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23 October 2005

Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Paul Martin today issued the following statement for the 60th anniversary of the United Nations:

"Sixty years ago today, the United Nations came into being and with it the modern multilateral system as we know it. Canada was one of its founding members in 1945 and today remains ones of its strongest advocates.

As Canadians we mark this anniversary with an appreciation for what the UN has meant to Canada and pride in our contribution to its success. Perhaps in no other year have our contributions been more important - the Responsibility to Protect has been soundly endorsed by the international community; we are playing host to the UN Climate Change Conference in Montreal; and we continue to work with our international partners to make UN reform a reality.

As we celebrate 60 years of collective action for peace, development and human rights, we are abundantly aware that the world we now live in is different from that of 1945. We are all witnesses to enormous and constant changes - new dangers and new challenges to our solidarity as an international community. The UN is the one constant that has stood in the face of this change.

This is a year of reform and the UN should be applauded in its efforts to rejuvenate itself, but there is much work yet to be done. Failure to renew the UN system is not an option - Canada will continue the work required to ensure the UN's future is filled with accomplishment."

The Right Honourable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada