REALity Volume XXXV Issue No. 5 May 2016

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, with his typical boyish enthusiasm, appears to worship the corrupt and discredited United Nations (UN).

Like others in love, he can’t see the obvious flaws of his beloved. Rather, he views the institution only with rosy glasses.  He has promised that Canada would “engage robustly” with the organization in order to further Canada’s “warm” relations with it.  He has already promised the UN $2.65 billion to assist it in helping developing countries with climate change.

In addition, Trudeau is considering the following initiatives for the UN:

  • A plan to provide $15 billion to the Palestinian relief agency, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which the Conservative government stopped funding because of its alleged ties to the Hamas which has been designated as a terrorist group by the US and Canada.
  • A seat on the UN Security Council. The Security Council has fifteen members in total – five permanent members which include the US, the UK, Russia, China and France. These countries were the world powers at the time that the UN was established in 1945. They each have a veto over all decisions made by the Security Council. There are also ten non-permanent members elected to the Security Council for two-year terms by the General Assembly. These non-permanent members serve more as a pretence that the Security Council is democratic, which clearly, it is not, since all the power is held by the five countries with the veto power.
  • Increased Canadian involvement in peace-keeping. The reputation of UN peace-keeping missions has been severely marred in recent years by numerous accusations of sexual assault by the “Blue Helmets” (the colour of the helmets worn by the peace-keeping soldiers). Trudeau has suggested that Canada could send more female troops on UN peace-keeping missions believing that involving more women in the process would mitigate the sexual abuse. This is an odd suggestion in view of the fact that the Canadian military is presently grappling with a serious problem of sexual harassment and assault within its ranks. Sending female military to third world countries would provide female soldiers with even less protection than they have in Canada. Trudeau’s female peace-keepers’ idea isn’t very smart. Trudeau is also apparently unaware that the UN’s peacekeeping operations are in shambles. Not only are there rampant allegations of rape and corruption, but these troops are ill-equipped and woefully led and often regarded as an invasion force rather than as a welcomed force. However, to Trudeau, Canada’s participation in UN peacekeeping is an opening shot at securing a seat on the Security Council in 2021.
     
  • Resurrecting Canada’s Junior Professional Officer Program at the UN which the Conservative government ceased funding in 2010. The purpose of this program is for young professionals in the Department of Foreign Affairs, (now called Global Affairs by the Liberals) to learn and gain experience on the job at the UN. This program costs around $120,000 per delegate, per year.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Visits Ottawa

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Ottawa in February, 2016 to meet with Trudeau. Viewing him, obviously, as a “soft touch” he requested increased funding by Canada for the UN.  The UN’s target for aid spending by rich countries is 0.7% of gross national income.  Only five countries, have ever reached this target.  Mr. Ban Ki-moon stated during his visit to Ottawa that “I’m sure that Prime Minister Trudeau and his government will pay more focus on this matter

[funding].  I count on his leadership”.  That’s very likely.

Encouraged by Mr. Trudeau’s love affair with the UN, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, arrived a week later in Ottawa. He met with Foreign Affairs Minister, Stéphane Dion to discuss Canada’s human-rights record.  Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is not the best choice to do so, since he is on record as urging Catholic countries to legalize abortion over the Zika virus.  Laying on the flattery, however, the High Commissioner praised the Liberals’ approach to First Nations’ grievances and poverty, as well as Canada’s acceptance of 25,000 Syrian refugees.  The High Commissioner contrasted Canada’s position on refugees with the more fearful and cautious attitudes elsewhere.

In response, Mr. Dion announced that the Liberal government would provide $15 million over three years to support the core work of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. A most worth-while visit to Ottawa by Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Conservative Government’s Approach to the UN

In contrast to Justin Trudeau’s warm re-engagement with the UN, the Conservative government had a more realistic view of the tainted and unethical UN. It was not impressed by the anti-Israel resolution of the UN General Assembly.  Canada, under the Conservatives also had no intention of applying again for a Security Council seat after Canada was rejected for the seat in 2010. 

The Conservative government saw the ineffective UN for what it was, and had no intention of pretending that it serves much purpose other than to promote unacceptable ideologically driven policies, unsupported by Member States, and to provide sinecure (plum jobs) for its over-paid bloated bureaucracy.

We can be certain, however, that over the next few years, gullible Mr. Trudeau and his government, will be funnelling billions of Canadian taxpayers’ money to the UN.