Canada: International relations, defense and foreign policy June 2022-April 2023

The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Canada’s engagement in Ukraine

26-30 April
Canada moving Sudan evacuation operations to port city as conflict continues
(Canadian Press) Canada is relocating its efforts to get stranded Canadians out of Sudan from the capital to a distant port city as violence continues to escalate.
Defense Minister Anita Anand says about 550 people, including more than 400 Canadians, left the country on six military-run flights from the country’s main airport in Khartoum between Thursday and Saturday.
But deteriorating safety conditions in the Sudanese capital made it necessary to suspend future flights as of Saturday night, and Anand says evacuation efforts will now be based out of the city of Port Sudan about 800 kilometres away.
Melanie Joly is in Kenya to help inform Canada’s response to the crisis in Sudan
Canada’s embassy in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, was relocated to Nairobi, Kenya, when the violence erupted.
(Globe & Mail) She is set to meet with people evacuated from the East African country, including diplomatic staff who worked there until a shocking outbreak of violence earlier this month.
Joly will also meet with humanitarian groups to get a sense of the needs of people in Sudan, as well as those who have fled to neighbouring countries.
Canada is set to release an Africa strategy this year, after Ottawa delayed the proposal.
Canada has completed its first two evacuation flights from Sudan
Canadian officials said they’re focused on the air evacuation route because many evacuees would have to travel more than 800 kilometres to reach the port. The officials noted that a UN convoy had to pass through 22 checkpoints “through very dangerous terrain” to reach the port.
Canada sending up to 200 troops to support evacuation of civilians in Sudan
Defence Minister Anand says aircraft now in the region are waiting for a safe moment to take passengers
Canada will deploy roughly 200 troops to help coordinate the evacuation of civilians from war-torn Sudan, Defence Minister Anita Anand confirmed Wednesday.
Ahead of question period in the House of Commons, Anand told a hastily assembled group of reporters that two C-130J Hercules transports are in east Africa preparing for flights into Khartoum “as soon as conditions on the ground permit.”
Global Affairs Canada says that up to 1,800 Canadians are trapped between the warring parties in Sudan and roughly 700 of them have indicated they want out.

Andrew Coyne: The world is growing tired of Canada’s freeloading on defence
(Globe & Mail)…the world has grown all too familiar, not only with Canada’s record as an international freeloader, but with our habit of reneging on such commitments as we do make. Canadians may imagine we are only in bad odour because of our failure to meet some arbitrary NATO target, especially after Donald Trump made such a fuss about it. But it isn’t only our NATO commitments in which we are deficient, and it isn’t only the U.S. who are fed up with our chronic malingering. It’s everyone.
19 April
Trudeau told NATO that Canada will never meet spending goal, Discord leak shows
(WaPo) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told NATO officials privately that Canada will never meet the military alliance’s defense-spending target, according to a leaked secret Pentagon assessment obtained by The Washington Post. The document’s anonymous authors say Canada’s “widespread” military deficiencies are harming ties with security partners and allies
… Washington has long pressed Ottawa to boost its spending on defense and hasten plans to upgrade military capabilities and infrastructure in the Arctic, where officials of both countries warn that Russia and China are being more assertive.

25 April
A Canadian strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean
Students from the University of British Columbia’s Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs program argue that Ottawa should re-prioritize its relations with the region
(Open Canada) For the UBC team, it was clear that Canada has developed very good relations with the LAC region over many decades. Canada and Mexico, for example, were the only two countries in the hemisphere that did not break-off diplomatic relations with Cuba, following the Cuban revolution in 1959, much to the annoyance of the United States. When Pierre Trudeau, who was also fluent in Spanish, became Prime Minister in 1968, Canada joined the Inter-American Development Bank. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney continued the work of Trudeau in strengthening Canadian-LAC relations with Canada joining the OAS in January 1990, after spending 28 years as an observer. His efforts endured under the leadership of Prime Minister Jean Chretien, including Canada hosting the third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April 2001.
On the other hand, the Paul Martin government’s 2005 International Policy Statement only mentioned Latin America once and the Caribbean not at all. And while the Harper government attempted to boost trade ties, relations were in stark contrast from the priority Canada once had toward the LAC region. Indeed, in the wake of 9/11, Washington’s gaze shifted away from the LAC region and toward Asia and the Middle East, with Ottawa following suit. One result of this inattention was an often unchecked and growing Russian and Chinese presence in the LAC region.
There is no question that the political and economic space in the LAC region has become more congested with Russia’s and China’s growing presence, Venezuela’s on-going troubles and the near collapse of Haiti. All good reasons as to why Canada should develop a Latin America and Caribbean strategy along the lines of its new Indo-Pacific strategy to protect and enhance its national interests. Indeed, the Indo-Pacific Strategy was designed to “advance and defend Canada’s interests by supporting a more secure, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable region while protecting Canada’s national and economic security at home and abroad.” Moreover, the approach was built around “supporting democracy, the rule of law, economic growth and resilience, peace and security, human rights, sustainable development, gender equality, and concrete action to protect the environment.”
A new Canadian LAC strategy, much like the new Indo-Pacific Strategy then, would be built on Canada’s historical record of engagement and its still significant presence in the region. For instance, Canada and the LAC region have an extensive web of trade and economies ties. Canada has free trade agreements with Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Peru. In addition, Canada has Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements with Argentina, Barbados, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela as well as 30 air transport agreements in the region. Furthermore, Canada’s bilateral merchandise trade with the LAC region totalled $29.5 billion CDN in 2021, while two‑way trade in services totalled $15.4 billion CDN in 2020. What Canada lacks, however, is a coherent strategy for its regional relations, creating a sense that engagement efforts are perhaps haphazard and short-term.
Creating a regional strategy akin to Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is a policy option worth considering if Canada is seen to be serious about deepening engagement with the LAC region.

11 April
Canada’s Global Affairs department is in crisis — right when Canadians need it most
Ottawa was told its foreign service was broken decades ago. A revolving door of foreign ministers later, the country is still waiting for the fix as the world order fractures
Christopher Nardi
The Post spoke to dozens of sources, who collectively painted a picture of a department that is risk-averse, complacent and Ottawa-centric. One that has lost many of its regional specialists, having become too “generalist” at the expense of deeper, country-specific knowledge and insight. And many agree it has grown top-heavy, with too many senior managers relative to staff.
It’s also been affected by a staggering churn of foreign ministers, with no fewer than 11 different people holding the post over the last 17 years, through two governments.
Yet, the department is destined to play an increasingly critical role as western powers face what is arguably the most fraught geopolitical environment since the Cold War, with a hostile China and revanchist Russia working together to overturn the global order.
In late March, at the House immigration committee reviewing the government’s chaotic attempts to bring thousands of former military translators from Kabul to safety during the 2021 Afghan evacuation, Global Affairs Canada’s assistant deputy minister for Asia testified that the situation was worsened by Canada having fewer resources on the ground than other western countries after it decided to close its embassy sooner.

7 February
India Raises Khalistan Issue As Canada Minister Mélanie Joly Visits Delhi, Calls It ‘National Security Concern’
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar vowed to strengthen ties under the Indo-Pacific strategic construct. Canada released its own Indo-Pacific policy in Nov 2022.

6 February
Is Canada back on the world stage — or irrelevant?
Eugene Lang, Assistant Professor (Continuing Adjunct), School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University, Ontario
(The Conversation) After seven plus years in office, it’s time to assess the degree to which Trudeau’s rhetoric has been matched with action.
Out of the blocks, the Trudeau government mounted a vigorous campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. When the vote came down in 2020, Canada lost to Norway and Ireland. The only consolation was that the Harper government had failed in its attempt to get on the council 10 years earlier, losing to Portugal.
The Liberals also committed to bolster Canada’s contributions to United Nations “peace operations.” So began a search for a comfortable mission fit for Canada. After three years of deliberations, Ottawa chose the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Canada’s sojourn into Mali isn’t evidence of getting back into UN peace operations. It is box-checking. Today, Canada has fewer than 50 Canadian Armed Forces personnel scattered among about half of the 12 UN operations around the world.
… AUKUS [trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States] is…aimed at countering Chinese territorial ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. It’s focused on the sharing of nuclear submarine technology, advanced cyber, hypersonics, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.
It would be one thing if Ottawa took a hard look at this agreement and decided to take a pass. But Canada was neither considered for nor consulted on AUKUS. The Trudeau government learned about its existence through the media.
Indo-Pacific region … Camroon … Ukraine …
The record seems clear under Trudeau’s leadership. Canada — a member of the G7, present at the creation of the UN and NATO, inventor of UN peacekeeping, co-inventor of the G20, and a founding member of the Five Eyes — is not back in the world.
Canada is largely irrelevant.

26-27 January
The Beaverton comments Ukraine begs Canada not to donate Canadian military tanks

Canada can help Ukraine in better ways than sending tanks
Canada has very little excess capacity of tanks to provide to Ukraine
By Richard Shimooka, Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute, where he specializes in strategic studies, comparative defence management approaches and foreign policy.
(The Hub) Instead of Leopards, a more prudent course of action would be for Ottawa to provide capabilities that it can sustain and reliably deliver for the length of the conflict. Canada has already provided 39 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs), built by General Dynamic Land Systems in London Ontario on the LAV6 Chassis. While certainly not as flashy as the Leopard 2 tank, vehicles such as these provide a valuable combat capability within a modern combat team. They are better than the Ukrainian Army’s current system in that role, the Soviet-era BTR-80. As a Canadian product, Ottawa can control a number of variables to maximize its effectiveness in Ukrainian service—this includes the provision of spare parts, complex repair work, and training.
However, obtaining additional ACSVs or similar types will require Ottawa to get creative. The 39 vehicles donated last summer were awaiting acceptance into the Canadian Army, but no more surplus vehicles currently exist. Some options include diverting existing Canadian or other allies’ orders to Ukraine or expanding production lines. While developing such an option requires significant negotiation and out-of-the-box thinking in Ottawa, it would be a valuable contribution to Ukraine’s ultimate peace and security.
Canada to send 4 combat-ready Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine in the coming weeks
Defence minister says more tanks could be donated later but won’t say how many
(CBC) Canada will supply Ukraine with four Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks and Canadian Armed Forces trainers to teach Ukrainian soldiers how to operate the vehicles, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Thursday.
When asked why Canada was providing only four tanks — and if more tanks could be provided later — Anand said Canada would only donate vehicles it can support in the field with spare parts and training.
She also said Canada needs to ensure the CAF has what it needs to function.
“We need to make sure that our army has the right number of tanks to train and to meet our NATO commitments,” she said. “So there is the possibility of further donations.”
Canada bought its Leopards from Germany during the war in Afghanistan. They’re split up into squadrons of 19 tanks each, with two squadrons in Edmonton and a third at CFB Gagetown, N.B. Most of the rest are at the armour training school in Gagetown.
The Canadian Armed Forces has 112 Leopard 2s in its inventory. They include 82 designed for combat and 30 that are used for engineering purposes and recovering disabled vehicles. Many are not battle-ready because of maintenance issues.
According to a paper published last year by the Royal Military College, “the poor serviceability rate of the Leopard 2 main battle tanks is an endemic issue and a strategic-level concern since implementation.”
Gen. Wayne Eyre, chief of the defence staff, said the Leopard 2 A4 tanks that Canada is providing to Ukraine are of the same make and model as the tanks that Finland and Poland are promising, which will allow Ukraine to swap parts and personnel.
Retired General Rick Hillier brings message of support for Ukraine
Currently Chair of the Ukrainian World Congress’ Strategic Advisory Council, Hillier was the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Canada’s highest-ranking position in the Canadian Forces.

24 January
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly says Cameroon peace talks ‘messy’ but should continue
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly gave no explanation Tuesday for Cameroon claiming it never sought Canada’s help in peace talks. She said Ottawa still wants to broker a deal.
Ottawa announced last Friday that it has been leading discussions between the government of Cameroon and separatist groups, who have been in a conflict that has violently escalated in recent years. Joly’s office says three meetings have taken place already in Ontario and Quebec.
20 January
Canada to guide peace process aimed at ending years-long fighting in Cameroon, Joly says
Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly says there is an agreement by groups in Cameroon to enter a process to reach a resolution to its long-standing conflict

18 January
Canada Summons Russian Ambassador Over Attacks On Civilians In Ukraine
(Reuters) – Canada summoned Russia’s ambassador on Wednesday over an attack in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro that killed at least 45 people, including several children, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said.
Officials summoned ambassador Oleg Stepanov to “make clear we do not accept the sheer brutality of Russia’s recent attacks against civilians in Dnipro,” Joly told reporters in Toronto.
Stepanov later said his discussions at the meeting focused on a “predictable line of overall Western propaganda” and that Moscow’s differences with Canada left little room for diplomacy.

6 January
Mélanie Joly taps former McGuinty chief of staff to be her top aide
A one-time chief of staff to former Ontario Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty is poised to be named as chief to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, the Star has learned.
Wilkinson, currently the global head of regulatory and public affairs at Manulife, was also Ontario’s trade representative in New Delhi, India from 1988 to 1990.
The foreign minister is counting on Wilkinson’s experience in Asia to help implement the federal government’s new Indo-Pacific strategy.

2022

28 December
The Strengths and Weaknesses of Canada’s Diplomacy Game
Like so many elements of power projection, diplomacy has spent the past two decades adjusting to a context of unprecedented disruption, normalized propaganda and covert and overt threats to the rules-based international order that depends on it. Policy international affairs writer and former Canadian ambassador to Russia, the European Union and the United Kingdom Jeremy Kinsman examines the state of Canada’s diplomacy game at the most critical juncture in international affairs since the Second World War.
“… Canada needs agility to advance diplomatic initiatives abroad. We should valorize initiatives by professional diplomats on the ground to interpret and connect to countries that increasingly assert unique identities. Our version of “soft power” needs diplomats to be able to operate semi-autonomously in the agitated global marketplace. The excessive executive power at the government’s core needs to resist its centralizing instincts, illustrated by the Harper PMO wanting all public speeches by ambassadors to be vetted. Ottawa’s bureaucratic “centre,” has long resented foreign service separateness, colonizing Global Affairs with appointments from domestic government departments. It partly explains why we now evacuate needed diplomatic personnel from posts that become risky, as in Kabul and Kyiv. Foreign Service tradition kept diplomatic shoes on the ground even when bombs start dropping….”

27 December
China’s Growing Influence Over Canadian Media and Politics
Under President Xi Jinping, China has invested in state media outlets to influence the opinion of foreign publics, including Canada.
Un an, une décennie pour Mélanie Joly
L’année 2022 n’a pas été de tout repos pour la ministre canadienne des Affaires étrangères, Mélanie Joly. Dans la sphère diplomatique tout comme dans sa vie personnelle.
En plus de contribuer à la gestion de plusieurs crises, la ministre a lancé un grand chantier pour réformer la diplomatie canadienne et a dévoilé la stratégie indopacifique qui était attendue depuis des années. Des sceptiques, qui avaient soulevé des doutes lors de sa nomination, se ravisent aujourd’hui.

Policy Magazine November/December 2022
Don Newman: Canada’s Place in a Changing Global Economy

8 December
Trudeau’s lone Chinese Canadian minister has a tough job ahead of her
(Politico) Mary Ng has been tasked with Canada’s trickiest overseas assignment: checking China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific without fueling anti-Asian sentiment at home.

1 December
Ottawa says it takes seriously India’s allegations of illegal funding of Khalistan movement
Canadian security agencies take seriously any allegations of illegal funding of the Sikh secessionist movement in India’s Punjab state, says Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
India’s High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma recently told The Globe and Mail that New Delhi is concerned that some segments of the Sikh community in Canada are offering support and money to secessionists who want to separate Punjab from India. He called on Canada to crack down on diasporic funding of the Sikh independence movement that is seeking to create a sovereign homeland known as Khalistan.

27 November
Trudeau government unveils long-awaited plan to confront an ‘increasingly disruptive’ China
Strategy promises a bigger Canadian military footprint in the region
Canada’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy describes China as “an increasingly disruptive global power” on the world stage — a social and economic force that’s too big to ignore but is also increasingly focused on bending international rules to suit its own interests.

22 November
China’s Interference in Canada’s Elections
Allegations of election interference are the latest issue to sour Canada on Beijing.
(The Diplomat) While businesses and some individuals hope to continue their operations for profits and collaboration, the geopolitical tensions between the two countries indicate the opposite.
Initially intending to pursue a free-trade agreement with China, the Trudeau government abandoned this key diplomatic goal in September 2020. Over the past five years, the two countries engaged in multiple negative interactions on issues such as Huawei, Hong Kong, the treatment of Uyghur minorities, and critical raw materials. In the Canadian parliament, opposition parties have heavily criticized the Trudeau government for its inaction in the face of China’s increasingly aggressive behaviors and challenges to the international order.
Yet for Canada, China is no longer a file that only concerns international trade and foreign affairs. The authoritarian regime has become an aggressive actor in Canadian politics. The latest investigative stories from…Global News found that China covertly funded at least 11 federal candidates in the 2019 election.

19 November
More global reaction to Trudeau’s latest international trip (audio)
(CBC The House) Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star and Stuart Thomson of The Hub discuss how the week’s events affected Trudeau’s reputation on the world stage.
Trudeau attends summit of French-speaking nations in Tunisia amid geopolitical tumult
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has arrived in Africa for a gathering of French-speaking countries grappling with chaos in Haiti, soaring food prices and anxiety over the language’s role in the digital age.
(Globe & Mail) Members of the International Organization of the Francophonie are gathering this weekend in Tunisia to take stock of a turbulent era in geopolitics and seek closer ties.
The summit is the fourth and final stop on a 10-day trip that included three major summits in Asia, including the G20 leaders’ meeting.
The ongoing turmoil in Haiti will likely be a frequent topic of conversation at the summit, with the Caribbean country reeling from brazen gangs who have suffocated the supply of fuel and essentials.
The country’s government has requested a foreign military intervention to restore order, but the idea is controversial among Haitians, and no country has expressed a willingness to lead such an intervention — despite Canada being name-dropped by the United States government as a possible candidate.
Meanwhile, the organization’s signature event, the Francophonie Games, is reportedly in tumult.
The games have been planned for next summer, but Radio-Canada reported this week that officials have warned the Democratic Republic of Congo that missed deadlines and cost overruns might make it impossible for the country to host the event.

17 November
Canada’s Trudeau to attend U.N. biodiversity summit in Montreal
(Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend next month’s U.N. biodiversity summit in Montreal, the country’s environment minister said on Thursday – despite the event’s official host China plan to send no invitations to world leaders. …
China, which holds the COP15 presidency, has not invited world leaders to the COP15 summit. It is taking place in Montreal on Dec. 7-19, after being postponed four times from its original 2020 date in China’s city of Kunming.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is not scheduled to attend.
But Trudeau will be present, the country’s Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault told Reuters on Thursday on the sidelines of the UN climate summit in Egypt. “The prime minister will be there, and he will be there on a number of occasions during COP15,” Guilbeault told Reuters.
The decision could inflame tensions between Ottawa and Beijing, after Xi upbraided Trudeau during this week’s G20 meeting in Bali for allegedly leaking details about their closed-door discussions there.

15 November
Trudeau deletes tweet falsely stating ‘nearly 15,000’ Iranian protesters were sentenced to death
The statement from Trudeau’s office did not express any regret and did not elaborate on the extent to which the information was vetted before it was shared
(Canadian Press) The message castigated Iran for handing down the death penalty to “nearly 15,000 protesters” — but the number of those facing death, which has circulated on social media since the weekend, has been widely discredited as disinformation.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in an emailed statement that the tweet was “based on reporting of serious concerns raised by international human rights advocates warning of possible future sentences, including the death penalty, imposed on thousands of Iranian protesters who have already been detained by the regime.”
Trudeau’s account published the message in both English and French just before 1:30 a.m. and it was online for about 11 hours before being deleted.
His office pointed to reports on news sites including Newsweek and Yahoo that stated 15,000 people were facing the death penalty. An Instagram post citing that number also went viral and was shared by celebrities before being removed.

14 November
Trudeau left out in the cold as China’s Xi engages in a whirlwind of diplomacy at G20
(Globe & Mail) “Canada is still in the deep freeze,” said Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

9-10 November
CBC News: The National: “The AtIssue panel discusses Ottawa’s new strategy for the Indo-Pacific region
Hosted by CBC Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton and featuring leading political journalists; Chantal Hebert, Andrew Coyne, Althia Raj and Elamin Abdelmahmoud.
Canada readies new Indo-Pacific strategy amid tense China ties
(Reuters) – Canada will soon announce a new Indo-Pacific strategy to challenge China on human rights issues while cooperating with the world’s second-biggest economy on climate change and other shared goals, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Wednesday.
Canada sees relations with Indo-Pacific countries as vital to national security and its economic and environmental goals, Joly said in Toronto ahead of an official trip to the region.
Canada’s looming Indo-Pacific strategy warns of China entanglement, boosts India ties
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is warning businesses against deepening their ties with China as part of a long-anticipated Indo-Pacific strategy which she says is coming by early December.
In a Wednesday morning speech, Joly said Canada seeks deeper ties with more democratic, reliable countries such as India.
“The tectonic plates of the world’s power structures are moving,” Joly told the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
“Canada ought to be clear about how we intend not just to engage, but to lead.”
Canada’s foreign service will be tasked with training more China experts and placing them in “key embassies” around the world.
(Politico Ottawa Playbook) T-minus three days before Trudeau embarks on a fall junket taking him to Phnom Penh, for the ASEAN Summit, Bali for the G-20 Summit, Bangkok for the APEC economic leaders’ meeting before heading to Djerba, Tunisia for La Francophonie.
It’s unclear whether he’s packing a copy of Canada’s revised Indo-Pacific strategy in his carry-on to meetings in the region — or a thematic overview of one yet to come.

17-21 October
Time for Western ‘decoupling’ from China and other authoritarian states, says innovation minister
Canada’s Innovation Minister says he believes there’s a Western consensus forming to decouple from, or reduce trade with, China and other authoritarian countries.
François-Philippe Champagne was speaking Friday before a business audience in Washington at a “fireside chat” event sponsored by groups including the Canadian embassy, the Canadian American Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Champagne is the second federal cabinet minister in the last two weeks to talk publicly about decreasing trade with countries such as China and Russia. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, speaking in Washington on Oct. 11, also talked of the need to embrace policies that shift trade to friendly partners and like-minded democracies: a “friend-shoring” approach that would reduce commercial relations with adversarial countries.
Their comments reinforce public anticipation for Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly’s coming Indo-Pacific strategy. The term – first championed by Japan and embraced by Australia and the United States – refers to an effort to build common cause between India and Asia-Pacific neighbours with burgeoning middle-class populations that share an interest in addressing China’s growing influence in the region, given Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea and other ocean trade routes.
Andrew Coyne: With the ‘Freeland Doctrine,’ the Liberals say what has long been apparent to everyone but them
It is an axiom of Canadian politics that a thing is not known until the Liberals know it.
Something of the same seems now to be happening in the realm of foreign policy. For some time now it has been apparent that the great hope of post-Cold War diplomacy, that the world could be made not only more prosperous through trade but also more democratic and more peaceful, had failed.
Trade had, to be sure, delivered the expected economic benefits: The evidence on globalization’s contribution to rising incomes, not only in the developing world but the developed, is overwhelming. But in its civilizing mission it had, if anything, made matters worse.
… last week’s speech in Washington by the Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland…has given rise to excited proclamations of a “Freeland Doctrine.” Certainly it was news to hear a senior Liberal declare that the age of peace through prosperity is over; that China and Russia are not our partners but our implacable adversaries; that national security, with the threat of nuclear war in the air, trumps the gains from trade, or – dare I say it – even the environment. That it was news, however, was not because the ideas are new – only because a Liberal said it.
The “three pillars” on which Ms. Freeland proposed to build a new international order – closer trade and investment ties among the democracies, openness to trade with other countries who share our values, and a determination to stand together against the encroachments of the autocracies – were likewise not particularly new.
Chrystia Freeland issues a clarion call from Canada’s foreign-policy void
Campbell Clark
if you don’t whether the Deputy Prime Minister’s speech is the government’s foreign policy, it could be because in the real world, it hasn’t really got one.
(Globe & Mail) The Canadian government works on two world stages.
In one, a decisive Canada identifies the developing dangers of the globe and acts boldly to deal with them. Unfortunately, that exists only in the imaginary world of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s foreign-policy speeches. In the other one, the real world, Canada vacillates aimlessly on tough choices without much of a foreign policy.

8 October
Stung by criticism, Trudeau government changes course on Iran
Shift follows a week which saw Pierre Poilievre embrace an uprising by Iranian women
(CBC) Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s full-throated embrace of Iran’s uprising has won him praise in the Iranian community. Poilievre personally attended and spoke at both Tuesday’s Ottawa rally and at a weekend march in Richmond Hill, Ont., attended by an estimated 50,000 people.
Trudeau, on the other hand, was criticized on Iranian social media for not appearing at any events related to Iran while finding time to go bungee-jumping in the Gatineau hills.
… [Thomas Juneau, who specializes in the politics of the Middle East at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa] said Canada should go after “senior officials who have permanent residency in Canada, or who visit Canada, or have assets in Canada, or are involved in money laundering in Canada, or … who pressure members of the Iranian diaspora to try to stop their human rights advocacy.”
“That’s a big problem and we have a much better chance of addressing that problem by targeted sanctions than through a sweeping sanction we have little real chance of enforcing,” he said. “Sanctions are a tool that the government uses to appease domestic constituencies, to try to send a signal that ‘we’re doing something’ without fully doing it.
“Canada already has a reputation for being very lax in terms of our implementation — not our declaration, but our implementation — of sanctions against Russia and others we’ve sanctioned over the years.”

26 September
Canada to impose sanctions on those responsible for Iranian woman’s death
(Reuters) – Canada will impose sanctions on those responsible for the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, including Iran’s so-called morality police and its leadership, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday.
“We’ve seen Iran disregarding human rights time and time again, now we see it with the death of Mahsa Amini and the crackdown on protests,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.
“Today, I’m announcing that we will implement sanctions on dozens of individuals and entities, including Iran’s so called morality police,” Trudeau said, moments after similar remarks by his foreign minister, Melanie Joly, during her address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

24 September
Canada names Jennifer May as its first female ambassador to China
(Reuters) – Canada on Friday appointed Jennifer May its first female ambassador to China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, taking over a role that has been open since December of last year amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with the Asian economic powerhouse.
May is a veteran diplomat with 30 years’ experience, Trudeau said in a statement. She most recently served as Canada’s ambassador to Brazil, and during her career has worked in the Canadian missions in Beijing and Hong Kong.
François-Philippe Champagne remplacera Justin Trudeau aux funérailles de Shinzo Abe
Justin Trudeau a choisi de rester au pays pour superviser la réponse d’Ottawa aux ravages causés par l’ouragan Fiona.
Si la nature ne s’était pas déchaînée dans l’est du Canada, Justin Trudeau aurait été le seul leader du G7 à assister aux funérailles nationales de l’ancien premier ministre japonais. Ce sera finalement son ministre François-Philippe Champagne qui fera le trajet de 10 000 kilomètres pour rendre hommage à un « ami » du Canada assassiné en juillet. Pourquoi le Canada veut-il absolument être représenté à Tokyo? Il faut considérer des objectifs stratégiques plus larges en Asie-Pacifique.

19 September
Canada denounces ‘sham’ referenda in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine
(CBC Power & Politics) “This is just an appalling snub at the concept of democratic choice…and I think it’s a defensive move by Russia,” says Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN.

18 September
While in London for the Queen’s funeral, Trudeau also discusses economy and Ukraine with leaders
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met his British counterpart and other world leaders in London on Sunday, as talk of the economy and the war in Ukraine took their place alongside the sombre preparations for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
Trudeau spent about 40 minutes at 10 Downing Street early in the afternoon for a meeting with Liz Truss, and also met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
At an afternoon news conference, he said the ongoing war in Ukraine was top of the agenda for his meeting with Truss after he first offered condolences over the loss of the queen, Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
Trudeau was also set to meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and participate in an evening reception at Buckingham Palace later on Sunday before attending the Queen’s state funeral Monday morning.

12 September
Trudeau, ministers to attend UN General Assembly’s 77th session next week
Trudeau’s office issued a statement on Saturday saying he will attend the opening of the session’s High-Level General Debate on Tuesday, noting he will highlight Canada’s continuing work to tackle the global food security crisis that has followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Prime Minister’s Office says Trudeau will take part in the “Christchurch Call Summit” later that day – alongside New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron – where he will reiterate Canada’s pledge to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.
On Wednesday, the prime minister will attend a conference held by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The PMO says Trudeau will also host a meeting with Caribbean and regional partners to promote support for Haiti’s stability and sustainable development.
The statement notes the Canadian delegation will include Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan, and Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault.

7 September
No Reason Canada Can’t Have More Constructive Role in the World
An Interview with Graham Allison, the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard University
(Conference of Defence Associations) I believe Canadians are modest—too modest. They don’t appreciate the extent to which they can contribute to statecraft, both intellectually and as a player. It’s not by accident that Canada is part of many high-level clubs. But, how often do the Canadians undertake an initiative? In some sense, the G20 may have been a Canadian initiative I suppose. I would say, in trying to think about U.S. relations with China or China’s place in the world, there’s certainly no monopoly on wisdom in Washington.
There’s no real monopoly on wisdom in Beijing either. So, there’s no reason why Canada, having serious relations with each, can’t play some more constructive role. I think if one needed inspiration for that, Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore is a good example. You have this little city-state of six million people—who asked him to have any views about geopolitics and great powers in the world? Well, he just began to think, and he had a lot of views. Pretty soon people listened and said, wow, that’s pretty interesting. Then one thing led to the other, and pretty soon people were seeking him out as a person of strategic insight. So I would say, again, that’s why institutes like yours and other groups in Canada should not be shy about thinking, okay, let’s see what ideas we have.
Canada has strong relations with Europe, has a major role in NATO, has an integrated role with the U.S., has deep economic ties with China, and there are lots of Chinese Canadians. I think that means it will be difficult, and you’ll get stretched between the two from time to time, each will make unreasonable demands, and you’ll have to weave your way. However, I think there’s a space for Canada in this arena. I think Canadians are more likely to see the issues holistically than Americans. (31 August 2022)

7 September
CJPME Report: Voting Against its Own Interests – Canada’s pro-Israel voting record at the UN contradicts its own values and interests and harms its international reputation according to documents released via Access to Information legislation

23 August
Germany and Canada can work together to reinforce democratic values
Jeremy Kinsman and Ben Rowswell
(Globe & Mail) While making plans to intensify bilateral energy cooperation to provide Germany with alternative sources of vital energy, Mr. Scholz and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also discuss how our two countries can help to reinforce the broad-based but largely Western coalition against Russia’s attempt to revert to the law of the jungle.
…while few countries in the United Nations defended Russia, many in the UN’s “silent majority” sat on their hands when it came to sanctioning the clear aggressor. One reason is that they are too preoccupied by current financial and other burdens. Another is that they have grown skeptical of Western governments that have downplayed common interests, from fighting COVID-19 to combatting climate change.
Canada and Germany have been laying the groundwork for a much deeper solidarity that would enable collective action with democracies from all parts of the world. The foundation lies in the mutual respect between our two countries, and the mutual learning we have taken from one another.
A growing network of German and Canadian officials, scholars, civil society and thought leaders have been exploring how mutual learning can build solidarity. Led by the Canadian International Council, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, this network has grown to include partners in South Korea, India, South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Our collaboration has confirmed that solidarity in security will only come when our countries demonstrate solidarity in health, as we take stock of the damage done by the uneven distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. We need to lead other countries in building wider solidarity in coping with unprecedented flows of refugees and migrants. We are zeroing in on ways in which the world can tackle anti-democratic, ubiquitous and under-prosecuted corruption.

16 August
Canada is falling short on its promises to Ukraine
By Michael Bociurkiw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a global affairs analyst.
(Globe & Mail Opinion) On Aug. 24, Ukraine will be observing the six-month mark since Russia invaded, as well as the 31st year of independence. … Sadly, Canada – the first Western country to recognize Ukraine as an independent country in 1991 – will be largely absent during the celebrations in Ukraine this year. …
From the very start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has bungled its response to the crisis on almost every step of the way: from the inexplicable tardiness to send lethal weaponry to circumventing its own sanctions on Russia by approving the release of repaired turbines for that country’s Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. …
As Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine nears the half-year mark, it is high time for the Trudeau government to do away with any ambiguity in its relationship with Kyiv. A first decisive move would be the full reopening of the embassy – including for walk-in traffic for both Ukrainians and for the growing number of Canadians returning to the country to resume business and humanitarian work. This would show the world that in their time of need, Canada truly stands with Ukraine.

13 August
China has encroached on Canada’s critical minerals industry, with almost no obstruction from Ottawa
For the past two decades, China has built up a powerful position in Canada’s critical minerals and mining sector, with little oversight from Ottawa
Niall McGee, Mining reporter
(Globe & Mail) Three years ago, Sinomine Resource Group Co., a Chinese company, quietly bought the Tanco mine in Manitoba. At the time, Tanco was one of the world’s few sources of the critical mineral cesium, a key input in atomic clocks and radiation detectors. The mine had previously produced lithium, a battery metal used in electric cars. …
Mining is one of the most capital-intensive industries on the planet, and so historically it made sense for Canadian miners to turn to China as a source of funding. But in recent years China has emerged as a clear national security threat.
Although Ottawa has made clear that it does not want to be beholden to a hostile foreign power for critical minerals such as lithium, so far there has been little in the way of action from the federal government to prevent that from happening.
… Messy headlines have been plentiful this year, after the federal government approved the sale of Canadian lithium development company Neo Lithium Corp. to Chinese state-owned Zijin Mining Group Ltd. The government’s decision not to order an advanced security screening drew severe criticism, culminating in parliamentary hearings that put the Industry Minister, François-Philippe Champagne, on the defensive.

2-5 August
Sabrina Maddeaux: The incredibly incompetent Mélanie Joly
Foreign affairs is too important a cabinet position to be handled so carelessly
(National Post) … She says she didn’t know about Five Eyes intelligence reports that warned Ukrainian embassy staff were likely on Russian hit lists.
This boggles the mind on many levels. Let’s presume for a minute Joly is telling the truth — a presumption that admittedly requires quite the suspension of disbelief.
This would mean senior Global Affairs staff are routinely failing to inform the minister about critical information.
It would also mean Joly somehow managed to miss headline reports in the world’s largest media outlets that Russia was preparing kill lists.
Then she would have to be so naive, so terribly uninformed about world history and global affairs that she didn’t perceive a risk to Ukrainian staffers that a first-year poli sci student could’ve predicted.
And this is only the Ukraine file. Where’s the China policy that was promised back in 2019? Sources tell the Globe and Mail it’s in the works, but as an Indo-Pacific strategy that looks like it won’t mention … wait for it … China. Meanwhile, the ambassador to China role has been empty for six months.
Despite deciding in 2017 a “focused effort” was needed to deal with what the U.N. calls ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and their further suffering in Bangladesh refugee camps, Canada still isn’t doing much beyond naming special envoys.
Joly says Global Affairs is undertaking an internal process to sort out the Ukraine fiasco among other problems. But the time for vague and never-ending processes, reviews and committee groupthink is over. It’s time for decisive action.
There really should be no scenario in which Joly can in good conscience keep her job.
Did Canada abandon Ukrainians on hit list risk? Tempers flare as Joly pressed on report
Tensions flared at the House of Commons foreign affairs committee on Thursday as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly was grilled over a report that Canada “abandoned” Ukrainian embassy staff as the Russian invasion loomed.
Mélanie Joly invites committee to study whether Ottawa knew of Russian threat to Ukrainian embassy staff
(Globe & Mail) She said she was aware of intelligence reports that the U.S. made public before the Russian invasion of Ukraine that Moscow had lists of people they intended to detain or kill – but that she did not know of any Ukrainians who worked for the Canadian embassy being named on these lists.
“There were some lists specifically targeting Ukrainian people in Ukraine and of course we were preoccupied with these targetings,” she said.
As to whether local staff at the Canadian embassy were under threat, Ms. Joly told the committee: “I didn’t have that information. My team didn’t have that information. You heard the deputy. The department didn’t have that information.”
Several Ukrainian staff members have high public profiles, one source said, and would be likely Russian targets. Diplomats interviewed by The Globe say if Ms. Joly spoke to Ukrainian staff in January, she should have been aware of their terror and their request to flee.
This comment on the Globe & Mail story succinctly sums up the issue although too kind to the Minister, in our opinion
The Minister is putting the wrong questions to the wrong people. The issue isn’t whether there were “lists”, etc. of our Ukrainian employees under threat. That seems too specific and exact. The more likely scenario is that there were indications that Ukrainians working for Western embassies would be targetted for something once the Russians had conquered Kiev. But even this general type of suggestion should have animated GAC and the Canadian embassy to do something to help Ukrainian staff. Instead, fools in Ottawa, based on suspect policies of the past, directed the mission to do nothing. It isn’t the NSICOP that should be looking at this. It’s an outside investigator, not bound to the government. As for Joly, she is being badly served by a department that can’t seem to get its act together, and by an embassy (and an ambassador) that should have fought back and refused whatever nonsensical instructions were received. And instead of a witch-hunt into finding the staff who spoke to the Globe, GAC should be looking at those directing the Ukrainian operation in Ottawa. Clearly there should be consequences.
Unbelievable – literally
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she didn’t know Kyiv embassy staff faced threat from Russia
(Globe & Mail) “Morally, we have an obligation toward our locally engaged staff,” Ms. Joly said on Wednesday at a news conference in Montreal, after being asked about The Globe’s report. She added that Global Affairs Canada is in the midst of an internal process that is examining this and other issues.
“Never did I or the department have any information targeting locally engaged staff,” she said.
“We never got that information. [Not] me, nor my team, nor the department.”
Canada abandoned Ukrainian embassy employees despite their likelihood of being on Russian hit list
The decision to leave without informing local staff members or providing for their safety was based on a Canadian policy articulated in a Harper government memorandum in 2014. According to one of the diplomats who spoke to The Globe, the document said there should be no duty of care for locally engaged staff when an embassy is abandoned. Another of the diplomatic sources said the memo was drawn up as justification for Canada’s 2012 decision to close its embassy in Iran without evacuating local staff there. …
The duty of care diplomatic personnel have toward local staff members has been interpreted in different ways by Canada over time. Halvard Leira, a fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, wrote in a recent article in The Hague Journal of Diplomacy that, during the fall of Saigon in 1975, while the United States evacuated thousands of Vietnamese personnel and their families, including embassy staff, “the Canadian Embassy in Saigon evacuated with souvenirs and cars, but without the local staff.”
By contrast, when the Canadian embassy in Beirut was evacuated in 1985, local staff members were given the option of immigrating to Canada.
3 August
Canada’s Tradition of Neglecting Local Hires Continues
Erik Richer La Flèche
(FutureImperfectbis) In the last hours of the South Vietnamese regime, the United States—and others—chose people over things. It was not Canada’s finest hour, and Canada’s failure was noticed by the international press, including the New York Times.
History has a way of repeating itself. Over the past 24 months, Canada’s callous (and dangerous) attitude toward its local hires has once again come to light.
Firstly, there is the matter of the Afghan army translators and Canadian embassy staff and guards. Individuals entrusted with the lives of Canadians in a conflict should need hours to be vetted and given entrance to Canada, not months or years. There is no excuse: the Canadian Government has failed.
Secondly, the Globe and Mail reported on August 2, 2022, that the Canadian Embassy in Kiev had made no plans for its local staff in the event Kiev fell to Russia, even though there were indications that the staff would be subject to arrest and possibly worse should the Russians prevail.

10-15 July
Canadian lawmakers will be called to explain return of Nord Stream turbines
House committee votes to probe the decision that one Conservative MP called ‘a slap in the face to the Ukrainian people.’
(Politico) Two federal ministers and three ambassadors will be asked to appear before the House of Commons foreign affairs committee to discuss the Canadian government’s controversial decision to return six Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany.
During a meeting Friday, the committee agreed to call on Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to explain why the government decided to waive sanctions on Russia and return the pipeline parts to Germany, where they will be used to help deliver natural gas from Russia. The ministers will be asked to appear by July 22, subject to their availability.
Why is Canada’s turbine return to Russia’s Gazprom fuelling sparks? Here’s what we know
(Global) …the impacts of the butchery in Ukraine have spilled over beyond its borders, causing higher prices and shortages of everything from grain to electronic chips to fuel.
It is the latter that’s sparking the latest round of debate and criticism, after the Canadian government agreed to let Siemens Canada return six turbines under maintenance in Montreal to Germany — to be handed over to Russia‘s Gazprom to install back onto the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
Canada to return repaired Nord Stream 1 turbine, expand sanctions on Russia
(Reuters) – Canada will return a repaired turbine to Germany that is needed for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and could help to ensure continued flows of energy until Europe can end its dependency on Russian gas, Canada’s minister of natural resources said.
Ukraine expresses ‘deep disappointment’ as Canada sends back six Russian turbines to Germany
The Canadian government on Saturday announced it would return the turbines – using an exemption to get around Ottawa’s sanctions on Russia – citing requests from Germany and other European countries trying to replenish gas stocks for the winter months ahead.
The grounded turbines will be sent to Germany, whose government will then turn them over to Russia.
… Mr. Trudeau was under intense pressure from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who raised the turbine issue with him at the G7 summit in late June. Mr. Scholz is planning a trade visit to Canada on Aug. 22 and 23 to push for the construction of liquefied natural gas export facilities on Canada’s East Coast.
Germany is also interested in investing in green hydrogen projects, and in the mining of critical minerals that are essential to the country’s automotive, chemicals and high-tech industries.

7 July
Canada has pressing interests in the Indo-Pacific region. It’s time we started acting like it:
Stephen Nagy
Outside of North America, the Indo-Pacific region presents the largest economic opportunity for Canadians
(the Hub) The Partners in the Blue Pacific initiative, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, AUKUS, and the Indo-Pacific Framework have two things in common. First, they are meant to contribute to sustainable institution building in the Indo-Pacific, and second, Canada is not part of any of these mini-lateral arrangements.
Considering Canada is a G-7 country, is part of the Five Eyes Network, and is participating in maritime security operations in the Sea of Japan through the Neon Operations to ensure that North Korea does not evade sanctions, its absence is conspicuous.
Why is Canada being excluded from these emerging institutions in the Indo-Pacific region? Why is Canada not seen as a second or third choice for these emerging institutions that are providing the framework for institutional building within the Indo-Pacific?
There are possibly three explanations for Canada’s absence: 1) political leadership; 2) domestic literacy about the importance of the Indo-Pacific region and how that translates into Indo-Pacific policies; and 3) credibility.
… Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Defence Minister Anita Anand received mandate letters to develop a Canadian Indo-Pacific Strategy in December 2021. In June 2022, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Advisory Committee was formed to contribute to formulating a strategy. This comes more than a year after the May 2021 Shared Canada-Japan Priorities for contributing to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

6 July
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly won’t shake hands with Sergey Lavrov at G20
She told The Canadian Press she plans to instead take aim at the Russian foreign minister’s falsehoods about the invasion of Ukraine.
“I will confront him with facts and expose Russia’s narrative for what it is: lies and disinformation,” she said in a written reply to questions.

5 July
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Canada ratifying Finland and Sweden’s Accession Protocols to join NATO.
“Today, Canada, became the first country to ratify the Accession Protocols of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. This brings the two countries a step closer to full membership.
“As a close friend and security partner, Canada strongly supports Finland and Sweden joining NATO. At the NATO Summit last week, I met with the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, and the Prime Minister of Sweden, Magdalena Andersson, to directly reiterate Canada’s strong support.

4 July
Canadian Delegation encourages global action in protecting the ocean at the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon
From June 27 to July 1, 2022, the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, led Canada’s delegation to the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Lisbon, Portugal. The conference was an opportunity for Canada to meet bilaterally with likeminded countries on ocean issues and advance priorities like sustainable fisheries, protecting 25 per cent of marine space by 2025 while advocating for 30 per cent by 2030 and developing a blue economy.
Canada fulfilled its objectives for the meeting by:
Jointly launching the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Action Alliance with the US and the UK while co-hosting a side event on transparency, technology, and combatting IUU fishing. This alliance adds to Canada’s partnerships with other governments and non-governmental organizations to advance research, development and data collection and sharing to combat IUU fishing;
Advocating for Canada’s approach to sustainable fisheries, which Canada did through co-chairing a discussion on the importance of sustainable fisheries and how small-scale artisanal harvesters can gain better access to marine resources and markets …
The Canadian delegation also took the opportunity to invite the ocean community to the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5), a UN Ocean Decade endorsed event, that will take place in Vancouver February 3-9, 2023. Canada will host this global forum, alongside the Host First Nations (Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh), bringing together ocean conservation experts and high-level officials to inform, inspire and act on marine protected areas.

3 July
Bob Rae reflects on Canada’s role in an increasingly unstable world (audio)
(CBC Sunday Magazine) Looking back on two years in his role as Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Bob Rae shares his thoughts on the limitations and successes of the UN, Canada’s commitment to fighting the war in Ukraine, how we can help the record number of displaced people around the world, and what Canadians can do to stave off despair in troubled times.

Colin Robertson: In recent weeks the Canadian Government has announced it will expand our diplomatic presence abroad: our office in Kigali, Rwanda becomes a High Commission, with a permanent observer to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; the conversion into embassies of our offices in Estonia, Lithuania, and Slovakia; and an embassy with a resident ambassador in Armenia. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has also announced a review of how Canada does diplomacy.
Meanwhile the [The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade] is holding hearings on Foreign Service and I recently appeared before them.
The full transcript, also including the remarks of fellow CGAI Fellows Patricia Fortier and Randolph Mank, as well as former deputy ministers Morris Rosenberg and Ian Shugart is here: The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
[This] piece I wrote that expands on my testimony.

14 June
Canada and Denmark End Their Arctic Whisky War
Ian Austen
The two countries agreed to divide an island that sits between Canada and Greenland and defined the area’s international border.
Denmark and Canada signed an agreement Tuesday splitting up the land rights to Hans Island, a small piece of land in the Arctic that sits on the sea border between the two nations.
Ms. Joly said that the newly settled marine boundary between Canada and Denmark, which she characterized as the longest in the world, will provide an important example to other nations as they deal with questions surrounding the Arctic seabed and the resources it contains.
The ministers said that reaching an agreement involved talks by both countries with Inuit who live on both sides of the border and who know the island as Tartupaluk. Mr. Kofod said that the agreement protects their cross-border hunting and fishing rights and also ensures that the new boundary will not hinder travel across Hans Island.

As Others ‘Decouple,’ Canada Moves to Mend China Relations
(VoA) At a time when the United States and some of its allies are seeking to reduce their dependence on China for strategic and other goods, Canada is looking to move past an ugly spat that drove relations with Beijing to a historic low.
Less than a year after the resolution of a dispute that saw a senior Huawai executive detained in Vancouver and two Canadians jailed for three years in China, trade between the two countries is setting new records and officials say they are eager to mend the relationship.