UNA-Canada Fact Sheets

> Canada's Role in the UN

Canadians were convinced by their experience in World War I that the route to peace lay through the collective actions of governments, and thus Canada became a member of the League of Nations. The failures of the League, which were a precursor to World War II, dictated that we should join with our wartime allies in drawing up plans for a new world organization, thereby profiting from the mistakes of the past.

In the spring of 1945, Canada and 49 other nations met in San Francisco. The 50 countries adopted the words of the Charter of the United Nations, designed to create a new international body to keep peace in the world and support social and economic progress.

Canada had a unique position at the San Francisco Conference. In terms of military might and population, Canada was and is a small nation. But her WWII effort, her importance as a source of food and goods, and her industrial and financial strength had made a mark by 1945. The Canadian delegation to the San Francisco Conference, headed by then- Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, argued for and won recognition for Canada as an important "middle power". Subsequently, Canada has developed a reputation as a strong supporter of the Organization in all areas of its activities, and as an "honest broker" and mediator trusted by both developed and developing countries.

Since that time, Canada has taken a leading role in many key United Nations organizations. The Food and Agriculture Organization was founded in Quebec City on October 16, 1945, an event which will be commemorated this year. Canadians like Dr. Brock Chisholm were heavily involved in the founding of the World Health Organization in 1948 and Adelaide Sinclair made a significant contribution to the founding of UNICEF that same year. Montreal was chosen as headquarters for the International Civil Aviation Organization, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in December 1994. Canada also took a leading role in the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Canada does not currently have a rotational seat on the Security Council (made up of five permanent members with the power of veto, and ten members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms) but made a significant contribution as a member five times in the last 50 years. Canada and Canadian diplomacy won worldwide recognition in 1956 when Britain, France and Israel tried to prevent Egypt from seizing control of the Suez Canal and the first UN peacekeeping force was proposed by our country to "secure and supervise the cessation of hostilities". Canada's then-Minister for External Affairs, Lester B. Pearson, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace in the area and is regarded today as the father of the concept of peacekeeping.

The Suez Crisis was not Mr. Pearson's first contact with the United Nations. As Canadian Ambassador to the United States, he had been a member of the Canadian delegation to the original San Francisco Conference. In 1952, Mr. Pearson was elected President of the UN General Assembly. As President he tried to mediate a settlement of the Korean War.

Canada has also taken an aggressive role in the promotion of human rights and provision of assistance for refugees. A Canadian, John Humphrey, is given credit for writing the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and played a key role in its adoption by the UN. Since then, Canada has been prominent in the battle against human rights abuses, most recently in 1993 as a prime supporter of the creation of the post of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In addition, Canada has been a major supplier of international food aid and agricultural technical assistance through the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization. Consistently, Canada has been one of the top two providers of emergency and regular food aid to people facing starvation around the world.

Fifty-two years after the founding of the UN, Canada remains committed to working with other nations to gain consensus for stronger action to deal with world problems.