UNITED NATIONS — Canada's historic loss in its bid to win election Tuesday to the United Nations Security Council came despite written promises of support from 135 countries, Postmedia News has learned.
While the vote in the 192-member UN General Assembly is secret, broad opposition by members of the Islamic bloc appear to have scuttled Canada's chances of returning to the council for the 2011-2012 two-year term.
The Harper government's shift toward support for Israel compared to positions held by previous Liberal governments had not gone down well with members of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference, officials based at the UN revealed Tuesday.
But he also acknowledged that foreign policy under the Conservative government had played a role in the loss — even as he said that policy is based on sound democratic and human rights principles.
We will not back down from our principles that form the basis of our great country, and we will continue to pursue them on the international stage," Cannon said. "Some would even say that, because of our attachment to those values, we lost a seat on the council. If that's the case, then so be it."
Other insiders revealed Tuesday that Brazil, the most populous of the Portuguese-speaking countries, had itself been quietly telling Arab countries that a vote for Canada would be as good as a vote for the United States.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news...ting+nations/3658523/story.html#ixzz12CFSuSK5
While the vote in the 192-member UN General Assembly is secret, broad opposition by members of the Islamic bloc appear to have scuttled Canada's chances of returning to the council for the 2011-2012 two-year term.
The Harper government's shift toward support for Israel compared to positions held by previous Liberal governments had not gone down well with members of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference, officials based at the UN revealed Tuesday.
But he also acknowledged that foreign policy under the Conservative government had played a role in the loss — even as he said that policy is based on sound democratic and human rights principles.
We will not back down from our principles that form the basis of our great country, and we will continue to pursue them on the international stage," Cannon said. "Some would even say that, because of our attachment to those values, we lost a seat on the council. If that's the case, then so be it."
Other insiders revealed Tuesday that Brazil, the most populous of the Portuguese-speaking countries, had itself been quietly telling Arab countries that a vote for Canada would be as good as a vote for the United States.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news...ting+nations/3658523/story.html#ixzz12CFSuSK5