The two men held talks on a number of issues at the start of Ban’s short visit to Ottawa and Montreal.
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Trudeau does say the Liberal government still intends to fulfil its other, more-flexible, fiscal anchor to lower the debt-to-GDP ratio in every year of its mandate.
“Canada’s Indigenous peoples have a sacred relationship with the Earth”.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ban recalled that at the climate conference (COP21) last December, Prime Minister Trudeau’s leadership helped the United Nations secure the breakthrough it needed for the historic Paris Agreement on climate change.
Asked about the commitment to balance the budget by 2019/20, Trudeau replied: “If you look at the growth forecasts for the next three or four years, that will be hard”.
He praised not only Trudeau’s climate-change advocacy, but his desire to return Canada to its peacekeeping roots – which, he said, Canada helped create under external affairs minister Lester Pearson in the 1950s.
“We’re going to evaluate the opportunities for Canada to operate a successful bid”, Trudeau said.
A return to the council would mark a major comeback for Canada, after the country lost to tiny Portugal in 2010 for a two-year, rotating seat.
Ban called the sexual assault allegations an “unacceptable violation of human rights” and said he will be implementing the recommendations of former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps, who has advised the United Nations on how to prevent future abuse.
Ban also commended Canada on its “compassionate approach” to Syrian refugees. Critics blamed the historic loss on Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, saying that it failed to make a strong bid.
Canadian involvement to United Nations peacekeeping dwindled sharply in the Harper years as the military was enmeshed in Afghanistan.
The Canadian Press has learned that Trudeau is to announce a doubling of the Canada Summer Jobs program during a visit to the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club in Toronto.
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“I reiterated the commitment of our government to strengthen the UN’s ability to maintain global peace and security, including by increasing support for peace operations and contributing more to mediation, conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction efforts”.
