Prime Minister Trudeau’s long campaign to secure one of the rotating seats on the United Nations Security Council will come to a head today with a remotely-held vote to determine who will hold the seats from 2021 to 2023. MLI senior fellow Jonathan Berkshire Miller joined Gormley to discuss the stakes in yesterday’s vote, and the implications of the result.
“While the UN seat still provides a platform, arguably it’s lost some of its prestige over the past few years, and should Canada be engaging as a primary multilateral interest in the UN Security Council or should they look at some other forms,” explains Miller.
While Canada may “deserve” a UNSC seat, Miller says it’s not worth compromising Canada’s voice on the world stage to get it. He argues that the way Canada goes about securing a seat is equally important to the seat itself, and Canada should always use its position to speak up against violations of international law and human rights.