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Question 1: The 1995 Policy Review and SinceWhich values and interests bear most fundamentally on Canada's foreign policy? How can Canada's foreign policy better reflect the concerns and priorities of Canadians? |
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| Contributor: | 1860 |
| Date: |
2003-05-01 00:26:06 |
| Answer: |
Canadians want to live in a safer world and they believe this can be achieved by making this a better world. Our foreign policy promotes these goals by identifying and protecting us against external threats (military or otherwise), improving our relations and promoting trade with other states, and providing aid and support for economic and political development (particularly respect for human rights) in foreign countries. Canadians think their safety depends not only on conventional military defence but also through reducing the circumstances that can give rise to physical conflict (e.g. economic disparity, oppression) and non-human threats (e.g. disease, environmental degradation).
It is important to Canadians that our government define and articulate foreign policy that is consistently implemented and effective. Canadian citizens and our allies should never be in doubt, confused or surprised by Canadian foreign policy. Canadians want our nation to have a positive influence in the world. Canadians also want our foreign policy to be defined by Canadians, not by the United States or anyone else.
To-date Canadian foreign policy has been overly fond of multilateral, institutional, bureaucratic top-down approaches to international peace, security, human rights and economic development. Many of these institutions, particularly the United Nations, have oppressive, dictatorial, corrupt or ineffectual governments as members. These "bad actors" are either incapable of or have no intention of complying with the noble objectives of these institutions. International institutions may also provide a form of legitimization for these "bad actors" (e.g. Libya and Cuba recently became members of United Nations Human Rights Commission). Canadian foreign policy should not be dependent on consensus decisions from any of these flawed institutions. |
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