Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

At UN, Trudeau hails European values as source of global strength in troubled times

Share
NEW YORK -

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heaped praise on the European Commission and its formidable first female president Friday as he presented Ursula von der Leyen with the judicial equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trudeau made a special one-day trip to the United Nations for the final day of the World Law Congress, where jurists from around the globe gather every two years to extoll the democratic virtues of the rule of law.

Von der Leyen, elected to lead the commission in 2019, couldn't have come along at a better time, Trudeau said, with the executive wing of the European Union confronting fresh instability at home and around the world.

"Brexit left many wondering if the union would continue to hold strong. Euroskepticism was on the rise. And protectionism and authoritarianism were becoming more prevalent," Trudeau said.

He didn't name names, but he drew an unmistakable parallel between the forces bent on prying Great Britain free of the European Union and the nationalist urges of former U.S. president Donald Trump.

"As choruses like 'America First' got louder, both Canada and Europe held fast to our belief that growth doesn't come from putting up walls and turning inwards."

Europe knows a thing or two about global instability, he added, having emerged from the bloody cauldron of the Second World War to forge a lasting peace -- one now imperilled by Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

And he said von der Leyen understands that other threats loom large as well, including the advancing consequences of climate change and authoritarian states that show little interest in restraining their carbon-heavy ambitions.

It's incumbent on the democracies of the world to defend the rules-based international order by ending their dependence on "commodities weaponized by authoritarian states," Trudeau said.

That means "standing up to bullies" and protecting those unable to protect themselves, ensuring the middle class remains strong and making it impossible for inequality to gain a foothold.

"This is a consequential moment, and it calls for thoughtful leadership and strong institutions," he said.

"I cannot think of a better embodiment of those than Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commission. You show us how respect for the dignity of all leads to the strength to protect peace, no matter what."

Von der Leyen provided a similar history lesson, describing how her late father threw himself into the cause of forging a new, united, peaceful Europe -- one that would include former antagonists like Germany and Italy.

Democratic values and the rule of law are the pillars of such peace, she said, and cannot be allowed to crumble.

"The story of our union is one of democracies, young and old, getting stronger together," von der Leyen said.

"This is Europe's promise: a united continent where all are equal before the law, with freedom and democracy for all."

Trudeau later met one-on-one with von der Leyen for another of the several bilaterals the two leaders have had since 2019, where she thanked the prime minister for his words and his ongoing leadership.

He also ventured to the top floors of the monolithic UN Headquarters, perched majestically on the shores of the East River, to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and a phalanx of aides.

A readout of the meeting said Trudeau and Guterres discussed shared priorities for the upcoming UN General Assembly.

It said the leaders spoke on a number of issues, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the crisis in Haiti and the war in Ukraine, with both expressing concern over "Russia's decision to withdraw participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its potential impacts on global food security."

Also on hand Friday was Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the UN, who honoured former Supreme Court justice Rosie Abella with the World Jurist Association's Ruth Bader Ginsburg Medal of Honor.

Named for the late U.S. Supreme Court justice who became a modern-day feminist icon, the award is bestowed on women whose careers have advanced gender equality, democracy and the rule of law.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2023.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

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 Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

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’s 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.

Stay Connected