“76 years ago, from the ashes of World War II, our parents and grandparents responded to the unprecedented social and economic collapse of their time by building a new international order based on rules and strong international institutions with the United Nations at its core.”

October 24, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

“76 years ago, from the ashes of World War II, our parents and grandparents responded to the unprecedented social and economic collapse of their time by building a new international order based on rules and strong international institutions with the United Nations at its core. In the wake of unparalleled death and destruction, they understood that nations working together in open cooperation was the only way to bring stability, prosperity and peace for generations that would follow.

“Today, the world is once again facing simultaneous and cascading crises, including climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, growing inequality, the rise of authoritarianism and threats to international peace and security. These challenges call for strong international cooperation within the United Nations whose architecture continues to underpin our international order.

“Canadians take pride in our country’s long history of multilateral cooperation as a founding member of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, a pioneer in peacekeeping and an author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Canada will continue to support the UN and the invaluable role it plays in helping build a fairer and more just and sustainable world.

“As an outward-looking country whose strength comes from our diverse population connected to all corners of the Earth, we believe we are stronger because of our differences and that working together is the only viable path forward.

“Our future is in our hands, and cooperation is key to finding solutions to the complex challenges we face. Nobody is free, safe and healthy until everyone is.”