Spurning Opportunity...

"How do you stop governments from murdering their own people? If it's not going to be the United Nations, who's it going to be?
"But in terms of the broad political issues, I think the United Nations needs a reform. And we've seen the really disastrous consequences of not having a functioning United Nations when it came to the question of what's happening in Syria."
Lloyd Axworthy, former Liberal government minister of foreign affairs

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is co-hosting a UN meeting next week looking at the major health challenges facing women and children around the world. Harper will also do a moderated discussion on the economy, hosted by the Canadian-American Business Council. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press) 

Mr. Axworthy is well known in political and ideological circles for his "soft power" alignment. Canada, speaking softly, should carry the big stick of its international prestige, pressuring other countries to resign themselves to their duty to advance the virtues of responsible, moral governance, and pressing it upon others by the very example they provide. Countries, seeing moral goodness and light surrounding them will be prevailed upon to emulate for the betterment of humankind.

That Utopian vision and the belief in human willingness to do the right thing, if shown the way, is one especially beloved of left-wing politics. It is not universally shared, even among foreign governments who appreciate all the assistance and understanding given them by left-wing intellectuals, unions and governments. They feel compelled to continue as they always have, extolling their own tyrannical system of government because it works for them.

Into this area of controversy Lloyd Axworthy feels that Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper should insert himself. Among the cabals and the blocs that favour the dictators, tyrants, theocratic totalitarians, and entitled autocrats. Who do appear to represent a majority. However, Prime Minister Harper has chosen to bypass the opportunity to personally address the UN's General Assembly yet again. Snubbing the UN as its members snubbed Canada with its bid to join the revolving assembly.

Because, for the most part, this Conservative-led government chose to listen to its moral antennae, deliberately deciding not go "go along to get along" with those same corrupt tyrannical governments which dominate in the United Nations. Where the most egregious human-rights-offending nations sit regally on the UN's human rights groups, and where brutal patriarchies sit on women's rights groups, and where war-mongering countries sit on defence and peace and weapons bodies.

And then feel loftily entitled to teach liberal democracies how they may best serve their interests by courtseying nicely toward them, genuflecting at their superior experience, knowledge, values and priorities. Canada will have Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird deliver Canada's remarks at the opening session of the General Assembly, once all world leaders who have indicated their wish to speak have been heard from.

In Canada a group of former ministers, senior diplomats, academics and civil society leaders numbering some 17, plan to hold press conferences calling on the government to redraw its relationship with the United Nations. "There is a feeling that by not engaging in a very active way at the United Nations, we're really missing opportunities to help provide a reform agenda. I think Canada is a respected voice. People listen to us. We have influence. And a prime ministerial statement would give it very significant weight", said Mr. Axworthy.

"[...] but if he's in New York, a couple of hours at the General Assembly could be very much an opportunity to makie a contribution to the United Nations at a time when it needs it", he emphasized. The prime minister will indeed be in New York at that time. He has a number of meetings scheduled other than at the United Nations. Waste his time on an institution that has failed so spectacularly?

Now, let's see, Cuba, Iran, Belarus and Russia, all as United Nations members in impeccable standing took part in the usual humiliation of advanced social, democratic Western countries by pointing out to Canada its lamentable human rights record. Their official interlocutor status on the UN Human Rights Council allows them to sit in judgement on Canada's assumed poverty levels, women's rights issues, and immigration and criminal justice system.

Communist Cuba deplored Canada's rejection of a human-rights recommendation it had proffered. Islamist Iran lambasted Canada for its unspeakable laxity on the file of human rights by rejecting four recommendations on human rights that country had put forward for Canada's immediate attention.  Belarus had much to say about Canada's inability or unwillingness to address child prostitution.

 
Discrimination is very strong in Belarus and very troubling for children. In fact, many of them aren’t accepted as they should be by the rest of the population.
In particular, sexual discrimination is very pronounced, because of this; a young girl will not have the same rights and freedoms as a young boy. In fact, although the laws don’t really make a distinction between the sexes, their application is very different. Additionally, the Belarusians’ mentality remains very sexist, and the idea of the modern woman has not really been widely accepted.
Roma children must also face inequalities. Their access to public services, such as healthcare or education, is limited. Additionally, they are sometimes victims of harassment and violence from nationals.
Sexual abuse
Belarus is currently a country of origin, transit and destination for the sex trade. The State has made this problem one of its priorities.
The country is a veritable hub for this kind of traffic, child victims come from all around the world, and Belarusian children can also be sent to any country.
This type of trade is extremely detrimental to the lives of children who are sometimes forced to undergo many forms of the most abusive sexual exploitation, and it is diametrically opposed to the principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
From: Humanium: Help the Children

And Russia, poor Russia was "bewildered" at Canada's lack of resposibility in rejecting a recommendation coming from them in relation to the "brutal beating" in a Calgary jail cell that a Russian national had been horrifically subjected to. Canada's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Elissa Golberg would have none of it.

"Canada is proud of its human-rights record, and our peaceful and diverse society", she said, dismissing as such she should, the helpful criticism emanating from among the world's mot notorious human-rights abusers. Within the institution that Lloyd Axworthy feels Canada should take on, to affect change in an prevailing atmosphere that brooks of no change to the entitlements of the majority.