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CANADA'S ROLE AT THE UNITED NATIONS
By Ginger Malacko
UN representative for REAL Women of Canada
For most people, the United Nations conjures
up visions of global cooperation, good will, and the utmost
respect for all persons. I'm sure that at one time this was
true. But we know from experience that times have changed,
and that the UN has become an instrument for radical social
engineering. At one time, Canada actually lived up to its
reputation of being a world leader in peacekeeping and mediation,
but again…times have changed.
In recent years, emboldened by the increasing
power of the Liberal juggernaut in Ottawa, the Canadian delegations
within the UN have decided to shed their noble diplomatic
image in order to leap into the fray and get their hands dirty.
Much of the extreme anti-family, anti-life language debated
in the UN originates from Canada. Whether it's abortion, euthanasia,
or sexual orientation, you can be sure that Canada has had
a hand in it. So who are these delegates and whom do they
answer to? Good question. They are certainly not average citizens
and they are certainly not accountable to them.
Canada's UN representatives are the leftist
elite - chosen by the government - not to represent Canada,
but to represent the personal views and political agenda of
the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
his bureaucrats.
In March of this year, I attended the UN Commission
on the Status of Women held in New York. Having attended many
such UN meetings, I fully expected to be disenchanted with
the Canadian delegation. What I witnessed was a prime example
of the Liberal government's policy at work; a mode of operation
all Canadians should be concerned with, regardless of the
political ideology to which they subscribe.
For instance, Prime Minister Paul Martin promised
Canada that our relations with the United States would be
a top priority of this government. This is hard to believe
when the Canadian delegates used obscenities to describe the
US delegates during some negotiation meetings at the UN. It
was also embarrassing to watch the Canadian delegates laughing
and smirking when the US made socially conservative proposals.
And it was frightening to witness the Canadian delegation
participating in 'private' strategy meetings in which their
main objective was to block and sabotage the US. As a resident
of Alberta, which is a province that depends heavily on commerce
with the US, I am particularly offended by this disrespect
and disregard for Canada/US relations, sometimes for no better
reason than 'payback' for American proposals, procedures,
and laws not favoured by the far left.
Liberal arrogance doesn't stop there. They
have the same disrespect and disregard for Canadian law as
well. For example, at this recent Commission on the Status
of Women meeting, the US put forward a groundbreaking resolution
on Trafficking of Women and Girls that focused very
specifically on the role of prostitution. While prostitution
is technically legal in Canada, it has not been 'decriminalized',
which means that anyone caught soliciting, communicating,
or living off the avails of prostitution is punished according
to Canadian law. The Canadian delegation however, fought hard
for the removal of any language that could be interpreted
as criminalizing prostitution, which was not in line with
our current laws. It appears to be the policy of this
Liberal government and Foreign Affairs to negotiate on the
basis of what they would like Canadian law to become,
not on what Canadian law actually is. The Canadian
delegation, together with other nations that have already
decriminalized prostitution, punched so many holes in the
carefully drafted American resolution against prostitution
and trafficking in women, that the document became meaningless.
A waste of both time and money? You bet! But that is, after
all, what the Liberal government excels at. It is common for
the delegations of wealthier nations to become quite large
in number, but Canada has been excessive in its appointments.
Fifty-two delegates were sent to the Commission on the Status
of Women at taxpayers' expense, which leaves me wondering:
how many delegates does it take to screw up a US resolution?
And what was the Canadian delegation doing
that would make fifty-two people necessary when most countries
get by with four or five? Your guess is as good as mine. I
suppose that the 23 non-governmental (NGO) delegates, the
29 government officials, and 6 Members of Parliament on the
delegation kept busy somehow, despite the fact that only a
dozen were actually seen at work over the course of the two-week
Commission meetings. I imagine the six Members of Parliament
enjoyed the sights of New York City, while they thanked their
lucky stars to be in Paul Martin's good graces.
According to the Globe and Mail (March 19,
2005) Toronto Liberal MP Sarmite Bulte, (Parkdale - High Park),
who was a member of the Canadian delegation, was seen shopping
on Fifth Avenue during the session. Since her airfare, hotel,
meals, taxis etc. were all paid for by the Canadian taxpayer
on this excursion, she probably felt she could afford to shop
on New York's most exclusive and expensive street.
If the Canadian delegation is made up of leftist
elitists and government vacationers, how are the concerns
and opinions of regular Canadians ever going to be represented
in the United Nations? Exactly. They are not meant to be.
The arena of international politics is carefully hidden from
the view of the average Canadian. Declarations are adopted
and treaties are ratified, and the media reports are ambiguous
and biased at best. And where is Parliament in all this mess?
Exactly where the Prime Minister likes it…out of the
picture. We must rely on the Prime Minister to decide what
is best for all Canadians, which is undeniable evidence of
the desperate need for reform in this country.
Canada is a nation of peacekeepers.
It is a country that values tradition and freedom. We are
a people who are concerned with contributing to the global
community. We must make sure our 'representatives' reflect
these qualities, instead of the pettiness, wastefulness,
self-righteousness, and unaccountability they have consistently
shown for the past three decades. What all Canadians should
realize and remember is that the function of our delegation
is a reflection of the government we elected. As bleak as
the situation appears in the United Nations, it is only a
symptom of far greater problems at home.
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