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Harper’s Conservatives have gone out of their way to make enemies and alienate countries around the world. Under Harper, Canada has repeatedly sabotaged international climate negotiations; obstructed efforts to reschedule the Congo’s debt; failed to cut aid to the Honduran military government after it removed elected president Manuel Zelaya; repeatedly criticized the Venezuelan government; signed a free-trade agreement with Latin America’s most repressive state; militarized aid to Haiti; flew fighter jets near Russian airspace; unconditionally supported Israel against the Palestinians, paved the way for a possible attack on Iran; rejected a proposal to make diplomatic and financial support for resource companies operating overseas contingent upon socially responsible conduct; supported torture in Afghanistan and embraced an increasingly violent counterinsurgency war; and lost the vote for a seat at the UN Security Council.
The result? Canada has few friends left in international bodies.
Yves Engler, author of The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy, examines Harper’s foreign policies and why the UN did not promote Canada for a seat on the Security Council.
