By Thomas I. Likness
EBC Edmonton Bureau
EDMONTON (Eagle News) — A big disappointment for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada lost a bid for one of two temporary seats on the UN Security Council Wednesday.
Norway and Ireland won the coveted spots in the category for member states from Western Europe and other countries.
Trudeau was gracious in accepting the loss.
“I would like to congratulate the countries elected to the UN Security Council today,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “As we move forward, Canada remains committed to working with our partners to promote gender equality, sustain peace, fight climate change, and improve economic security.”
The race to select the temporary members of the council turned into a nail biter for Trudeau as he campaigned up until the last minute. As late as yesterday, he was talking with world leaders, trying to enlist their support.
He began campaigning for the seat four years ago. Since the pandemic, his efforts have been limited to telephone chats with world leaders, hoping to secure their support to elect Canada for a two-year term. Much of his effort focused on African and Caribbean countries.
“We listened and learned from other countries, which opened new doors for cooperation to address global challenges, and we created new partnerships that increased Canada’s place in the world,” Trudeau said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue this approach at the United Nations and in other international forums — because Canada does well, and Canadians do well when we strengthen our international relationships and fully engage on the world stage.”
Opposition Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer wasted no time criticizing the prime minister on Twitter.
“Another foreign affairs failure for Justin Trudeau. Keeps the streak alive! He sold out Canada’s principles for a personal vanity project and still lost. What a waste,” Scheer tweeted.
This is Canada’s second consecutive loss in an attempt to win a seat on the council. The last time was in 2010. It’s been 20 years since Canada has been part of the council.
(Eagle News Service)