NDP Statement on United Nations Day 2024

NDP critic for Foreign Affairs Heather McPherson issued the following statement:

“United Nations Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the United Nations Charter. While on this day we recognize the meaningful work of United Nations agencies around the world, New Democrats mourn the many lives lost in what has become the deadliest year for United Nations staff in history.

In Gaza, over two hundred United Nations staff have been killed in Netanyahu's genocide over the past year. In Lebanon, UN peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have been attacked and wounded by Israeli forces in what constitutes grave violations of international humanitarian law. This year alone, dozens of UN peacekeepers have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan. UN staff have been denied visas to conduct their work in Israel. And the banning of the UN Secretary General from Israel shows an unacceptable disregard for the work of this crucial international institution.

The normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are thoroughly unacceptable. When UN staff and other aid workers are targeted, the very fabric of diplomacy is threatened. The erosion of the rules-based international order and the flouting of international humanitarian law makes all of us – whether in Canada or around the world – more vulnerable.

Despite these challenges, United Nations institutions remain a lifeline for many around the world, including the most vulnerable living in conflict zones such as Sudan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Gaza, where UN agencies provide life-saving services, including immunizations, food aid, and social supports.

In Canada, New Democrats decry the suggestion from some Conservatives that Canada withdraw from the United Nations. This is absurd. At a time when millions of people around the world struggle with famine, genocide, and rising inequality, now more than ever, we need collective action, strong diplomacy, and institutions like the United Nations to drive meaningful global action.”