National Defence and the Canadian Forces
www.forces.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Minister's Speeches Archive
Speaking Notes for The Honourable Bill Graham, P.C., M.P. Minister of National Defence at the Annual Conference of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada
February 18, 2005
Montreal, Québec
NOTE: The following transcript is presented in the language(s) in which it occurred. There is no translation available. We are providing the transcript for your information
Please Check Against Delivery
I would like to begin by commending Dr. Antonia Maioni, Dr. David Haglund and the McGill Institute for bringing together such an incredibly diverse and impressive group of academics, researchers, government officials, and international practitioners from across Canada and around the world to debate timely and critical issues.
What international rules or structures need to be established to deal with humanitarian crises in a rapid and enduring way, an issue brought to the fore, and still imperative, as we deal with the tsunami crisis in South East Asia?
Is the “Responsibility to Protect” concept – which is the cornerstone of the Report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty – is it the right solution for the international community?
What reforms of the international governance regime are needed to foster dialogue, promote cooperation among nations, and recognize the new realities of 21st century global developments, again an issue at the core of the Secretary-General's soon-to-be-released proposals for UN reform?
These are fundamentally important questions for Canada and Canadians – just as they are for all nations and all peoples of the world. I was certainly pleased to have the opportunity to discuss some of these very same issues with my colleagues last week at the NATO Defence Ministers' meetings in Nice and at the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy.
Indeed, at the NATO meetings, much of the talk was about the need for reform and transformation to enable the Alliance to face the new security challenges of this century. This requires not only more flexible, rapid and effective capabilities but also institutional reform so that decisions can be taken and implemented in a more effective way.
At Munich, the UN Secretary-General addressed the security conference on the results of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change and how he saw UN reform taking place. Everyone there, including Secretary Rumsfeld and other members of the U.S. Congress such as Senators Clinton, McCain and Lieberman, recognized the need for a relevant, renewed and reinvigorated United Nations.
And, in my exchange with Kofi Annan, I was very pleased that he recognized Canada's role in developing and advocating for the “Responsibility to Protect” concept, a concept he and I discussed at Kananaskis a few years ago and which Canada has unmistakably pushed throughout the international community.
How we – in Canada and the international community – address many of the issues and questions that you have grappled with in this conference will have a significant and lasting impact on the current international construct, and in the lives of real people around the globe. It will also shape Canada's place in the world for many years to come.
How is Canada perceived in the world?
How is Canada affected by global inequality, rising religious fundamentalism, and the assertiveness of American power?
What are Canadians willing to pay to improve our place and image in the world?
I have been working closely with my Cabinet colleagues – the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Development – in addressing these, and many other, critical issues facing our country through our comprehensive and integrated review of Canada's international policies – our foreign, defence, international trade and development policies.
Je n'ai certainement pas l'intention de répéter ce que mes collègues – le ministre des Affaires étrangères et la ministre responsable de l'Agence canadienne de développement international (ACDI) – ont dit plus tôt aujourd'hui. Mais je m'en voudrais de ne pas souligner l'objectif clé de la révision de nos politiques internationales et de défense. Cet objectif est également une priorité fondamentale pour le gouvernement, à savoir : accroître l'influence et l'impact du Canada sur la scène internationale.
Le Premier ministre l'a exprimé de façon parfaite lorsqu'il a dit que « nous ne pouvons pas changer le monde à nous seuls, mais nous pouvons jouer un bien plus grand rôle que ne le suggère notre poids ».
Nos parents et grands-parents y sont parvenus tout au long du siècle dernier : lors de la Première et de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, avec la création de l'Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord, et avec l'invention – puis l'application pratique – du maintien de la paix onusien.
Les Canadiens étaient fiers – et avec raison – du rôle que leur pays jouait dans le monde.
Et c'est là la force motrice derrière la révision de notre politique internationale. Nous sommes déterminés à avoir une présence internationale plus importante et plus influente. Et pour y arriver, nous reconnaissons que nos efforts se doivent d'être plus intégrés, plus centrés et plus dynamiques.
Nous reconnaissons également que des forces armées fortes, performantes, et professionnelles sont essentielles lorsque vient le temps de déterminer le genre d'impact que nous pouvons avoir en tant que pays sur la scène internationale. Comme nous l'avons vu au cours de la dernière décennie dans des endroits aussi variés que la Bosnie, Haïti, l'Afghanistan, et plus récemment, le Sri Lanka, l'image que plusieurs personnes ont du Canada est souvent le visage des hommes et des femmes des Forces canadiennes.
Today, I would like to discuss how the Canadian Forces fit into our “3-D” approach to international affairs – that is, the integration of our defence, diplomacy and development efforts.
And, in so doing, I would like to highlight the unique skills that the Canadian Forces bring to peace support and humanitarian operations. There is no doubt in my mind that they are the best in the world at these missions. And in the next few minutes, I would like to explain why.
The Changing Nature of Peacekeeping
The world in which we live today is far different from the world that existed only ten years ago when the McGill Institute organized its first conference. And this difference has had a tremendous impact on the nature of military operations just as they have affected other human activity.
As the September 11th , 2001 attacks against the United States demonstrated for all to see, the dangers of the Cold War have been replaced by new and evolving threats caused by failed and failing states, global terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
At the same time, today's military operations are more complex, dangerous and demanding. They frequently take place in regions where tensions are still high or where there is very little peace to keep.
Traditional “peacekeeping”, involving lightly armed observers along a cease-fire line, is, for the most part, a remnant of the past.
In today's military operations, soldiers may find themselves fighting insurgents in one area, patrolling the streets and keeping the peace in another, and providing humanitarian relief in a third.
Collectively, the military calls these efforts “peace support operations”. Some military analysts have also referred to it as a “three block war” in order to fully capture the overlapping missions that modern peacekeepers must be prepared to undertake at any one time.
Succeeding in today's “peace support operations” – or “three block war” – means that Canada must have a modern, flexible, capable and well educated military: our men and women in uniform must be prepared to face every type of situation, from combat to building and enforcing peace to humanitarian relief.
There is no question that new technology and modern military equipment is essential to increasing the flexibility and capability of the Canadian Forces. But military hardware alone is not the answer. As we have seen over the past decade, success in today's peace support operations is determined mainly by the skill of our people.
And this is precisely where Canada's strength lies.
The Canadian Forces and the New Era of Peace Support Operations
For their size, the Canadian Forces are one of the most effective and capable armed forces in the world.
The dedication, professionalism and expertise of our men and women in uniform are second to none. They are well trained, well led and they have the equipment they need to do their job. All of this is reflected in the high demand for Canadian troops to participate in, and often lead, international peace support missions.
I also believe the effectiveness of our military can be attributed to many of the personal qualities, characteristics and values that our military members bring with them from Canada.
As I mentioned a few moments ago, modern peace support operations often take place in very complex environments. Hostile forces are often scattered among allied or neutral groups – and even civilians. This is certainly easy to picture in the narrow streets and crowded marketplaces of the Afghan capital of Kabul.
In such a challenging environment, targeting the enemy, while ensuring the safety of non-combatants, has become difficult, and armed forces are turning to other tactics to achieve their objectives. These new tactics rely increasingly on what many refer to as the “human element”.
Negotiation, compromise and an understanding of, and respect for, other peoples and other cultures have become indispensable tools for an effective military force. In addition to their combat skills, soldiers must also possess the ability to establish a relationship with the people who need their assistance.
For, in the end, stability can only be achieved in these situations if the majority of the local population is supportive of that goal and their presence. They must perceive the use of force in their neighbourhood, and the civilian casualties that are suffered, as being for their greater good and not just the repressive measures of a foreign occupying force. This is a lesson that militaries are painfully learning as they adjust from the historical role of occupying foreign territory by force to bringing to foreign territories the conditions that allow the local population to control their own affairs.
Albert Einstein once said that “peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” This is certainly true in the case of modern peace support operations.
I believe the Canadian Forces excel at this approach to conflict resolution. And I believe they do so because it is consistent with our national character.
The Canadian Forces reflect our collective values. When our military deploys around the world, our men and women in uniform bring our understanding and compassion for others along with them.
As Canadians, we have a deeply held respect for human life and property. We have embraced our responsibility to protect people who cannot protect themselves, and we have strongly urged other countries to do the same.
As Canadians, we also expect our armed forces to act within the rule of law to ensure that no life is threatened beyond what is absolutely required by the situation.
And let me tell you: this is exactly what Canadian Forces members are doing. I still remember vividly one such example from my first visit to Afghanistan as Foreign Minister.
Talking to the troops at Camp Julien, a soldier told me that, while on patrol, he was talking to a little Afghan girl on a crowded and chaotic street in downtown Kabul. At one point, he noticed a little boy pointing what appeared to be a weapon towards him – and there are lots on the streets of Kabul. Instead of immediately using force, the Canadian soldier calmly reached out around the little girl and took the weapon away from the boy – even making a joke as he did so.
Fortunately, the weapon was only a toy machine gun. But when I pointed out to the soldier that he had risked his life, he replied simply: "Well, I was wearing a flak jacket and I believed it was more important to risk being shot than killing an innocent child."
Or take the efforts of Colonel Randy Brooks, a Canadian reservist who helped construct a burn centre in Herat – in western Afghanistan – where women are particularly susceptible to suffering grievous burns for various reasons. In spearheading this initiative, the military is not only contributing to a much needed health facility, it is also addressing a social issue and creating employment for local trades people in the area. In the process, it is contributing to the re-establishment of civil society in Afghanistan.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Canadian approach to peace support operations is all about. This is why our men and women in uniform are the best in the world at what they do.
Les hommes et les femmes des forces canadiennes ont toujours été à la fois guerriers, diplomates et travailleurs humanitaires. Certains soutiennent que cela diminue leur « éthique du guerrier » ou que cela réduit leur efficacité sur le champ de bataille. Pour être honnête, je ne suis pas du tout d'accord. Comme je l'ai dit, dans le monde actuel, nos soldats doivent être en mesure non seulement de gagner des guerres, mais également de contribuer aux conditions qui nous permettront de garantir la paix.
Cette approche correspond tout à fait avec l'approche « 3-D » du gouvernement en matière d'affaires internationales.
Dans le cadre de cette approche, les Forces canadiennes travaillent beaucoup plus étroitement avec d'autres ministères et organismes gouvernementaux, comme par exemple les Affaires étrangères et l'Agence canadienne de développement international, afin de maximiser l'impact et l'efficacité des actions du Canada sur la scène internationale.
Notre approche « 3-D » est présentement utilisée avec succès en Afghanistan : des diplomates canadiens aident les Afghans à reconstruire leurs institutions; des travailleurs humanitaires canadiens ont mis de l'avant plusieurs projets humanitaires. Et conjointement avec nos alliés et partenaires internationaux, des militaires canadiens contribuent à la stabilité qui est nécessaire pour que les deux premiers groupes accomplissent leur travail.
Lors du tsunami en Asie du Sud-Est, l'approche « 3-D » a permis au gouvernement de mettre sur pied une réponse efficace et intégrée. Les efforts de nos diplomates, militaires, travailleurs humanitaires, agents de santé publique, experts médico-légal, officiers d'immigration, etc., ont été coordonnés de près – y compris avec les gouvernements de la région touchée, avec nos alliés et partenaires internationaux et avec de nombreuses organisations non-gouvernementales – pour assurer le plus grand impact possible. Grâce aux efforts incroyables de tous ces gens, nous avons fait une véritable différence dans la vie de dizaines de milliers de personnes affectées par la tragédie.
Et, à travers tout ça, nous avons prouvé notre engagement à jouer un rôle plus important et plus efficace sur la scène internationale.
Préparer les Forces canadiennes pour l'avenir
Dans ce contexte, une force militaire moderne et efficace est essentielle à l'impact et à l'influence du Canada dans le monde.
C'est pourquoi le gouvernement est déterminé à offrir à la Défense les orientations politiques, l'équipement, les ressources humaines et les ressources financières nécessaires pour affronter les défis des décennies à venir.
Le Premier ministre et moi ne cachons pas que nos forces armées ont été mises à rude épreuve au cours des dix dernières années. Et nous sommes absolument déterminés à ce que nos hommes et femmes en uniformes aient tout l'appui dont ils ont besoin pour faire leur travail tant au Canada qu'à l'étranger.
La révision de la politique de défense du Canada – révision que nous sommes présentement en train de finaliser – décrira les priorités de défense de notre pays et déterminera le genre de force armée dont nous aurons besoin au vingt-et-unième siècle. Et je peux vous dire que la révision tracera une nouvelle direction pour les Forces canadiennes.
As a tangible demonstration of our commitment to strengthening the Canadian Forces, the Government has already announced that we will expand the size of our military by five thousand regular force members and three thousand reservists. This will allow the Canadian Forces to make a greater contribution to international peace, security and humanitarian operations throughout the world.
The addition of eight thousand more Canadian Forces members will also strengthen our ability to protect Canadians here at home.
But additional troops alone will not guarantee future success. We must also be prepared to look at how the Canadian Forces are organized and how they function.
This is why, as part of our review, we are examining the command structure of the Canadian Forces. This is why we are working to ensure a more unified and integrated approach to operations. And this is why we are determined to enhance our partnerships with other government departments and agencies, and strengthen our ability to work with our international partners and allies.
Our new vision for the Canadian Forces – which we will be putting in place shortly – will lead to a fundamental restructuring of our military in the months and years to come. It will also ensure that the Canadian Forces we will be able to play a more significant, leadership role in the world.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a critical time for Defence and, I want to emphasize, for Canadians to understand why our country needs to invest in a more robust Canadian military capability. I have been working hard over the past seven months to make this case and I know that the Government supports it.
The world around us is changing. New threats have become distinct challenges to our safety and security. And we are faced with fundamental changes in the nature of military operations.
Negotiation, compromise and the importance of cultural sensitivity are now key dimensions of the military domain. Viewed as an obstacle by many militaries around the world, this new reality allows us to exploit a traditional Canadian strength: our understanding of – and respect for – other peoples and other cultures.
With our review of Canada's defence policy and our commitment to provide additional funding to the Canadian Forces in the months to come, the Government has placed Defence at the forefront of its agenda. I cannot think of another time, in recent decades, when there has been more support for our military and our men and women in uniform.
We have made important progress over the past twelve months, including committing to more than seven billion dollars in new equipment for the Canadian Forces.
We have also appointed a new Chief of the Defence Staff, General Rick Hillier. General Hillier has the operational experience, a sensitivity to the challenges that I have referred to earlier, and the respect of the men and women that he has commanded – not only Canadians but Americans and others in our NATO alliance – that make him superbly qualified to lead our forces to meet the challenges that, unfortunately, we know we will have to face.
We all recognize that much more remains to be done as we complete the transition of our forces into one of the world's best. I look forward to positioning the Canadian Forces for the challenges of the future and ensuring that our military can continue to protect us at home, continue to carry our values to the world.
Thank you. Merci.
RSS DND/CF News (What is RSS?)
