NEWS RELEASES

January 17, 2005 (4:50 p.m. EST)
No. 9

MINISTER PETTIGREW ATTENDS MEETING ON UN REFORM

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew, at the invitation of Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez, today attended the Senior Officials Meeting of the Group of Friends on United Nations Reform in Mexico City, Mexico. The Group met on January 16 and 17 to discuss the next steps in effecting the reform of the multilateral organization in light of the December 2, 2004, report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

 “Canada commends Mexico on this important initiative, which brings together a group of countries dedicated to strengthening the UN,” said Minister Pettigrew. “We are committed to working with this Group to ensure that the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations this year marks the renewal of the organization. We believe that a comprehensive package of reforms is needed and should be adopted by leaders in September 2005; one that expresses their commitment to enhance the capacity of the international community and the United Nations in the fields of peace and security and economic development.”

The Group of Friends on United Nations Reform was established in 2004 at Mexico’s initiative and includes Algeria, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Spain and Sweden. Minister Pettigrew first met with the Group on the margins of the UN General Assembly, in New York, last September.

Canada has been an active participant in UN reform and submitted two papers to the High-Level Panel: one on the Responsibility to Protect, the other an omnibus paper containing recommendations for strengthening UN capacity in a number of areas. The Prime Minister has welcomed the High-Level Panel's report. Canada is currently reviewing it to develop its position on the Panel’s recommendations.

The Report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change is available at www.un.org/secureworld.

Canada's submissions to the High-Level Panel can be found at www.international.gc.ca/canada_un.

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