The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, participated in the 2021 Seoul United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial (UNPKM) virtual conference hosted by South Korea. Minister Anand participated in her role and on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
During the UNPKM plenary session, entitled Sustaining Peace, Minister Anand announced that the Government of Canada will provide $85 million in new projects and contributions, as well as commit to further multi-year funding, to continue responding to the needs of UN peace operations and peacebuilding. Canada, as co-chair of the UNPKM, pledged to support UN peace operations and peacebuilding by:
- Increasing funding to the UN Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund and providing it on a multi-year basis ($70M over 3 years);
- Advancing gender equality and the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda through the extension and expansion of Canada's flagship Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations;
- Supporting international implementation of the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, including their integration in UN peacekeeping policy, guidance and training; and,
- Renewing support and funding for peace operations training, notably for e-learning technologies and medical response.
Today's announcement reaffirms Canada's enduring commitment to the United Nations and multilateral engagement to address global peace and security challenges. Canada will continue to support effective and inclusive peace operations, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding.
Quotes
"As we continue to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, support for inclusive and effective peacekeeping operations has never been more crucial. Canada is committed to continue supporting United Nations needs and ensuring the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all aspects of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding."
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Canada is committed to helping United Nations peace operations become more inclusive and more effective. Alongside our partners, we will continue to strengthen UN peacekeeping to build a more peaceful world. Canada will continue to strengthen UN peacekeeping through ongoing military assistance and financial support to the UN's peace operations reform, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding efforts. We recognize that military solutions alone do not create durable peace."
- Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence
Quick facts
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The objective of the UNPKM is to strengthen UN peacekeeping, including by improving the performance and impact of UN peacekeeping operations in line with the UN Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping initiative. This includes filling capability gaps through concrete pledges and facilitating new and sustainable partnerships while strengthening existing ones.
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Canada's contributions to UN peace operations are part of our broader military, police, civilian and foreign policy contributions to global peace and security, which include peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and stabilization.
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Canada is the ninth-largest financial contributor to UN peace operations through assessed contributions and one of the largest voluntary funders.
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Through its Peace and Stabilization Operations Program, Canada has provided more than $86 million since 2016 in voluntary contributions to the UN and civil society to make peace operations more effective and inclusive. Canada has also consistently been a top supporter of the UN Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund.
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The last UN Peacekeeping Ministerial was held on March 29, 2019, at United Nations Headquarters in New York City, where Canada announced more than $45 million to support UN peace operations.
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Canada hosted the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial from November 14 to 15, 2017, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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In Vancouver, the Government of Canada made a series of commitments, including a number of military, police and civilian capabilities to support UN peacekeeping.
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In 2017, Canada also launched the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations to increase the meaningful participation of uniformed women in UN peace operations and the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, which have now been endorsed by over 100 countries.
