Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON Volume 6, Issue #1, January 2002

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Challenges Before the United Nations in 2002
By Geoffrey Pearson, National President

Members and Branches may wish to note the following UN issues likely to call for study and/or comment in 2002. The National Office will try to provide background materials or direction to relevant sources on as many as we can.

1. On Sustainable Development
   1. the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 to September 4.
   2. Financing for Development meeting in Monterrey, Mexico from 18 to 22 March. Canada will be pressed to increase its funding for aid to development, now at .26% of GNP, one of the worst levels among OECD countries.
   3. The question of ratification of the Kyoto Accord – the government has not yet set a date for such action.
    
   
2. Humanitarian Intervention
   Some 40 armed conflicts continue in 36 countries. The Report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (initiated by Canada) is now available. It recommends a number of steps. We shall need to monitor UN action in response, including rapid deployment as described in a report of a seminar we co-organized with the World Federalists of Canada on November 19.
    
   
3. Children
   The World Summit on Children, postponed due to the events of September 11, is now scheduled for May 8 to 10 in New York.
    
   
4. Arms Control
   
   1. Small arms: how should Canada pursue this issue in light of the conference of June, 2001?
   2. Weapons of Mass Destruction
      
      • inability of the Conference on Disarmament to agree on nuclear issues;
      • the ratification of the protocol to the biological weapons convention on inspection and the American refusal to participate;
      • outer space – American plans and Canadian policy;
      • landmines
       
      
5. Racism
   Canadian policy in response to the Programme of Action from the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa last August and related UNA comments.
    
   
6. UN Reform
   The General Assembly is still debating this issue, with no consensus about the make-up and powers or any revamped Security Council. What position might UNA-Canada wish to take?
    
   
7. International Law
   1. There is progress towards the establishment of an International Criminal Court
   2. The UN Convention on International Co-operation to Prevent Terrorism – what is Canada’s response?
   3. How should the international community deal with prisoners from Afghanistan?
   4. What is or might be the role of the Security Council in “the war against terrorism”?