This article analyzes Canada's decreasing involvement in UN peacekeeping missions under the Trudeau government, highlighting its broken promises, declining troop deployments, and missed opportunities for leadership. It contrasts Canada's current role with its historical contributions to peacekeeping and explores the implications for global peace and security.
Canada 's decision to redeploy its peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Uganda highlights a longstanding reluctance to engage in UN peacekeeping missions in conflict-ridden regions. This move further underscores the decline in Canadian peacekeeping efforts under the Trudeau government, raising questions about Canada 's commitment to international peace and security.
Prior to the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau, then leader of the opposition, criticized then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Canada's minimal contribution to UN peacekeeping. During a leaders' debate on September 28, 2015, Trudeau lamented Canada's absence from the global peacekeeping conversation, stating that Canada, as a nation that had initiated peacekeeping efforts, needed to revitalize and refocus its support for such operations. At that time, Canada had only 116 uniformed personnel deployed in UN peacekeeping, a significant drop from the 380 personnel present when Harper took office in 2006. Despite his campaign promises, the Trudeau government's contribution to UN peacekeeping fell short of expectations. The average monthly deployment under Harper was 157 personnel, while under Trudeau it was just 77, encompassing both military personnel and police. This represents a stark contrast to Canada's historical commitment to peacekeeping. From the inception of the first peacekeeping force in 1956, Canada consistently provided approximately 1,000 military personnel to UN operations for four decades. However, under Trudeau, Canada's deployment reached an all-time low of 17 personnel in July 2024. According to the latest UN figures, Canada currently has only 22 military personnel and eight police officers deployed in peacekeeping missions. Furthermore, Trudeau backtracked on a 2017 promise to establish a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) for the UN, a pledge made during a summit attended by over 80 nations. Canada has yet to register a QRF with the UN's capability readiness system. Chrystia Freeland, who served as foreign minister from 2017 to 2019, further undermined Canada's peacekeeping efforts by deprioritizing them. She failed to secure cabinet approval for a Canadian general to lead the mission in Mali, despite the UN actively seeking a candidate. The Canadian Armed Forces had identified a suitable general, but the nomination was not forwarded to UN headquarters. Canada's delay and indecision ultimately resulted in lost opportunities for Canadian leadership on the world stage
International Relations Peacekeeping Canada UN Peacekeeping Trudeau Government Global Peace International Security Military Deployment
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