Foreign Affairs committee  I suspect you have a better answer to the question than I do. Again, it's not necessarily just like UNICEF, but the UN is as strong or weak as its members. Many of the things you refer to affect the Security Council. If the Security Council violently disagrees, as it does on Sy

Foreign Affairs committee  This is another very good example of the type of coalitions you need to make progress, because on neglected tropical diseases and the wider issue of water and sanitation, I would say we're not going to make the kind of progress we need to make, and have already made, without thes

Foreign Affairs committee  I mentioned a lot the elements without saying the word “religion”, but I agree with you. I think it is a big factor, and this has a lot to do with identity. In every place we work, we have to address it in a negative form, and we also work with it in a positive way. For example,

Foreign Affairs committee  I think that treaty and the progress that has been made have been extraordinary in improving the lives of so many families. As we know, this is about whether people can safely go to work in their fields, whether they can collect water, and whether children can go to school, so it

Foreign Affairs committee  We do, and we're on the board of it. We're a partner, so the Global Partnership for Education in a way creates a strategy and mobilizes that to have a replenishment, and creates money. There are also proposals on the table for a new financing facility for education that's being

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, they are. I think that everyone believes—and I know you would say this as politicians in Canada—local change is what is sustainable in the end. This is true of the big international organizations. At UN agencies like UNICEF, we are local. A lot of our staff are local and our

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. Those are big questions. On the 0.7%, we hope Canada will move toward 0.7%. As you say, it's an important target. I think it's part of actual leadership in the world. I think Canada has had an enormous impact not just through providing money but also through taking le

Foreign Affairs committee  I think your point is completely right. I mentioned the good, the bad, and the ugly. I think on the good, and on addressing this issue of inequality, what you were saying is particularly important. I think if we're going to accelerate change on education, health, on climate chang

Foreign Affairs committee  It's a very good question. Let me give you an example, because I think this is something that the new secretary-general is really on the money with in terms of his focus. It's a lot about preventing those failed states, because it's much more complex to pick up the pieces after

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, members of the committee, for sparing the time to allow me to meet with you today; it's a great honour. I know this committee is very important. I also want to take the opportunity to thank the Canadian people, their representatives, meaning you