UN security council reform and Canadian foreign policy: Then and now

Abstract

The United Nations came into existence in 1945, thanks largely to a compromise among the Great Powers. They agreed to participate in the new organization in exchange for a permanent right to a veto at the Security Council. In 1945, Canada supported their position. It understood that without them, the United Nations would not survive. Eventually, the Canadian government diverted its best personnel to socio‐economic negotiations where they could, and did, have a significant impact. Sixty years later, prominent Canadians have erred in becoming staunch proponents of Security Council reform. The Great Powers will never accept challenges to their exclusive position, and these negotiations have diverted Canadian diplomats from aspects of the UN on which they can make a real difference.