Canadian luminaries call for “fundamental reassessment” of foreign policy following Security Council defeat
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2020
MONTREAL, Quebec -- 200 politicians, artists, activists and academics are calling for a fundamental reassessment of Canadian foreign policy on the heels of Canada’s second consecutive defeat for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
The open letter is addressed to Prime Minister Trudeau and signed by Canadian luminaries including Stephen Lewis, David Suzuki, Naomi Klein and Linda McQuaig as well as sitting MPs Leah Gazan, Paul Manly and Niki Ashton. Former MPs Roméo Saganash, Libby Davies, Jim Manly, and Svend Robinson have also signed the open letter. Other signatories include Ottawa MPP Joel Harden, Vancouver City Councillor Jean Swanson, Victoria City Councillor Jeremy Loveday, former Plateau-Mont-Royal mayor Luc Ferrandez, Black Lives Matter-Toronto founder Sandy Hudson and Richard Parry of Arcade Fire.
“The international community’s rejection of Canada’s Security Council bid suggests a pressing need to reassess Canadian foreign policy,” noted Bianca Mugyenyi, national coordinator of the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.
In recent days many prominent voices such as Alan Rock, Sheila Copps and Douglas Roche have called for a formal review of Canadian foreign policy, which has not taken place since the Paul Martin government released its International Policy Statement in 2005. The Canadian Foreign Policy Institute’s open letter proposes 10 questions as the basis for a wide-ranging discussion of Canada’s place in the world. The letter calls into question Canada’s close alignment with Washington as well as public support for arms exporters and mining firms abroad.
The letter urges Trudeau to “use this moment to usher in a new era in which our government’s policies abroad reflect the desire of Canadians to be a force for peace and human rights in the world.”
To see the full list of signatories: www.foreignpolicy.ca/campaign
For more information:
Bianca Mugyenyi
info@foreignpolicy.ca, 514-436-7629
Security Council loss is opportunity to develop a more just Canadian foreign policy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2020
MONTREAL, Quebec -- Yesterday, Canada lost its bid for a United Nations Security Council.
“Canada’s failure to gain a seat on the Security Council is a major blow to Justin Trudeau’s government,” said Bianca Mugyenyi, Canadian Foreign Policy Institute national coordinator. “But the loss is a victory for those seeking a more just Canadian foreign policy.”
“Canada lost to Ireland and Norway partly because of its support for controversial mining companies, indifference to international treaties, anti-Palestinian positions, climate policies and militarism,” noted Mugyenyi.
“The international community’s rejection of Canada’s Security Council bid is an opportunity to fundamentally reassess Canadian foreign policy,” noted Mugyenyi. “Ten years ago, the Stephen Harper government suffered a similar defeat, which was largely explained as a rebuke of their support for Washington, mining and oil companies as well as anti-Palestinian policies. The Liberals promised change, but the world is unconvinced. Do Canadians want a foreign policy driven by Washington and corporate interests?”
Canada lost its Security Council bid despite many advantages. It is a member of the G7 and has a seat on the boards of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. A member of the Commonwealth and Francophonie, Canada also speaks the two main colonial languages and has a far larger diplomatic apparatus than Ireland or Norway.
The Canadian Foreign Policy Institute was part of a widely covered campaign to oppose Canada’s bid for a seat on the Security Council. It included delivering an open letter to all UN ambassadors signed by more than 30 organizations and 3500 individuals, including David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Pam Palmater and Roger Waters.
Along with our partner Just Peace Advocates, the campaign stimulated 1298 individuals to deliver letters to every UN ambassador urging them to vote against Canada’s bid for a Security Council seat due to its anti-Palestinian record. Additionally, 471 individuals emailed all UN ambassadors with the general open letter, 169 individuals emailed Caribbean ambassadors with a statement critical of Canada’s role in the Caribbean and 118 letters were sent to all African ambassadors critical of Canada’s role on that continent.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and foreign affairs minister François-Philippe Champagne were questioned directly on the campaign while Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Marc-André Blanchard, deliver a letter to all countries’ permanent missions at the UN in response to the campaign focused on Canada’s anti-Palestinian positions.
For more information:
Bianca Mugyenyi
info@foreignpolicy.ca, 514-436-7629
Letter with 2,800 signatures delivered to all UN ambassadors urging them to vote no to Canada's Security Council bid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2020
MONTREAL, Quebec -- Today the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute delivered an open letter signed by more than 2,800 individuals and 30 organizations to all UN ambassadors urging them to vote against Canada’s bid for a Security Council seat.
Since its original publication in the Toronto Star on May 19th, the letter has been covered internationally by the Washington Post, Telesur, Sputnik, Redaction Politics, Common Dreams as well as Radio Canada’s Téléjournal, Global News, Canadian Press and a dozen other Canadian media outlets.
Justin Trudeau was also forced to respond to the letter at a press conference.
In support of the campaign, Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters made a video voicing his opposition to Canada’s Security Council bid that has been viewed more than 110,000 times. The campaign has also produced articles and video specifically targeted at Caribbean and African audiences.
“If you oppose rich nations dumping their trash in poor countries, support nuclear disarmament and reducing greenhouse gas emissions you should oppose Canada’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council”, noted Bianca Mugyenyi, Canadian Foreign Policy Institute national coordinator and one of the organizers of the petition.
“Even based on the criteria laid down by the government website promoting Canada’s candidacy for the Security Council, Ireland and Norway are more deserving of seats on the Security Council,” explained Mugyenyi author of “10 Reasons to Support Ireland and Norway over Canada for the UN Security Council seat”.
In what appears to be a response to the wide circulation of the campaign hashtag (#NoUNSC4Canada) on Twitter, Global Affairs Canada recently activated its vast international diplomatic apparatus to promote #CanadaUNSC. Last week Trudeau was also questioned on whether Canada would act as a “Trojan Horse” for the US if it won a seat on the Security Council.
“While one can’t be sure how Canada will act if it wins a seat on the Security Council, the historical record suggests it would vote in lockstep with Washington”, explained Mugyenyi.
In the lead up to the June 17 vote the #NoUNSC4Canada campaign is organizing a Twitter drive targeting 20 strategically chosen UN ambassadors and will coordinate an email send-out to representatives of all UN member states.
The initial letter was signed by an impressive list of activists, artists and academics including David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Roger Waters and Pam Palmater. This list has grown since the campaign launch, with numerous groups and prominent individuals continuing to add their names from Yvon Deschamps and Gabor Mate to 2017 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Hiroshima survivor, Setsuko Thurlow.
For more information:
Bianca Mugyenyi
info@foreignpolicy.ca, 514-436-7629
Vote no to a Canadian seat on the UN Security Council
For immediate release
May 19, 2020
MONTREAL, Quebec -- More than 100 prominent artists, academics, activists and authors – including David Suzuki, Roger Waters, Noam Chomsky, Romeo Saganash, Pam Palmater, Rawi Hage, Sid Ryan, Antonia Zerbisias, and Monia Mazigh – are calling on countries to vote against Canada’s bid for a seat on UN Security Council. The open letter points out how the Trudeau government has been offside with most UN member states on a host of issues. The letter also criticizes Canadian militarism, support for controversial mining companies, anti-Palestinian positions and climate policies.
Published today in the Toronto Star, the letter is now open for all to read and sign atwww.foreignpolicy.ca/petition. It will be delivered to UN member states prior to the vote for the security council seat in June.
“The letter details a host of reasons for countries to vote against Canada’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council,” notes Bianca Mugyenyi, former Co-Executive Director of The Leap and an initiator of the letter. “As someone born and partially raised in Uganda, I call on African states to vote no to Canada’s bid for a Security Council seat”, explains Mugyenyi.
For more information:
Bianca Mugyenyi
info@foreignpolicy.ca, 514-436-7629