Joly urges the UN to seek consensus, to fight the growing divisions around the world – Nationally
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly is calling on members of the United Nations to tackle the rise of political bigotry abroad while taking a shot at Conservative rhetoric at home.
Joly put women’s rights and international law at the center of her speech to the UN General Assembly, in what could be the Trudeau government’s final speech at the annual meeting of leaders and ministers in New York.
“Some loud voices who say they speak for freedom are those who try to redefine that word for their own purposes,” he told the meeting on Monday morning.
“They hide behind the name of telling us everything is broken,” he said, echoing the language of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre without naming him.
Joly called out leaders who want to limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people, the choice of reproduction “or whatever they can wear,” although he did not specify the limits of religious symbols in Quebec or France.
“We see it in our country; we see it all over the world,” he told the meeting, before discussing a series of conflicts that he said can only be resolved by countries that uphold the laws of sovereignty and human rights.
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He said that means challenging the Taliban’s “inhumane laws against women and girls” in Afghanistan that restrict their education and access to public spaces. It also means that many countries are supporting Haiti as it tries to end what it calls the crisis of the rule of gangs.
In the Middle East, the cycle of violence “requires both sides to make real efforts” to end the war between Israel and Hamas, which has been going on for almost a year. He emphasized the importance of the UN in seeking consensus and resolving major differences.
“Polarization is a real problem and division is real. We have a collective responsibility to bring people together,” she said.
“People have the right to protest peacefully, but no one has the freedom to threaten others.”
He similarly named Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as Moscow transforms the idea of freedom to justify flouting international law.
“No country has the right and freedom to attack its neighbor, and there is no freedom to impose your will on others,” he said.
He added, “The people of Ukraine have the right to be free from fear and pain.”
His speech marked Canada’s support for UN reform efforts, which countries argue are Western superpowers that do not reflect the population and economic growth of many states.
He also called a delegation of female foreign ministers earlier this month for the next secretary-general to be a woman for the first time in the nearly eighty years of the UN’s existence, which he described as “unacceptable.”
Monday’s speech came as Canada campaigns for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, and with a general election less than a year away the Liberals are facing poor poll numbers.
Joly’s speech concluded that there has been a reversal of women’s rights, including access to safe abortion and contraception.
The speech did not mention climate change, but said that the world has many problems that can only be solved by working together.
“Canada will work with our partners to get us through this difficult time,” he said.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
