Among Reliable Friends

"We will not back down from our principles that form the basis of our great country, and we will continue to pursue them on the international stage. Some would even say that, because of our attachment to those values, we lost a seat on the council. If that's the case, then so be it." Canadian Foreign Minister, Lawrence Cannon

Dedicated lobbying and personal exchanges from Canada's highest echelon of diplomatic elites elicited promises of support for the acquisition of a two-year stint in the temporary Security Council membership for the vote that would secure membership for two Western countries. Canada was confident - to a degree - that although Germany seemed poised to garner the requisite number of votes, it would succeed over Portugal, a country beset with crippling debt and an unsavoury colonial past.

No fewer than 135 countries of the world prepared to cast their vote for Canada. These assurances were both verbal and in written form from some of those countries upon whose good-faith assurances Canada relied. Trouble is, dedication to principle does not trump prudence when in the United Nations' forum. It was not prudent for Canada to switch its financial support from Africa to Latin America, although Africa still receives Canada's largess.

It was most certainly not prudent for Canada to infuriate the United Arab Emirates by refusing to kowtow to blackmail. Furthermore, Canada's commitment under the Conservative-led government to publicly and very visibly stand stalwartly as a reliable supporter of Israel rather than muting support as previous governments had done, more or less sealed the vote - against Canada.

In Canada now, principle rules.

The 57-member voting bloc of the Organization of Islamic Conference hefted its weight to ensure that Canada fully understood the results of its insufferable lack of prudence. Principle and rectitude, support for fellow democracies and certain values pertaining to human rights do not go down well with the OIC. A senior Islamic official said as much, and explained that the OIC was offended it was not addressed in a properly obsequious manner by Canada's ambassador to the United Nations.

Portugal did just that. Appealing for the support of the OIC. And they responded, handing their votes to Portugal. Which had impressed the OIC no end by Joao Gomes Cravinho, Portugal's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs having assured the august gathering that his country was in perfect accord and support for the Arab Peace Initiative in the Middle East. Applause was no doubt extremely energetic and generous.

The Islamic bloc repaid Canada for its snub of Arab airlines dominating Canada's airspace, and for Canada's concordance with the United States on too many issues, most importantly, the support of Israel. "In looking at Portugal and Canada, there is a thought that it is balanced versus not balanced", explained the official. Precisely what the official opposition within Canada insists is the case.

Ironically, while Canada has been diverting its financial support toward Latin America, new economic emerging powerhouse Brazil is reputed to have recalled its colonial Portuguese past, surreptitiously reminding Arab countries that a vote for Canada would represent in essence a proxy vote for the United States and its policies. Those OIC states that had given written assurances to Canada for their votes, withdrew them.

Canada emerges with its pride and honour intact.

The United Nations member states are represented by their actions current and past, as grossly dishonourable. The institution is itself dysfunctionally degraded from its initial purpose, a failure in peace-keeping, a generous supporter of human-rights-abusing countries, and a bastion of rogue states.