Canada’s Foreign Policy

Economic Sanctions

• Canadian Economic Sanctions– The imposition of economic sanctions

against foreign States and non-State actors remains an important instrument for the international community in the enforcement of international norms and laws

• Sanctions can encompass a wide variety of measures, including:– limitations on official and diplomatic

contacts or travel, – the imposition of legal measures to

restrict or prohibit trade or other economic activity between Canada and the target state,

– or the seizure or freezing of property situated in Canada.

• In order to maximize the effectiveness of a sanctions regime, particularly one involving trade and economic measures, Canadian policy seeks to ensure that sanctions measures are applied multilaterally whenever possible.

Currently Imposed Sanctions

• Al Qaida & the Taliban

• Burma / Myanmar• Belarus• Cote d’Ivoire• Dem. Rep. Of Congo• Eritrea• Guinea-Bissau• Iran• Iraq• Lebanon

• Libya• Liberia• North Korea• Sierra Leone• Somalia• Sudan• Syria• Tunisia & Egypt• Zimbabwe

Reasons for Sanctions

• Terrorist activities• Human rights violations• Conflict zones• Interruptions to peace process• Political coups• Nuclear programs• Use of force against civilians• Acts of international aggressions• Deteriorating humanitarian conditions• Acts of torture• Misappropriation of state funds

Canada’s Participation in International Forums

• Arctic Council• Asia Pacific

Economic Cooperation

• Association of South East Asian Nations

• Commonwealth• G8 and G20 Summits• International

Criminal Court

• United Nations• NATO• NORAD• Canadian

International Development Agency (CIDA)

• DART• UN Security Council

The United Nations

• Created in 1945 with 51 Member States

• Current membership: 192 countries

• General Assembly operates like a world parliament

• Each country has one vote and decisions made by the GA are binding

Aims of the UN

• To keep peace throughout the world.

• To develop friendly relations between nations.

• To work together to help people live better lives, to eliminate poverty, disease and illiteracy in the world, to stop environmental destruction and to encourage respect for each other's rights and freedoms.

• To be a centre for helping nations achieve these aims.

Principles of the UN

• All Member States have sovereign equality. • All Member States must obey the Charter. • Countries must try to settle their differences

by peaceful means. • Countries must avoid using force or

threatening to use force. • The UN may not interfere in the domestic

affairs of any country. • Countries should try to assist the United

Nations.

The UN System

• Made up of many sovereign states• Rulings only work when member

states accept, fund or carry them out

• Process of consensus building (time consuming)

Specialized Agencies

• Intergovernmental organizations• Related to specific fields e.g.:

– trade– communications– air and maritime transport– agriculture– development

Increasing Significance

• Interdependence and globalization requires cooperation

• Lacks teeth– International agreements can be

signed but still up to the each country to carry out the terms

– International pressure via media and NGOs

CIDA

• CIDA is Canada's lead agency for development assistance. CIDA's aim is to:– Manage Canada's support and resources

effectively and accountably to achieve meaningful, sustainable results

– Engage in policy development in Canada and internationally, enabling Canada's effort to realize its development objectives.

CIDAs Mandate

• Manage Canada's support and resources effectively and accountably to achieve meaningful, sustainable results and engage in policy development in Canada and internationally, enabling Canada's effort to realize its development objectives.

Creation of CIDA

• Previously, most Canadian assistance took the form of contributions to the United Nations and its agencies.

• CIDA was established in 1968 by an order in council to administer the bulk of Canada's Official Development Assistance program and to better assist people living in poverty.

3 Priority Themes

• Increasing food security• Securing the future of children and

youth• Stimulating sustainable economic

growth

3 Crosscutting Themes

• Increasing environmental stability• Promoting equality between men

and women• Helping to strengthen governance

institutions and practices

DART

• a rapidly deployable team of 200 Canadian Forces personnel.

• It provides assistance to disaster-affected regions for up to 40 days.

• created by the Canadian government in 1996 in the aftermath of the inadequate response to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when Canada's aid arrived after the peak of a cholera epidemic.