TORONTO - The Green Party of Canada congratulates the United Nations on its 75th anniversary. The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, and came into force on 24 October 1945.
This September, in commemoration of the UN's 75th anniversary, Member States reaffirmed that: our challenges are interconnected and can only be addressed through reinvigorated multilateralism.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency clearly demonstrate that the urgent challenges our time cannot be solved by one country alone,” said Green Party Leader Annamie Paul. “Whether it is the race to find a vaccine, the pressing need to meet global emissions reduction targets, or addressing human migration, the enormity of the issues facing the global community require the collective leadership and coordinated action that the United Nations can provide.”
The Green Party endorses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and outlined a plan to achieve them in our 2019 Platform. This set of 17 goals are designed to lift people out of poverty, provide everyone with clean water and air, food security and education, and ensure a livable climate. While Canada has stated a commitment to supporting these goals, and the 2018 Federal Budget allocated new funds to establish an SDG Unit, the Liberal government has yet to outline a clear plan on how to achieve the SDGs.
“This 75th anniversary of the UN, is an opportunity for Canada to examine and redefine its role in the world,” said Paul Manly, Green MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith and caucus critic for Foreign Affairs and International Development. “We have drifted away from offering leadership on key files like mediation and conflict resolution. Canada has become a weapons dealer to undemocratic regimes and is failing to show leadership on the climate emergency."
Canada's international reputation has suffered, but this trend is reversible. "Canada can regain its international stature by reinforcing multilateral institutions, like the UN, that allow us to build global consensus around critical issues", said Ms Paul. "We must be consistently engaged members of the international community on development aid and the SDGs, and identify other thematic areas where we can have true influence and build coalitions around them."
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