During a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday, Mélanie Joly launched new calls for ceasefires between Israel and Hamas, as well as between the State Hebrew and the Lebanese Hezbollah.
Canada joins those urging Israel and Hezbollah to agree to an immediate ceasefire. We must create space for peace talks and save lives
she said.
Minister Joly then spoke of her visit last March to the kibbutz of Kfar Aza, where the attack carried out by Hamas militants took place on October 7, 2023.
SO [qu’une victime] recalled the horrors of October 7, we heard the bombs falling on the nearby Gaza Strip and we felt the ground shake. At that moment, the duality of the tragedy affecting the Israeli and Palestinian people was profound. It’s a moment I will never forget. The situation in Gaza is inhumane.
Innocent Palestinians, women and children, cannot pay the price for Hamas’ defeat. We must put an end to it. A ceasefire is needed immediately. The hostages must be freed. To do this, both parties must make real efforts
she said.
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“Thousands of people were killed in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, including many Canadians,” denounced Ms. Joly. “The world continues to witness a repeated cycle of violence where civilians pay the highest price. »
Photo : Reuters / Eduardo Munoz
She recalled Canada’s position for a resolution of the conflict through a two-state solution, and denounced the irreconcilable positions of the two parties.
We all know that a negotiated agreement is the best chance for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security. Unfortunately, Hamas, a terrorist organization, continues to operate in Gaza, refusing to release the hostages and lay down its weapons. Meanwhile, the Israeli government opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.
Canada supports the creation of a Palestinian state, recalled Ms. Joly. We will formally recognize the State of Palestine at the appropriate time, when it is most conducive to building lasting peace, and not necessarily as the final step in a negotiated process.
She then criticized Israeli settlers in the West Bank. This is unacceptable
thundered Mélanie Joly.
Feminist-flavored speech
Let me tell you about my mother
said Ms. Joly, to remind us that generations of women who preceded her had fought with determination
for equal rights.
Progress today threatened by retrograde governments which limit the freedom of women and girls
to make choices about their bodies and their lives. Being part of our generation means we must consolidate the progress made over time and fight against those who try to roll it back.
Referring to the recent tightening of the rights of Afghan women through the adoption of a repressive law, she denounced the Taliban regime.
Banning their presence in public to make them invisible, depriving young girls of the fundamental right to education: how does this respect human dignity? How does this protect the interests of their people? They must be held accountable
she said.
Last week, Canada joined Australia, Germany and the Netherlands, with the support of 22 other countries, to take action to hold Afghanistan accountable under the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.
The Taliban cannot make international law disappear with simple decrees.
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“We must always have the right to choose for ourselves: what methods of contraception are used, the choice to resort to abortion or even assisted procreation,” said Mélanie Joly.
Photo: The Canadian Press / Richard Drew
Without explicitly naming the United States, where the headquarters of the United Nations are located, she denounced the decline in the right to abortion.
She also mentioned the fact that no woman has held the position of Secretary General of the United Nations (nor that of President of the General Assembly), a situation unacceptable
according to her.
We must always have the right to choose for ourselves: which means of contraception to use, the choice to resort to abortion or even assisted procreation. We women have the right to be equal in everything: in education, in employment and in any other opportunity.
Attack on those who say that everything is broken
The theme of freedom came up occasionally in Mélanie Joly’s speech, in particular to denounce those who exploit it to serve their own interests and marginalize the most vulnerable.
Using a phrase often used by the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, the Liberal minister declared thatthey hide behind the word [liberté] to tell us that everything is broken, to spread disinformation, and parrot the speeches of those who want to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy
.
Ultimately, through all the noise, what they really mean is: freedom for some, but not for all.
UN reform
Critics of the United Nations accuse it of being incapable of solving the problems currently facing the world
launched Ms. Joly.
For the Canadian minister, it is rather a question ofa unique forum, which allows us to come together and talk to each other, on an equal footing
and for try to resolve our differences – which are sometimes deep – through discussion and the search for consensus
. This vision motivated the adoption of the Compact for the Future, she said.
The UN is not a perfect organization, it is true, but progress is possible.
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“Many countries in the region and the hemisphere are wondering if they will be next. The world must not back down in denouncing this unjustifiable aggression,” declared Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Photo : Reuters / Eduardo Munoz
Ukraine
The Canadian minister was clear in her reminder of her government’s positions regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russia must leave Ukraine now
et Canada will not give up its support for Ukraine
.
Canada will host an international conference co-organized with Ukraine and Norway on the human dimension of Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula on October 30 and 31, she recalled.
Haiti
In Haiti, criminal gang violence has caused the deaths of at least 3,661 civilians, according to a recent report from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Just between January and June 2024, at least 860 people were killed and 393 others injured.
The Haitian people need a multinational security support mission that works jointly with the Haitian National Police not only to help them restore order, but to provide for the basic needs of the population.
she said, referring to Canadian investments in this initiative.
I would like to thank the CARICOM and Kenya for the essential role they are playing in responding to this crisis.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The speech, delivered in Canada’s two official languages at the United Nations headquarters in New York, was delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is celebrated, during which we recognize and commemorate the indigenous peoples who came before us and continue to live there
she explained.
I want to acknowledge that I am joining you on the traditional territory of the Lenape people
declared Ms. Joly straight away. We recognize the pain caused by decades of abuse, neglect and racism. It is also an opportunity for us to commit to doing better and repairing the mistakes of the past in order to move forward, together.
