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Harper outlined a number of upcoming "tests" on which the UN would be judged, including:

Helping stabilize Haiti. {which Canada had a huge hand in destabilizing.}
Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Darfur in western Sudan.
Ensuring peace along the Lebanon-Israel border.
Clamping down on the spread of nuclear proliferation.

He challenged the United Nations to make sure the new Human Rights Council places human rights above "political manoeuvring" and doesn't meet the fate of its "failed predecessor organization."

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Harper also criticized the pace of management reform at the UN, laid out by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan earlier this year. Canada's government has been given a mandate to become more accountable, he said, adding that the UN should follow suit.

"The taxpayers of member nations … make significant financial contributions to this organization," said Harper.

"They have the right to expect stronger, more independent oversight mechanisms, more robust accountability for how funds are spent, and human resources practices that are based on merit."

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Which, as usual, displayed his Harpercrite nature:

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The MP {Liberal MP Keith Martin }said Harper simply repeated truisms in his speech on Afghanistan. Martin also complained that opposition politicians have not been able to get any answers on how aid money to the country is being spent.

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Guess we can park Steve in the Bush/Bolton, the UN is irrelevant, let's diss it at every opportunity camp.

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As nbeltov said his comments were strictly for domestic consumption. In other words, his insane base the neo cons. He is throwing them crumbs depicting their right in a public way, they were/are continually spewing this UN bashing, as they think the UN is the anti-Christ.

So now they have these crumbs, they won't mind him not visiting SSM or repealing women's choice.

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Darfur too is a significant challenge – as multinational security efforts are transferred from the African Union to the United Nations. It is also a test of the principle that this body endorsed last year – the Responsibility to Protect.

The United Nations has authorized a mission there with a robust mandate. But will the government of Sudan accept it?

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Harper only embarrassed himself further when he asked the following rhetorical question, given Canada's own recent record on the issue of nuclear proliferation (one example here, another here):

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Nuclear proliferation threatens us all. Are we prepared to ensure that Security Council decisions will be implemented fully? Will we act to halt activities that have no reasonable purpose other than the acquisition of nuclear weapons?

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All in all, a shameful display from Canada's Prime Minister before the UN assembly.

[ 21 September 2006: Message edited by: sgm ]

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Originally posted by a lonely worker:
Fortunately no one saw it in the rest of the world.

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Originally posted by a lonely worker:
Fortunately no one saw it in the rest of the world...The "devil" already gave the main neo-con talking points two days ago. Although I'm sure the sulpher smell is still there (or is that Steve's flatulence).

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This reminded me of the Bush speech on Iraq a few years ago, when he threatened it with irrelevance if it did not do what he demanded.

I want to try this tactic on the Globe and Mail:

"If you don't give me what I want (a daily column) your reputation will be in tatters! You will go down in the annals of infamy forever!"

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Originally posted by saskganesh:
214 stories on googlenews. IHN, reuters, msn picked it up. its on the web, so it has global audience.

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I wonder why, if he is so concerned about "activities that have no reasonable purpose other than...," why does he not make the offer of a CANDU or two? No uranium enrichment necessary for the fuel cycle, therefore any enrichment they do is OBVIOUSLY for weapons...

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Originally posted by Village Idiot:
"Nuclear proliferation threatens us all.

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Yes seeing as how the USA is the only country in history to use upon peoples. Harper should have spoke out about the USA's nukes and stated to them to get rid of them..

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I mean, I know that CANDU reactors were used to enable India to obtain nuclear weapons in the past

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Originally posted by remind:
I do not know this how do you know this?

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Canada began its nuclear cooperation with India fifty years ago. In 1955, Canada agreed to build a 40MW research reactor for India, known as the CIRUS (Canada-India Reactor, US) reactor. India promised that both the reactor and the related fissile materials would only be used for peaceful purposes. Canada supplied half the initial uranium fuel for the reactor and the United States supplied the other half, plus heavy water to moderate the nuclear reactions. Canada signed two cooperation agreements that provided India with designs for the CANDU-type reactor. Many of India' s nuclear reactors, both operational and planned, are based on CANDU technology and designs received from Canada.

All were supposed to be exclusively for peaceful use. But in 1974, India cheated on its commitments. It took out fuel rods from the CIRUS reactor, extracted the plutonium from those rods and detonated its first nuclear test. India called it a "peaceful" nuclear explosion, but the country now admits it was a test of a weapon design. In response, Canada ceased all nuclear cooperation with India.

Now, following the US lead, Canada has begun to revive that cooperation. In September 2005, Canadian Foreign Minister Pettigrew met with Indian External Affairs Minister Singh and agreed to forget this history and let bygones be bygones. Significantly, they agreed to develop a broad bilateral cooperation framework, possibly by mid-2006. Canada agreed to open the supply of nuclear technology to any Indian civilian nuclear facility. This means that Canada, too, will violate the NPT. It will break Canadian laws that now require that a nuclear cooperation agreement only be concluded with a state that has signed the NPT (which India refuses to do) or has accepted full-scope safeguards (which India has not).

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This is wow to me!

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Now, following the US lead, Canada has begun to revive that cooperation. In September 2005, Canadian Foreign Minister Pettigrew met with Indian External Affairs Minister Singh and agreed to forget this history and let bygones be bygones. Significantly, they agreed to develop a broad bilateral cooperation framework, possibly by mid-2006. Canada agreed to open the supply of nuclear technology to any Indian civilian nuclear facility. This means that Canada, too, will violate the NPT.

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Originally posted by remind:
Thanks sgm!

This is wow to me!

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No problem.