On September 17, the Graham Centre hosted a full-house for a vibrant panel discussion featuring the Hon. Bob Rae and historian Adam Chapnick of the Canadian Forces College, who was launching his latest book, Canada and the United Nations Security Council: A Small Power on a Large Stage (UBC Press, 2019).

Canada’s top UN Security Council successes? Chapnick listed three: General Andrew McNaughton’s role as UNSC president in the decolonisation of Indonesia in 1949; Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s role in bringing about Namibian independence; and the ambitious campaign by Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Ambassador Bob Fowler to bring their human security agenda to the world’s attention. There were, Chapnick, added low points too, but none lower than foreign minister Donald Jamieson’s naïve plan to unilaterally reform the Security Council in 1977, an idea “dead on arrival.”

The lively discussion also focused on explaining Canada’s failed bid for Security Council membership under the Harper government. There were systemic failures and tactical challenges. We started work late, too often delayed by “either a cabinet shuffle or an election.” We campaigned poorly, and “underestimated how good the Portuguese were.” We delicately refrained from telling others not to vote for other contenders, but the Portuguese didn’t. “They said ‘don’t vote for Canada,’” recalled Chapnick. “Eighteen countries only voted for one country, which is very unusual. If people had put Canada as their second choice, we would have had more votes than Portugal.”

Small things mattered too, added Rae, pointing out that the United Emirates didn’t vote for Canada because they couldn’t get landing rights in Toronto. More important, Rae warned, “when it comes to foreign assistance and defence spending, our walk does not equate with the talk.” It will take a much more concerted effort after the federal election in October for Canada’s current campaign to succeed in 2020.