advertisement
Following up on campaign promises he made a year ago to withdraw Canada’s jets, Trudeau said on Monday that his country’s contribution to the fight against ISIL would be extended until the end of March 2017 – but would be “a non-combat mission”.
