Security Council Rejects Canada's Bid
If it were not for the fact that the PM belatedly decided he wanted Canada on the UN’s Security Council, the rejection of Canada for that two-year role could be seen as an accolade.
The UN has long been out of control as a dispassionate, objective, credible institution for peace, human rights and justice, so it’s a wonder decent countries still pay attention to it.
In the first round of voting for a temporary, two-year seat on the Security Council, Germany scrapped in with the necessary two-thirds of the vote – 128, beating out Portugal (122 votes) and Canada (113).
In the playoff round, Portugal got 113 votes to Canada’s 78. Rather than face defeat by Portugal in a third round, Canada withdrew its bid to be one of the 10 non-permanent members of the 15-member Security Council. (Permanent members are Britain, U.S., France, China and Russia).
It was the first time Canada has failed in such a bid, having won six times previously—roughly, once every decade. For two years starting Jan. 1, the elected non-permanent Security Council members will be Brazil, Gabon, Bosnia, Lebanon, Nigeria, India, South Africa, Colombia, Germany and Portugal.
Of course, it is an embarrassment for PM Stephen Harper, because he decided he wanted it. To his discredit, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff is on record implying Canada didn’t deserve the post, which couldn’t have helped in the vote. In truth, there are some who think the Security Council doesn’t deserve Canada.
The defeat will now become a political weapon against Conservatives.
So why did Canada lose?
Surely, it makes no sense to put Germany and Portugal on the Security Council – making four European countries represented. Besides, Portugal is a near-economic basket case, threatened with bankruptcy.
The truth is, Canada’s vigorous, unqualified support for Israel under Harper, worked against us at the UN, which regularly condemns Israel for policies it ignores in other countries.
No accusation against Israel is too extreme not to get a hearing at the UN.
Also, Harper’s government has been critical of some African countries, and we have tried to tighten aid programs that have run amok. Although the Security Council vote was secret, member states traditionally lie about for whom they’ll vote. Clearly, there was some getting even at Canada for whatever reason.
Good. Let Portugal now provide aid and soldiers when needed by the UN.
The UN is notorious for vote swapping – “We’ll vote for you on this, if you vote for us on that.” Not unusual in politics, but appalling, when applied to issues of conscience and national interest, even human rights.
Better not to be on the Security Council, than to be on it and corrupted or beholden to others who do not deserve support.
While the UN regularly votes in favor of human rights, roughly half of the 192-member states abuse human rights in some form in their own countries.
As Groucho Marx said in a different context, he wouldn’t want to belong to a club that accepted him. Canada could say the same of the Security Council. Or as an Australian diplomat quipped after losing votes for a seat on the Security Council it thought it had in the bag: “Rotten lying bastards” – a little blunt for diplo-speak, but Aussies are more candid than Canadians!