A new world for Canadian foreign policy
October 26, 2025 10:44 AM
For the first time since the founding of the United Nations in 1948, Canada has failed to win a vote of its peers for an influential and highly coveted seat on the United Nations Security Council. On Oct. 12, Canada dropped out of the ballot after coming in second to Portugal.
This is both unusual and unexpected as Canada had been anticipating placement on the Security Council, but voting among the United Nations members took the unexpected position of endowing two EU member states, Germany and Portugal, with the two-year terms.
The media is now focusing on Canada’s foreign policy to determine if there are symptoms of stumbling in the country’s relationship with the world at large.
Within hours of dropping the bid, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Lawrence Cannon, was quick to blame Liberal opposition leader, Michael Ignatieff, for the defeat. Claiming that the opposition leader’s criticism in the House of Commons of Canada’s role in world affairs has shown Canada as unworthy of being a part of the Security Council.
Cannon, though, was tight-lipped regarding the prior day’s decision by the Harper government to increase trade with Israel, an unpopular move that has been criticized in the Canadian and international media alike, and indicated he did not believe that Canada’s decreasing role in peacekeeping missions was a factor.
Canada’s track record over the past several years has included a reduction in aid to developing countries, a weak showing at climate change conferences and stipulations on birth control in foreign aid.
The Harper government, however, began placing the blame solely on Ignatieff’s criticism of Canada’s foreign policy which was seen by Cannon as showing a rift to UN member states.
Speaking at a press conference at the UN, Cannon continued to blame opposition within Canada, “Not being able to speak with one voice as a country had a negative impact on Canada’s bid,” according to CBC.
The Liberal leader viewed the decision differently, as expressed in a press release issued on the Liberal website shortly after the decision, by reiterating his stance that Canada is failing diplomatically,
“Today, the international community sent a message that we cannot ignore. Our task is now clearer than ever: restore Canada’s proud standing in the world.”
Bob Rae, the opposition’s Foreign Affairs Critic, also lambasted the Conservative government, “The Harper government can try to blame others, but they can no longer hide from their record.”
Voting of non-permanent members on the Security Council is based on the contributions the state has made to the world at large and a long lobbying campaign, which included gifts of Canadian beer and maple syrup.
Further Diplomatic Rows
Foreign relations between Canada and The United Arab Emirates took a turn for the worse when Defense Minister Peter MacKay was denied the use of the Emirates airspace on a trip to Afghanistan.
An officially secret Canadian base located in the UAE, Camp Mirage, which serves a staging ground for Canadian military deployments, was also announced as being shuttered.
While not indicative of poor foreign relations between the two countries, the main catalyst was the Canadian government’s protectionist policies of Air Canada by limiting the amount of flights Dubai’s own national carrier, Emirates Airlines, can fly in and out of Canada.