Close X
Friday, November 22, 2024
ADVT 
National

Trudeau meets with Haiti's acting prime minister, calls for humanitarian help

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Sep, 2024 01:54 PM
  • Trudeau meets with Haiti's acting prime minister, calls for humanitarian help

Justin Trudeau will turn his focus to the ongoing crises in Haiti as he speaks with some world leaders Monday ahead of the 78th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

The prime minister met with the Caribbean country's acting prime minister, Garry Conille, on Monday morning before delivering remarks at a high-level meeting for a UN advisory group for Haiti.

Conille stepped into his role earlier this year after former prime minister Ariel Henry was forced out amid surging unrest and violence by criminal gangs that had overrun much of Haiti's capital.

At their meeting, Trudeau spoke about the "slow but real progress that is being made" in Haiti and affirmed Canada's ongoing support. Conille said the country is preparing for elections, possibly in 2026.

Later in the morning, Trudeau told other world leaders at a high-level advisory group for Haiti that "we must come together" with a serious plan to address the humanitarian needs in the country first, and to ensure there is support for a political transition.

He called on the international community to support the transitional government while cautioning that the status quo cannot continue.

Trudeau repeated calls he has made for two years for more countries to sanction Haiti's political and business elites who have helped gangs sow anarchy.

He also said Kenyan police officers must be given more support in leading a global effort to rout the gangs. Kenya is leading an international mission that has been controversial in Haiti but that the UN says is necessary to stop violence and curb the flow of weapons to other Caribbean countries.

Canada is closely invested in the response to the ongoing humanitarian, security and political crises. A UN report released in June said surging gang activity had displaced nearly 580,000 people in the Caribbean country since March.

The prime minister also met with Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, before attending a working luncheon hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Later Monday, Trudeau is scheduled to have a much different type of conversation while making his guest debut on CBS's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Trudeau arrived in New York on Sunday where he delivered remarks to the Summit of the Future, telling leaders they can choose to stick their heads in the sand or come together to confront global challenges.

The summit has a goal to reform the UN, reinvigorate multilateralism and find solutions to new challenges at a time when the global institution has struggled resolve conflicts and been largely relegated to faltering humanitarian efforts, including with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war in Gaza and Sudan's civil war.

Trudeau told leaders to embrace the "Pact of the Future," a 42-page blueprint to address a wide range of 21st-century global challenges.

It was approved by the UN General Assembly during the opening of the two-day summit. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked leaders and diplomats for taking the first steps and unlocking "the door" to a better future.

The pact had seen significant pushback from Russia, Saudi Arabia and other countries that object to some of the language on issues including climate change and reforming international financial institutions.

Its fate was in question until the last moment and UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had three speeches prepared to be ready for any outcome.

Guterres warned last week that "international challenges are moving faster than our ability to solve them." The passing of the pact brought some optimism at a time when increasing geopolitical instability around the world has cast a shadow over the assembly.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to address a special meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday about Russia's ongoing invasion. Russia has a permanent seat on the Security Council and has been resoundingly criticized over its aggression in Ukraine being a violation of the UN Charter.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly will join Trudeau in New York and will later deliver Canada's national statement to the UN General Assembly. The speech will emphasize "Canada's commitment to promoting multilateral co-operation, human rights, democracy and the rule of law," a news release from her office said.

"In the face of multiple global crises, the world needs a strong, effective and modern UN," Joly said in the statement.

"Through constructive dialogue, shared learning and collective problem solving at this year's (UN General Assembly), I am confident that we can effectively work together to address some of the most critical issues of our time.”

Joly will also take part in a panel with representatives from Ukraine and Estonia "that will underscore the urgent need to restore the rights of children worldwide and enhance child protection, including addressing the unlawful deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia," the statement said.

She will co-host a panel discussion on the subject of media freedom and attend other events

MORE National ARTICLES

Nurse-patient ratios at B.C. hospitals set to expand in fall, says health minister

Nurse-patient ratios at B.C. hospitals set to expand in fall, says health minister
British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix says minimum nurse-to-patient ratios meant to improve care and strengthen the health-care system have now been established for most hospital settings. He says the nurse-to-patient ratios have been determined for more hospital settings, including emergency departments, maternity units and operating rooms.

Nurse-patient ratios at B.C. hospitals set to expand in fall, says health minister

Conservatives' non-confidence motion will make no mention of carbon price

Conservatives' non-confidence motion will make no mention of carbon price
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has confirmed he will ask the other opposition parties to bring down the Liberal government next week with a non-confidence motion. A Conservative spokesperson said the motion will simply say the House has no confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government.

Conservatives' non-confidence motion will make no mention of carbon price

Account tweaks for young Instagram users 'minimum' expected by B.C., David Eby says

Account tweaks for young Instagram users 'minimum' expected by B.C., David Eby says
Premier David Eby says new account control measures for young Instagram users introduced Tuesday by social media giant Meta are the "minimum" expected of tech companies to keep kids safe online. The parent company of Instagram says users in Canada and elsewhere under 18 will have their accounts set to private by default starting Tuesday, restricting who can send messages, among other parental controls and settings.

Account tweaks for young Instagram users 'minimum' expected by B.C., David Eby says

Targeted stabbing in Langley

Targeted stabbing in Langley
R-C-M-P in Langley are investigating a stabbing that sent a 26-year-old man to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Mounties say officers responded to a stabbing report in the 203-hundred block of Douglas Crescent just after 8:15 a-m this morning.

Targeted stabbing in Langley

Activist sues India in U.S. court over alleged plot that killed B.C. Sikh leader

Activist sues India in U.S. court over alleged plot that killed B.C. Sikh leader
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, with the group Sikhs for Justice, says the civil lawsuit in the U.S. district court for southern New York is aimed at holding the Indian government accountable for alleged involvement in the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey last year and a plot on Pannun soon after. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., has not responded to a request for comment.

Activist sues India in U.S. court over alleged plot that killed B.C. Sikh leader

Calgary man sentenced to six years in prison for sharing terrorism videos on TikTok

Calgary man sentenced to six years in prison for sharing terrorism videos on TikTok
A Calgary man who admitted to sharing Islamic State recruitment videos and propaganda on TikTok has been sentenced to six years in prison. Zakarya Rida Hussein, 20, was sentenced in court Friday after he earlier pleaded guilty to one of four terrorism-related charges.

Calgary man sentenced to six years in prison for sharing terrorism videos on TikTok