Canada is convinced that the best way to achieve world
peace lies through the collective actions of major organizations. Following
this conviction, when the League of Nations was founded after World War I,
Canada was a founding member and one of the few that stayed until it was
dissolved during World War II because it failed to prevent war. In the belief that
the world cannot bere a World War III, the United Nations was created in 1945.
Since its foundation Canada has always been a strong supporter. The
participation of Canada in the United Nations is a very important issue in
Canadian history. Canada has always been involved in UN action, showing the
country's tradition of peace and justice. Canada has played a key role in the
international community providing the founding idea of peacekeeping, the
landmine ban, the first draft of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”,
and having sat on the Security Council six times, more than any other
non-permanent member.[1]
The most important contribution of Canada to the United
Nation was peacekeeping. The peacekeepers are the United Nations Emergency
Forces. The peacekeepers, also known as “Blue Helmets”, are a special unit that
is sent in by the United Nations to solve problems where a war is taking place
and to try to keep borders at peace.[2]
The chairman of the idea was Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson. In 1956,
Egypt seized the Suez Canal from Britain and France. The Suez Canal connects
the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea allowing transportation between Europe
and Asia. As a result, Britain and France joined Israel in an attack on Egypt a
few months later. Soon, it took on international importance. Lester Pearson had
a great idea and suggested the creation of a United Nations Emergency Force,
the peacekeepers. The idea had a lot of support in the United Nations and was
approved in a short term period. In a few days, the Suez Canal Crisis was over
thanks to the Blue Helmets. Lester Pearson’s contribution was recognized
internationally with the Peace Nobel Prize the next year, 1957. Since the
creation of the Blue Helmets, Canada has participated in fifty-two peacekeeping
missions of a total of sixty, which makes eighty seven percent. Currently a
hundred twenty six Canadian soldiers are deployed to UN peacekeeping missions
spread out around the world. [3]
Canada has been involved in most of the important actions
since the UN foundation in 1945. During the first years Canadian John Humphrey,
worked with a small group of eighteen people in the first draft of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. John Humphrey, as the Director of the
United Nations Human Rights Division, prepared the Declaration’s blueprint
taking a leadership role.[4] Another
important issue where Canada`s role was crucial is the Ottawa Process. In 1996
a comprehensive ban on landmines failed in the UN. Nevertheless Canada knew the
magnitude of the problem of landmines, a weapon that could injure and even kill
many people, both soldiers and civilians. After the Cold War, landmines were a
part of almost every state’s military arsenal. Canada had just finished
destroying its landmine stockpile and was aware of this issue, then in 1996 the
ban on landmines at the UN failed, Canada initiated the “Ottawa Process” to rid
the world of landmines. The landmine ban obtained a high degree of
international support. The result was the “Antipersonnel Landmine Ban Treaty”.
It came into being with the aid of 122 countries in 1999.[5]
Currently the United Nations is still working in this issue. This shows
Canada’s influence on world peacekeeping initiatives.
The UN institution where Canada has been most active, and
therefore one of the most influential countries, is the Security Council, whose
main duty is to maintain world peace. It is the only part of the UN that can
make decisions that member states have the obligation to follow although they
may not approve them.[6]
The Security Council is formed by fifteen members, five of which are permanent
members (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United
States), and the rest are elected for two-year terms.[7]
Here is where Canada’s number is great: Canada has sat on Security Council six
times, that is more than any non-permanent member. The six terms are 1948-49,
1958–59, 1967–68, 1977–78, 1989–90, and 1999-2000, once every decade since UN
was established.[8] Furthermore,
Canada, despite being the 35th on number of inhabitants in the world ranking[9],
made the 5th largest contribution to the UN budget in 2012, contributing 3.207%
of the total contribution[10].
This percentage is a big investment for a country with only thirty four million
people.[11]
[1] Totten. The United Nations.
Windsor, 2013. Print
[2] “What is Peacekeeping?” United
Nations Peacekeeping. N.p. d.a. http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/peacekeeping.shtml
[3]United Nations Association in Canada, UN peacekeeping. UNA-Canada Backgrounder for Journalists.
UNAC. 2007. http://www.unac.org/peacekeeping/en/un-peacekeeping/fact-sheets/una-canada-backgrounder-for-journalists/
[4] “History of the document.” The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. n.p. n.d.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/history.shtml
[5] “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production
and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction” International Campaign to ban landmines.
N.p. n.d.
http://www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/Treaty/MBT/Treaty-Text-in-Many-Languages/English#13
[6] Totten. The United Nations.
Windsor, 2013. Print
[7] Totten. The United Nations.
Windsor, 2013. Print
[8] “Countries Elected Members of the Security Council.” United Nations Security Council” n.p n.d
http://www.un.org/en/sc/members/elected.shtml
[9]“Canada's population estimates, fourth quarter 2012” Statistics Canada. N.p. March, 20, 2013.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/130320/dq130320g-eng.htm?HPA
[10] Secretariat United Nations. Assessment
of Member States’ contributions to the United Nations regular budget for 2012. 27
December, 2012 http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=ST/ADM/SER.B/853
[11] “Canada's population estimates, fourth quarter 2012” Statistics Canada. N.p. March, 20, 2013.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/130320/dq130320g-eng.htm?HPA
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