Issue - Foreign Policy
  • Canada will continue to press for other UN reform initiatives, such as the creation of a permanent Human Rights Council
  • The Liberals will continue to lead the advocacy for a new forum that would bring together the leaders of twenty or so leading countries from the developed and developing world to deal directly with some of the world’s most pressing problems, for example, the threat of a flu pandemic
  • The Liberals are firmly opposed to the weaponization of space. They vow to lead an international campaign at the United Nations to establish a treaty banning all weapons in space
  • A re-elected Liberal Government would remain committed to a deal that promises to double official development assistance between 2001 and 2010
  • Advance Canada’s interests through foreign aid, while at the same time holding those agencies involved in this area accountable for its distribution and results
  • Increase spending on Overseas Development Assistance beyond the currently projected level and move towards the OECD average level
  • Make Parliament responsible for exercising oversight over the conduct of Canadian foreign policy and the commitment of Canadian Forces to foreign operations
  • Place international treaties before Parliament for ratification
  • In the deal Layton and his team brokered with Martin’s Liberals, the government promised $500 million in foreign aid
  • Increase Canada's international development aid to 0.7 per cent of the GDP by 2015
  • Canada should cancel all debts owed to us by developing countries while encouraging democracy and human rights in countries severely lacking
  • Implement the Tobin Tax on currency speculation
  • End Canada's long-standing objection to a G8 report that shows sustainable development is possible for developing nations through pollution-free renewable energy
  • Replace undemocratic, corporate-driven trade deals like NAFTA and the WTO with agreements based on the principles of fair and equitable trade
  • Strengthen the United Nations and regional security bodies such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to replace NATO and NORAD
  • Strengthen the Special Economic Measures Act to enable Canada to implement economic sanctions on Canadian companies that contribute to serious human rights violations overseas
  • Amend the State Immunity Act to allow Canadians to sue foreign governments for torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity
  • Ensure peace and justice in the Middle East by working within the framework of United Nations resolutions and international law, including right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in co-existence in independent states
  • Support Canada's continued participation in multinational organizations such as La Francophonie and the Commonwealth
  • Adopt legislation that allows criminal prosecution of Canadian-based corporations guilty of human rights violations overseas
  • Ensure cheaper, generic versions of drugs are made available to developing countries for AIDS and illnesses such as cancer, malaria and tuberculosis
  • Triple existing funding to the Global Fund for AIDS
  • Create a new agency to promote fair and democratic elections in among emerging democracies
  • Reform International Monetary Fund and World Bank to eliminate lending conditions that cut health and education investment in developing nations
  • Refuse to share intelligence with American authorities until they ensure Canadian passport is respected and that Canadian citizens are treated equally at our international borders
  • Foreign policy should be based on the defence and promotion of human rights
  • Canada should be a key player in conflict resolution, peacekeeping and the protection of the environment
  • Supports a noticeable increase in foreign aid to developing countries
  • International cooperation should be geared toward education, public health, sustainable development and good governance
  • Promote Quebec at delegations throughout the world
  • Improve co-ordination between Canada and the U.S. at border points
  • Oppose Canadian involvement in the anti missile defense shield and campaign for an international treaty banning the militarization of space
  • Declare Canada a military nuclear-free zone and abstain from participating in the development or usage of space-based weapons
  • Work to establish a standing international peacekeeping force under UN control
  • Create an International Affairs and Comprehensive Security Agency to coordinate activities between Foreign Affairs, National Defence and CIDA
  • Create a rapid response force with a mandate for peacekeeping and environmental restoration in both international crisis situations and domestic catastrophes
  • Propose reform of the UN Security Council, eliminating vetoes and expanding membership
  • Support the provision of royalty-free and low-cost AIDS medicines for Africa, Asia and South America
  • Work with other nations to eliminate unsustainable fishing in international waters and create a system of marine sanctuaries
  • Press for custodial management of fish stocks on the Grand Banks
  • Increase foreign aid spending to 0.5 per cent of GDP by 2010, and meet Canada's commitment to spend at least 0.7 per cent by 2015
  • Work to increase the influence of the International Court of Justice
  • Advocate a viable and secure state for Palestine and a secure state for Israel
  • Actively engage with the Chinese government to advance a federal model "Middle Path" approach, to the Tibet issue
  • Initiate a review of Canada's current international security alliances
  • Erase debts with emerging countries that have been in default for over 10 years
  • Sign the UN's global initiative for the elimination of discrimination and violence against women