December 02, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Paul Martin today congratulated the members of the United Nations High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change for their report released today in New York on the reform of the United Nations system in the area of international peace and security:

"Since its establishment one year ago, Canada has strongly supported the work of the Panel and presented two substantive papers, including one on the concept of Responsibility to Protect and a second omnibus paper on reform.



I am very pleased that the High Level Panel endorses the emerging international norm that there is an international “responsibility to protect” and recommends that the Security Council exercise this responsibility according to criteria to be embodied in declaratory resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. We are pleased to note that these criteria closely parallel those recommended by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty.



Canada believes it is of utmost importance to respond to threats to peace and security posed by intra-state conflict, civil wars and genocide. Effective solutions to these threats are directly linked to the UN’s credibility as the keeper of international peace and security. The responsibility of nations to protect their population is a vital component of UN reform.



We also believe there is an opportunity for a new Leaders group, such as the L20, to assist in facilitating change and offering effective solutions to the complex challenges facing our world. I am pleased to note that the Panel has concluded that, to be effective, such a body must operate at the level of national leaders from key developed and developing countries in order to ensure policy coherence among the international community's efforts on trade, finance, the environment, the handling of pandemic diseases, and economic and social development.



Canada commends the High-Level Panel for the vision and courage it has shown in its report. It is an important step toward strengthening the United Nations. Secretary-General Kofi Annan deserves great credit for assembling the Panel and for giving it the backing it needed to produce this excellent report.



The challenge now facing member-states is how to implement the far-reaching recommendations of the Panel and including them in any agreement on reform. Canada intends on remaining fully involved in the follow-up to this report.”