Canada commits CAN$21 million, training, troops to UN

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada

Canada used the United Nations summit in Vancouver Wednesday to reveal the country’s three key areas of contribution to peacekeeping.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada will provide three peacekeeping thrusts, offering training for soldiers in other countries, elite military equipment and a 200 personnel force that can be rapidly deployed, and money for countries to train more women as peacekeepers.

A focus of the UN has been to increase the number of women used as peacekeepers, and Canada said it would contribute CAN$6 million to partner with one or two other countries to reach that goal.

It will contribute another CAN$15 million that other countries can draw from to heighten the number of women for recruitment and deployment.

The elite equipment includes transport aircraft to deliver troops and military equipment as well as attack helicopters.

Canada had promised more than 14 months ago to provide up to 600 troops and 150 police officers for UN peacekeeping operations.

The prime minister said Canada is “uniquely able” to work toward world peace through the UN.

“We know how to work with other countries and other partners to make peace happen,” he told delegates from more than 70 countries as well as reporters at a news conference at the Vancouver summit.

“We have innovative ideas to share, and more importantly, we’re willing to put those new ideas into practice. We’re also home to the kinds of concrete capabilities that UN peace operations need.

“We can make a difference by matching what we do best with what the UN peace operations need most.”

But just where the Canadians and equipment will go will probably not be known for another six to nine months.

“We’re currently in discussions with the UN to work out the details,” Trudeau said. “So the exact where and when is going to take a little bit of time to work out.”

Possible destinations include helicopters and troops to Mali and South Sudan and police support in Haiti, officials said.

Later Wednesday, Canada was scheduled to present new rules aimed at preventing the use of child soldiers and protection of children in conflict that it wants other countries to adopt.

The UN released a report in October that said 8,000 children were killed or injured in conflicts while thousands were employed as soldiers.

Academy-award winning actress Angelina Jolie was also expected to make a keynote address on preventing sexual violence in warring zones.