Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird used Canada's turn at the podium before the United Nations General Assembly Monday to speak out on sexual violence against women and girls, including forced marriage and systemic rape.
This is a big deal that the issue of child sex abuse was raised at the UN General Assembly. Did it happen because of our prayers? Is it possible that Baird or Prime Minister Harper checked out my blog? I did put the address on a couple of replies to tweets from the PM, so it's at least possible. It's unfortunate that there were few countries that actually listened to his speech, but it's progress. Thank God! Keep praying, please.
"Forced marriage is rape, it is violence against women. Early marriage is child rape, and violence against young girls."
He was especially blunt about forced marriage, saying, " We condemn it. Even though some might prefer that we kept quiet," without naming any countries who wish for silence on the topic.
Baird drew attention to Canada's Muskoka initiative to improve women and children's health, in advocating for greater participation by women to help "build a stronger, more secure, more prosperous and more peaceful world."
'Our business is a shared humanity. Our interest is the dignity of humankind.'
He pointed out, "Another way to protect the vulnerable is to improve the health of mothers, newborns and children so that we can reduce the number of deaths," without mentioning access to contraception.
Baird also denounced "the crime of terror" and paid tribute to a Canadian diplomat killed in an attack on a shopping mall in Kenya last week as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly Monday morning.
Annemarie Desloges, 29, was one of two Canadians who died in the attack by al-Qaeda-linked Somali fighters on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. Vancouver-area businessman Naguib Damji also died in the attack.
In a multi-topic speech that included references to the ancient poet Homer and philosopher Cicero, as well as to a three-handled cup used 1,000 years ago in the part of Canada that became Newfoundland and Labrador, Baird made the "oneness of humankind" the theme of his address at the start of the second week of the world body's opening session. He noted that the United Nations' charter begins with the words, "We the peoples."
"Not, 'We the countries," or "we the governments.'" Baird said. "Not 'we the political leaders. We the peoples.'"
UN General Assembly
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird speaks during the 68th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Monday. Among the many topics covered by Baird was the forced marriage of young women and girls. (Seth WenigAssociated Press)
"Canada’s government doesn’t seek to have our values or our principled foreign policy validated by elites who would rather 'go along to get along,'" Baird said, echoing words he has used before.
And he seemed to defend Canada's recent criticism of events in events countries, including Russia's anti-gay propaganda law and the treatment of religious minorities in some Muslim countries, saying it is impossible to protect some human rights and freedoms while infringing others.
"All freedoms are rooted in the inherent dignity of human beings. Whether the issue is religious freedom, sexual freedom, political freedom or any other freedom, some people ask: What business is it of ours? What interest do we have in events outside our borders?
"Our business is a shared humanity. Our interest is the dignity of humankind," Baird said.
The wide-ranging speech, delivered to a largely empty assembly hall, also touched on Canada's participation in trade talks, on Syria and Iran and on peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
This is a big deal that the issue of child sex abuse was raised at the UN General Assembly. Did it happen because of our prayers? Is it possible that Baird or Prime Minister Harper checked out my blog? I did put the address on a couple of replies to tweets from the PM, so it's at least possible. It's unfortunate that there were few countries that actually listened to his speech, but it's progress. Thank God! Keep praying, please.
"Forced marriage is rape, it is violence against women. Early marriage is child rape, and violence against young girls."
He was especially blunt about forced marriage, saying, " We condemn it. Even though some might prefer that we kept quiet," without naming any countries who wish for silence on the topic.
Baird drew attention to Canada's Muskoka initiative to improve women and children's health, in advocating for greater participation by women to help "build a stronger, more secure, more prosperous and more peaceful world."
'Our business is a shared humanity. Our interest is the dignity of humankind.'
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| Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird |
He pointed out, "Another way to protect the vulnerable is to improve the health of mothers, newborns and children so that we can reduce the number of deaths," without mentioning access to contraception.
Baird also denounced "the crime of terror" and paid tribute to a Canadian diplomat killed in an attack on a shopping mall in Kenya last week as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly Monday morning.
Annemarie Desloges, 29, was one of two Canadians who died in the attack by al-Qaeda-linked Somali fighters on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. Vancouver-area businessman Naguib Damji also died in the attack.
In a multi-topic speech that included references to the ancient poet Homer and philosopher Cicero, as well as to a three-handled cup used 1,000 years ago in the part of Canada that became Newfoundland and Labrador, Baird made the "oneness of humankind" the theme of his address at the start of the second week of the world body's opening session. He noted that the United Nations' charter begins with the words, "We the peoples."
"Not, 'We the countries," or "we the governments.'" Baird said. "Not 'we the political leaders. We the peoples.'"
UN General Assembly
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird speaks during the 68th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Monday. Among the many topics covered by Baird was the forced marriage of young women and girls. (Seth WenigAssociated Press)
"Canada’s government doesn’t seek to have our values or our principled foreign policy validated by elites who would rather 'go along to get along,'" Baird said, echoing words he has used before.
And he seemed to defend Canada's recent criticism of events in events countries, including Russia's anti-gay propaganda law and the treatment of religious minorities in some Muslim countries, saying it is impossible to protect some human rights and freedoms while infringing others.
"All freedoms are rooted in the inherent dignity of human beings. Whether the issue is religious freedom, sexual freedom, political freedom or any other freedom, some people ask: What business is it of ours? What interest do we have in events outside our borders?
"Our business is a shared humanity. Our interest is the dignity of humankind," Baird said.
The wide-ranging speech, delivered to a largely empty assembly hall, also touched on Canada's participation in trade talks, on Syria and Iran and on peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
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