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<title>MR. GRAHAM - ADDRESS TO CHICAGO COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong><u>CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY</u></strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>THE HONOURABLE BILL GRAHAM,</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>TO THE CHICAGO COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS</strong></font></p>
<p><font size="+1"><strong>CHICAGO, Illinois</strong></font></p>
<p><font size="+1"><strong>November 20, 2003</strong></font></p>
<p>I consider it a great privilege to be invited to speak at this Council, which has such a long tradition of inviting eminent
speakers on foreign affairs. It is also a great pleasure to be in what we in my hometown of Toronto embrace as one of our
sister cities, another cold place on a big lake. Like Toronto, Chicago is claimed by those in the know to be one of the best
places to live on this continent. Your diversity, your revitalized downtown, your fine universities and splendid arts and
culture all show why that is true. The French Canadian explorers Marquette and Joliette certainly knew they were on to
something good when they first explored this area some three centuries ago, and we are only sorry that Canada wasn't able
to hold on to a little more of New France.</p>
<p>Today I would like to talk to you about our two countries and about the nature of our alliance, particularly since it bears on
our role in the world beyond our continent. Canada and the United States play very different roles in the global arena, but I
believe we can work together toward shared goals that neither of us can reach alone--and in a way that few other two
nations are able to achieve.</p>
<p>We in Canada recognize the awesome responsibilities of the world's unique superpower to provide the leadership,
resources and force when necessary to bring about a better global community. Americans, in turn, benefit from the fact that
to your north there is a secure border, a friendly nation from which no threat has come since 1815, an ally that shares your
bedrock values and goals, but that often pursues them in ways that a superpower cannot. And an ally that is able to promote
these causes by speaking with an independent and widely credible voice on the world stage. For, as important as our
partnership is in advancing our common interests on this continent, it is equally important for us to advance our goals in the
world at large. I believe that by recognizing what we share and how we can complement one another, our two countries can
collaborate to make a more secure and prosperous global community.</p>
<p>The ties that join our two countries run through almost every aspect of our citizens' lives. Geography dictates our closeness.
Through NORAD [North American Aerospace Defence Command] our countries are partners in the defence of North
America. Our civilian authorities, our police and others work closely together on our security, not only from terrorism, but
from crime and other threats to our populations. We act as joint stewards of our air, water and wildlife, all of which cross
our border along with millions of our fellow citizens, something well known to the citizens of Illinois with whom we share
one of the continent's most precious resources, the Great Lakes.</p>
<p>When we look at our economic relationship we clearly are each other's most important trading partners. We in Canada are
keenly aware of your importance as a market for us. Americans often don't realize the extent to which we are your most
important market, or that the United States sells more than $280 billion worth of goods and services to Canada each year.
One small statistic is revealing: every year, more trade crosses the Ambassador Bridge at Windsor alone than the total
amount of U.S. exports to Japan in a year. This means we absorb a quarter of all U.S. exports, more than any other country.
The U.S. sells more to Canada than to the entire EU.</p>
<p>To put these facts in a more local perspective, the State of Illinois is Canada's fourth largest export market in the world and
Canada is the number one export destination for Illinois. In fact, last year we bought about 32 percent of your total exports.</p>
<p>But trade figures don't tell the whole story. Added to this is a great deal of cross-border investment, a fact that is brought
home to me regularly when I travel through the United States, and am told by U.S. businesspeople about the plants that they
own around Toronto or elsewhere in the country, or by Canadians who tell me, for example, of their extensive investments
here in Chicago in the financial services, transportation and manufacturing sectors.</p>
<p>And today we are increasingly interdependent in matters of energy as well. Natural gas and petroleum products flow back
and forth across our borders, as does electricity. And as last summer's electrical collapse taught those of us in the
northeastern area, this mutual dependence can have enormously beneficial results, and also carries with it substantial risks
that can only be avoided if we develop our relationship to manage that energy interdependence together.</p>
<p>Beyond trade and economics, our people are deeply intertwined. We marry one another, attend each other's universities,
vacation in each other's countries, play on the same sports teams and entertain one another as actors, musicians and authors.
We share bedrock commitments to many of the same values. Unlike many other countries, Canada and the United States
appreciate and treasure the amazingly diverse societies in which we live. We both embrace democracy, good governance
and respect for human rights. This means that naturally, we want much the same things for our own societies, and we share
a common vision of a world in which we can help to bring those benefits of open and democratic societies to others.</p>
<p>Since the terrible events of September 11, our alliance has deepened through our joint response to the threat of terrorism.
Canada is the United States' greatest natural ally in this fight. On the domestic front, our security relationship is expanding
into new areas, such as a binational planning group looking at ways of coordinating our countries' responses, not only to
terrorist attacks but also to national disasters and other transborder threats. Through the 30-point Smart Border plan, we're
finding ways of advancing the efficient flow of people and goods between our two countries, consistent with our new
security needs. That, by the way, is a model that many other countries are beginning to look to.</p>
<p>And for the past few months, our governments have been discussing how Canada might participate in the United States
missile defence system to secure North America against the potential of a devastating attack that would inevitably affect us
both. </p>
<p>Overseas, we join with you in trying to build stable societies where terrorists once found refuge. Canadian forces fought
alongside Americans in Afghanistan immediately after September 11. And today there are some 1,900 Canadian military
personnel in Afghanistan leading the International Security Assistance Force under NATO's mandate to eliminate terrorists
and support the new Afghanistan Administration. They are seconded in those efforts by an active aid program that seeks to
restore and improve Afghan society. This year, Afghanistan will be Canada's single largest country aid recipient, and that is
because we are committed, with you and our European allies, to ensuring that Afghanistan will no longer be a threat to our
societies, whether in the form of terrorism or the debilitating scourge of drugs.</p>
<p>When the United States expressed concerns about Iraq, Canada joined in pointing to the threat of their weapons of mass
destruction. We supported the initial U.S. decision to take matters to the United Nations. Through the debates that
followed, we supported U.S. efforts to obtain strong language in Resolution 1441, but we maintained that UN engagement
was essential, since disarming Iraq by force would require the greatest possible international legitimacy. When that was not
possible, we believed that it was in Canada's interest, and in the interest of supporting the multilateral system that is so
essential to our peace and security, that we should not join the coalition in the war in Iraq.</p>
<p>But that was then. Now it is in our own interest and that of the whole world for the U.S. and other countries to succeed in
helping Iraq become a peaceful and stable democracy. For that reason, Canada has pledged nearly $300 million toward
reconstruction. At the recent donors' conference in Madrid, my colleague Susan Whelan, the Canadian Minister for
international development, made a substantial contribution in persuading other non-coalition members to come to the table.
Our own contribution of $100 million to the Trust Fund for Iraq is the second largest amount pledged, and we have already
announced that Canada will be sending police trainers into Jordan in order to train Iraqi police officers. We remain
committed to providing further aid toward governance issues, federalism, police and corrections reform, when local
conditions permit.</p>
<p>Canadians recognize that Canadian and American security and prosperity are bound together, not just here in North
America but also overseas. That said, we can often reinforce one another by taking different approaches toward those
shared goals. And different approaches are inevitable by virtue of our history and our international perspectives.</p>
<p>Canada's outlook is shaped by our history as country that began as a bilingual nation that combined French, English and
Aboriginal peoples, and then added (particularly more recently) immigrants from every corner of the globe. Our distinctive
social fabric underpins our citizens' support for domestic policies that sometimes differ from your own, such as extensive
gun controls, a national universally accessible medicare system, campaign finance reform, an evolving recognition of the
necessity for complete non-discrimination in determining the rights of gay and lesbian couples, and even family benefits
that now include a government-funded 12-month maternity leave, to name a few examples.</p>
<p>Our ways of proceeding in global affairs also reflect our different social attitude and our relative positions in the world. The
U.S. carries the awesome responsibilities of a unique superpower. By contrast, Canada is a wealthy middle power whose
proximity and close alliance to your country put us in a unique class among other middle powers. </p>
<p>Of course we have our own interests and we adopt a foreign policy to advance them. In the vast majority of cases, as I've
suggested, our interests, as well as our goals and values, very much coincide with those of your country. We may adopt
different approaches, but these approaches often complement yours because we are so often working toward the same ends.</p>
<p>Canadians tend to be highly aware of our interdependence with the rest of the world and the need to pursue our interests in
concert with other nations. Canadians recognize that the fight against terrorism is critically important to our security. But
we also believe that we cannot afford to let that issue dominate our vision to the exclusion of other global crises, such as
poverty, disease, inequities in the global economy and environmental damage to lands and livelihoods. These issues must
concern us too, not least because promoting our security here requires having friends and allies abroad who recognize our
concerns about their urgent needs. </p>
<p>And in the end, the priorities of developing countries do coincide, over the long term, with our own security needs. When
we think about security, Canadians agree with my friend Colin Powell when he said, "Terrorism really flourishes in areas of
poverty, despair and hopelessness, where people see no future. We have to show people who might move in the direction of
terrorism that there is a better way." </p>
<p>Kofi Annan has phrased it this way: "Either we help the outsiders in a globalized world out of a sense of moral obligation
and enlightened self-interest, or we will find ourselves compelled to do so tomorrow, when their problems become our
problems, in a world without walls." </p>
<p>Canadians take this perspective to heart. We believe that there is no way of tackling any of these intertwined global issues
except by working together with other countries, since these are problems that no country, not even a coalition of countries,
can solve on its own. Establishing the conditions for their resolution requires partnerships with other countries which, in
turn requires a respect for their perspectives as well.</p>
<p>This is what guided us in working toward the establishment of NEPAD, the New Partnership for Africa's Development, as
we seek to work with African countries to alleviate poverty and conditions of governance in their countries. And I am proud
to say that Canada recently became the first country in the world to introduce legislation that will permit us to export
affordable medicines to impoverished countries to address epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.</p>
<p>We also believe that to resolve these global problems, multilateral institutions must be established to coordinate the efforts
of those states that need to address them. Canada recently, albeit somewhat late, ratified the Law of the Sea Convention,
which enables us to work together with other countries on issues of joint concern on resource management and governance
of the high seas. I am delighted to know that your Senate intends shortly to proceed to similar steps for ratification by the
United States of America.</p>
<p>Since World War II, Canada has worked with other countries to construct an international system that brings common
benefits by imposing rules and obligations on all, and that allows us to accomplish by working together what none of us
could achieve by ourselves. We believe that we are well suited to take a leading role in multilateral forums because we are
not embroiled in regional rivalries, and we do not have the burden of a colonial past. Hence, we are generally widely
respected as a country that strives to advance the common interests of all, and we have often been able to play a unique role
because of that.</p>
<p>Canada's extensive memberships in global networks also give us scope for efforts on many levels. Our history and
commitment to the French language make us a member of La Francophonie, and we promote the values of democracy,
human rights and good governance among the developing countries that share with us the use of the French language. Amid
current global tensions, it is particularly valuable to have this forum for dialogue with moderate Muslim countries such as
Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Albania. We are also members of the Commonwealth, where we are currently working with
Nigeria, South Africa and other countries to find a solution to Robert Mugabe's misrule in Zimbabwe.</p>
<p>That said, we in Canada know full well that existing multilateral institutions are not all that they should be, and that reform
is urgently needed. It is crucial to improve the United Nations, particularly the composition and functioning of the Security
Council, but one must recognize that the obstacles to reform here are immense. </p>
<p>For that reason, recently we have been concentrating our efforts for innovation in other multilateral organizations. We're
working on this with other members of the Human Security Network, a group of 13 like-minded countries from every
continent that is committed to issues bearing on the security of individuals. This group is emerging as a promising bridge
between North and South. It can advance international cooperation by focusing on such issues as reforming the UN Human
Rights Commission and by promoting a better understanding of when intervention in the internal affairs of states is justified
in today's world.</p>
<p>A new form of multilateral cooperation also promises to emerge from the G20, a group that includes G8 countries as well
as major regional powers in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Paul Martin, elected last week as the new leader of the Liberal
Party of Canada and soon to be our Prime Minister, was instrumental in establishing this group a few years ago, when he
was our Finance Minister, as a way of addressing global financial crises. Today it is helping emerging economies to stay on
course. There is every reason to think that expanding beyond the financial sphere into other areas of global problem solving
could allow the G20 to deliver even broader kinds of results, and a brighter, more productive path for multilateralism.</p>
<p>Let me mention another way in which Canada's activities can complement our shared goals for a better world. Conflict
among different religious and ethnic groups is at the heart of terrible violence around the globe. And with respect to these
conflicts, Canada has some unique assets to offer that stem from our history, our population and our deliberate commitment
to pluralism in our political, legal and social institutions. All of these domestic features give us, much as they do you, a
distinctive potential for contributing to the development of stable, peaceful and law-governed societies outside our own
borders.</p>
<p>For example, we have drawn on our own experience as a multi-ethnic federal state to aid the peace process in Sri Lanka.
Through a Canadian-based NGO called the Forum of Federations, we've sent Canadian technical specialists to advise peace
negotiation teams on federal and multi-level models of governance, and to support public education for Sri Lankans on
these topics.</p>
<p>In the Balkans, we've had Canadian peacekeepers on the ground since the early 1990s, helping to re-establish security and
the rule of law through civilian policing, mine action, human rights support and free media projects.</p>
<p>In these examples and in others, our determination to be of help has been reinforced by the extensive populations that we
have from these areas and the experience that we can draw on from their very presence.</p>
<p>As for the Middle East, it is probably true that only the U.S. has the influence to get Israelis and Palestinians back to serious
peace discussions, although it is clear that the Palestinian Authority must contribute to this process by a clear commitment
and real action to combat terrorism. In the meantime, though, Canada is working to prepare the way for peace to succeed
when it does come. To build healthy civil societies, we're funding programs in several Arab countries on human rights law
for jurists, lawyers, journalists and police, and we're sponsoring training on media ethics and legal protection for
journalists. We also fund programs that foster cooperation between Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian medical experts.
Canada is well suited to this kind of work since we're regarded in the region as an independent honest broker with
credibility to all sides. </p>
<p>It goes without saying, I believe, that Canada and the United States must continue efforts to work toward a more secure
North America. We need to advance our joint prosperity by keeping an open trading relationship between our two countries
and with the rest of the world, resisting impulses toward protectionism and isolationism. Many other spheres also remain,
of course, for our joint efforts to make a better world. But I'd like to conclude today by noting two special areas in which
our countries have everything to gain by working together. </p>
<p>First, in this age of heightened security concerns, it is vital that both our countries uphold the values that brought so many
immigrants to our shores--values of openness, freedom, civil rights and equality under the law for all citizens. We will lose
the very soul of our countries if the war on terror at home leads us to install mirror images of the repression we're fighting
against abroad. Each of our nations is being enriched by a growing Muslim population, and their communities have been
shaken by what is happening in the name of security. Only by categorically refusing to discriminate among our citizens can
we preserve that which makes our societies worth protecting.</p>
<p>I am confident that Canada and the United States will achieve the right balance between the needs of our security and the
need to preserve our civil liberties, and we will cooperate in that aim as we have cooperated in so many other things.</p>
<p>And secondly, we can take that approach into our foreign relations by finding better ways to address the growing sense of
frustration, mistrust and despair leading to violence in the Muslim world. I believe that much could be achieved if our
countries worked together in this effort, as we share a similar concern for engaging moderate Muslim voices around the
world, and we share extensive Muslim communities within our borders that can aid us in that task.</p>
<p>We must also combine our efforts to confront a newly virulent anti-Semitism, as recent events in Istanbul, Paris and
elsewhere have all too terribly reminded us.</p>
<p>In these ways and others, then, Canada's distinctive experience and independent perspective complements the U.S. as you
exercise your enormous responsibilities in the world. Our two countries bring distinct assets to the common pursuit of goals
such as peace, security, development and human rights. </p>
<p>And where our governments and citizens may disagree about how to pursue our shared aims, our relationship is strong
enough to withstand frank discussion of these differences. I believe that we are a better ally, a truer friend, when we hold
fast to our convictions and advance them with your country rather than starting from a premise that there is no room for
divergent views between us. Surely both our countries benefit from a candid exchange of views as to how we can best
achieve our common ends. </p>
<p>I believe that we will continue to honour our countries' common values in building security and prosperity through
cooperation between us and with the world at large. We can and will do this while advancing within each of our countries
those social, cultural and economic goals that give us our unique identities.</p>
<p>Paul Martin spoke eloquently after his resounding victory at the Leadership Convention for the Liberal Party last weekend
of the need for increasing our understanding with the U.S. and of the absolute necessity of pursuing the greatest possible
understanding with our closest friend and ally. But he spoke eloquently as well of the greater world beyond, a world in
which Canada believes it has a special role to play, and one that is essential if our joint security and our prosperity are to be
assured. </p>
<p>These are times in which alliances are being strained and even redefined, but in these challenging circumstances, whatever
our differences in approach, we all need to keep in mind the common goals we work toward. Canada will continue working
with you in the months and years ahead so we can build safer and stronger societies here in North America, and, to our
mutual benefit, in the greater world beyond.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
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