In 2016, at a United Nations conference in London, then-minister of national defence Harjit Sajjan to fellow representatives from 70 countries: that Canada was prepared to deploy as many as 600 members of the armed forces to support future international peacekeeping operations.
Combined with the existing 133 military and police personnel already in the field by December of that year, Canada鈥檚 peacekeeping contributions were primed to reach a 20-year high, not seen since the drawdown of deployments to the Balkans in the mid-1990s.
鈥淐anada is committed to leading international efforts in peace support operations,鈥 Sajjan said in a 2016 statement about the conference.
鈥淚鈥檓 confident that our unique whole-of-government approach will make tangible contributions to peace support operations around the world.鈥
Data from the UN shows that in the seven years since the London conference, Canadian peacekeeping has not met Sajjan鈥檚 pledge.
And according to personnel totals from July of this year, there were just 57 Canadian peacekeepers active globally, split between missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, South Sudan, Haiti, Cyprus, Kosovo, Lebanon and the Golan Heights.
UN totals for peacekeeping personnel may vary from those counted by the contributing nations, as they typically reflect the number of individuals whose expenses were reimbursed by the UN.
For example, the most recent UN numbers list 29 members of the Canadian Armed Forces active in peacekeeping operations, but in response to a 麻豆影视 inquiry, Canada鈥檚 Department of National Defence tallied 28 service members in that role, with an additional 57 personnel engaged in non-UN peace missions.
In a written statement to 麻豆影视, Defence Minister Bill Blair underscored Canada鈥檚 contribution of 鈥減ersonnel, military capabilities and funds,鈥 as well as training, to the UN鈥檚 efforts abroad.
Blair highlighted the December 2021 announcement of $85 million in contributions and related projects 鈥渢o continue responding to the needs of UN peace operations and peacebuilding.鈥
鈥淔or decades, Canada has played a key role in supporting United Nations Peace Operations 鈥 and that will continue,鈥 the statement read.
But to retired lieutenant-general and former senator Rom茅o Dallaire, who served as force-commander for UN peace operations preceding and amid the Rwandan genocide, Canadian peacekeeping has changed greatly.
鈥淭his country is failing miserably in taking the lead,鈥 said Lt.-Gen. Dallaire in an interview with 麻豆影视. 鈥淲e used to; we鈥檙e not doing it now.鈥
Walter Dorn, a professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) and the Canadian Forces College, says the country lags behind not just its own past peace efforts, but those of dozens of its fellow nations today.
鈥淔or so many decades, Canada was the go-to source. We were the only country to have provided peacekeepers to every single UN mission of the Cold War,鈥 he said in an interview. 鈥淣ow, the UN can鈥檛 depend on us to provide anywhere near those kind of numbers.鈥
More recent comments from the prime minister and cabinet officials have underscored Canada鈥檚 financial and policy supports for peacekeeping, including inclusivity efforts for women and a set of guiding principles coined at 2017鈥檚 UN conference in Vancouver.
鈥淭he Government of Canada continues to support efforts to make peacekeeping more effective and more inclusive,鈥 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement this August. 鈥淐anada鈥檚 leadership in peacekeeping is a source of national pride.鈥
Dorn says it doesn鈥檛 measure up to prior commitments.
鈥淭he rhetoric remains lofty on paper and in speeches but the Canadian government has yet to match its words with deeds,鈥 an ongoing analysis by Dorn of Canadian peacekeeping reads. 鈥淐anada defaulted on its promises and is not leading by example.鈥
The recent lows are the latest in a decades-long decline in Canadian peacekeeping.
UN figures show a 30-year peak of more than 3,000 active personnel in the early 1990s, the majority of which deployed to the Balkans during and after the breakup of Yugoslavia as part of the United Nations Protection Force.
But by the end of 1997, listed personnel counts had dropped by more than 90 per cent, to 254 troops. Brief increases followed at the turn of the millenium, amid conflict in Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in the mid-2000s, as part of political stabilization efforts in Haiti.
But in 2006, amid withdrawals of peacekeepers from the Golan Heights, personnel counts fell below 200, where they would plateau for the next decade.
In a 2019 review for the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, Graeme Young of the University of Glasgow describes 鈥減olitics of disengagement鈥 through the Harper years, as Conservative governments pursued a 鈥淐anada First鈥 approach that saw increased militarism amid the American-led 鈥淲ar on Terror鈥 after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, but the disappearance of peacekeeping from party platforms.
鈥淸Harper鈥檚] government鈥檚 turn away from liberal internationalism and concerted efforts to reorient Canadian foreign policy around the use of force 鈥 embodied fundamental lack of commitment to peacekeeping as a public good in the international system,鈥 Young wrote.
The Liberal government that followed campaigned on the promise to 鈥渞ecommit to supporting international peace operations with the United Nations,鈥 but as Dorn notes, declines in peacekeeping continued.
鈥淏efore his election in October 2015, Trudeau criticized the Conservative government of Stephen Harper for a decline in [the] number of uniformed personnel (rank 66th on the list of contributors),鈥 Dorn鈥檚 analysis reads. 鈥淪urprisingly, under the Trudeau government, the contribution [would] fall further for over two years until Canada reached its lowest rank in history: 81st.鈥
At the most recent significant increase in 2018, Canada deployed peacekeeping forces to Mali, as part of Operation Presence. The following year, however, personnel would begin departing the country, leaving a standing roster of 10 peacekeepers, as of this year.
As of this July, Canada ranks 66th among participating UN countries for its peacekeeping contributions, down from its December 1992 standing as third in the world, behind France and the United Kingdom.
Lt.-Gen. Dallaire says it is a matter of priorities shifting away from lasting peace globally, and more to domestic self-interest.
鈥淒uring the Cold War, peacekeeping was really a rich country鈥檚 sort-of arena,鈥 Lt.-Gen. Dallaire said. 鈥淲hen the big powers didn鈥檛 need all those small countries anymore, and the dictators, many of them, took over; the frictions of the past exploded. We ended up in an era, which we鈥檙e still stumbling through, of imploding nations and failing states, mass atrocities and even genocide.鈥
The path to lasting peace, the former force-commander said, is an altruistic one -- beyond any contributing nation鈥檚 self-interest. That sense of responsibility to protect others, he said, had been a Canadian strong-suit, but mindsets have changed.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e still seeing now is a reticence of taking risks, of fear of casualties, and not providing the level of resources and people capable of not just stopping a conflict, but actually preventing conflicts from happening,鈥 he said.
鈥淭hat, I fear, is a long way down the road, still.鈥
Edited by CTVNews.ca producer Phil Hahn
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Twenty-seven year 麻豆影视 reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I鈥檓 grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Donald Trump on October 23, challenging her rival to another engagement on a public stage in the final weeks of the campaign.
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas 鈥 and lately, that鈥檚 in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A heritage home in Vancouver suffered "extensive damage" in a fire that broke out late Saturday morning, according to firefighters.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested after one person was found dead at a home in Richmond Hill Saturday morning.
Toronto police say they have now identified a third person who they believe was involved in a shooting that left two men dead in North York earlier this week.
A man is fighting for his life in hospital a day after a vehicle smashed into several others in and around an intersection in Milton before flipping over.
Milla White from Cochrane literally drew her way into a meeting with former boxer and actor Mickey Rourke.
The water coming from your taps might be a bit murky Saturday, but Calgary remains on schedule to end all water restrictions on Sunday.
A Calgary family on a trip to Chinook Centre experienced the lows and highs last week, when a stuffie went missing.
A potential move to LeBreton Flats for the Ottawa Senators is still years away, but questions and concerns are already being raised about what to do with the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Taste of Wellington 2024 wraps up Saturday in Ottawa.
A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a person of interest in connection with a suspicious fire that destroyed a multi-unit building and damaged several townhomes earlier this week.
Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.
Two people have been charged after a daylight shooting in Red Deer earlier this week.
Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.
Pictou County District RCMP is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Thorburn, N.S., Saturday.
A proposal for additional parking to accommodate upgrades at the Irving Pulp & Paper Mill in Saint John, N.B., would add an estimated 500 parking spots at Wolastoq Park.
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
A herd of dogs paid visit to patients and residents at Riverview Health Centre during an annual event that lifts spirits and wags tails.
While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.
Fire officials are investigating after a fire completely destroyed the community fridge in the Cathedral neighborhood.
The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.
Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.
The Cambridge Professional Fire Fighters鈥 Association held their annual Muscular Dystrophy Boot Drive on Saturday.
Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.
Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.
The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.
Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating after a man鈥檚 body was found on Sweetgrass First Nation.
Motors were roaring, and tires were spinning as Saskatoon's biggest names in motocross gathered together for the 50-year anniversary of the club's founding on Saturday.
Ontario鈥檚 police watchdog is investigating after an Ontario Provincial Police officer discharged his firearm at a 36-year-old man in near Moonbeam, Ont., on Friday night.
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas 鈥 and lately, that鈥檚 in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
An Ontario woman is among the dozens of people who have come forward to allege that they were sexually abused by London-based businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, the former chairman and owner of Harrods.
A motorcyclist has died following a serious collision that took place in London鈥檚 south end on Friday afternoon.
The London Police Service (LPS) is currently investigating a suspicious death in the east end.
The St. Thomas police is asking the public for help locating a missing man.
The Barrie Skateboard Association (BSA) hosted a unique competition at the City's Skate Park on Saturday to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which showcased the park's importance and the growth of skateboarding in the region.
A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.
One person is in hospital after an e-bike crash in Orillia on Thursday.
The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is celebrating a year of festivities in anticipation of its 50th anniversary in 2025.
The St. Clair College golf teams were successful at the Niagara Knights Invitational tournament on Friday.
A LaSalle high school is celebrating its emerald anniversary this weekend, with everyone who has ever walked its halls invited to return.
A man who was found dead behind a curling rink in Nanaimo, B.C., earlier this month was the victim of a homicide, police confirmed.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way鈥檚 annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.
Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
Following an outbreak of COVID-19 on its continuing care floor and just ahead of the flu season, St. Joseph鈥檚 General Hospital in Elliot Lake has opted to re-introduce a universal masking policy until further notice.
A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester鈥檚 farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says close to 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon, months after warning there is no guarantee Ottawa can evacuate them if the situation deteriorates further.
The federal firearm buyback program has cost taxpayers nearly $67.2 million since it was announced in 2020, but it still hasn't collected a single gun.
A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas 鈥 and lately, that鈥檚 in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder 鈥 it鈥檚 a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
If something looks too good to be true, it might be. That's the message from Saskatchewan horticulturists after customers have come into their stores hoping to buy purple apple trees this month.
The owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said Friday that it plans to restart the reactor under a 20-year agreement that calls for tech giant Microsoft to buy the power to supply its data centers with carbon-free energy.
Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported, after thousands of such devices exploded during a deadly attack on Hezbollah this week.
Kathryn Crosby, who appeared in such movies as 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad', 'Anatomy of a Murder,' and 'Operation Mad Ball' before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90.fff
'Saturday Night Live' will have a slew of famous faces to help kick off its historic 50th season when the show returns later this month.
The death of the Tragically Hip鈥檚 lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
It is not a great time to be a coffee drinker. In general, coffee bean prices are the highest they've been in more than a decade.
The maker of the popular party game Cards Against Humanity is accusing Elon Musk's SpaceX of trespassing on and damaging a plot of vacant land the company owns in Texas.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says a recall of Nutrabolics brand Feed Me Vegan Real Food Protein & Oats bars due to undeclared milk has been expanded.
Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.
The end of the day 鈥 when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done 鈥 is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.
While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.
Jonathan Aranda homered for the second consecutive game, helping Taj Bradley and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Saturday.
Kiefer Sherwood spent several nights last spring chasing Quinn Hughes around the ice and generally pestering the Vancouver Canucks.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
General Motors (GM) has issued a recall for 38,000 vehicles for safety risks related to a software glitch, Transport Canada reported in a notice on Wednesday.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of 'remotely disabling' his Cybertruck, which had been sent to the frontline of Russia's war in Ukraine.
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
