Baird confirms boycott of UN disarmament conference

News Sections

News Programs

CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme

Canada AM

Power Play

Question Period

Features

Autos

Consumer

Browse:

Video

Galleries

MyNews

Baird confirms boycott of UN disarmament conference

Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird speaks to reporters in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

View Larger Image

A A | Email This Email | Print | Comments (88) Tweet

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Monday Jul. 11, 2011 9:14 PM ET

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Canada will boycott a North Korean-chaired UN disarmament conference. Baird also said that a move to recognize a Palestinian state in the General Assembly this fall is meaningless.

The comments Monday seem to signal that the newly elected majority government will take a tougher approach with foreign policy.

Baird said that a future vote over Palestinian statehood at the main UN body won't serve any purpose except to create a public relations event. And he added that a Security Council vote would be needed.

"We think it's distinctly unhelpful to seek a public-relations declaration within the UN General Assembly. Obviously, it would be without any meaning," Baird said Monday.

"We believe that statehood should be the product of a negotiated permanent peace with security for both the Palestinian and Israeli people."

Baird's comments on both the Palestinian question and the UN disarmament conference are consistent with the Conservative government's international positions.

"Canada has taken strong, principled stands with respect to supporting liberal democracies, and with respect to this issue," he said.

"There has been certainly a change under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and I certainly wouldn't see us changing on that regard."

Baird also told reporters in a conference call that it is "absurd and ridiculous" that North Korea is leading the Conference on Disarmament.

The United Nations Conference on Disarmament has 65 members, including both Canada and North Korea. Each of the member states rotate through the presidency.

Baird said Canada will resume its participation in the conference when North Korea's term ends on Aug. 19.

In a separate statement issued Monday afternoon, Baird said the North Korean regime "is a major proliferator of nuclear weapons and its non-compliance with its disarmament obligations goes against the fundamental principles of this committee. This undermines the integrity of both the disarmament framework and the UN. Canada will not be party to that."

Comments are now closed for this story

Dave in Qc.
said
0 0

Yeah and the Right wing movement under Bush did so much to put a stop to North Korea .NOT. Right wing ,left wing I don't care who you support.If no one talks to anyone else the only guarantee you have is nothing will get done.Boycotts only hurt the citizens of that country and the leaders just keep getting fatter.

Tony
said
0 0

This naive decision is going to embarrass Canada. Most probably, no other countries will follow and they absolutely should not. To boycott the conference means that we give up another chance to try to resolve the problem. Also North Korea to chair the conference or another country to do so are just the same. The chairing country is not going to influence any other countries. The politician who made a decision to boycott this UN conference is stupid and the boycott is going to hurt Canada's reputation. Probably he thought that perhaps Canada could be the first one to do something special, but he picked the wrong time and a wrong event. A boycott was a good idea, when U.S. invaded Iraq years ago.

Barney
said
0 0

If we and other countries boycott things like this it will only worsen relationships with these threatening countries. In my opinion, distancing ourselves from them or excluding them won't help anything, it will just make them dislike us more.

Arrenbe
said
0 0

Canada's way points to the only hope for the UN to regain efficacy and moral authority. By refusing to kiss up to despots, we expose them to the international ridicule and contempt they deserve. Our role in Libya fell to us and a half dozen other nations, and it is notable that Portugal (which won the Security Council seat in a contest with Canada) has no influence on the situation. Indeed, Portugal is an economiic and military basket case, which in turn has diplomatically neutered that nice, inoffensive and inept nation. If the despots faced a UN of Portugals instead of Canadas, they would have free reign to continue the slaughter of innocent civilians by the tens or hundreds of thousands, if not more. Canada's role is true international leadership. Thank you Prime Minister Harper.

Rational
said
0 0

Boycotting is a good idea. A day or two with Baird in the room will make North Koreans look downright reasonable.

Prof. Pye Chartt
said
0 0

The whining criticisms emanating from those "unhappy" with our government's decision concerning the U.N.'s Conference on Disarmament, and its mindless structural rotational REWARD of a "Chair" position to proudly defiant North Korea, presume that this meeting is profoundly "special" and likely to result in some significant and meaningful positive movement on the part of the heavily-armed regional troublemaker and global destabilizer. Nonsense. Let's not pretend that "going along" with the U.N.'s continually obtuse left-wing ideas and foolishly naive tactics in "diplomacy" further the proclaimed agenda of global peace. North Korea marches to the beat of its own drum, and the naive coddlers in the West who effectively advocate being used by dictators, freedom deprivers, oppressors, and military-supported murderers (all of whom regularly sport a wink and a smile) aren't Canadians with a genuine understanding of self-respect on the international stage. Three cheers for diplomatic sanity.

PsyOps
said
0 0

So if Patricia is correct below, once again the Conservative party is laughing at how it can get its own members all worked up into a froth over something they don't understand. Pretty funny.

Mika
said
0 0

I'm glad to see Canada taking a stand on something globally for a change. We too often go along with our big brother - the U.S. - on global issues. Now, we are taking a stand on our own on moral and political grounds.

javajim in NB
said
0 0

While I agree with Baird's decision fully, another option might have been to appoint a three-year-old child as Canada's temporary representative to the conference until North Korea's chairmanship expires. Such a symbolic move might send a strong message that the ridiculous rules of the conference need to change immediately. Actually, make that a two year old child; some three-year-olds show more intelligence than North Korean officials

danR
said
0 0

If I'm not mistaken, Canada is actively involved in more armed conflicts than N. Korea.

Kim
said
0 0

It appears world leaders prefer NK over Canada's hillbilly government, we weren't given a seat even though we give millions every year.

peter in mb
said
0 0

Actually I think John Baird should show up for one day and be the same chiming self that he is in the house of commons. IE, The Bulldog!!! And when it is his turn to speak just hammer North Korea with no mercy. Say how many Nukes are you going to disarmed?(numbers please) and will you allow the UN inspectors to supervise this and at the same time inspect your nuclear program and your entire nuclear arsenal? North Korea of course will not answer that. Then John can tell them to go get stuffed and walk out until Aug 19. I think that would be a stronger statement.

Steve in Vancouver
said
0 0

Most posters on here are in agreement with Canada's position and so am l. Those who disagree claim that its better to sit down with this tyrant. l suppose they feel we should have a chat over a cup of tea and meanwhile his regime is providing nuclear weapons to renegade nations. Smile, sip tea, chit chat as the North Korean government enslaves and brainwashes their own people. Hey that's alright we are all under one big tent and if the tyrant blows the top of at least we attended this farce of a conference. Canada dump the UN. Its an experiment that doesn't work.

james
said
0 0

the man who weilds a pen as a sword is considered a jokethe man who weilds a sword as a pen is hatedthe man who weilds a sword as a sword is is hated and respected at the same time with guaranteed loss of lifethe man who weilds a pen as a pen is given the chance to speak and be listened to but also is hated and respected at the same time like the man who weilds a sword as a sword the difference is their is no guranteed loss of life by just weilding a pen

Anna
said
0 0

It makes me feel proud that we have a Minister representing Canada who is capable of taking a stand and making a decision that is for the good of all concerned who are part of the UN.It also makes me question the actions of the UN I am beginning to believe they are for a certain group of people and I have thought this on more than one occassion. Maybe it is time for Canada to remove itself from the UN and join up with the British Commonwealth......time will tell

David
said
0 0

After reading the comments, I am puzzled by anyone that would disagree with our Government's decision not to attend the disarmanment conference. I am sure these same persons would say the opposite if the decision was to attend. I think we have alot of flakes in this great country and thank God, that they are not leading it.

NoContest
said
0 0

Is the UN playing a practical joke or is this reverse psychology, by having them lead the talks they will have to honestly review their own insane policies?

J. Rothwell
said
0 0

This tells you everything you need to know about the UN.

Tono Fonseca
said
0 0

Good work Baird.

The UN is full of bad conferences and commissions and what have you. This disarmament thing is one of them. It is farcical because in reality it doesn't promote world peace: it just promotes control of the world's military forces into the hands of fewer countries... such as China, which has a permanent seat on the security council. And of course the USA, where the UN headquarters are based.

Point of Order!!
said
0 0

If North Korea is chairing everyone should just stockpile more weapons. How very Canadian. This is just disgusting. You don't have to like who you are dealing with, but this will only set progress back. Instead of doing what we can, we have decided to dig in our heels, and nothing will be done now. Way to compromise Canada. Your respect in the international community keeps going to new lows. Be surprised if we are even allowed near any international negotiations once these ideologically impaired morons are out of office.

LDL in ONT
said
0 0

So what does Portugal say about the selection of NK as chair of the disarmerment meeting? After all they beat us out for a temporary seat on the Security Council.....Oh ya, that's right I forgot. They're almost broke and can't aford the plane fare to the UN headquarters. No worries. Once again Canada will lead without the glory.

Mutt from Windsor
said
0 0

Do we need any further examples that the UN has become a useless, wine sipping, cocktail hosting, gathering of progressive uber-liberals ultra politically correct elitists who do little but engage in self gratification. Kinda ike the ditherers in the former Federal Liberal party. Can these clowns now.

Darlene
said
0 0

I am glad Canada is taking a stand. The United Nations is a joke. What do they do for this world (nothing).
I think the UN should be dismanned. They do no good for anyone, if they did then this world would not be in the mess it is.

Way to go Canada it's about time countries get a back bone.

Jim
said
0 0

Is this government about results or about grandstanding? To get North Korea involved you need them committed and responsible for the outcome. What better way to do this than to name them chairman of the conference. Obviously they will not be dictated to by the US or Canada or any other opponents of their point of view. Exclusion and condemnation have had no effect so far. What this government is doing is childish, naive and short sighted and a ramping up of these failed policies.

Just more four years of backward thinking and agony to go!

Art
said
0 0

Canada and like minded nations should attend, make their views known to North Korea and the UN , THEN walk out. If no nations attend that view North Korea as a poor choice for chair and their are no voices to protest then we'll be left with just nations that are only interested in expanding weapons of mass destruction. Who knows they might just turn this into an opportunity between them to turn this get together into an arms dealing and exchanging gathering.

James Birchall
said
0 0

Way to go John Baird.

peter in mb
said
0 0

That whack job in North Korea has missiles that can hit mainland B.C. and the western U.S. coast. And not only is he willing to use them on South Korea but he will fire first and has said that when he invades South Korea (not if) but when he dose, If the U.S. or Canada interferes like we did during the Korean War he Will Nuke the west coast of North America.

Michael from the real world
said
0 0

Hear, hear, Jim from North Saanich! I for one am quite glad that we finally have a principled government that is more concerned with rectifying problems and pursuing Canada's national interests than with cosying up to dictators and such on the UN cocktail circuit. North Korea is deservedly an international pariah; the UN as a whole has proven itself a massive joke [e.g. Libya leading the Human Rights Council, ha, ha].

sd3mg
said
0 0

Is this government about results or grandstanding? To get North Korea involved and committed, you need to make them responsible for the outcome. They obviously will not be dictated to by the US

joannej2
said
0 0

As much as I believe the UN is a waste and should be disbanded I also think it is a rather cowardly move by Baird. Canada is looked upon rather poorly by many countries today but this type od grandstanding will only make of look much worse. Grow up Baird, be a man and attend these talks. It only makes our country look rather junvenile. If want to play with the big boys then you have to get involved in everything no matter your personal feelings.

Jim - North Saanich, BC
said
0 0

I am one of those who views the United Nations as nothing more than a Third World debating society and having North Korea chair a disarmement committee only enforces that belief. Canada is showing real leadership in this instance and hopefully other developed countries will follow our example. To have a militaristic and totalitarian state like North Korea as part of the UN defies all reason and for it to chair a disarmament committee is beyond ludicrous and the reason I no longer take that "world body" seriously.

David
said
0 0

We no longer need to give the UN our $800 million in annual dues to help support violent nations. Time to use the money in a more effective manner. The UN is no longer representative of the free world.

David
said
0 0

Patricia
said
0 0

The whole thing is very unfortunate but before you bash the UN, allow me to communicate a few important facts.
The Conference on Disarmament in Geneva is NOT a UN body. It is housed in the UN but it has only 65 members (the UN has 192), it does not allow voting (the UN runs on voting) and the chairmanship of this negotiating forum rotates monthly in alphabetical order. So nobody voted North Korea to this position and nobody was allowed to vote North Korea off. If they could have done so, I am sure that Canada and many other countries would have led the charge. The conference has been unable to reach agreement on starting a work program since 1998 and so I doubt that one month of North Korea at the helm will have much effect on the workings of the Conference. Sad but true.

K Markham
said
0 0

What a opportunity missed by the Harper government. If the NK are hosting such a conference then why not show up and make the NK accountable. As hosts would you not want them to lead by example and agree to no longer proceed with building nuclear arms!!! Harper and his Bush mould are out of touch on the world stage. Canada is not big enough to take a lead on such issues so why not let the US respond first then make a decision on the right thing to do. I suspect the US will attend along with all other significant countries and Canada will be left looking silly. I see why Harper would want to boycott but once again he shows poor judgement.

GHW
said
0 0

Do we want to be popular or do we want to be leaders for the benefit of our children and grandchildren. This is what leadership looks like! I am for cutting ties to the UN. In the end much of the world is unredeemable and is going down. If we cling too tightly to the irrational politically correct international leftist agenda we will go down with them. When asked by one of his officers at the end, for whom shall we fight for, Hitler said; for the coming man!

Laura Langstaff
said
0 0

So now Bully Baird thinks he is going to take his tactics to the U.N. Is there no end to the arrogance of this guy, and the Harper government? Well lets see where his little banty rooster chest thrusts and flared nostrils get him there? Did Harper and Baird learn nothing in that last years? Does Canada not being on the Security Council because of the Harper Government teach them anything? Or do they really think that its the rest of the world that is out of step in the march?

Ray, Mississauga
said
0 0

A little like putting Gadaffi in charge of human rights?

steveo
said
0 0

How does boycotting solve anything....acting like a 3 year old doesn't help. Go there and speak about the issues. You can't bully NK into giving up on nukes, this inclusive process may actually work - whether we like it or not.

Donny in Edmonton
said
0 0

A disarmament conference chaired by North Korea. A little late for April Fools, don't you think?

One Canadian
said
0 0

We live in Bizzaro world, where everything works backwards. My advise to the Harper goverment if your looking for a seat in the UN security council, maybe you should threaten Greenland and Iceland with militairy action

Theotime from Halifax
said
0 0

The UN is only as useless as we make it. The Cold War saw East and West grinding things to a halt and then complaining that things weren't getting done. Nothing's changed in that sense, but it's not the UN's fault. As for waling away from the council, it's just like the line on voting politicians and pundits like to cite - "If you don't vote, you've got nothing to complain about."

stevo
said
0 0

Holding a disarmament conference in North Korea is about as logical as holding an anti-semitism conference in Nazi Germany.

Tim - Calgary
said
0 0

North Korea being the chair of the disarmament committee is the equivalent of the old League of Nations selecting Nazi Germany to be the chair for a committee on race relations. Canada is doing the right thing.

chris paul
said
0 0

Typical hypocrisy. It's OK for America to have nukes, but it's not OK for North Korea. When is Harper going to demand that America disarm it's nuclear weapons?

Tim - Calgary
said
0 0

Sid said "The conservatives are jealous of NK because they get a seat and the UN turned down this conservative government for a seat because of their backwards thinking."No Sid. As anyone with just a little bit of knowledge of the UN would know that this committee, now unbelievably headed by North Korea, is not the same as the Security Council. One has nothing to do with the other. Therefore your comment is completely misleading and therefore false. Please learn how the UN works before making wrong comments about it and our government.

Remarkable
said
0 0

The United Nations? This old relic has got to go. Good to see we finally have a Government who has a spine and actually doesn't care what anyone else thinks or afraid of offending someone.

Leon
said
0 0

When are the left wing apologists going to realize that the usefulness of the UN has run it's course? This is now an organization run by, and controlled by, a bunch of tinpot dictators - each of whom gets the same number of votes as the western countries that largely finance UN operations. The only part of the UN that hasn't lost ALL legitimacy is the Security Council which has permanent members who each have veto power. The rest of the organization should be ignored.

Rob, Calgary
said
0 0

Boycott? You think the best thing you can do with the NKs is to not show up? I don't think that this is the best strategy and in fact is a little easy. Why not show up and provide a voice of displeasure with the proceedings. Let the UN know that you dislike the Chairperson choice. In fact, they getting some press at the conference. I am surprised that Mr. Baird chooses to miss this opportunity.

Norm
said
0 0

Given the size of the North Korea guy will it be a booster chair?

Julian
said
0 0

It's about time Canada had a leader with some cojones.

Having North Korea chair this conference is the height of hypocrisy, and I'm glad our Canadian leadership have chosen to distance themselves from it.

I can't remember the last time I was able to take pride in the actions of Canadian leadership. Well done Sir.

B. Kelley, Ontario
said
0 0

The UN has once again proven that it is just a big international social club with no grasp on reality and little relevance in the real world. Canada is right to boycott as a protest against such an absurd decision. North Korea represents virtually everything the UN is supposed to oppose and yet they dignify the rogue nation with an appointment such as this. The ultimate and most effective protest will occur when Canada, the US and all major western nations resign membership and form their own United True Democracies organization.

K Perodin
said
0 0

The knee-jerk reaction of shutting up people that one does not agree with, is far from being a sign of intelligence, of fair-play, or of pragmatism. The possibility of coming to an agreement with anyone, will only exist as long as we keep on communicating on an equal footing. The politics of exclusion and boycott have proven their worthlessness: Look at the long lived boycott of Cuba, Iran and North Korea.

Moreover, by boycotting the UN, Canada is displaying contempt for an institution that should be representing the global will of the People.

To those that say - with some justification - that the UN is a joke, I will point out that the heavy handed, veto equipped superpowers have made it so, and have reduced the UN to the dimensions of a paper tiger, because it suits their (superpower) interests, which leave no room for those of Humanity as a whole.

I never thought that I could ever come to the point of looking upon Jean Chretien's past policies with nostalgia! Yet our current Canadian foreign policies have pushed me that far.

CraigW
said
0 0

We have to applaud how Harper runs his government in such a cost effective way. Letting the U.S. dictate his foreign policy must save millions.

Mike
said
0 0

Anyone who bashes the Conservative Government on this decision are truly out to lunch.Read the big picture people, North Korea is a communist state who starve there people so they can build nuclear and military arms.They continually threaten South Korea with military action and even gone so far as to used there weapons.If you agree that they should chair the UN then you should move there and help them with their endevours.

Pat - Toronto
said
0 0

Once again, I am so proud of Stephen Harper and his government.. they have the guts to stand up for what is right.. i mean, really, why would anyone want a crazy man from North Korea being chair of anything...! The leaders of North Korea are beyond description as far as been cruel, crazy, and corrupt... Right on HARPER!! Cheers!!

Debbie
said
0 0

Disappointing because it's better to be inside the tent than outside. Now how can we express our opinion? Making NK the chair forces them to participate. Seems like a continuation of Harper's philosophy: My way or the highway and is very inflexible and unwilling to hear another opinion.

Randy in Winnipeg
said
0 0

Time for Canada to opt out of this third world geopolitical organization which has all the integrity of a bowl of fruit loops. Pull all our funding for the UN now. The UN has lost all its relevance by the fact that it always does something when its obvious that it is far too late to affect the outcome.

Original Canadien
said
0 0

Goes to show how out of touch the U.N. is.Had Canada been included as a permanent member of the Security Council as they should have been after WW2, we could have had a stronger effect on how the U.N. is run. To this day the U.S., U.K. and France are still abusing of our work (think battles for Antwerp and Rome) without ever giving us our due credit (no reward needed, it was our job). It is time we pull out of the U.N. and maybe consider stting up a new type of organization - not really in parralel since it should eventually replace the inept bureaucacry that the U.N. has become. Better yet, set it up somewhere near Iqualuit so as to show the rest of the world what the Artic looks like (including global warming).

justanothercanadian
said
0 0

Good!

Peter J Green
said
0 0

Typical of the Harper foreign policy positions. - Non-participation. Better to work from within than from outside. No wonder we were rejected for the Security Council seat.

Lance Usher Capt (ret'd)
said
0 0

No suprise here... The UN is a useless organization and it is rapidly proving this fact. No wonder the US refuses to pay its UN dues. We should do the same.

Sid
said
0 0

The conservatives are jealous of NK because they get a seat and the UN turned down this conservative government for a seat because of their backwards thinking. Even here in Canada Harper was voted in by only 25% of eligible voters. Losers here at home & on the world stage.

Ryan
said
0 0

This is a bold, smart move by the government. Canada has become a respected leader amongst the international community.

Eric from Mississauga
said
0 0

My first thought reading this story is that North Korea should certainly be at the table in disarmament talks; does it make that much diffrence who is chairing the conference? I agree it makes the UN look bad, but boycotting it is a little extreme. If they're initiating this, rather than joining the other G7 countries in a show of solidarity, it strikes me as the action of little men crying out for attention.

Gisabun
said
0 0

Having North Korea chairing or being a part of a disarmament conference is like having Hamas chairing an anti-terrorist conference. @MikeFromQuebec: Unfortunately, nobody gets kicked out of the UN - no matter how pathetic the country is. I don't know who decided for North Korea to chair but it shows that there is a level of corruption.

Vince M
said
0 0

The UN long ago lost its relevance. Like unions it may have had a reason to exist way in the past but that reason is long gone. It has fallen to become hangout for political appointees and a springboard for leftist whack jobs like Chavez. This is just another example of why it can quietly be dismantled and no one will be the worse off.

B.J.
said
0 0

Here's hoping other countries will follow Canada's lead in this.

robin hood
said
0 0

How�s the new job going John? Can you feel the power coursing through your veins? Careful, I trust in you�ve at least heard of �sponstaneous human combustion� right?

Don in Edmonton
said
0 0

The UN is a JOKE! Always was, and always will be.

kevinwarbis@yahoo.com
said
0 0

I would like to think they are doing this to get NK involved in stalled talks once again?? To ultimately achieve peace in the region. Give a sense of community belonging to NK (I hope) If not well then the whole thing is just silly.

PJR
said
0 0

Chairing a UN meeting is a procedural role with no impact at all on the substantive content of the deliberations. Every member State is eligible to chair. This Canadian boycott will do more to harm the general disarmament cause than North Korea. This is just a cop out and the usual my way or the highway from this government. After boycotting all these UN conferences, we are then really surprised that we are not elected by other countries to sit on the Security Council and that we lose to the likes of Portugal!?? Why would we be when they cannot be sure we will even show up!

Kat
said
0 0

glad to see Canada standing up and showing that we have a backbone after all those years of Liberal wishy-washiness.

Prof. Pye Chartt
said
0 0

Hmm. Gee, I don't know about this. The U.N. is an internationally respected organization with a rational "intellectual" justification for every boneheaded thing that it does. (Just ask any liberal, socialist, or anti-Semite.) This could cause some countries, such as Iran, to criticize Canada. That would be hurtful, and might "embarrass" our country on the "world stage." Gosh, I'm troubled by our Conservative government employing such political principle and demonstrating such diplomatic spine. If the Liberals were in power, and electorally humiliated Michael Ignatieff was our PM, surely we'd go along with this latest U.N. farce while "diplomatically" expressing our discontent, quietly, behind closed doors, in private, so as not to "offend" anyone or any nation, especially North Korea.

MattFromQuebec
said
0 0

The UN is a joke. But then again, so are the Tories.

mikel from calgary
said
0 0

Another reason why the UN is a joke. A left wing political body with no head....

Pierre
said
0 0

If you are not a member of the club you cannot play!, The US and israel are the biggest promoter of weapons and aggressions but since they control the game they also make the rules. It is coming to an end anyway the whole scam does not work anymore, good by New World Order.

spaz
said
0 0

Just a suggestion.....since North Korea is the chair, why not have the conference in......North Korea...... instead of just sitting around the table talking about disarmament, they could all tour the country to see how North Korea is doing in it's efforts...... be carefull people..... do not push any of those unlabelled buttons...... you could start a war !!

David Winter
said
0 0

Running home is a cowards answer. Sure NK is an issue. It won't get better talking about around the bus depot cafe in Eyebrow SK. Jeez! Stand up. Have the guts to be there and fix it if you can. The Harperites talk big but they always run for cover behind a photo op...

inconsistent
said
0 0

Amazing how the cons can use the UN as their whipping boy when it suits them and then praise the very same organization to justify war and illegal occupations. Agree the UN has become a joke but with such inconsistency by the cons how can anyone other than the true believers believe anything they utter. They are now taking their childish behavior out of Ottawa on to the world stage with head clown Baird as the mime. It is all politics all the time with this bunch!

Gerry from MB.but not N.D.P.
said
0 0

The U.N. run by from the tower of babble in N.Y.C.needs to go.

Dave
said
0 0

Got to love this government, it actually has some back bone. This probably will not get us a seat at the UN's security group. But who cares, the UN is anti west anyways.

Neil from Waterloo
said
0 0

How small minded of Canada, The only way to warm up relations with North Korea (or anyone else for that matter) is to include them in diploatic events. Ostracizing them will only continue the cold war. (or perhaps Canada is looking to flex more muscle now that we're leaving Afghanistan)

Stuart
said
0 0

Ah so nice to have principled government take a stand against this joke they call the U.N.. It should be called U.D.N - United Despotic Nations.....what a crock. This organization is nothing more then old Greenpeace anti-capitalism 'progressives'

Anna
said
0 0

Thank you for making your decision and taking a stand that will reflect what is best for all concerned. Keep up the good work John Baird. We are proud to have you as a representative for Canada.

Brockavitch
said
0 0

The right move. North Korea chairing the conference on disarmanent is like the German National Socialists hosting an anti-racism conference. I suppose this shows just how much of a farce the United Nations has become.

MikefromQuebec
said
0 0

Isn't that something. Who knew that North Korea was even a member state of the UN? Didn't they do something similar a few years back when they chose Mohamar Khaddaffi to head up the UN's human rights commission?

Today's Top Stories

Labour Minister Lisa Raitt appears on CTV's Power Play on Monday, May 28, 2012.

Pick your location

Top Stories -

News Sections

News Programs

Features

Browse:

Baird confirms boycott of UN disarmament conference

User Tools

Most Popular

Today's Top Stories

Federal government orders end to CP Rail strike

Extradition sought in Winnipeg missing children case

Quebec, students resume talks on tuition hikes

Most Viewed News Stories

Most Talked about Stories

bob.

Primetime/Late Night

Daytime

CTV Movies & Specials

Online Exclusives

Only at CTV.ca

Primetime/Late Night

Daytime

CTV Movies & Specials

Online Exclusives

Only at CTV.ca

Watch Videos

More Video Options

Go to the News Home Page

CTVNews

News Programs

CTV News Channel

CTV News Team

Features

Local News

Browse

Services

Pick your location

Top Stories -

News Sections

News Programs

Features

Browse:

Baird confirms boycott of UN disarmament conference

User Tools

Most Popular

Today's Top Stories

Federal government orders end to CP Rail strike

Extradition sought in Winnipeg missing children case

Quebec, students resume talks on tuition hikes

Most Viewed News Stories

Most Talked about Stories

bob.

Primetime/Late Night

Daytime

CTV Movies & Specials

Online Exclusives

Only at CTV.ca

Primetime/Late Night

Daytime

CTV Movies & Specials

Online Exclusives

Only at CTV.ca

Watch Videos

More Video Options

Go to the News Home Page

CTVNews

News Programs

CTV News Channel

CTV News Team

Features

Local News

Browse

Services

Related TV Shows

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl

Top Stories -