Just minutes ago the Council of Canadians hand-delivered an open letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the Chateau Laurier In Ottawa.
The letter outlines our concerns about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s bid for Canada to have a seat in the UN Security Council for a 2011-2012 term. The letter notes his government’s refusal to recognize water as a human right, its opposition to the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights, and its failure to commit to deep emission cuts to address climate change.
To read the open letter, go here.
To read our media release, go here.
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The Toronto Star reported this afternoon that, “Ahead of his speech, Ban was presented with a letter by the Council of Canadians presenting the groups opposition to the government’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council, which will be decided this fall. The letter cited the unwillingness of the Conservative government to sufficiently tackle climate change, its refusal to sign a UN declaration on the rights of aboriginals and its ‘failure to recognize water as a human right. Unsafe water and sanitation are the source of 85 per cent of all disease, and one in every six people on Earth has no access to clean drinking water’, the group said in a statement.” The full article is at http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/808341–un-head-steers-clear-of-abortion-debate.
And the Associated Press in Forbes reported that, “Ahead of his speech, Ban was given a letter by the Council of Canadians, an organization that advocates for social and economic policies, stating its disappointment with the government’s lack of actions to address climate change. ‘Canada continues to be out of sync with the commitments needed to address the climate crisis,’ said Andrea Harden-Donahue, a campaigner with the council.”
For a recent blog ‘NEWS: Opposition growing to Harper’s bid for UN seat’, go to http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=3224.
