Position paper for Canada
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures |
| Paper text: | |
| The delegation of Canada is committed to Article I of the United Nations Charter in our
efforts to consolidate peace through practical disarmament measures. We emphasize the
need for military stockpile transparency, through accurate reporting to the United Nations
Register of Conventional Arms and Military Expenditures databases. We will support the
implementation of similar Military Confidence-Building Measures as a practical method of
disarmament and partake in discussions on further ways to promote international and
regional cooperation on the topic.
One of our priorities is facilitating diversity and inclusion in disarmament efforts. We promote educating women in science, technology, engineering and math for the field, as well as research into gender perspectives, through our Gender and Disarmament Programme. We will advocate for more international action to involve women in conventional weapons disarmament by collaborating on resolutions that include similar diversity programs to our own at conference. Canada additionally upholds support for existing treaties regarding the regulation of conventional armaments. We highlight the importance of Member States adhering to the treaties to further progress their purposes. We are specifically concerned about Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems and the threat that they pose to international security. The lack of human control and potential malfunction in these systems makes regulation necessary. Therefore, Canada will back a resolution to define Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems and include them under the conditions of the Arms Trade Treaty or similar legally binding instrument. We seek collaboration with our fellow nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as those in the European Union and any other like-minded States willing to collaborate to achieve progress on military Confidence-Building Measures, gender and disarmament, and the regulation of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems as they pertain to the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures. | |
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction |
| Paper text: | |
| The delegation of Canada affirms the details and goals adopted by the 1992
Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons
and on
Their Destruction (CWC). We are committed to the complete elimination of chemical
weapons
and to holding those who use chemical weapons accountable through the guidelines
outlined in
the CWC. We believe that the CWC is the vital backbone to the elimination of chemical
weapons
and thus requires efficient enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the guidelines are
legitimately followed.
As a lead supporter of the independent Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the delegation of Canada would like to focus this year's conference on addressing compliance concerns, implementing obligations, and strengthening the OPCW. It is vital that Member States who have yet to sign or ratify the CWC do so immediately to assist in the adherence of Article I of the UN Charters focus on maintaining international peace. We intend to introduce the call for fair guidelines to be put in place for violating the obligations of the CWC. We are also a lead supporter of the OPCW and support its mission to implement the obligations of the CWC. We plan on discussing the enhancement of the OPCWs capabilities to better monitor compliance and respond to emerging threats. Actions taken towards this goal like the new Centre for Chemistry and Technology that opened in May of 2023 assisted in this goal. We seek collaboration with our fellow nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and other like-minded states that also share an interest in promoting international peace and the elimination of chemical weapons through the implementation of the CWC. We believe that a stronger CWC will play a vital role in the growth of international peace and safety. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Agriculture development, food security and nutrition |
| Paper text: | |
| Canada strongly believes in the importance of international cooperation to promote agriculture
development, food security, and nutrition. An estimated 733 million people worldwide face
hunger, with the largest proportion being women and other disadvantaged groups living in
underdeveloped countries. Efforts to address this challenge have been significantly hindered by
the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and conflict, which have created substantial obstacles
in fully realizing the goals set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unless action is
taken, this problem will only continue to grow, to the detriment of the entire international
community.
We support and urge Member States to implement General Assembly resolution 78/168 of 2023 and the 2024 Pact for the Future. Recommendations include: empowering women to participate in addressing their own food and nutritional needs, promoting climate-smart and resilient agrifood systems, and supporting countries affected by food insecurity and malnutrition through coordinated action. Recognizing that women, children, and Indigenous Peoples are particularly vulnerable, we urge Member States to ensure their full participation in policymaking and agricultural development. We support the creation and implementation of frameworks to address inequalities in access to food and nutrition, and support gender- and culturally-sensitive approaches in agricultural development aid. We must address the unique challenges developing countries face in meeting Goal 2 of the SDGs, and we encourage wealthier Member States to provide development aid to help achieve this goal. Strengthening cooperation with international financial institutions is essential to combating food and nutrition insecurity and promoting agriculture development. We support investment in agricultural research and innovation, along with information sharing and the transfer of technologies to address food and nutrition insecurity and advance climate-smart agricultural practices. Without addressing disparities in agriculture development, food security and nutrition, the international community cannot reach its full potential. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Development cooperation with middle-income countries |
| Paper text: | |
| Canada wholeheartedly supports and urges Member States to implement General Assembly
resolution 78/162 of 2023, the 2024 Pact for the Future, and the 2024 Global Digital Compact.
We firmly believe in promoting a human rights-based and inclusive approach to providing development assistance to middle-income countries. We recognize that middle-income countries face unique challenges and advocate for tailoring development assistance strategies to the specific needs of each state. We emphasize the importance of strengthening partnerships with middle-income countries and fostering collaboration with governments, civil society, international financial institutions, and the private sector. We support the reform of international and private financial institutions to better address the needs of middle-income countries. We recognize that women are essential to development, and that gender inequality presents a significant obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Our Feminist International Assistance Policy ensures that women and girls are placed at the very heart of our development assistance policies. We firmly believe in integrating gender-responsive approaches into United Nations development programs and advocating for inclusive economic development initiatives and social programs. Believing that wealthy countries have a duty to fight climate change, we have committed $5 billion to global climate finance efforts. We emphasize the importance of increasing climate financing to middle-income countries to promote measures for building climate resilience and transitioning to low-carbon economies. We encourage the implementation of policies that promote sustainable management of natural resources, increase biodiversity conservation, and integrate environmental considerations into development. We highlight the importance of South-South and Triangular cooperation in advancing the development of middle-income countries. We support initiatives that foster regional cooperation to address shared challenges, such as climate change, food and nutrition insecurity, weak governance, and inequality. We affirm our unwavering commitment to leaving no one behind. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Rights of indigenous peoples |
| Paper text: | |
| Canada strongly believes in the importance of awareness and protection of the rights of
Indigenous Peoples, including the right for Indigenous representation in the United
Nations.
Indigenous Peoples internationally face many difficulties, including lower life expectancies,
a lack
of workplace protections, a lack of representation in Member State governments and the
United
Nations, and higher poverty rates compared to non-Indigenous populations. In the 2015
Report
of the Secretary-General on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, he expresses concerns
about the
limit on Indigenous organizations ability to address the concerns of Indigenous Peoples
that
indirectly affect their rights, as well as how ineffective consultative status as a non-
governmental
organization with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is for Indigenous Peoples
with their
own governance. We encourage dialogue on further underrepresented groups of
Indigenous
Peoples, such as women, Two-Spirit, and persons with disabilities.
We urge Member States to focus on creating action plans for implementation with processes for accountability reports and Indigenous Peoples representation per the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This includes providing resources for development programming for Indigenous self-governance and bilateral advocacy for Indigenous groups that span multiple Member States. We will support resolution language that works towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda in tandem with the development of Indigenous rights. Canada will keep in mind its obligations to the United Nations Declaration, as well as being a member of the Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples, and welcome members of such groups to join in cooperation to address the rights of Indigenous Peoples. We are ready and willing to work with Member States in the Third Committee to promote the integration of Indigenous organizations into the United Nations system, disseminate information on Indigenous concerns, and include Indigenous voices in discussions that explicitly or implicitly affect their rights. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Literacy for life |
| Paper text: | |
| Canada recognizes the right to education for all and the increasing concern of literacy
in a
quickly digitalizing world. Literacy skills, or the skills to read and write in a chosen
language, lead
individuals to have better professional skills, increased participation in the workforce, and
increased participation in the economy. The right to education for all is recognized by the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and
Cultural Rights, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all documents that
Canada
highly supports. In a July 2024 Report from the Secretary-General on Literacy, he
expresses
concern for a emerging challenges due to digitalization and new technologies, which are
proven
to decrease incentivization for learning literacy skills and increase the gap in literacy
between
lower and higher developed States. We would like to emphasize the continued gender gap
in
literacy skills worldwide, which vary by Member State.
Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the right to education, as a way to develop human personality and strengthen access to rights and freedoms for individuals. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights reaffirms the right to education for everyone in Article 13, as well as asserting that all economic, social and cultural rights such as education should be enjoyed equally by men and women. Canada would like to participate in dialogue on girls and women's education, emphasizing those affected by displacement and conflict, to continually close the literacy gap among the sexes. would like to see an increase in accessibility to quality basic education in Member States with lower literacy rates, as well as providing funds and support for strengthening existing education systems. Keeping in mind its obligations to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and our work with the Global Partnership for Education, Canada would like to work with the Member States in the Third Committee to ensure access to education for increased literacy rates and adult education. This includes all like-minded delegations, fellow contributors to the Global Partnership for Education, and Member States looking to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment |
| Paper text: | |
| Canada strongly supports the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable
environment
recognized in resolution 76/300 adopted by the GA. Environmental problems are a major
threat
to human lives; for example, it is estimated that between 2030 and 2050, 250,000 deaths
will
occur per year due to climate change. This can occur from heat waves, extreme storms,
disease,
and drought. Environmental disasters put people's lives at risk which violates human rights
international law established under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We strongly believe in protecting this right through actions such as ensuring clean air, land and water. Additionally, we especially support reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, as this is a major way to prevent climate change. We are committed to reducing emissions as outlined in the international treaty, the Paris Agreement and would like to work to ensure more nations sign it. We would also support international greenhouse emission limits that are attainable to more Member States to involve additional nations in the movement towards a sustainable future. Additionally, we believe that wealthy nations have a duty to combat climate change and support nations experiencing environmental disasters. Wealthy nations are mainly responsible for the effects of climate change. For example, the wealthiest 1% of people are responsible for more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%. However, less developed nations are disproportionally affected by climate change, given that these States have less resources to recover from environmental disasters. Therefore, it is important for this body to adopt resolutions that prioritize major action from wealthy nations to reduce emissions and provide environmental disaster relief to vulnerable areas. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel |
| Paper text: | |
| Canada views that attacks on humanitarian personnel have become an ever-growing
concern in
the past few decades. Increasing safety for humanitarian personnel is paramount to
maintaining
the critically necessary network of humanitarian aid operations currently functioning around
the
globe. These humanitarian operations are essential to millions of victims of armed conflict
and
natural disasters. Since 1997, attacks on aid workers, including but not limited to,
kidnappings,
injuries, and deaths have increased dramatically. This is caused by an increase in harmful
misinformation and civil unrest in conflict zones. Canada believes it is imperative that the
United
Nations work towards combating the root causes of these heinous attacks.
Canada is dedicated to the protection of aid workers globally. As one of the UN Refugee Agencys top partners in diplomatic and financial aid, Global Affairs Canada sponsors over 1,700 operational international humanitarian assistance projects. We are the first nation in the world to implement the Rome Statute into domestic policy, implicating violators of international humanitarian law, including attacks on aid personnel, under not only the International Criminal Court but under the Canadian judicial system. We also require training through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in international humanitarian, human rights, and refugee law for not only aid personnel but our armed forces. This puts our military at an advantage, educating our troops on how to properly conduct themselves as well as informing aid personnel on how to safely carry out their work. We believe it is crucial that we work quickly and efficiently with our allies to address the challenge of attacks on humanitarian aid workers. There are many potential solutions to this problem. It is important to address misinformation as the root of many challenges for aid workers and how it can be combatted as well as improving training for humanitarian personnel. We also must consider implementing security measures to maximize safety and efficiency. We believe that all these solutions are incredibly viable, and we hope that we can come to a compromise that implements each solution most effectively to maximize safety and security for humanitarian personnel. | |
| Committee: | ECOSOC |
| Topic: | Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality |
| Paper text: | |
| The government of Canada would like to echo the words of the 1945 United Nations
Charter and
remind Member States of their obligation to not only respect human rights but to protect
them.
In 2015 the General Assembly passed the 2030 Agenda with 17 Goals for Sustainable
Development. The government of Canada strongly believes that the outcome of these
goals
could provide a more prosperous future globally. However, we acknowledge the lack of
completion towards these goals and both our failures and the international failure to reach
them. Canada recognizes the lack of progress made towards these goals and has been
working
to amend these shortcomings.
We have worked to closely implement the 1995 Beijing Plan of Action with the goal intention of having a feminist approach to foreign policy. Collaborating these efforts with the 2017 Spotlight Initiative, to end gender-based violence against women and girls. Further, Canada wants to reflect on current economic inequalities and the extreme concentration of wealth and how this has negativity contributed to the instability of developing countries, heightened climate risks, and decreased economic growth. In efforts to address these inequities, we have doubled our investment into international climate finance with an increase of $5.3 billion over the next 5 years, to support developing countries. With our continued efforts towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, we hope to readjust the agenda while maintaining the same intentions and to allow for an open discussion of the barriers to completing these goals. We would like to see developing Member States be put at the forefront of the conversation and to help us manage our expectations and guidelines over these goals and how best developed Member States can contribute to the success of reaching them. Commending Bob Rae on the precedent he set for this years Economic and Social Council session, Canada will strive to work with all Member States to come to a consensus on how to better fulfill the goals. | |
| Committee: | ECOSOC |
| Topic: | Science, technology and innovation for development |
| Paper text: | |
| As a world leader in Science Technology and Innovation, Canada finds it imperative to
bridge the
gaps in technological developments. As a founding member of the Organization for
Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD), we strive to build a future where everyone
advances in
innovation. Through our participation in the OECD 2024 series of international events, we
solidified our commitment to learning the resources necessary to build a digital future that
we
can count on.
We commend the United Nations' efforts to amend these shortfalls with the establishment of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development in 1992, which addresses the rapid growth in technology and channels it into aiding developing nations. We commit ourselves to closing the digital divide and supporting marginalized communities like women, Indigenous Peoples, and children. By adhering to the global digital compact, we affirm that we can close the digital divide both domestically and internationally. We recognize the request of developing countries to help aid them in their development in innovation and the Sustainable Development Goals. We recommend that the Economic and Social Council addresses the needs of these countries first and foremost, before continuing the rapidly paced progress of developed countries. We acknowledge the lack of advancements due to various setbacks with the 2030 Agenda. We are determined to find ways to assist in meeting the 2030 goals. To do this, we believe that working to build multilateral trade organizations to make it easier for countries to trade freely and less economic inequalities. We would also like to work with Member States on information sharing, ensuring that this information will be shared through trusted and safe methods, to bring other countries up to speed. | |
| Committee: | CCPCJ |
| Topic: | Equal access to justice for all |
| Paper text: | |
| Within the CCPCJ, Canada has consistently led and strongly advocated for Equal
Access to Justice
for All. The UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights both unequivocally
declare
that all people have the right to equal access to justice, and as Canadian representatives,
we
unwaveringly uphold this belief.
In recent years, our delegation has taken significant strides to advance this cause. Our nation's representatives in the CCPCJ were instrumental in crafting the ECOSOC report 2023/30. This report contained a draft resolution which was subsequently adopted as a resolution by the General Assembly as a resolution titled Equal Access to Justice for All. Additionally, our CCPCJ representatives have made substantial contributions to other crucial documents, such as a draft titled Strengthening Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Responses to Violence Against Women. A draft resolution titled Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Responses to Violence Against Women and Girls was yet another important contribution. Both of which were adopted by consensus by the General Assembly. We actively take part in transnational partnerships, such as the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies. Canada played a pivotal role in the meeting that produced The Hague Declaration on Equal Access to Justice for All by 2030 and is a major supporter of the Global Partnership and Fund to End Violence Against Children. We have collaborated with esteemed partners like the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and France, as well as the other members of the Commonwealth, and the Organization of American States, and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development to advocate for equal access to justice. Partnerships are integral to our mission as we champion equal access to justice and will remain so as we continue to lead and advocate for this vital initiative. | |
| Committee: | CCPCJ |
| Topic: | International cooperation in combating transnational organized crime and corruption |
| Paper text: | |
| Canada is firmly committed to the necessity of full international cooperation in combating
transnational organized crime. Transnational organized crime costs approximately $1.6 trillion in
damage around the world annually. To effectively combat this problem, we must continue to
advocate for more cooperation from Member States as well as the ability to work with Non-
Member States and NGOs. The Member States we anticipate aligning with on this issue are
Austria, Brazil, China, France, Finland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, South Africa, Thailand,
UK/North Ireland, and the United States of America. We recognize how the economic cost for
developing nations in creating and implementing systems to combat transnational organized
crime is stressed further as the higher level of protection for developed nations can lead less
developed nations to become better targets. Accordingly, we see aid to these countries as being
not just vital for their security but also still a part of strengthening the overall level of global
security by limiting the areas in which transnational criminal organizations can operate.
We acknowledge that the continued growth of the internet in all facets of life represents an increase in the profitability of cybercrime. Therefore, we must move quickly to build protection against it. We recognize the necessity of full international cooperation in fighting this domain of crime as well, as often attackers are based in foreign countries and/or are leveraging networks elsewhere around the globe. We also acknowledge how the dynamics of economics and geography play a similar role in cybercrime as they do in other forms of transnational organized crime. Accordingly, we see it as imperative to work with lower-income countries to make the world safer. Because of the often-privatized nature of the internet, we see the cooperation of the private sector as being integral to creating adequate protection mechanisms. | |
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