John Baird: Canada's freedom agenda - Diplomat Magazine

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The World in CanadaPUBLISHERDonna JacobsASSOCIATE PUBLISHERNeil ReynoldsEDITORJennifer CampbellART DIRECTORPaul CavanaughBOOKS EDITORGeorge FetherlingCONTRIBUTING EDITORDon CayoCULTURE EDITORMargo RostonCONTRIBUTING WRITERSChantaie AllickWolfgang DepnerMargaret DickensonCharles DoranElse Berit EikelandFen Osler HampsonUlrich LehnerAlex Crescent MassindaLeslie MorelandLaura Neilson BonikowskyJessie ReynoldsMargo RostonElena StefoiChitranganee WagiswaraPieter Van den WegheCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSUlle BaumAshley FraserSam GarciaSerge GouinSerge TremblayLois SiegelDyanne WilsonBusiness ManagementJessie ReynoldsWEBMASTERPixelera, www.pixelera.comDIPLOPORTAL WEB PARTNERSwww.diploportal.comAlastair SweenyRichard Evers(Northern Blue Publishing)PUBLISHER EMERITUSLezlee CribbADVERTISING INQUIRIESContact Donna Jacobsdonnajacobs@gmail.comSUBSCRIPTIONSDiplomat & International Canada is published fourtimes a year. Subscription rates: individual, one year$35.70. For Canadian orders add 13 per cent HST.U.S. orders please add $15 for postage. All otherorders please add $25.SUBMISSIONSDiplomat & International Canada welcomessubmissions. Contact JenniferCampbell, editor, at editor@diplomatonline.com or (613) 231-8476.DIPLOMAT & INTERNATIONALCANADAP.O Box 1173, Station BOttawa, Ontario Canada K1P 5R2Phone: (613) 422-5262E-mail: info@diplomatonline.comwww.diplomatonline.comPublished bySparrow HouseEnterprises Inc.Volume 23, Number 1Table ofCONTENTSDIPLOMATICA|Political dissent: Cartoons from around the world ................10Debate: Switzerland’s innovative withholding tax ................14Fen Hampson: Tough times for democracies .....................16Questions Asked: Philippe Kirsch’s post-ICC life .................18Notes from the field: WaterCan at work .........................23Good deeds: Why diplomats play hockey .......................25Diplomatic Agenda: Norway goes North ......................26Trade Winds: Romania, Sri Lanka and Tanzania .................28DISPATCHES|Charles F. Doran: America is down but far from out ..............32Principled and pragmaticJohn Baird on Canada's foreign policy . .........................34Shipbuilding: A primer on the new Canadian fleet. ..............43Small but beautifulA Top 10 of small, well-run countries ...........................46Dabaab: Kenya’s overcrowded Somali refugee camps ............58DELIGHTS|Books: Tales of war and diplomacy .............................60Canadiana: The dispute over San Juan ..........................66Entertaining: Who doesn’t like pancakes? .......................68Wine: Pinot Noirs from unexpected origins ......................70Residences: The home of India’s high commissioner ..............71Envoy’s Album ..............................................75National Days ...............................................79DIGNITARIES|New arrivals in the diplomatic corps .......................... 80DIPLOMATIC LISTINGS ............................82destinations|Australia’s awesome East Coast attractions ......................88ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors. © 2007 ISSN 1190-8343 PublicationMail # 40957514. Return undeliverable Canadian copies to: Diplomat Magazine,P.O. Box 1173, Station B, Ottawa, ON K1P 5R27

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DIPLOMATICA|verbatim“Reconstruction of Greece“ by Petar Pismestrovic,Kleine Zeitung, Austria“Wall Street Corporate America Protesters“ by Brian Fairrington, U.S.“The Not-So-Super Committee“ by RickMcKee, The Augusta Chronicle, U.S.“Population and Noah's Ark“ by PavelConstantin, Romania“The Chair” by Emad Hajjaj, Jordan“Green Investments“ by Eric Allie, Caglecartoons.com, U.S.12WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

DIPLOMATICA|DEBATEFinal withholding tax in SwitzerlandSettling tax claims while preserving the privacy of bank clientsBy Ulrich LehnerAmbassador of SwitzerlandSwitzerland has recently signed taxtreaties — introducing somethingcalled “the final withholding tax”— with the United Kingdom and Germany.These treaties have aroused theinterest of other governments in Europe(and overseas as well) and have given riseto significant public discussion. What isthe final withholding tax and how doesit work?For tax authorities in industrializedcountries, one of today’s great challengesis how to deal with the undisclosed assetsof their citizens. Voluntary disclosure initiativesare often costly and burdensomefor governments. In the UK, for example,two recent voluntary tax disclosure initiativesneeded the involvement of some7,000 taxpayers to raise US$351 million intaxes.In the light of these efforts, the taxtreaty which the UK recently signed withSwitzerland appears to provide substantialbudgetary income with significantlyless administrative effort. Switzerland— or, rather, Swiss banks — will pay theUK a lump-sum, up-front payment of500 million Swiss francs (US$542 million)which will be refunded to them as sufficienttax revenues are raised from UKresident clients. This sum will be toppedup with further payments based on a oneoff,flat-rate tax on existing undisclosed assetsand, also, a withholding tax on futurecapital income.A similar agreement has been signedwith Germany. The initial lump sumpayment to Germany is even higher,amounting initially to 2 billion Swissfrancs (US$2.17 billion), again followed byfurther payments.14The Swiss National Bank (SNB) serves as the country’s central back. Founded by law on Jan. 16,1906, it began conducting business on June 20, 1907A new financial market strategyTwo years ago, following the upheavalsand changed market structures on globalfinancial markets, the Swiss governmentdecided to follow a new strategy withregard to the Swiss financial centre. Themain elements of this new policy arethe strengthening of international competitivenessand resilience to crises. Atthe same time, the new strategy sought toimprove access to financial markets andto guarantee the integrity of Switzerlandas a financial centre. The new strategy affirmedSwitzerland’s longstanding policyof fighting financial crimes, includingmoney laundering, and of returning illicitassets of politically-exposed personsto their countries of origin, and complementedthis objective by ensuring fullinternational cooperation against tax evasion.The decision by Switzerland to concentrateon the management of taxed moniesin its banks is thus embedded in its financialmarket strategy. It might be usefulto recall at this stage that the financialsector is a supporting pillar of the Swisseconomy. Its contribution to the country’s2010 gross domestic product (GDP), atcurrent prices, of US$598.9 billion, is approximately12 percent.How does the final withholding tax work?Switzerland is not interested in untaxedmoney. In order to provide a satisfactorysolution to partner states to tax theundisclosed assets of their citizens, Switzerlandhas developed the model of thefinal withholding tax. This tax guaranteesthe full remittance of taxes claimedby partner states on the existing untaxedassets and future income of their citizensin Switzerland. The tax is deducted fromthe credit balance of the relevant personon an anony mous basis. More specifically,the Swiss bank deducts a flat-ratetax sum on existing assets from UK andGerman resident clients (past) and oninvestment income and capital gains(future) respectively, and forwards thesesums to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration.The latter then transfers thesemonies to the respective British and Germantax authorities.Once the tax has been levied, the taxliability is deemed to have been settled —hence the term final withholding tax. Thetax rates that will be applied have beennegotiated with both the UK and Germanyand are aligned with the tax ratesapplicable in these countries, in order toavoid any distortion of competition withregard to taxes.Privacy is guaranteedThe question may then be asked whetherthis is the end of bank secrecy — one ofthe pillars of the Swiss banking sector.WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MARDodo von den Bergen

DEBATE|DIPLOMATICAThis is definitely not the case. The aimof the system is to transfer to partnerstates the taxes due on the past and futureincome of their citizens. However,the taxation is anonymous. Therefore,the protection of privacy and the discreettreatment of bank clients in Switzerlandare still guaranteed.The final withholding tax enablespeople to invest their assets in a safe andpolitically reliable financial centre in theheart of Europe, with legal security anda stable currency, yet at the same time, tosettle their tax obligations to their homecountries anonymously.As an alternative to anonymous taxation,clients have the choice of disclosingtheir bank data to the tax authorities of theUK or Germany. In such cases, they willbe subject to retrospective taxation on anindividual basis. Clients who are unwillingto accept either system will be obligedto close their accounts in Switzerland.Safeguard mechanismAs for new untaxed investments from theUK or Germany entering Switzerland,the system offers a safeguard mechanism,allowing the partner state to launch aspecific number of queries to Switzerlandeach year. As an additional facet ofSwitzerland’s new policy, this type ofexchange of tax information goes furtherthan the OECD standard; it does not setany specific pre-condition for the enquiryto be initiated. In response to such queries,Switzerland will provide the accountnumber of the particular citizen to therelevant partner state (assuming that thisperson holds a Swiss account). The doubletaxation treaty will then provide otheropportunities to the partner state to learnaccount details as well as further relevantinformation.Although Switzerland is ready andwilling to exchange tax information ona treaty basis, as prescribed by the internationalstandard set by the OECD, it isdecidedly not in favour of an automaticexchange of tax information. The automaticexchange of information generatesvast amounts of data which is often unusableand irrelevant. The final withholdingtax system deducts the tax where it is duewithout generating an additional administrativeburden for the partner state toanalyze superfluous data.The system has raised much recognitionand interest so far. Of course, thereare also adversaries to the final withholdingtax, who claim that it can be circumventedby using post-box companies,trusts and other “specialized vehicles.” Acloser look at the treaties, however, revealsthat this is not the case. Swiss banks arebound by strict money-laundering regulations,which oblige them to identify the ultimatebeneficiary behind such structures.The information exchange system providedin the treaties obliges Switzerlandto inform the partner state of the existenceof assets of their citizens in cases wherefunds are held in the name of a “specializedvehicle.”An efficient alternativeThe final withholding tax has had a successfulstart, and it is likely to be the leadingand preferred alternative to theautomatic exchange of information in thefuture. Both the UK and Germany haveindeed acknowledged that the agreed systemwill have a long-term impact that isequivalent to the automatic exchange ofinformation in the area of capital income.While the treaties have been signed withboth Germany and the UK, they will probablygo into force beginning in 2013 (subjectto parliamentary approval in bothpartner countries). DTHE POWEROF PRESENCE2012 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE$46,995STARTING AT$4.9%FINANCING UP TO 72 MTHPLUS $1370 Freight, $600 PDI, $399 Admin,$100 A/C tax, $29.20 Ontario Tire Stewardshipfee and $5 OMVIC feeAVAILABLE IN 2 AND 4 DOORSTOLL FREE NUMBER1-888-456-0274 LANDROVEROTTAWA.CAdiplomat and international canada 15

DIPLOMATICA|Foreign AffairsThe high price of global retrenchmentfen Osler hAmpsonOur globalized world is unraveling.This is not the end of globalization,but it is something we haveseen before. It is called retrenchment.It is a phenomenon characterized bydeclining levels of interdependence inglobal trade and investment, beggar-thyneighbourpolicies as states (especiallynew entrants in the global economy) lookout for their own interests and don’t playby the rules, a corresponding weakenedcapacity for collective action among theworld’s leading nations, and the progressiveweakening of international institutionsthat are the bedrock of a soundglobal order.The first great era of globalization unfoldedin the second half of the 19th Century.It was an era marked by a dramaticincrease in worldwide trade, investment,labour mobility and prosperity. But itwas followed in the 1920s and 1930s bydeclining interdependence as countriesintroduced a wide range of protectionistmeasures to shield jobs and local industry.Great Britain introduced the CommonwealthImperial system, which grantedfavourable access and free trade on reciprocalterms to its Dominions (Canadaamong them) and colonial territories.In 1926, Britain introduced the EmpireMarketing Board to encourage Britons tobuy goods from their current and formercolonies.The United States wanted it both ways.Although the U.S. pressured Canada toabandon the Imperial preference system,it still wanted to keep its own tariffs andrestrictive policies in place. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (1930) smacked America’strading partners, including Canada,hard. By some estimates, worldwide tradein the 1930s shrank by almost a third ascountries retaliated against each other.16U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper converse at the G20 Summitin Cannes, France, in November.The retrenchment phenomenon of theinter-war years also had an ugly politicalside as countries struggled with massiveunemployment, inflation and the broaderconsequences of economic depression intheir societies. In Weimar Germany andItaly, national socialism reared its uglyhead as Hitler and Mussolini rode topower on a xenophobic wave of popularprotest, replacing democracy with brutaldictatorship.The leaders of the Anglo-Saxon world(Britain, the U.S., Canada, Australia)wrestled with a different kind of problem— isolationism — as their societiesturned inward and refused to deal, at leastinitially, with the dark storm clouds thatwere gathering over Europe.The League of Nations, an instrumentfor collective global security which hadbeen crafted out of the Paris peace settlementsfollowing the end of the First GreatWar, also proved incapable of dealingwith a series of aggressive acts by the AxisPowers in the 1930s.History does not repeat itself. But today,in the second decade of the 21st Century,we too are grappling with a renewedbout of retrenchment and the attendantpolitical risks that come with a downturnin global economic fortunes and a weakeningof international institutions.The causes of the current crisis are complex,but they are rooted in a variety of ills.The world continues to struggle with thefallout of the 2008-09 financial crisis, andnow a second one with the impending collapseof the Eurozone monetary regime.The deep bonds of European integrationhave been weakened by Italy, Greece,Portugal and Spain who are wrestlingwith unsustainable levels of public debtand are struggling to cut public expendituresat a time when their own economiesare contracting and many people — especiallythe young — are out of work. If theEurozone collapses, the ambitious enterprisethat was launched by Jean Monnetand the other founders of the EuropeanUnion will be seriously compromised.Democracy, too, is paying a price asunelected technocrats are catapulted intopositions of power in countries such asGreece and Italy to fix fiscal problems thatthe politicians can’t, or won’t.If Europe is not able to manage theWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MARF. de La Mure/MAEE

Foreign Affairs|DIPLOMATICAF. de La Mure/MAEELast year's G20 Summit in Cannes, France was widely viewed as a failure. Pictured here is thesite of the Summit's “round table meetings.”crisis because of its own internal politicalconstraints and contradictions, everyonewill be a loser as contagion spreads.To make matters worse, Washingtonis mired in its own unrelenting fiscal andbudgetary battles. Partisan politics hasyielded to ugly class warfare as Democratsand Republicans take each otheron. Whether markets and investors areprepared to live with the continuing politicaluncertainty until the November 2012election remains to be seen.The international architecture that wasforged out of the 2008-09 economic crisisis proving woefully inadequate. G20summits of world leaders have degeneratedinto exercises of indecision, fingerpointingand mutual recrimination. TheG20 summit held in early November 2011in Cannes, France, was by all accounts afailure. The political and economic crisis inGreece hijacked an agenda that was supposedto come up with a long-term plan torebalance the global economy, promote financialstability and address pressing newissues such as global food security.The Bretton Woods system of internationalinstitutions, the bedrock of post-SecondWorld War global economic recoveryand prosperity, is fumbling and crumbling.This is especially true of the world tradingsystem. The World Trade Organization hasfailed to conclude a new agreement onworld trade, notwithstanding successiverounds of negotiations at Doha. Talks arestuck in neutral because of major disagreementsabout trade liberalization in agricultureand in a number of other sectors.The deeper problem here is that globaleconomic interdependence has increaseddramatically since the 1980s, but the institutionalframework that is required tomonitor, regulate and provide for crisismanagement has not kept pace. We arethus seeing political retrenchment as countriesgrapple with the instabilities causedby private and government excesses (primarilyexcessive borrowing by consumersand governments alike).As economic conditions worsen, governmentsare tempted to retrench further,leading to an uncoordinated spiral of noncooperativebehavior.The inadequate pace of global financeand economic sector governanceis matched in the field of internationalsecurity. At first, the late 1980s and 1990sseemed to mark a new era of the UnitedNations as the global mechanism throughwhich conflicts could be monitored, managedand resolved. The institution hadsome notable successes in all corners ofthe world — Namibia, Mozambique,Cambodia, and El Salvador and, morerecently, East Timor.The success rate, however, wasmatched by a failure rate, as the UN fellshort of effective action in Bosnia, Somalia,Rwanda and Haiti, and was marginalizedin the face of terrorist attacks on theUnited States and the subsequent U.S.decision to attack Iraq and Afghanistan.Instead of building strengthened globalsecurity institutions, the general internationalpattern has been to cast doubt onthe relevance of established ones. Insteadof innovation, we have witnessed expansion,dilution and confusion.Nowhere is this more apparent than inthe Middle East and North Africa where,as the Arab Spring sputters and descendsinto chaos, there has not been much morethan hand-wringing by Western countriesas opportunistic neighbours exploitmounting bedlam for their own religiousand political ends.Another aspect of our retrenchingworld is that those countries that are risingpowers in the international system— China, India, and Brazil, for example —are not yet showing the kind of leadershipthat is expected of them. They have still toacquire the shared sense of responsibilityfor global governance and stewardship ofthe international system that come withgreat power status.China’s reluctance to grant reciprocityto its trading and investment partnersis symptomatic of this problem. So, too,are its depressed exchange rate policies,which are a continuing bone of contention,especially with the U.S.China, Russia and India were offsidewith other members of the UN SecurityCouncil over Libya. They have also doneprecious little to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitionsor to use their influence to promotepeaceful regime change in Syria.The rising powers of our new worldare still wedded to old patterns of behaviour.Power-sharing has to meanburden-sharing and reciprocity if globalinstitutions in economics and security aregoing to function effectively.The central and most powerful actors inthe international system are all — in oneway or another — troubled by domesticpolitical and economic pressures, yieldingto short-term political imperatives over issuesof identity, employment, health, ageing,trade and jobs.As new entrants into the world economygame the old system further, therebyweakening it and reducing its credibility,Western governments will be furthertempted either to go it alone or simply towithdraw.In such a world, there will be lessgrowth and greater political instability.The inter-war years of the last century area stark reminder of the trouble that comeswhen there is diminished will, capacityand leadership for collective action.Fen Osler Hampson is Chancellor’sProfessor and director of The NormanPaterson School of International Affairsat Carleton University.diplomat and international canada 17

DIPLOMATICA|QUESTIONS AskedLife after the International Criminal CourtCanadian lawyer and diplomat PhilippeKirsch was the first president of theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) andserved as a judge on the court from 2003 to2009. Prior to that, he worked for ForeignAffairs for 30 years. He served as assistantdeputy minister for legal, consular andpassport affairs, as deputy permanent representativeto the UN, as legal adviser forthe department and, finally, as ambassadorto Sweden.He retired from that position to becomea judge at the ICC, not a surprising appointmentsince he chaired the committee thatestablished the court in the first place. In2009, he received the Order of Canada forhis contributions to international criminallaw. Diplomat last interviewed him whenhe was still at the court, so editor JenniferCampbell thought it was time to get caughtup on what he’s been doing since he leftthat position nearly three years ago. Shespoke with him by phone from his home inSallèles d'Aude, France.Diplomat Magazine: The last time wespoke, you were heading up the InternationalCriminal Court at the Hague.What have you been doing since you leftthat job?Philippe Kirsch: I left in March 2009. Threedays later, I was appointed judge ad-hocat the International Court of Justice ina case concerning [war crime suspect]Hissène Habré — it’s a dispute betweenBelgium and Senegal as to whether andwhere he should be tried or prosecuted. Istill have that job because the case is notfinished. [Habré was the leader of Chadfrom 1982 until he was deposed in 1990.Human rights groups allege he is responsiblefor thousands of deaths.]I spent a couple of years doing a lot ofconferences, which I decided to reducein 2010 because it was just too time-consuming.I must have done 40 or 50, someof them in Canada, including the last oneat the Trudeau Foundation in December,2010, in Winnipeg. My main two activitiesthis year have been the Bahrain Commissionof Inquiry and the Libyan Commission.DM: But in theory, you’re retired, correct?PK: I heard rumours to that effect (laughs)but I think I was very wrong on what retirementis supposed to be. I had [it onlyfor] the first three days.18ICCPhilippe Kirsch when he was at the InternationalCriminal Court in the Hague.DM: What have you been doing with theLibyan Commission?PK: The situation has changed a lot [as aresult of the National Transitional Councilcoming to power and the death ofGadhafi]. The first part of the mission ofthe commission was obviously to focuson abuses committed by the Gadhafi regimeduring the repression of demonstrationsin February.The situation changed in the sense thatit moved from a situation of disturbances,in a [nation] which was still formallyat peace, to non-international conflict,where you had a government fighting aforce that was organized. Then you had aparallel international conflict involving acoalition of states and NATO, but this wasa separate conflict. The international allieshad no control over what was happeningon the ground or over the two parties tothe non-international conflict. The commissionthen had to investigate allegationsof violations of international humanitarianlaw, not only of human rights law.That was the context in which weconducted our first mission. We went toTobruk and Benghazi to see the NationalTransitional Council and we went toTripoli to see the representatives of theGadhafi regime at the time. We visitedprisons and interviewed many people,also in Egypt and Tunisia. Our first missionwas still in a situation where you hadtwo poles, the government and the opposition,or rebellion.What happened in the [autumn of 2011]was that the focus moved almost entirelyto the National Transitional Council. Ournext report, which is due in March, willstill deal a lot with violations of the lawduring the past armed conflicts, but willprobably focus increasingly on the NationalTransitional Council and the forcesworking with it, now being the only gamein town. Therefore we will have to look atwhat happens on that score because themandate that we have is not limited to theconduct of the Gadhafi regime. The resolutionasks the Commission to investigateall violations in the territory. So we have tolook at everything.DM: How long do you expect to be involved?PK: I think the next report [in March 2012,to the UN Human Rights Council] willbe the final report. We are planning twomissions of the commissioners: one inDecember [2011] and one in January, bothpreceded by a long mission by investigatorswho will be with us again whenwe’re in the territory. An advance missionjust came back [in November] fromTripoli to report on the situation.DM: At the same time as you’re studyingthe Libyan situation, you’re also one offive members of the Bahrain IndependentCommission of Inquiry.PK: Yes. The commission looked intoevents when there were demonstrationsWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

QUESTIONS Asked|DIPLOMATICAwhich were repressed by the governmentwith excessive force and where other allegationsof abuse have been made, forexample, with respect to detention andtreatment of detainees, arrests, investigationsand trials that may not havebeen conducted properly. As a result ofsuch allegations, the King of Bahrain appointedthis independent commission ofinquiry with five foreign commissioners.DM: Do you take it as a good sign that theKing appointed an independent commission?PK: It’s a hopeful sign. It is obviouslymore healthy if a neutral commission isappointed at the national level by theauthority of that country than if it is imposedby the international community.It’s better for society. The commission isabsolutely impartial. I know all the commissioners.They are people who aren’tgoing to be influenced by one side or theother. We’re going to say what we think,whoever has or has not done what.DM: Did the King choose the commissioners?PK: He chose the head of the commission,Professor Cherif Bassiouni, an Egyptian-American who teaches at DePaul Universityin Chicago and who was also thechair of the Libyan commission before Itook over. I’m not sure what the processof selection was of the other commissioners.[Note: The commission released a 500-page report after this interview in November.It took 9,000 testimonies, offereda chronology of events and documented46 deaths and 559 allegations of torture.There were also some 4,000 cases whereemployees were dismissed for protesting.The report was critical of security forceswhich it said used “force and firearms” inan “excessive manner that was, on manyoccasions, unnecessary, disproportionateand indiscriminate.”]DM: On the topic of the InternationalCriminal Court, can you talk about youraspirations for the court and what youthink will become of it?PK: The perception I have from a distanceis that the ICC is much more solid thanit was two or three years ago. First of all,there was the reference of the Libyan situation,which was the second referral bythe [UN] Security Council [after the situationin Darfur]. It now has seven situations.But the point is that, in additionto what it actually does, it seems to beFormer UN secretary-general Kofi Annan speaks at ceremony in Rome to mark the signing ofthe treaty on the establishment of the International Criminal Court.perceived today as a much more naturalpiece of the international landscape thanit used to be. I don’t detect the same kindof attacks, or at least the great suspicion,that existed a few years ago. I also noteso many references to the ICC across theworld. As soon as a situation develops,where crimes seem to have been committed,the first reaction is often that theICC should deal with it. There’s that, andthe fact that the number of states [partiesto the Rome Statute which governs theICC] has risen to 119, which is quite a fewmore than when I left. Overall, I think thecourt situation has been improving.That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have majorhurdles to go through still. For example,it could work more efficiently. It willalso continue to work in an internationalenvironment that is difficult because, bydefinition, all situations that are referred tothe ICC are linked to some kind of politicalsituation with big interests — so someonewill always have an interest in makingthings difficult.And again, I guess at some point, it willbe important for the ICC to move awayfrom its exclusive focus on Africa. I foundit understandable that it initially [focussedon Africa] for a variety of reasons, includingthe gravity of the crimes committed,and also because a number of Africanstates had accepted its jurisdiction. Thatis not necessarily the case in other regionsin which crimes are committed. If the ICChas no jurisdiction over a particular situation,because the state concerned has notaccepted it, there’s no way it can get thecase except through the Security Council.So it is limited in the exercise of its mandate.That said, I think it will be necessaryto visibly broaden its scope of activitiesgeographically, albeit still within the limitsof its mandate.DM: To what do you attribute the successesthat have made the court moreprominent?PK: For one, I think the institution is betterknown and understood than it was.For a long time there were great confusionsbetween the ICC, the InternationalCourt of Justice, the ICTY [InternationalCriminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]— all those institutions. I thinkthe ICC now really has acquired a statureof its own. The other thing is the way ithas conducted itself, and that’s somethingI was extremely attentive to whenI was president. It has never conductedproceedings on any other basis than thelaw. When the ICC is accused of bias,the accusation is always based on vague,broad statements, on perceptions. I neversaw an attack on the actual reasoning bya chamber, for example, because they aresimply based on very solid legal grounds.And I think that reassured some statesthat were concerned about having a court[with] a political bent.DM: What are your long-term hopes forthe ICC?PK: My major hope for it remains whatI’ve had in mind since the Rome Conference[which created the judicial body in1998] — that the ICC will be able to fulfillits mission, [which will happen] onlywhen you get very close to universal acceptance[by countries of the world]. Atthe beginning, the number of ratificationsincreased very fast, then it slowed. It’sUN PHOTOdiplomat and international canada 19

DIPLOMATICA|QUESTIONS Askedpicked up again now. It’s making a dentin Asia. The Philippines ratified recently;Malaysia and Indonesia made publicstatements that they would. Those thingsare important.Tunisia has now ratified, also. Thatis an important indication in the ArabWorld, which is still badly lacking in termsof participation. It is gradually improvingbut it will take a long time to reach itsdestination. Yet, universality remains themost important thing for different reasons.One is functional. The court cannot functionproperly or take certain situations ifits jurisdiction is not accepted. Anotheris a matter of principle. Its mission is, bydefinition, universal. If a large part of theworld is seen to escape its jurisdiction, itis not good for the institution. It will continueto be perceived, I wouldn’t say as aEuropean court anymore, but at least asa court which is unable to deal with situationswhere obvious crimes have beencommitted.DM: So that’s the first step.PK: The situation is improving: 119 countriesis not bad when you compare, forexample, with the International Court ofJustice, where about 60 countries haveaccepted its compulsory jurisdiction after60 or more years of existence.DM: What do you see as the timeline forthis? Is 60 years a realistic goal?PK: I hope it will be before that. This issomething that’s not been understood —how much it has been accepted in verylittle time. People focus on the fact thatyou don’t have major states — the U.S.,China, India, Russia — but they don’tcompare. The International Court of Justicehas none of those, either.DM: You’re now living in the South ofFrance. Have you lived in Canada sinceyou left for Sweden in 2003?PK: No, because I went straight [fromSweden] to the Netherlands. [The ICCoperates from The Hague]. Now I’vemoved to the South of France, not necessarilypermanently but to discover a bitof sun in my life. My wife is here but mydaughters are in Montreal, and my sister,also. So I do go back to Canada and theycome [to the South of France] too.The docket ofthe ICCCongoThomas Lubanga Dyilo: Alleged founder ofthe Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC) andthe Forces patriotiques pour la liberation duCongo (FPLC), alleged commander-in-chiefof the FPLC and alleged president of theof the UPC. He is charged with war crimesincluding enlisting and conscripting childrenunder the age of 15 into the FPLC and usingthem to participate actively in hostilitiesand armed conflict, both international andinternal. His trial began January 2009.Germain Katanga, aka “Simba“ andMathieu Ngudjolo Chui: Katanga is allegedcommander of the Force de resistance patriotiqueen Ituri (FRPI) and Chui is the allegedformer leader of the Front des nationalistset intégrationnistes. They are charged withwar crimes including using children underthe age of 15 to take part in hostilities,directing an attack against a civilian population,willful killings, destruction of property,pillaging; sexual slavery and rape. They arealso charged with crimes against humanity,including murder, rape and sexual slavery.Their trial began November 2009.Bosco Ntaganda: Former alleged deputychief of the Forces patriotiques pour laliberation du Congo (FPLC) and allegedchief of staff of the Congrès national pourla defense du people (CNDP) armed group.He’s allegedly criminally responsible forthree counts of war crimes including enlistmentand conscription of children under theage of 15 and using children under the ageof 15 to participate actively in hostilities. Mr.Ntaganda is at large.Callixte Mbarushimana: Alleged executivesecretary of the Forces Democratiquespour la Liberation du Rwanda-ForcesCombattantes Abacunguzi (FDLR-FCA).He’s charged with five counts of crimesagainst humanity including murder, torture,rape, inhumane acts and persecution andsix counts of war crimes including attacksagainst civilian population, destructionof property, murder, torture, rape andinhuman treatment. His trial began inSeptember 2011.Central African RepublicJean-Pierre Bemba Gombo: Allegedpresident and commander-in-chief of theMovement for the Liberation of Congo(MLC). He’s charged with two counts ofcrimes against humanity, including murderJulianaTheDowntown Ottawa100 Bronson Ave - An Address of Distinction613-688-2222∙ Walking distance toshops/dining/arts∙ Minutes to Parliament Hill∙ Near Embassies∙ Spacious, luxurious suites∙ Stunning river and city views∙Residents lounge∙Rooftop terrace∙ A/C, heat & water included∙Appliances included∙ 1 Bedroom Suites (900 sq. ft)∙ 2 Bedroom Suites (1500 sq. ft)20WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

QUESTIONS Asked|DIPLOMATICAand rape, and three war crimes, includingmurder, rape and pillaging. His trial beganin November 2010.UgandaJoseph Kony: Alleged commander-in-chiefof the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). He ischarged with 12 counts of crimes againsthumanity including murder, enslavement,sexual enslavement, rape, inhumane acts ofinflicting serious bodily injury and suffering.He’s also charged with 21 counts of warcrimes including murder, cruel treatment ofcivilians, intentionally directing an attackagainst a civilian population, pillaging,inducing rape and forced enlistment ofchildren. Mr. Kony is at large.Vincent Otti: Alleged vice-chairman andsecond-in-command of the Lord’s ResistanceArmy (LRA). He’s charged with 11 counts ofcrimes against humanity, including murder,sexual enslavement, and inhumane acts ofinflicting serious bodily injury and suffering.He’s also charged with 21 counts of warcrimes including inducing rape, intentionallydirecting an attack against a civilianpopulation, forced enlistment of children,cruel treatment of civilians, pillaging andmurder. Mr. Otti is at large.Okot Odhiambo: Alleged deputy armycommander and alleged commander oftwo brigades of the Lord’s Resistance Army(LRA). He’s charged with two counts ofcrimes against humanity, including murderand enslavement. He’s also charged witheight counts of war crimes, includingmurder, intentionally directing an attackagainst a civilian population, pillaging andforced enlisting of children. Mr. Odhiambois at large.Dominic Ongwen: Alleged commander ofone brigade of the Lord’s Resistance Army(LRA). He’s charged with three countsof crimes against humanity, includingenslavement, and inhumane acts of inflictingserious bodily injury and suffering.He’s also charged with four counts of warcrimes, including murder, cruel treatmentof civilians, intentionally directing an attackagainst a civilian population and pillaging.Mr. Ongwen is at large.SudanAhmad Muhammad Harun: Former ministerof state for the interior and minister ofstate for humanitarian affairs of Sudan. He’scharged with 20 counts of crimes againsthumanity including murder, persecution,forcible transfer of population, rape,inhumane acts, imprisonment or severedeprivation of liberty and torture. He’salso charged with 22 counts of war crimesincluding murder, attacks against the civilianpopulation, destruction of property,rape, pillaging and outrage upon personaldignity. Mr. Harun is at large.Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman: Allegedleader of the militia/Janjaweed. He’scharged with 22 counts of crimes againsthumanity including murder, deportation orforcible transfer of population, imprisonmentor other severe deprivation of physicalliberty in violation of fundamental rules ofinternational law, torture, persecution andinhumane acts of inflicting serious bodilyinjury and suffering. He’s also charged with28 counts of war crimes, including violenceto life and person, outrage upon personaldignity, in particular humiliating anddegrading treatment, intentionally directingan attack against a civilian population,pillaging, rape and destroying or seizing ofproperty. He is at large.Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir: Presidentof the Republic of Sudan. He’s charged withfive counts of crimes against humanity,SERVICES WE OFFER:Fully-equipped on-site tailor shopComplete formalwear & accessories selectionMade-to-measure clothing & custom shirtingsPersonal shoppingGift certificatesComplimentary gift wrapping199 Richmond Road613.829.8313Monday — Friday 9-6, Saturday 9-5APPOINTMENTS WELCOMEwww.erfisher.comdiplomat and international canada 21

DIPLOMATICA|QUESTIONS Askedincluding murder, extermination, forcibletransfer, torture and rape. He’s also chargedwith two counts of war crimes includingintentionally directing attacks against acivilian population, or against individualcivilians not taking part in hostilities, andpillaging and three counts of genocide,including genocide by killing, genocide bycausing serious bodily or mental harm andgenocide by deliberately inflicting on eachtarget group conditions of life calculatedto bring about the group’s physical destruction.Mr. Al Bashir is at large.Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and SalehMohammed Jerbo Jamus: The former iscommander-in-chief of Justice and EqualityMouvement Collective-Leadership, one ofthe components of the United ResistanceFront. The latter is former chief-of-staff ofSLA-Unity and currently integrated intoJustice and Equality Mouvement. They arecharged with war crimes including violenceto life, intentionally directing attacksagainst personnel, installations, material,units or vehicles involved in a peacekeepingmission and pillaging. Their case is at thepre-trial stage.Meet Alice:One of Elmwood’s Inspiring Girls“Alice has excelled at Elmwood—in her studies, as an athlete andas a role model. Once a quietgirl, she’s grown into a confidentyoung woman who inspires herclassmates. With the skills she’slearned here, she is ready to takeon the world. ”There is one thing that every single girl at Elmwood School has: potential.We see it in the classroom, on the field, in the halls and all around us. Webelieve that every girl comes to us with untapped potential, and it is our job tohelp her discover it.Elmwood School Highlights:• IB Programme at all levels ensures ease of mobility for diplomatic families• Outstanding graduate achievement and university placement• Supportive atmosphere eases transition to new school and city• Inspiring, dedicated faculty• Diverse, globally aware student body• ESL instruction available from JK to Grade 12For more information on the advantages of anElmwood education, please visit elmwood.ca. Inspiring girls22-Ms. Derbyshire, Grade 11 TeacherKenyaWilliam Samoei Ruto and Henry KipronoKosgey: Mr. Ruto is a suspended ministerfrom Kenya’s government; Mr. Kosgey is acurrent member of parliament and chairmanof the ODM. They are charged withcrimes against humanity including murder,forcible transfer of population and persecution.Their case is at the pre-trial stage.Joshua Arap Sang: Currently head of operationsat Kass FM in Nairobi. He is chargedwith crimes against humanity includingmurder, forcible transfer of population andpersecution. His case is at the pre-trial stage.Francis Kirimi Muthaura and Uhuru MuigaiKenyatta: Mr. Muthaura is currently head ofthe public service and secretary to the cabinetof Kenya; Mr. Kenyatta is deputy primeminister and minister for finance of Kenya.Both are charged with crimes againsthumanity including murder, forcible transfer,rape, persecution and other inhumaneacts. Their case is at the pre-trial stage.Mohammed Hussein Ali: Currently CEOof the Postal Corporation of Kenya. He ischarged with allegedly contributing to thefollowing crimes against humanity: murder,forcible transfer, rape, persecution andother inhumane acts. His case is at thepre-trial stage. DWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

NOTES FROM THE FIELD|DIPLOMATICA$25 buys water for an African child’s lifetimeBy Leslie MorelandWorldwide, 443 million schooldays are lost each year due topreventable water- and sanitation-relateddiseases. The lack of cleandrinking water and basic toilet facilitiesin schools and communities throughoutthe developing world results in millionsof children missing out on a chance to attendschool, an experience which wouldequip them to build brighter futures forthemselves and their families.It’s hard to imagine going to schooland spending the day worrying aboutwhere you’ll be able to relieve yourselfin private, or where you’ll get a drink ofwater to quench your thirst at lunch. ForCanadians, this is a completely foreignnotion. When I was growing up in smalltownOntario, the thought never evencrossed my mind. Every day, I’d let thetap run, feel the cool, clean water from thefountain hit my mouth, and flush the toiletwithout a second thought. Yet, for millionsof school-aged children around the world,days spent without access to clean waterand toilets is their unfortunate reality.Access to clean water, basic sanitationand hygiene education are the ABCs of internationaldevelopment and form the verybuilding blocks of social and economicdevelopment in communities around theworld. They are also integral to the healthand well-being of individuals and entirecommunities. Sadly, the great importanceof these basic services at schools has beenalmost entirely overlooked. However,without such facilities and training, schoolsrisk becoming places that actually causesickness, and in turn severely hinder thefight against global poverty.WaterCan’s Clean Water for Schools programworks to support the provision ofclean water, basic sanitation and hygieneAt Joseph Apuodo School in Nairobi, Kenya, safe drinking water and basic sanitation facilitieshave helped create a healthy school environment where learning, laughing and playing,rather than stomach aches and diarrhea, are top of mind.education. Since 2006, we’ve been workingwith local communities and Africanpartners to find sustainable, communitydrivenwater and sanitation solutionsfor schools throughout Ethiopia, Kenya,Uganda and Tanzania. And the costs arereasonable: by WaterCan’s formula, $25buys an African child water for life.When boys and girls don’t have accessto clean water on school grounds, the consequencescan be severe and life-altering.For example, children are in danger of sufferingfrom water- and sanitation-relateddiseases such as skin and eye infections,diarrhea and intestinal parasites. Thesediseases contribute to malnutrition andoften hamper both physical and mentaldevelopment, making learning difficult.The sad reality of dirty and unhygienicschool environments is that they alsodiscourage students, particularly younggirls, from even attending school. Withoutclean, private and gender-segregatedtoilet facilities, girls are prevented (byembarrassment or by their families) fromattending school during menstruation.This contributes to a significant disparityin male and female primary-school graduationrates. Understandably, qualifiedteachers are also less willing to work atschools that don’t offer these basic services.This further prevents children fromgetting an education that could help theirfamilies and communities break the pervasivecycle of poverty.I recently had an opportunity to sitdown with an inspiring young girl at BarChando Primary School in western Kenya.She told me what her life was like beforeWaterCan and our partner SANA (SustainableAid in Africa) helped the schoolcomplete a 25,000-litre rainwater harvestingtank, four handwashing facilities and13 toilets to benefit the 447 students.Peter Breggdiplomat and international canada 23

DIPLOMATICA|NOTES FROM THE FIELDPeter BreggSchool children at St. Paul Buloba Primary School near Kampala, Uganda, now have safedrinking water thanks to WaterCan.“Before the new tank was constructed,we only had one tank and would stillneed to collect water from the pond,”the girl said. “I remember having to missclass time not only to collect the water butalso because I suffered a lot from stomachpains and diarrhea. But this isn’t the caseanymore. Now we have clean water tolast us the term. We can drink it, the teacherscan have tea and we can wash ourhands. The girls can even shower.” Thisgirl and her classmates have learned tomanage the water and, by practising conservation,there is enough water to meetthe demands of the school for all threesemesters.According to the head teacher at BarChando, enrolment is up, absenteeismis down and academic performance hasimproved since completion of this projectin 2010.It is amazing to see the difference asmall project like this can make in thelives of school children — not only physicallybut mentally as well. The morale atthe school is high and I know more goodthings are yet to come.WaterCan’s Clean Water for Schoolsprogram is funded entirely by the Canadianpublic. Thank you for making thisprogram such a success. Please visit www.watercan.com to learn more about thisprogram and how you can get involved.Leslie Moreland is an Ottawa-based programofficer for WaterCan.24FALL 2011 | OCT-NOV-DEC

good deeds|DIPLOMATICAPlaying defence: hockey as a fundraiserOne of two annual games between the attachésand the Canadian Forces team (CanadianForces Support Unit, Ottawa) took placeat the Ottawa University Arena Nov. 23. Thepuck was dropped by Colonel Robert Perronfor General Walter Natynczyk and Germanattaché Lt. Col. Kay Kuhlen.Ahockey tradition, now three yearsold, started as a way for militaryattachés to get together with theircolleagues from National Defence in alighthearted, casual way. In the beginning,the team of military attachés postedto Ottawa from all over the world wasa rag-tag bunch with ill-fitting gear butthey had spirit — and bravely took on aNational Defence team made up of seniorCanadian officers, led by Chief of DefenceStaff General Walt Natynczyk. The gamehelped raise funds for Canadian militaryfamilies.It wasn’t a bad showing with a finalscore of eight to five in favour of the Canadianteam. After all, prior to the twomonths of weekly practices leading up tothat 2008 game, some of the attachés hadnever skated before.“For many of us, [the start of practices]was the first time we put on skates,” saidCapt. Mauricio Velasquez, the Chileanattaché and one of the game’s big supporters.His team practises every Wednesdayat 2 p.m. and then challenges the CanadianDND team twice a year, autumn andspring.And the fundraising game they planfor this spring might be a more evenmatch. While an exhibition game in lateNovember yielded a final score of ninefor DND to five for the attachés, the teamshad looked fairly evenly matched duringthe first period. And, Major Marie-ClaudeCarré, a deputy director who works in theforeign liaisons section of National Defence,says the attachés played a warm-upgame against members in her office andended pulling off a win — seven goals tosix.“I’m sure it was confidence-building forthem,” Maj. Carré said.But mostly, it’s just for fun and camaraderieanyway.“It’s really about having nice times, toimprove relations between attachés. Weare now really good friends,” Capt. Velasquezsaid. And the games expand thosegood relations to their colleagues in theCanadian Forces.“It’s not only a game,” he said. “It’smore than that.”Capt. Stuart McCubbin, who refereesthe games, said the funds raised in thespring game will go to the Military FamilyResource Centres, which are on everyCanadian base. Funds are raised primarilythrough corporate sponsorships, whichalso provide a post-game celebration witha reception and a friendly drink.“The idea is to get together and havefun,” Capt. McCubbin said. “The attachéshave really embraced the hockey.”Maj. Carré said it’s been a great teambuildingexercise for the foreign serviceattachés (FSA) based in Ottawa (someforeign attachés accredited to Canadaare based in Washington). She said ithas allowed them “to develop bondsand friendship around a truly Canadianactivity.”“In turn, the hockey games [against]senior Canadian Forces members aimto establish, build and maintain strongrelationships in an informal and friendlyenvironment,” she explained. “They get toknow some of our senior officers on a lessformal basis.”That, and their non-hockey goal score:To raise $20,000 for military families thisyear.MCpl. Serge Tremblay, CFSU(O) Photo Services, DNDdiplomat and international canada 25

DIPLOMATICA|diplomatic agendaNorway’s oil explorers move to the High NorthThe strong Norwegian interest inglobal energy affairs stems from thefact that Norway is a major energynation. With just five million people, ourcountry is the world’s second-largestnatural gas exporter, the fifth-largestpetroleum exporter (oil and gas together)and sixth in the world in terms of hydropowerproduction.We provide Europe with 35 per cent ofits gas imports, a significant contributionto European energy security.Our country is among the very few thatare net exporters of energy. Statoil, partlyowned by the Norwegian government, isamong the world’s leaders in deep-wateroffshore oil and gas production, and anotherNorwegian company, Statkraft, isEurope’s largest renewable energy company.The revenues and taxes from oiland gas production are channeled to theGovernment Pension Fund Global, whichis among the largest sovereign wealthfunds in the world, with a value close toUS$550 billion.In addition, Norway runs the world’smost comprehensive petroleum technologyassistance program. “Oil for Development”provides experience and advice tomore than 20 oil and gas countries in thedeveloping world. And Norway is currentlydeveloping renewable energy supportprograms in such countries.FIRST NAME: Else BeritLAST NAME: Eikelandworldwide if weare to stop globalwarming fromescalating. Norway’slong-termsustainable energypolicy laysthe foundationfor a low-carbonpathwayfor our society.This combinestwo responsibilities— todevelop fossilfuelresources in the most sustainableway possible, and to develop renewableenergy sources.Norway will offer some solutions byproducing carbon-neutral energy such ashydro or wind power, and by providingless carbon-intensive solutions (such asrelatively cleaner gas) and carbon captureand storage (CCS) technology. For countriessuch as Canada and Norway, whichCITIZENSHIP: NorwegianPRESENTED CREDENTIALS ASAMBASSADOR: Oct. 2, 2009previous postings: Philippines,San Francisco and London.will depend on fossil fuels for decades, itis essential to decarbonize natural gas andcoal. Co-operation between Canada andNorway, reconfirmed by the recent visitof Norwegian Energy Minister Ola BortenMoe, is crucial in making more advancedCCS technologies to do so economically— in order to bring CCS technologies tomarket.Energy production in the ArcticThe International Energy Agency expectsenergy demand to increase by at least30 percent by 2030, and the Arctic couldbe among the most promising untappedenergy regions in the world. Accordingto estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey,the Arctic may hold as much as 22percent of the world’s remaining oil andgas reserves, though there is, of course,considerable uncertainty attached to thisnumber.To balance environmental and climateconcerns in this framework is a challengefor Arctic nations such as Russia, Norway,Climate change and energy policyEnergy policy cannot be separated fromthe global efforts to combat climatechange. For Norway, this is the overreachingperspective — global warming is amajor global concern for our government.The energy sector is a key to this and webelieve big emission cuts must be takenA Statoil platform in the Troll gas field, off Norway’s west coast.Øyvind Hagen / Statoil.26WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

diplomatic agenda|DIPLOMATICACanada and the U.S. Provided that environmentaland climate concerns are adequatelyhandled, we believe it is feasibleto slowly start exploring how to harvestsignificant energy resources in the Arctic.In fact, a major conference on how to preventoil spills in the Arctic took place underthe Arctic Council’s auspices in Osloin October and was attended by Canadianofficials. We don’t expect a major rush orconflicts over energy resources in the region,as ownership and governance are alreadywell-established through the UnitedNations Law of the Sea Convention.There are a number of examples ofnew energy opportunities in the far north.They include the Shtokman project (ledby Russia’s Gazprom, with Norwegianand French interests on a large offshoregas field in the Barents Sea), the new dealbetween Rosneft of Russia and Exxonof the U.S. in the Kara Ocean, last year’sdelimitation agreement between Norwayand Russia in the Barents Sea, and Chineseinvestment in an LNG plant in the samearea.Energy production moves NorthThe High North is a main focal point forthe Norwegian government. The aim isto safeguard a sustainable developmentthere, and this implies expanding economicactivities to develop employment,growth and welfare. The energy sector isan important part of this. Norway has hadfantastic exploration results this year. Inthe mature, fully developed North Sea, theAldeous/Avaldsnes oil discovery mightprove to be among the all-time top five oilfields ever discovered in Norway. Thenthere are the Skrugard oil discovery andthe Norvarg gas find, both in the BarentsSea. There is also an ongoing effort toopen up the area around Jan Mayen andnew areas in the southern Barents Sea foroil and gas exploration.Norway struggled for many years tosolve the secrets of oil and gas in this bodyof water. The first discovery came in 1980,but it took more than 25 years to get it intoproduction. Today, the future looks muchbrighter. We have LNG production. Wehave an oil discovery under developmentin the High North as well as the Skrugardsite. Thirty years after opening this areafor exploration, the northern energy focushas made a big push forward. The recentvisit of Norway’s energy minister to Canadaunderlines the partnership betweenCanada and Norway for sustainable managementof our respective northern energyresources. DOffering ExclusiveRates For Diplomats-At Accu-Rate Corporation ourteam of highly experienced currencytraders and foreign banking partnersallow us to negotiate currency priceslower than any other currency dealeror commercial institution.Accu-RateCorporationForeign Exchange & International Payment Serviceswww.accu-rate.caAccu-Rate Corporation2573 Carling Ave.(613) 596-5505For your personalconsultation please call:Marie BoivinManaging Director613-596-5505 ext. 101marie@accu-rate.caWorld Exchange Plaza111 Albert St.(613) 238-8454diplomat and international canada 27

DIPLOMATICA|TRADE WINDSRomania: fine wine and renewable energyBy Elena StefoiThe embassy of Romania in Ottawapursues two complementary tradeobjectives. The first is to stimulate bilateraldialogue to increase trade and identifynew niches of economic co-operation.The second is to harmonize the bilateralrelations between Romania and Canadawith the commercial policies of the EUacquis (body of European Union law).Visits to Bucharest in 2009 and 2010 byInternational Trade Ministers StockwellDay and Peter Van Loan led to the accelerationof the signing of a FIPA (ForeignInvestment Promotion and ProtectionAgreement). And when the president ofthe Romanian Senate and his Canadiancounterpart met, both in Bucharest and inOttawa, bilateral trade was part of theiragendas. Romania’s minister of foreignaffairs also discussed possibilities for economiccooperation with federal ministerson his Canadian tour in 2011.This is the most recent chapter in thelong-time partnership that Romania andCanada enjoy, one guided by a solid legalframework, with agreements on doubletaxation avoidance, nuclear co-operationand trade, legal assistance on criminalmatters, FIPA and social security.As an EU member, Romania applies“communitarian policies” in the commercialarea but also takes part in adoptingEuropean strategic decisions. Thus,Romania is an active supporter of theCanada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA).We hope it will entrench consistent andmodern practices that benefit both sidesand extend outward to wider internationaleconomic relations.The total volume of Romanian-Canadianbilateral commercial trade in 2010was US$257 million, of which $123.4 millionwere Romanian exports to Canada,and $133.7 were Canadian exports to28Romania. These figures represent a 78percent increase over 2009 figures forRomania’s exports, and a decrease ofRomania’s commercial trade deficit withCanada of $73 million. In the first half of2011, Romania’s exports increased by 122percent when compared to the same periodin 2010.Romania’s exports to Canada includetires and auto parts, common metals,generators, power transformers, furniture,clothing wear and accessories. From Canada,Romania mainly imports solvents,reactive agents, transmission equipment,medical drugs, cereals, radiators, electricpanels and optical instruments.We would like to see a greater opennessto the Canadian market for the followingRomanian goods: IT equipment and cellulartechnology, naval radio-detection andradio-sound machines, warning monitorsThe Danube at the Romanian-Serbian border.along with optical, photographic andmedical instruments and equipment. Romanianwines, including Chevalier DyonisMerlot, Feteasca Neagra Reserve, TerraRomana Millenium and Prahova ValleyReserve, are relatively new products introducedon the beverage market. The lattertwo have reached Canada through itsAtlantic Gateway (New Brunswick) wherethey have gained connoisseurs’ praise.As of December 2010, some 1,562Romanian-Canadian companies wereregistered in Romania, operating mainlyin the agri-foods, transport, construction,and tourism sectors. Bombardier, SNCLavalin and Intelcan Technosystems Inc.,among others, have expanded their operationsin my country. We would like a moreDenis Barthelactive Canadian presence, through directinvestment, in the aeronautic and defenceindustries, unconventional and atomicelectric energy, the petroleum industry, IT,tourism, agriculture and in the agri-foodsindustry. Infrastructure projects offer awide variety of opportunities — a largepercentage of the 30 billion euros providedby EU structural funds are destinedfor this sector.Geographically, Romania is wealthy inimportant waterways. The Danube River,Europe’s second-longest, passes throughor borders 10 countries and Romania enjoysdirect access to more than a quarter ofthe river’s length. With Romania’s coastlineon the Black Sea, as well, maritimetransport ranks as another attractive areaof expansion with Canada.However, the current level of bilateraleconomic exchanges is far below potentialof the two markets and economies.Canadian investors should take note thatRomania is recognized globally for its ICTexperts. (At Microsoft headquarters in theU.S., the second spoken language afterEnglish is Romanian).Romania’s unconventional energysector is a very appealing area for investmentand trade. Recently, Ernst & Young’sworldwide ranking of investment-worthycountries awarded Romania 45 points outof 100, placing it in the category of attractivestates for foreign investors. And Ernst& Young ranked Romania 16th out of 35countries worldwide (just ahead of theNetherlands and Japan) for its potentialfor unconventional energy sources and relatedinfrastructure — wind (land/water),solar, geothermal and biomass.Worth noting is Romania’s unique corporatetax of 16 percent (among the lowestin the region), the flexibility of the locallabour market and government incentivesfor initial investment in renewable energy.The government also offers individuallytailored stimulus packages for investmentprojects in conventional industries, includingtourism and construction.We await your trade and investmentproposals in any domains of interest mentionedabove. Another point of interest: In2012, we are planning a Romanian-CanadianBusiness Forum in Ottawa.Elena Stefoi is Romania’s ambassador toCanada. Reach her at email: romania@romanian-embassy.com or 613-789-4037.WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

TRADE WINDS|DIPLOMATICATanzania: trade and tourism are on the riseBy Alex Crescent MassindaIam grateful for this opportunity tocomment on the main aspects of relationsbetween Canada and Tanzania,and I will touch on three: trade, investmentand tourism.With respect to trade, our two countrieshave close and long relations. Since 2009,Tanzania has been one of 20 countries, andonly seven from Africa, that are prioritypartners in development co-operationand principal beneficiaries of Canadianassistance. Since 2004, we have had a tradeagreement that permits duty-free accessinto Canada for most goods produced inTanzania.But the level of trade between the twocountries is still minimal. According to officialfigures, Canadian exports to Tanzaniain 2009 were worth $52.4 million; mainlyin textile products and heavy machinery.For a major trading country, and comparedto what Canada exports elsewhere, this isvery little. And exports from Tanzania toCanada (excluding minerals) in the sameperiod were far lower — worth a mere$3 million. These were mainly vegetableproducts. The main drag on Tanzania’spart is lack of capacity to assure reliableproduction and to supply a market that isso far away. Producers in Tanzania preferto sell to countries in the Middle East,Southeast Asia and Europe; and buyers inCanada prefer to source from Asia, LatinAmerica or even West Africa.To overcome this challenge, we havetaken steps to encourage investors fromacross the globe, including Canada, toinvest in sectors of our economy that offerhigh returns. These include agriculture,agro-processing, lapidary and manufacturing.Through the Tanzania InvestmentCentre (TIC) and Export Processing Zones(EPZA), we have mechanisms and incentiveswhich, coupled with a sizable skilledA leopard on the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania.and semi-skilled labour force and low productioncosts, ease the process and cost ofinvesting in Tanzania. End products fromEPZA can then be exported to Canada atcompetitive rates.For their part, investments are estimatedat more than $2 billion with Canadianmining companies among the largestforeign investors in Tanzania. Despite persistentchallenges of inadequate powersupply and infrastructure constraints, weoffer comparatively attractive and competitiveterms to investors.Two developments will improve thesituation. Firstly, we have a new miningact with impartial, consistent and predictablelegal provisions for the protectionof interests of all stakeholders. This willincrease harmony and trust and promotebusiness. Secondly, negotiations for aForeign Investment Promotion and ProtectionAgreement (FIPA) between our twocountries are nearly completed. Whenconcluded, FIPA will create a frameworkof legally binding rights and obligationsfor the protection of investors’ interests,and thus attract more Canadian investors.And there are other potential areas ofinvestment in Tanzania apart from mining.In the 1970s and the 1980s, Canadaprovided extensive technical assistanceto Tanzania in the sectors of agricultureand infrastructure, especially the railwaysystem. Right now, boosting agriculturaloutput and reviving railways are amongpriority areas in our development plans.Some of the experts who were involvedthen are still active in the same or relatedfields here. They have good knowledge ofour problems and needs, and such assetscould be utilized now in the pursuit of ourobjectives. Such people could also be thechannels and catalysts to drum up Canadianinterest in investing in these sectors.Finally, Tanzania offers a unique combinationof tourist attractions. From exoticZanzibar to the spectacular NgorongoroCrater, from the Plains of Serengeti teemingwith wildlife in their millions to thesight of snow in the tropics on the summitof Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standingmountain in the world, we have it allin abundance and in a combination unlikeanywhere else on earth.My mission is to make these gems ofnature known as widely as possible inCanada so as to tap into the tourist markethere on a higher scale. And we aresucceeding. For example, between 2005and 2008, Canadian tourists to Tanzaniaincreased by 50 percent from 11,000 to16,500. There was a slight dip in 2009 and2010 due to the economic crises and theiradverse effects on the global tourism industry,but we expect numbers this year toexceed the 2008 level.Our focus and interest go beyond attractingtourists from Canada. Tourism is amajor sector in our economy. Last year, wehad about 800,000 tourists and we expectthis number to rise to 1.2 million by 2015.This surge will create more investmentopportunities in the hospitality industry,and I believe that Canadian firms are wellplaced to join in.Alex Crescent Massinda is Tanzania’shigh commissioner to Canada. Reachhim at contact@tzrepottawa.ca or 613-232-1509 ext. 24.LUKAPdiplomat and international canada 29

DIPLOMATICA|TRADE WINDSSri Lanka: gems, designer labels and famous teaBy Chitranganee WagiswaraSri Lanka Tourist BoardDiplomatic relations betweenCanada and Sri Lanka date backto the 1950s. From its inception,the Canadian International DevelopmentAgency (CIDA) has been a developmentpartner to Sri Lanka. Against thisbackground, our bilateral relations haveevolved and the projects such as ColomboInternational Airport, the Canada-SriLanka Friendship Road, the Hardy TechnicalTraining Institute, the Maduru OyaReservoir and the extension of Gal Oyatransmission lines are testimony to thisclose relationship.Sri Lanka’s strategic location betweenthe East and the West, and its liberalizedeconomic policies, including free-tradeagreements with India and Pakistan, givesinvestors access to a sub-regional marketwith a population of more than 1.3 billion.In addition, Sri Lanka enjoys preferentialmarket access to China and South Korea(under the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement)and to the EU, U.S. and Canada underrespective tariff agreements.To facilitate trade, Sri Lanka hasreached agreements on the promotion andprotection of investment and on avoidanceof double taxation with most countries,including Canada.In the aftermath of the defeat of terrorismin May 2009, Sri Lanka recorded animpressive GDP growth of eight percentin 2010 while maintaining 17 percentgrowth in its exports. Sri Lanka’s exportsto Canada in 2010 recorded growth of22.3 percent — from US$ 101.3 million in2009 to US$123.9 million in 2010. Canada’sexports were up by 15.5 percent in 2010from US$292.9 million in 2009 to US$338.5 million in 2010. Canada has becomethe single largest supplier of wheat toSri Lanka while apparel and clothing30Workers harvest Sri Lanka’s world-famous tea.accounted to 53 percent of Sri Lanka’sexports to Canada. Solid and pneumatictires, rubber-based products, auto industrialcomponents, coconut fibre products,tea and spices are among Sri Lanka’s exportsto Canada.Sri Lanka supplies world-renowneddesigner labels: among them, Marks &Spencer, NEXT, Victoria’s Secret's PINK,Gap, Levis, Triumph, Reebok and TommyHilfiger. Sri Lanka is a producer of “Garmentswithout Guilt” and is home to thefirst among seven manufacturing facilitiesin the world to be awarded the LEED platinumrating, setting a global benchmarkfor green apparel factories.Affectionately known as the Islandof Gems, Sri Lanka boasts more than 70varieties of gems. Among them, the worldrenownedblue sapphire, known as theCeylon Sapphire, takes pride of place dueto its colour, clarity and lustre. Although theorigin of the sapphire in Princess Diana’sengagement ring — later worn by DuchessKate Middleton — is a well-guarded secret,the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Associationclaims it did come from Sri Lanka 35years ago. Other famous stones from SriLanka include the British Royal Jewel (a105-carat chrysoberyl cat’s eye), the BlueGiant of the Orient, the Queen Mary ofRomania Sapphire and the Rosser ReevesStar Ruby. The Star of Lanka, a 193-caratsapphire, is displayed at the Royal OntarioMuseum in Toronto. Today, Sri Lanka isfast emerging as a design centre, offeringhigh-quality hallmarked silver, gold andplatinum jewellery collections.Sri Lanka is the third-largest exporter oforthodox black tea. Ceylon Tea, one of thefinest black teas, is also the world’s firstto achieve the status of “ozone-friendlytea.” Recognized under the MontrealProtocol, Ceylon Tea adheres to ISO 3720,the international quality standards set forproducers and packagers of black tea. Thetea market in Canada continues to grow;Sri Lanka’s tea exports to Canada haveincreased by 14 percent in 2010 comparedto 2009 (January-September).Sri Lanka has abundant tourist attractions,which have made tourism a boomingindustry with more than 45 percentgrowth last year over the previous year.The agreement signed this year betweenAir Canada and SriLankan Airlines providesconnections from Europe and Asiato major cities in Canada.As for Canadian investment opportunities,key among them are infrastructureprojects, including housing, hospitals,roads, public transport, property developmentand power-sector projects includingsolar power.I invite visitors to the Sri Lanka Expo2012 International Trade Fair, March 28-30, 2012, in Colombo. The trade fair willprovide a forum to explore opportunitiesin the areas of trade, investment andtourism. Participants will be offered threenights free in reputable hotels.With a 92 percent literacy rate andmany skilled workers, Sri Lanka is anemerging economy in a land of many untappedopportunities. Sri Lanka welcomesCanadian entrepreneurs.Chitranganee Wagiswara is Sri Lanka’shigh commissioner to Canada. Reach herat slhcit@rogers.com or contact the SriLankan commercial section in Toronto at416-323-2159.WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

Di spatches|Canada-U.S. relationsA view from America: down but not outBy Charles F. DoranOh America! Still buried in apainful recovery from recession,while coping with record ninepercent unemployment levels, the UnitedStates appears unable to reach conclusivedecisions about a strategic path for recovery.At least to outsiders, the two-partypolitical system seems fatefully polarizedand therefore paralyzed. Partly as a matterof style and presidential choice, theUnited States seems less dominant on theworld stage, encouraging NATO to takethe lead in some aspects of the air andground war in Libya, for example, andpulling troops out of Iraq on a scheduleoutlined by President Obama in his electioncampaign.From the Washington perspective,Canada appears quite prosperous andpolitically content. Following the spectaculardecline of the federal Liberal party,as well as of the Bloc Quebecois in Quebecand the corresponding ascendancy of theNDP in the latest federal elections, themajority-government Conservative partyunder Prime Minister Harper is in a strongposition to exercise leadership. Havingbenefited from the wise fiscal policy ofthen-Finance Minister Paul Martin andcarefully nurtured by Conservatives duringtheir subsequent interregnums asminority government, Canada correctedits fiscal imbalances in timely fashion. Prudentlyregulated, Canadian banks avoidedthe “bundling” of opaque securities andtherefore escaped the excesses of the financialdebacle leading to the recession. Evenwith a slow-down in the export of manufacturesto floundering Europe and strugglingAmerica, Canada benefits from the30 percent of its economy involved withcommodity exports, mostly consumed bystrong Asian demand.Yet it is a mistake to misjudge America.The Canada-U.S. border at White Rock, B.C.Still by far the largest and richest economyin the world, possessing the most flexibleand massive military capability, whichremains the backstop for global order, theUnited States enjoys a diverse and balancedeconomy marked by a capacity forinnovation and entrepreneurship. Inventionof shale gas “fracking” is only themost recent example of this propensity.Unless dragged down by the fiscal andmonetary mess in Europe, the U.S. economyis slowly edging out of difficulty towarda more robust growth path, this timeon a much more productive foundation.But crazy things do happen, politically,in the United States during an electionyear. Despite the noise and contention,the bills do get paid. The ideal may bethe enemy of the good, yet the AmericanCongress will muddle through with minimalistlegislation until the signals from theelectorate become less ambiguous. This islikely to happen in November. Politics inthe time of James Madison [the fourth U.S.president] was no less turbulent than it istoday and with similar capacity to pointin new directions. Misjudging either thevitality of the American political system,or the capacity of the U.S. economy to recover,is a fool’s game.D HerreraGlobal ConvolutionsEvery news talk show and every newspaperopinion page tells a story about the“rise of China.” Admittedly impressivein terms of rapidity, and massive in scopeand economic impact, the ascendancyof China among the Great Powers isnot historically unique. China’s powercycle will be shaped by a dynamic thathas always mapped the structural trendsof history, and it will include the same“critical points” of shifted trend that havechallenged every other rising power historically.A single dynamic of structuralchange is transforming the power cycles ofall of the great powers — and the expectationsthat each has about its future securityand foreign policy role. (See the specialvolume, Power Cycle Theory and GlobalPolitics, published by The International PoliticalScience Review, Vol. 24, No. 1, January2003).China’s accelerating rise up its powercycle has been accompanied by ebullientexpectations about its foreign policy opportunities.But China will soon passthrough an inflection point on its powercycle where everything will change. Governmentsare then likely to face a verydistraught China. The level of its relativepower, which had been increasing at acceleratingrates, will — even if its absolutegrowth rate does not diminish — suddenlybegin to increase more slowly due tothe “bounds of the system” that contourseach of the state power cycles.Suddenly China’s prior foreign policyexpectations will look at risk. Half of thecountry will still be undeveloped. Hugeinequalities of wealth will challenge thesocial message of the Communist Party.Demographic shifts worsened by the onechildpolicy will disrupt its nascent socialnet. Nationalism and paranoia insideChina concerning its foreign policy rolewill confront other actors over Taiwan, theSouth China Sea, and maritime and navalpassage. Canada and the United States canhelp China stick-handle its way throughthis systems transformation. Yet not justtrade and commerce will be at stake in thisfuture interval of crisis. Japan, the UnitedStates, Europe, Canada, Australia, Russia,and quite possibly India, will need oneanother and will require strength, patienceand major diplomatic skill.Bilateral TraumaConsider the bilateral Canada-U.S. stressand strain, for example, regarding thepostponed Keystone Pipeline. Is theUnited States turning its back on Canada?Realism tells a different story. The ObamaAdministration faces a tough electionfight. Environmentalists traditionally supportthe Democratic Party. Obama needsthem. After the November election, a victoriousObama Administration or a triumphantRepublican candidate will probablyapprove the Keystone Pipeline. TransCanadaknows this. This is why TransCanada32 WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS|Di spatchesJohn Baird:warm manner,blunt talkThe Conservative government champions religious freedom as a “bedrock”freedom: “Societies that protect religious freedom are more likely to protectall other fundamental freedoms,” Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says.“They are typically more stable and more prosperous societies.”By Donna Jacobsashley Frasern the small ante-room to John Baird’s parliamentary office, youhave to consciously avoid knocking over the official greeter: asizeable statue of John Diefenbaker that reposes on the frontcorner of a desk.Inside his corner office is a photo of Mr. Baird in his 20s capturinga warm smile from Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. In aglass case sits a faded folded flag, the last Red Ensign to fly over24 Sussex under the residency of Prime Minister Diefenbaker.It was given to Mr. Baird by his friend, Mr. Diefenbaker's stepgrandson,who unfortunately recently passed away. Two paintings byMr. Baird's grandmother — fine copies of Cornelius Krieghoffs – adornone wall. And between two gothic windows hangs an original A.Y.Jackson of wind-pruned pine trees. “Every minister is allowed to borrowone painting from the National Art Gallery,” he says. “Before thispainting, I borrowed a Jean Paul Lemieux [a 20th-Century Quebecpainter] for four or five years.”On a desk filled with papers and books, is a sign that reads “IT CANBE DONE.”diplomat and international canada35

Di spatches|FOREIGN AFFAIRSUN PHOTONewly appointed as foreign affairs minister, John Baird, makes his inaugural appearance atthe UN General Assembly in September.He explains: “It’s just an attitude. President[Ronald] Reagan had that sign onhis desk. I mentioned this to a friend oneday, and the next day I had two or threeof them.”Politics is really about addressingproblems, he says. He cites an examplethat illustrates his implacable reluctanceto compromise on issues that really count.“At the G8 North Africa-Middle Eastministers’ meeting [in Kuwait in November],we were pushing hard for somethingabout religious freedom to put in the [finalmeeting] communiqué.” But when helooked, it was missing.“‘Oh, I’m sorry,” he was told. “It wastaken out at the last minute. The text isclosed. We can’t reopen it.’”“Well, yes, you can,” Mr. Baird said.“No. We already put it to bed,” camethe reply.“’Well, I’m not agreeing to it,’ I said.‘It’s something I’m fighting for and I wantthis. Religious freedom is something that’simportant to Canada.’”Indeed, Mr. Baird says religious freedomis “the bedrock freedom.” He elaboratedin his inaugural speech to the UNGeneral assembly in September:“Societies that protect religious freedomare more likely to protect all other fundamentalfreedoms. They are typically morestable and more prosperous societies. Thisview has been reinforced in consultations36I’ve had around the world so far.“I honestly believe it is critically importantthat Canada is uniquely placedto protect and promote religious freedomaround the world. We are a country ofmany ethnicities and religions, but we allshare one humanity — one of tolerance,one of acceptance, one of peace and security.”He and his advisers met with one ofthe co-chairs who had said the Canadianstatement on religious freedom couldn’tbe done. “An hour later he called back andsaid it was done.”It could be done.______________There could scarcely be a better place–– or a harder place — to forcefully,powerfully present Canada’s foreignpolicy than the UN General Assembly.In the gloves-off style that Canadianshave seen during question period, ForeignAffairs Minister John Baird told the GeneralAssembly that Canada will be an outspokenally of freedom around the world.And, in that speech, delivered onlyfour months into his new portfolio, JohnBaird “named names” — referred directlyto countries whose representatives weresitting right in front of him. He criticizedtheir oppressive tactics to suppress freedom.“The UN speech was very much areflection of my views, of issues I careabout and of issues the government caresabout,” he said in an end-of-year interview.“The one thing that people often shyaway from is making critical statementsface-to-face with someone. Sometimes,though, tough things need to be said.“I did it publicly,” he says. “You lookout and you see Iran sitting there and yousee Burma sitting there, you see NorthKorea sitting there. I’ve had some difficultmeetings and discussions with my counterpartin Sri Lanka.“When you speak out on behalf of oppressedpeople,” he says, “the oppressorssometimes don’t like it.”If there was a surprise, it was the immediatereward: “I think I had more than40 ambassadors or heads of mission in theroom line up to congratulate me on it. So itwas all positive.”One ambassador told him that a lotof his comments needed to be said. “Another,from one of the countries I’d justsingled out, came up and said ‘Oh, greatspeech, Minister.’ I don’t know if that wasjust a diplomatic nicety,” Mr. Baird laughs,“or whether he hadn’t heard that part.”(In a neat twist, Mr. Baird worked asa young assistant to Perrin Beatty duringMr. Beatty’s last post as minister offoreign affairs for the Kim Campbellgovernment from June to October, 1993.Thus, Mr. Baird was with Mr. Beatty at theUN to hear a very young French foreignminister, Alain Juppé, speak. Mr. Juppé is,again, France’s foreign minister, and JohnBaird, in a very different capacity, had areminiscing chat after hearing him, onceagain, speak to the General Assembly inSeptember.)In his own address, Mr. Baird raisedthe issue of questionable UN financialpractices. He reminded his audience thatCanada is the seventh-largest contributorto UN finances and pointedly added thatthe UN faces “challenges” with its “financialprobity and operational effectiveness.”And in, by far, his most-honed criticismof its august self, Mr. Baird lambasted UNhypocrisy. He said the UN is faltering,enfeebled as it strays from its foundingmandate to keep peace, suppress aggressionand promote basic freedoms for allpeople on earth.“Or,” he said, “as Canadian Prime MinisterJohn Diefenbaker told this Assemblyduring his defence of the world’s persecutedminorities: ‘We are not here in thisassembly to win wars of propaganda. Weare here to win victories for peace.’”WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

FOREIGN AFFAIRS|Di spatchesThe UN is weakened, Mr. Baird said,when the presidency of its own disarmamentconference in Geneva gets passed“to a regime [North Korea] involved in theillicit transfers of weapons, material andtechnology.” (Canada made headlines byboycotting the conference last July.)The UN is weakened, he said, “whenIran, which mocks the values of thisorganization through outrages such asrefusing to allow entry to UN observerson human rights, is permitted to seekleadership roles, such as a vice-presidencyof the General Assembly and a spot on theCommission on Population and Development.”He criticized the UN members whodon’t take a public stand when courageand basic integrity are required. “Thegreatest enemies of the United Nations arethose who quietly undermine its principles,”he said, “and, even worse, by thosewho sit idly, watching its slow decline.”He said Canada will not treat attackson human rights and innocent civiliansby staying silent and treating countries’aggression and suppression as purelyinternal-affairs, no-comment matters.“We respect state sovereignty, but Canadawill not ‘go along’ or look the otherway when a minority is denied its humanrights or fundamental freedoms. It is ourcommon duty to uphold the rights of theafflicted, to give voice to the voiceless.”Mr. Baird says he also speaks privately,prodding countries to grant their peoplebasic freedoms. From all appearances, hetakes an open-handed, good-will personalapproach that has served him well in his17-year political career. Indeed, he saysmany of the skills he learned from hisprevious posts are directly transferable— though nuance plays a greater role inforeign affairs and diplomacy.An extrovert, he has no difficulty connectingwith people. Ottawa’s diplomaticcorps has noted, with appreciation, his frequentand unexpected attendance at diplomaticevents, especially right after hisappointment and before his travels began.His personable and tough mix apparentlyworks well with trading partners,such as China. It allowed him to mentionChina, Canada’s second largest tradingpartner, in his UN speech: “I stand withRoman Catholic priests and other Christianclergy and their laity, as they aredriven underground to worship in Chinawhile their leaders are detained.” Andhis government has raised the issues ofTibetans, Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitionersat the United Nations.John Baird at a glanceJohn Russell Baird, 43, holds apolitical science degree from Queen’sUniversity and was elected ProgressiveConservative MPP for Nepean-Carletonin 1995 at age 26. Provincially, heserved successively as minister of communityand social services, of energy,of francophone affairs, of childrenand youth services, and as governmenthouse leader. Federally, he was electedas a Conservative MP for Ottawa-WestNepean in 2006 and has since servedas president of the Treasury Board,minister of the environment, minister oftransport, leader of the government inthe House of Commons, briefly addingminister of the environment to his portfoliobefore being named foreign ministerin May, 2011. Maclean’s magazineand the Historica-Dominion Institutenamed him 2010 Parliamentarian of theYear after a vote by his colleagues in allparties in the House of Commons.Ashley FraserHe also singled out Iran, calling for theright of Iranian citizens to practise Christianity,defending those charged withapostasy, defending the wrongly imprisonedand persecuted Bahá’í community.And Burma for its discrimination againstMuslims and Buddhists. And Pakistan,where he declared Canadian solidaritywith Pakistan’s Shahbaz Bhatti andSalman Taseer, who were assassinated byextremists for speaking out against unjustblasphemy laws. And he singled outEgypt for its attacks on Egyptian CopticChristians. And Iraq, where al-Qaeda hasdriven out many Christians and minoritiesand where Canada implemented aprogram to resettle refugees. And hevoiced support for the Ahmiddya community,which faces violence in differentparts of the world.Making a personal connection with foreignministers allows Canada to ride overthe rough spots in their countries’ relationships,he says.“At some point, you’ve got to putthings behind you. Sheikh Abdullah [binZayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, foreignminister of the UAE] surely has that viewand I agree with him,” says Mr. Baird,referring to a dispute over Canadian landingrights for UAE airlines and the UAE’sretaliatory closure of a Canadian militarybase.“We had really good meetings in theMiddle East [in November] in the UnitedArab Emirates and Kuwait. You get achance to get to know your colleagues,and discuss issues like Syria, like theMiddle East peace process, like Iran.“Throughout the Gulf and the MiddleEast,” he said, “there is deep concernabout Iran’s nuclear program.”Canada has joined with U.S. and GreatBritain in imposing greater sanctions onIran. Asked about use of force to preventIran from acquiring nuclear warheads, Mr.Baird responds evenly: “I think PresidentObama has said there are no options offthe table. Obviously, the first thing we’dlike to see is change in Iran and, obviously,[we need] to take every single diplomaticeffort we can take.”Diplomacy comes down to good personalrelationships. And even with friendsand allies, he still promotes Canada’svalues on freedom. “You can say not justwhat our concerns are, but why. It’s notjust ‘We don’t like this.’ It’s ‘This is somethingthat deeply concerns us and this iswhy we’re concerned — and why youshould be concerned about it as well.’”How has Canadian foreign policychanged from the Chretien era? “On aperson level, I like Mr. Chretien so I’m nota critic of Mr. Chretien,” he says. “I justthink we’ve taken a different approach.It’s principled and I think it’s best styledas ‘not going along to get along.’ Andwhile that’s a phrase, I think it also hassome profound meaning. We promoteCanadian values — even when it’s noteasy to do it — and promote Canadianinterests.”Translated, it means Canada won’t goalong with the “double standard” that castigatessome UN members while ignoringabuses of others.“People line up to criticize and condemnIsrael for every fault but they’renot nearly as aggressive when [it comesto] Iran or North Korea. [Look at] theinordinate amount of attention that Israelgets compared with others. Why wouldn’tdiplomat and international canada 37

Di spatches|FOREIGN AFFAIRSDFAITthey single Iran out for its human rightsrecord?” (In November 2011, Canada waslead co-sponsor for the ninth time of theannual UN General Assembly resolutioncondemning Iran’s human rights violations.The resolution passed by a recordmajority margin.)The Harper government unequivocallysupports “Israel’s right to exist,” he said inhis UN speech. “We uphold its fundamentalright, like any member state, to defendinnocent civilians against acts of terrorism.Just as fascism and communism were thegreat struggles of previous generations,terrorism is the great struggle of ours.“And far too often, the Jewish state ison the front line of our struggle and itspeople the victims of terror. Canada willnot accept or stay silent while the Jewishstate is attacked for defending its territoryand its citizens.“Over the past century, the worldwas infected by a lethal combination ofutopian ideology and brutal despotismthat spawned totalitarian regimes whichenslaved their own peoples. Apologiststried to persuade us that the ideology ofcommunism was benign. Canadians knewMinister Baird met with Israeli Defence Ministerand Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Barak,centre, and Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv.better. We took a stand — for freedom andfundamental human rights.“We stood against oppression in Germany.We stood with the brave people ofUkraine and those of the other captive nationsof Central and Eastern Europe.“Canada does not just ‘go along’ in orderto ‘get along.’“We will ‘go along,’ only if we ‘go’ in adirection that advances Canada’s values:freedom, democracy, human rights andthe rule of law.”How does he walk the line betweentrade and human rights? “I think you’remore likely to be successful by engagingA John Baird lightning roundOn African democracy: “We welcome theturning over of power in African states aspart of the democratic movement. Thereare still many challenges in Uganda, inZimbabwe, in Somalia, in South Sudan. Onthe downside is the famine in Somalia andal-Shabab, the al-Qaeda-linked Muslimterrorist group which is having a hugeeffect — not just on Somalia but also onthe number of refugees going into Kenya.Piracy, which is having a huge effect evenon Kenya’s tourism, is also wreaking havocon the west coast, including Ghana.”On Russia: “With Russia, we have not-badrelations. On some issues, such as climatechange and the Arctic, we work well withthe Russians. I’ve had two bilateral [meetings]with my colleague, Sergey [SergeyLavrov, Russia’s foreign minister.] Justbecause you don’t agree, it doesn’t meanyou can’t have a good relationship, a frankexchange back and forth. On a personallevel, he’s an interesting guy. And I thinkit is always good to get a sense not just ofwhat someone’s position is, but why.”Regarding Russia’s veto (along withChina) of a General Assembly motion censoringSyria for its attacks on protesters, hesays: “I’ve certainly pushed [the Russians]to do it. The lack of condemnation is obviouslydisappointing and it doesn’t servethe UN very well. But the Arab League hasstepped up to the plate with sanctions,which is phenomenal.”On the drug problem in Latin America:He says his colleague, Diane Ablonzsky, isdoing a lot of work and the prime ministeris providing leadership. “We see Colombiahas made great progress in attacking itsdrug challenges, [yet] a lot of the drugtrade has moved up into Central Americaand that’s a challenge. It’s a big concern.We work well with the OAS [Organizationof American States], with the countries inthe region and with the United States.”On visa requirements for Mexican andCzech travellers: It is “our problem, nottheirs,” he says. “It costs an average$55,000 to adjudicate a refugee claim.Don’t forget that taxpayers pay for the lawyersfor both sides. We pay for the processand then [we pay for] the appeals. It’s veryexpensive. That’s why you have the visarequirements — to stem the claimants.”On Iran’s alleged plot to assassinate SaudiArabia’s ambassador to the U.S.: “I don’tsay the word ‘alleged.’ I have been briefedand the facts are very strong. I’m not theminister of justice in the U.S. that has tooversee a fair trial. The facts are compelling.And it is outrageous. This is an attackon diplomacy. It is incredibly serious.”On diplomatic relations with Iran: A diplomaticstand-off has existed since Iran’sambassador was expelled for the murderby torture of Iranian-Canadian photojournalistZahra Kazemi in Iran in July 2003 fortaking photos outside Tehran’s notoriousEvin Prison. If Iran wants to re-open relationswith Canada, they could, says Mr.Baird, “have their president [MahmoudIran's 40-megawatt heavy water reactornear ArakAhmadinejad] stop denying the Holocausthappened. They can have their leadersay he doesn’t want to push all Jews andIsrael into the sea. They could permitinternational inspection of their nuclearprogram.” And, he said, they could apologizefor Zahra Kazemi’s murder.On the Arab Spring: Many people are“standing up for their rights” in theMiddle East and Africa. “I think peoplehave to be realistic. Libya is not goingto go from Gadhafi to Thomas Jeffersonovernight. Each of the countries will go atits own pace. Obviously you’re not goingto go to full western-style democracy, nornecessarily should you.“Tunisia is looking very promising.”Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh’spromise to step down, with elections earlythis year, signal “a brighter future” forYemen’s people. “Egypt has struggled. Theinitial reports on the election are positive— the first election of many. Moroccopassed its constitution by huge, huge margin;King Mohammed VI really embracedreform in a big way. King Abdullah II inJordan has really expedited reforms theywere already working on. In Saudi Arabia,you‘ve got to support every step forward.The decision to grant women the right tovote in local elections was a positive step.I’d like to see them go much farther.”Nanking 201038WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

Di spatches|FOREIGN AFFAIRSNATOLibyans celebrate after the death of Moammar Gadhafi. "Our Royal Canadian Air Force flew 10 percent of the total strike sorties againstGadhafi's forces," Mr. Baird says, "and our Royal Canadian Navy helped enforce the maritime blockade."40“You’ve got to work at that every day.You’ve got to focus on jobs and the economyevery single day.”If there is a pure-principle heart toCanada’s foreign policy, it is the government’s$5 million new “Office of ReligiousFreedom.” Mr. Baird met in October withsome 100 people from across the countryto discuss the new office, and will lobbycabinet and the Conservative caucus forthis foreign-affairs initiative.“It’s not freedom of religion,” he explains.“It’s freedom to practise yourreligion. That’s more expansive than justhaving a Bible in your own home.“I think it’s imperative that the officeoperates in the [foreign affairs] department.It needs to harness the resources ofour missions abroad, our people on theground. Whether it tracks with consularissues, whether it tracks with missionsaround the world, I think it’s really importantto be in the department.”He says he often raises the topic of freedomto practise one’s religion when he’sabroad.“I think it’s got to be more than a perfunctoryraising: You check a box ‘I raisedit.’ I think you hammer home how importantthe issue is to the government of Canada,to the people of Canada. Sometimesit’s more warmly received than others [butthat] doesn’t mean you shouldn’t raise it.”On the other hand, he doesn’t “hector”people: “You’ve got to try to be persuasive.At the same time, one person is notgoing to change a country. It takes consistent,coordinated effort.”He says Canada will join other countriesin this effort: Suzan Johnson Cook,U.S. ambassador for international religiousfreedom, “does a great job.” ItalianForeign Minister Franco Frattini “is reallypassionate about this. So we’re not aloneby any stretch.”Will he eventually try to have a religiousfreedom centre established rightat the UN? He smiles: “Let’s get the centreestablished [in Canada]. But we aresmoothing the way. The prime ministerprovided a lot of leadership during the G8Summit in Deauville, France in May 2011.There were two or three references to religiousfreedom.”As strongly as Mr. Baird feels on thisissue, he is clear that this is Prime MinisterHarper’s issue. Mr. Harper, besidesmentioning it in the Throne Speech, madeit “part of the election platform. It’s somethinghe believes strongly in,” says Mr.Baird, “and something our team and ourparty believe strongly in.”How close are his, Mr. Harper’s and theMr. Baird meets with U.S. Secretary of StateHillary Clinton in Washington last year.UN PHOTOcabinet’s views on foreign policy? Foreignpolicy is hammered out in cabinet and indiscussions, he says, and it’s not alwayssmooth agreement. “I think people wouldbe astounded. We have some really gooddebates, really good discussions aroundthe cabinet table. We don’t always agreeon everything.“It’s funny, obviously we’re a team,”he says. “The PM is leader of the team.On foreign policy, the PM and I do share alot — not everything — of the same views.Our views on Israel are remarkably similar.We have good debates, discussions.”And, he says, they’ve had lots of timeto work out their foreign affairs policy. “Itravelled to three G8s with him before Iwas foreign minister. Environment is aneconomic portfolio, a regulatory portfolioand, increasingly, a foreign affairs portfolio.“I’ve travelled extensively with him onforeign policy, on bilaterals with a widevariety of people. Also, as a member of Pand P [the cabinet committee on prioritiesand planning], you obviously considerevery issue, every file.”During cabinet talks, he says, “the PMwelcomes different perspectives. He’s avery good listener. At the same, he bringsvalues to the table — as we all do.”The debate can get very spirited, hesays, because everyone’s set of valuesand principles are complex. “Those whodisagree with [our views] say that they’renarrow ideologies and that they’re rigid.”He chuckles: “People on the left havevalues and principles. People on the righthave rigid ideologies.”His own “rigid ideology” is, he says: “Ibelieve in freedom.”WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

FOREIGN AFFAIRS|Di spatchesA JOhn Baird compendium“It’s always easier to shut up and go along with the crowd.”“From the Liberals under [Lester] Pearson to the Liberalsunder Jean Chretien, the Liberal Party has had a very distinctview of foreign policy. I think it was very different beforePearson. Prime Minister [Brian] Mulroney was not shy aboutdisagreeing with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan onsanctions in South Africa. He was very aggressive in fighting forthat. And that’s the [country’s] tradition. [Prime Minister John]Diefenbaker did the same in the Commonwealth with apartheid,taking strong principled stands. I think there are more[Canadian] roots in that [kind of foreign policy].”“When we came to office and Stephen Harper was electedPrime Minister, Canada was [world-ranked at] No. 31 on peacekeeping.I think most Canadians thought that our soldiers inAfghanistan were on a peacekeeping mission. They were nevertold, they never understood, that this was not a peacekeepingmission, that the soldiers were not wearing the blue beret.“[In terms of raising the status of the military in Canada]Stephen Harper did a lot of it. Peter MacKay has done a lot of it.Rick Hillier has done a lot of it. Gordon O’Connor has done a lotof it. Walter Natynczyk has done a lot of it. You know, 20 yearsago, Canadian Armed Forces members sometimes didn’t wantto wear their uniforms in public; now when they go into TimHortons, two or three people try to buy them a cup of coffee.The amount of support for the Canadian Forces is significant.“And Canada’s history was not being ‘an honest broker’ onall sides [of an issue]. In the Second World War, we took a strongstand from Day 1. World War I, the same. The First Gulf War, thesame. We stand up for what we believe in and that’s the realhistory of the country.”“Our Royal Canadian Air Force flew 10 percent of the totalstrike sorties against Gadhafi’s forces, and our Royal CanadianNavy helped enforce the maritime blockade. Canada has paidheavily — both in dollar terms and in priceless human toll — tofulfill our UN obligation to support the lawful government ofAfghanistan.”The Keystone XL Pipeline“We were disappointed [with President Barack Obamapostponing his decision until 2013.] I think most observers of thetiming and the decision have come to certain conclusions whichI’ll leave for them [to express].“My approach to dealing with the Americans, with Hillary[Hillary Clinton, U.S. secretary of state] is that when all you talkabout is irritants, [laughs] you quickly become irritating. I wastold that [former Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice oncedescribed the agenda of a meeting with a Canadian foreignminister as very similar to a condo committee board meeting.“So Hillary and I talk about issues that are multilateral,and then we discuss the two issues I’ve been pushing with myAmerican counterparts, which are Beyond the Border [facilitatingtrade] and the Keystone XL.“We’re making good progress on Beyond the Border, whichis very important to the Canadian economy. And we are obviouslyconcerned with the delay [emphasis on the word delay] inKeystone. They’re working hard on the rerouting of it aroundthe aquifer in Nebraska. But Canada can’t be held captive tospecial interests south of the border. We’ve got to diversify ourmarkets. That’s why the [proposed Gateway] pipeline to theWest Coast is so important.”Canada as ‘honest broker’“I want to be the first foreign minister in the world to recognizea newly independent Palestinian state when it negotiatespeace and security [directly] with Israel.“Did these people [who want Canada to be an “honestbroker” in the Middle East] say that Canada lost its status asan honest broker when we went to war early with Hitler’sGermany? We did that early in the Second World War. We didn’ttry to be an honest broker [with] Germany and [our Allies].“What does an honest broker mean? I mean, if you’re lookingat Hezbollah or Hamas, you don’t want to be an honestbroker if they’re international terrorist organizations.“The Palestinian Authority — we have, I think, a constructiverelationship with them. They obviously don’t share an opinionon a major file. Hamas is an international terrorist organizationand has launched thousands of rockets against civilian populationsin a fellow liberal democracy [Israel].”Foreign policy vs. domestic politics“A lot of foreign policy isn’t partisan.“I work very well with Dominic LeBlanc, the Liberal foreignaffairs critic. Paul Dewar [former NDP critic] is a great guy. I’mgetting to know Hélène Laverdière [NDP critic] and I’m off to agood start with her. We worked very well on the Libyan mission,consulting Parliament when I was House Leader for the firstround. And I had good negotiations and discussions with [thenLiberal critic] Bob Rae and Paul Dewar on the second round,and the third one was a fairly civil debate and discussion. Wetried to be more open. On the Libyan mission, we made officialsavailable to fully brief the opposition parties at every step theywanted it. So I think that was a good day for Parliament whenall parties supported it.”UN PHOTOdiplomat and international canada 41

Di spatches|FOREIGN AFFAIRSOn the personal side:A Tim Hortons FANQ: How long are your days?A: Every day is different. There’s a huge amount of travel.Visits to Indonesia, Italy, Libya, the U.S., China, Brazil, Colombia,Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Netherlands, France, Turkey,Australia, Kuwait, UAE, Germany and Lithuania. There`s ahuge amount of reading. An obviously significant amount ofmy time is spent engaging. (On this day, after question period,he’ll meet successively with the chargé d’affaires of Sudan, theprime minister of Georgia and Alex Neve, secretary general ofAmnesty International Canada.)Q: When you`re home, what is your daily schedule?A: I’m up every morning at 6 o’clock, listen to the Steve Madely[CFRA] show ‘til 6:30 and then I get up and go.Q. Breakfast?A: Cereal and milk.Q: Do you drink coffee?A: I’m addicted to Tim Hortons. I stop every morning on theway to work and have a Tim Hortons.Q: Do you drive to work?A: I have a driver. I read the newspapers very quickly: theOttawa Sun, the Ottawa Citizen, the National Post, The Globeand Mail and the Toronto Star (when it’s available). I live in EastNepean so I don’t have a long trip to read them.Q: What regular meetings do you attend?A: I meet with the deputy [Morris Rosenberg] several timesa week but every Monday I have a private meeting with himand get briefed on a good number of issues. And there's P&P[cabinet’s priorities and planning committee], Eastern Ontariocaucus and national caucus, and meetings with the inner cabineton Thursday mornings every few weeks.Q: Working lunch?A: I grabbed a salad in the cafeteria today and ate it duringprep for question period. Some days I’ll put some vegetarianchili in the microwave.Q: Are you a vegetarian? Do you eat meat?A: No.Q: Do you eat fish, eggs, cheese?A: Yes.Q: What do you eat for dinner?A: [Big laugh] I eat out. My favourite foods are sushi, Thai,Chinese.Q: How do you do with so much travel abroad — jet lag?A: I’ve learned it’s always good to fly at night. We went to theLibya meeting, to Italy and France. We left at 8 a.m. When welanded it was already 11:30 at night, so 5 or 6 p.m. our time. Icouldn’t sleep all night.Mr. Baird at the opening of the Ottawa Humane Society's newfacility with Chance the cat.Q: Do you exercise?A: No.Q: Is there a sort of Clan of the Cat in the Harper government?A: There is a sort of cat clan. There is a group of us. Laureen[Harper] had me over to 24 Sussex [last spring]. She had somekittens from the Ottawa Humane Society that she had takenand was nursing. [Both cat lovers, the Harpers have fosteredmany kittens for later adoption.] There were two or threereally cute ones.Then [strangely] she said: ``You probably wouldn’t want totake them. You’d be travelling all the time.” I looked at her— and that was before the cabinet shuffle — and I went [hemakes a quizzical face and laughs].”(Days later, he was appointed foreign affairs minister. Call ita case of letting the cat out of the bag.)Another cat person is Marjory LeBreton [government Senateleader]. Monte Solberg [former citizenship and immigrationminister] was a cat person. So was Sandra Buckler [Mr. Harper`sformer communications director]. There are a lot of us.Q: How do you relax?A: I go out with my friends.Q: When do your days end?A: I try to always get to bed by, at the latest, 11 or midnight.I’m not a nighthawk.Q: Books you’re reading?A: I was just given Richard Gwyn’s book Nation Maker — SirJohn A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times. I took it with me onmy last trip but I didn’t have a chance to get to it because I wasworking or reading for work.I did a book review for The Globe [and Mail newspaper] —Craig Oliver’s book, Oliver’s Twist. [Oliver's Twist: The Life &Times of an Unapologetic Newshound].Q: How do you deal with criticism, in country and out?A: You learn to have a thick skin. You’re human like everyoneelse. At the same time, if you believe in what you’re doing, that’sbetter than if all you did is to listen to your critics every day.Donna Jacobs is publisher of Diplomat.Pat McGrath, Ottawa Citizen42 WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

Ship shapeThe NEW FLEET|Di spatchesThe federal government has awarded contracts worth $28 billion for the building of 28 vessels — naval warshipsand civilian (Coast Guard) ships both — that will modernize the country’s aging sea-faring fleet. Halifax-basedIrving Shipbuilding Inc. will build the warships. Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. will build the CoastGuard ships. The new vessels will vastly increase Canada’s ability to patrol Arctic waterways. Here’s what thebiggest shipbuilding program in the country’s history will provide.Canadian Coast GuardCategory: New polar icebreaker, non-combatBuilding location: British ColumbiaConstruction time frame: 2013-2017Number of vessels to be built: OneDetails: A new polar icebreaker will be built for the Canadian Coast Guard, one of the centerpiecesof the Harper government’s northern strategy. The icebreaker is meant to support thework of several departments and agencies, deliver the full range of Coast Guard programsand establish a strong federal presence in the Arctic.Department of Fisheries WebsiteVessel type and category: Offshore fisheriesscience vessels, non-combatBuilding location: British ColumbiaConstruction time frame: 2011-2014Number of vessels to be built: ThreeDetails: These offshore fisheries sciencevessels will be commissioned to replacefour aging Coast Guard ships on the eastand west coasts that, according to theFisheries and Oceans department, providea platform from which critical scientificresearch and ecosystem-based managementcan be performed.diplomat and international canada43

Di spatches|The NEW FLEETCourtesy Canadian Coast GuardVessel type and category: Offshore science vessel, non-combatBuilding location: British ColumbiaConstruction time frame: 2011-2013Number of vessels to be built: OneDetails: A new offshore oceanographic science vessel will be built to replace the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Hudson, shown above, its largestscientific research vessel. It was built in 1963 and the Coast Guard reports that “its replacement is critical to fulfillment of the department’sscience mandate as well as mandates of other government departments and agencies.”Cpl Roderick Hopp/ Esquimalt Imaging ServicesVessel type and category: Jointsupport shipsBuilding location: BritishColumbiaConstruction time frame: NotspecifiedNumber of vessels: Two, possiblythreeDetails: These two joint supportships will be built for NationalDefence, with an option for athird, to help bolster the navy’swarships, permitting them toremain at sea for significant periodswithout going to shore forfuel. The new ships will replacetwo Protecteur class auxiliaryoiler replenishment vessels, likethe one shown here at left, verylarge ships that hold extra fuel toreplenish frigates and destroyers.44WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

The NEW FLEET|Di spatchesCourtesy BMT Fleet Technology and STX Canada MarineVessel type and category: Arctic/offshore patrol shipsBuilding location: HalifaxConstruction time frame: 2012-2019Number of vessels: Six to eightDetails: Six to eight Arctic/offshore patrol ships, like the one shown in the rendering above, will be commissioned. They are a new complement.These ships will conduct armed sea-borne surveillance in Canada’s waters, including the Arctic Ocean. They are meant to enhanceOttawa’s ability to assert Canadian sovereignty and provide surveillance and support to other government departments, DFO and the CoastGuard.Vessel type and category: CombatantsBuilding location: HalifaxConstruction time frame: Not specifiedNumber of vessels: 15Details: These Canadian surfacecombatants will replace three destroyers,such as the HMCS Athabaskan, shownhere, and 12 frigates used by the RoyalCanadian Navy. The destroyers are thelarger of the warships in the naval fleetand are used for command and control inthe operating theatre. They are run by 280crew members, including air detachment.The frigates are smaller, more nimble inthe water and considered the backbone ofnaval operations — holding crew of 225,including air detachment. While all thenew vessels will be based on a common,single-hull design that is the same size, thefrigate and destroyer variants will be fittedwith different weapons, communications,surveillance and other systems, the detailsof which have yet to be determined. DJacek Szymanski/ NAVY Public Affairs.diplomat and international canada 45

Di spatches|MICROSTATESMonaco, pictured here, is sixthon our Top 10 list of the world’ssmallest well-run countries.46WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

MICROSTATES|Di spatchesOur Top 10smallest countries in the worldThese microstate countries have influenced or inspired their larger neighbours, through various means— economic muscle, political skill, environmental and moral leadershipBy Wolfgang DepnerSize matters. The reality is that thesmallest sovereign states might notreceive a whole lot of respect fromthe larger, more populous members of theinternational community.Many so-called microstates are fairlyrecent creations. And many require specialeconomic, environmental and governanceassistance to overcome their size-relateddisadvantages, according to extensiveresearch by the United Nations, the WorldBank and the Commonwealth Secretariat.This absence of control and influencealso extends to the political sphere, sincemany microstates lack the financial andmaterial means to pursue their own diplomaticinterests against bullying neighbours,and if necessary, defend their ownterritory. Irish-American writer LeonardWibberley famously spoofed the militaryimpotency of microstates in his novel TheMouse That Roared, which later became amovie in which Stanley Kubrick-favouritePeter Sellers plays the military leader,prime minister and Queen of Grand Fenwick,a tiny Alpine duchy. Faced withbankruptcy, the duchy invades the UnitedStates with longbow-men on the hope thattheir inevitable defeat would inspire theU.S. to shower the duchy with a generousMarshall Plan-like compensation package.Let us say that this plan does not exactlypan out.Even prosperous and prestigious Monacoexercises its own sovereignty “inaccordance with the fundamental interestsof the French republic,” according to TheEconomist and depends on its large neighbourfor military protection, a fate manymicrostates share.Indeed, had it not been for the charmeddiplomacy of American movie icon GraceKelly on behalf of her husband, PrinceRainier III, in his dispute with powerfulFrench president Charles de Gaulle overthe status of his principality as tax havenduring the 1960s, Monaco might havesuffered “asphyxiation” at the hands ofFrance.More recently, in 2009, tiny Liechtensteinhad to accept a verbal attack fromGermany over the grand duchy’s refusalto co-operate in hunting down tax evaders.Two years earlier, Liechtenstein officialshad to learn that some 1,170 Swisstroops had “invaded” their country afterthey had made a navigation error duringa night exercise. How did they find out?They received a call from colleagues inBern!Liechtenstein, for the record, lacksan army of any kind. While this ratherhumorous event does not cast the Swissarmy in the most professional light — themisguided soldiers carried rifles, but noammunition during their nightly stumblethrough the woods — it underscores thegenuine vulnerabilities of microstates,something Luxembourg discovered duringthe first half of the 20th Century, whenGerman troops occupied it not once, buttwice, on their way toward France andBelgium.Many microstates now face a differentform of threat to their continued existence:climate change. If current trends hold true,oceanic microstates such as Tuvalu couldsoon become uninhabitable, a possibilitythat has prompted the Maldives, a nationof 1,200 low-lying islands in the IndianOcean, to consider buying land elsewherein the region.In other words, it is not easy beingsmall. But small can also be beautiful, asthis list aims to showcase. Drawing on arange of economic variables such as grossdomestic product (GDP), health, educationalachievements and other intangibles,this list shows that being tiny can be fine.One way or another, these 10 countrieshave found ways to influence or inspiretheir larger neighbours, be it throughtheir economic muscles (as in the case ofSingapore), political skill (Luxembourg),environmental leadership (Monaco) ormoral leadership (San Marino). Indeed, asglobalization continues to ameliorate theadvantages of size in rewarding flexibility,some of these microstates are poisedto play larger roles on the global stage.Granted, none of them achieves perfection.But then again, who does?diplomat and international canada 47

Arctic CircleDi spatches|MICROSTATESNorwegian SeaBarents SeaBalticSeaDreamstimeLuxembourg, shown here in the spring, is the third-most prosperous country in the world based on per-capita GDP.North Sea1. LuxembourgGermanyBelgiumLuxembourgFrance48Geography has blessed, and untilrecently cursed, this grand duchy,which consistently finishes amongthe elite in rankings that measure livability.Less than half the size of PrinceEdward Island, at 2,586 square kilometres,Luxembourg borders Germany to the east,France to the south and Belgium to thewest. (Many of its 500,000 residents speakthree languages — French, German andLuxembourgish, a German dialect). Thislocation has made this former steel-manufacturingcentre an attractive base forbroadcasters such as the German-ownedRadio Television Luxembourg (RTL)Group and the foreign-owned financesector, which accounts for about 28 percentof GDP.This economic portfolio has made Luxembourgthe third-most prosperous countryin the world based on per-capita GDP.But this irreversible proximity to Franceand Germany has also made Luxembourgan object of strategic desires over the centuries,perhaps no more so than duringthe first half of the 20th Century when theFirst and Second World War caused significantdamage. Against this background,Luxembourg abandoned its historical policyof neutrality, joining the North AtlanticTreaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. Eightyears later, it sought economic security bybecoming a founding member of what hassince evolved into the European Union.Certainly within Europe, this preferencefor working through internationalorganizations has earned Luxembourgconsiderable influence, where old politicalhands, such as Jean-Claude Juncker, haveplayed a significant role in the creationof the Euro currency. As of this writing, itremains uncertain whether this legacy willsurvive. If it does, Luxembourg will haveplayed its historic part in further unitingEurope.Black SeaWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

MICROSTATES|Di spatchesL. BaykalSea ofJapan(East Sea)YellowSeaTropic of CancerEast ChinaSeaChensiyuanSingapore, whose skyline appears here at South dusk, China sits near Sea one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.2. SingaporeMalaysia SingaporeIndonesiaThis island nation of some 4.7 millionpeople controls a combinedland and sea territory of less than700 square kilometres. But if this figureranks Singapore as one of the smallestnation-states, its location between Malaysiaand Indonesia grants it an immense, ifnot disproportionate, amount of strategicinfluence, for it sits near one of the mostimportant shipping lanes in the world.Not surprisingly, Singapore’s port ranksamong the world’s busiest. In 2010, morethan 120,000 vessels called on the port.Granted, it might be tempting to dismissthe status of Singapore as an accidentalproduct of geography. But sucha position would prohibit us from seeingthe skill with which the elites of Singapore(under the leadership of the long-rulingPeople’s Action Party) have leveraged thehuman capital of their resource-poor landto the country’s benefit. They have turneda multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multilingualpolyglot into one of most livableand prosperous states, whose virtuallycorruption-free economy grew by almost15 percent in 2010 on the strength of highendexports, such as consumer electronicsand pharmaceuticals.Singapore also continues to positionitself as an escape hatch for global financialinstitutions, whose corporate leadersmight be unwilling to face tougher restrictionsin the northern hemisphere. Whileone might have good reasons to questionthe ethics of this behaviour, it speaks tothe ability of this resource-poor country toquickly spot and fill niches. Newsweek, forexample, recently ranked Singapore as themost economically dynamic state.Such flexibility, however, appears to beunlikely in other spheres of Singaporeansociety. The country continues to enforcestrict laws and penalties against actionsthat may be legal or may be minor offencesin Canada. They include jaywalking,littering, spitting, smoking in publicplaces, and the importation and sale ofchewing gum. Acts of graffiti remain punishablethrough caning. And this catalogueof apparent crimes and their punishmentshardly represents the worst, as Singaporecontinues to crack down on homosexualityand other perceived vices.Freedom House, a Washington-basednon-governmental organization trackingcivil liberties, currently ranks Singaporeas “partly free” and heading in the wrongdirection, thanks to measures that restrictpublic assembly and press freedoms, afrustrating condition that has even appearedon Washington’s radar. This said,Singapore and its eponymous capital, alsoknown as the Lion City, might be truly themouse that roars, at least when it comes tobeing heard in the global economy.diplomat and international canada 49

Arctic CircleDi spatches|MICROSTATESNorwegian SeaBarents SeathticanBalticSeaNorth SeaFor more than seven centuries, Andorrans lived in a diarchy (or co-principality) ruled jointly by outsiders from Spain and France. This form ofrule ended in 1993. Andorra’s current parliament buildings are pictured above.Lorentey3. AndorraSpainAndorraFranceAndorra’s location, wedged betweenFrance and Spain in the PyreneesMountains, has endowedthe country with one of the most uniqueforms of government in human history.From 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived in adiarchy (or co-principality) ruled jointlyby outsiders — the Bishop of the Catholicdiocese Seu d’Urgell in bordering Spainand the French head of state.While this unusual, if not anachronistic,form of rule formally ended in 1993with the adoption of a constitution thattransformed Andorra into a representativedemocracy, the Bishop of Seu d’Urgell andthe French President continue to serve asceremonial heads of state.They certainly have reasons to speakhighly of their country, even if they donot reside in Andorra per se. A member ofthe European Council, the Organizationfor Economic Co-operation and Developmentand the United Nations, Andorra isone the healthiest and wealthiest places inthe world. Its infant mortality rates rankamong the lowest and its 85,000 residentscan expect to reach an age in excess of 82Mediterranean Seayears, the fourth-highest life expectancy inthe world, according to the CIA World Factbook.On the economic side of the ledger,Andorra ranks 12th in the world in termsof GDP per capita. Much of this wealthcomes from financial services and tourism.While Andorra has recently agreed toopen up its opaque tax laws followingpressure from the international community,its alpine mountains and duty-freeshopping continue to attract foreign visitorsand their money. Some nine milliontourists, mostly from France and Spain,visit annually, secure in the knowledgethey are traveling in a country Black free Sea(for themost part) of major social pathologies andat peace with the world around it even ifoutsiders might struggle to find Andorraon a map.50WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

ctic CircleMICROSTATES|Di spatchesBalticSeaorth SeaDreamstimeFor centuries, San Marino has maintained its political independence in the face of ambitious aggressors, such as the Borgias of the ItalianRenaissance, Napoleon and Mussolini.4. San MarinoItalySan MarinoMediterranean SeaOfficially known as the Most SereneRepublic of San Marino, thisprosperous enclave of 60 squarekilometres in the Apennine Mountainsof Italy has often served as a safe harbourfor persecuted groups who were seekingshelter from the countless storms ofhistory that have swept over this part ofEurope. According to legend, this traditionas a place of refuge from the powerfulforces of oppression dates back to 301A.D. when a stonemason named Marniusfounded San Marino as a sanctuary forChristians who were trying to escape thereligious intolerance of the declining RomanEmpire. Over time, their descendantshave granted asylum to Italian nationalistGiuseppe Garibaldi and his Red Shirtsduring the unification of Italy in the 19thCentury and some 100,000 Jews who weretrying to escape fascism during the 20thCentury.While San Marino could not entirely escapethe devastation of the Second WorldWar, over the centuries it has stubbornlymaintained its political independence inthe face of ambitious aggressors, such asthe powerful Borgias of the Italian Renaissance,Napoleon, the Austrian monarchyand Mussolini. San Marino has managedthis diplomatic balancing act withoutsacrificing its republican traditions, whichdate back to its founding days. But SanMarino is not just the oldest republic. Italso possesses the oldest constitution,which has been effective since 1600, wellbefore the United States would adopt itsconstitution to become the second-oldestconstitutional republic.It is therefore more than appropriateto give Black the final Sea word on San Marino tothe man who eventually freed the UnitedStates from the tyranny of slavery, U.S.President Abraham Lincoln. Writing inMay of 1861, after he had received anadmiring letter from the Regent Captainsof San Marino on the occasion of his firstinauguration, Honest Abe penned thisstill-fitting sentiment. “Although your dominionis small, your state is neverthelessone of the most honoured in all history.”diplomat and international canada 51

Arctic CircleDi spatches|MICROSTATESNorwegian SeaBarents SeaNorth SeaBalticSeaBöhringer FriedrichCitizens of Liechtenstein are the second highest per-capita earners in the world. Their government buildings in Vaduz are pictured above.5. LiechtensteinGermanyFranceLiechtensteinSwitzerlandAustriaItaly52Lodged between Switzerland andAustria, this principality of 160square kilometres bears the name ofwhat once was one of the most powerfulhouses in the aristocratic order of Austria,indeed, in all of continental Europe.Loyal to a fault, Liechtensteins served theHouse of Habsburg as political advisersand as military generals from the late 13thCentury until its collapse in 1918. Almostexactly 200 years earlier, Liechtensteinshad achieved one of their greatest ambitions,when the Austrian Crown grantedthem a princely possession — today’sLiechtenstein.With Napoleon’s dissolution of theHoly Roman Empire of German Nation,Liechtenstein became independent, astatus confirmed during the Congress ofVienna. Liechtenstein retained close tieswith the Austrian rump state after 1918until its forced Anschluss (annexation) toNazi Germany in 1938. Neutral duringthe Second World War and the Cold War,Liechtenstein has deepened its economicand monetary ties with Switzerland to thepoint that many Swiss consider it as the27th canton of their country.The similarities do not stop there. Likeits larger neighbour, Liechtenstein hasprospered as a picturesque but powerfulfinancial centre, whose banks manage thefortunes of the rich, the famous and perhapsthe infamous, with, shall we say, ahigh level of discreetness, which not all ofits larger neighbours have always appreciated,until recently. This said, it is hard toargue with success. The 35,000-plus residentsof Liechtenstein are the second highestper-capita earners in the world andconfront few, if any, major social problems.Black SeaWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

Arctic CircleNorwegian SeaMICROSTATES|Di spatchesBarents SeaBalticSeaNorth SeaKatonamsMonaco boasts the world’s lowest unemployment rate. Its new harbour at Fontvieille, one of the principality of Monaco’s four traditionalquarters, is shown above.6. MonacoFranceMonacoItalyKatharine Hepburn once calledMonaco “the pimple on the chinof the south of France.” Ouch!This acidic quip about Monaco’s apparentstatus as a feudal outcrop of France musthave doubly hurt the Monegasques, forit originated from an immortal cinemaicon, whose celebrity represents the verystock in which the principality has tradedsince 1956 when Prince Rainier III of theGrimaldi family married Alfred Hitchcock’siconic and icy muse, Grace Kelly,partly out of love, partly out of need tosave his principality from financial ruin.While this historic period with itstragic personalities has long faded intoHollywood lore, this principality of lessthan 30,000 residents continues to charmthe imagination of audiences around theworld as the Mediterranean playgroundof the rich, the famous, and the beautiful.Faced with on-going pressure fromthe international community to bring itsopaque banking sector into line, the principalitycontinues to diversify its economyby attracting high-end, non-pollutingindustries in the arts and entertainmentsector (notwithstanding its annual FormulaOne Race). This economic strategyseems to be paying off as Monaco boaststhe world’s lowest unemployment rate,according to The CIA World Factbook: zeropercent.The principality has also sought tosharpen its global leadership in environmentalmatters by placing part of itsshoreline under environmental protectionand promoting the local use of ‘green’products such as organically grown foodand electro-powered vehicles. But for all ofits newly-found earnestness, Monaco didturn back the clocks to its more extravagantdays on July 2, 2011, when CrownPrince Albert married the former Black South SeaAfrican Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock.It was the first royal wedding sincehis father had married another strikingblonde, Grace Kelly.Mediterranean Seadiplomat and international canada 53

ctic CircleDi spatches|MICROSTATESBalticSeaNorth SeaHenry M. TrotterMalta’s 408,000 residents, 6,000 of whom live in the capital of Valletta, pictured here, import most of their food and energy.7. Malta54MaltaThe attractions of this island chaininclude a Mediterranean climatethat produces hot, dry summersand mild, rainy winters; rugged, if notdramatic, coastlines that have had severalsupporting turns in Hollywood blockbusters;and countless historical sites thatspan the breadth of human history, fromItalythe Neolithic through the classical Greco-Roman era to modernity.Yes, Malta offers much to recommenditself to anyone who seeks a break fromthe ordinary. Its strategic location in themiddle of the Mediterranean, betweenSicily and the North African coast, hascertainly made the archipelago a prizedpossession over the centuries. Its historicalfunctions varied wildly: as the forwardfortress of the Christian Knights of Maltaagainst the expanding Muslim OttomanMediterranean Empire Seaduring the 16th Century, as anunsinkable British aircraft carrier duringthe Second World War or as a major shippingcentre today. This trade supplies asignificant share of the country’s GDP,along with tourism, agriculture, fishingand financial services.Granted, Malta is neither as rich noras influential as Luxembourg, the othermicrostate that holds membership in theEuropean Union and the Euro-zone. Its408,000 residents (most of whom live onthe eponymous main island, a rock of246 Black square Sea kilometres) import most oftheir food and energy from the outside.Malta also possesses limited fresh watersupplies. And if these infrastructure challengesare not demanding enough, Maltahas become a call of port for illegal immigrantscrossing the Mediterranean fromNorth Africa in rickety boats. Yet if the historyof this former British colony is any indication,its resourceful people will likelysurvive for a long time in a place that isas unique as their culture, forged throughcountless influences.WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

MICROSTATES|Di spatchesBeringSeaSea of OkhotskP A C I F I CLuxTonnerreA long-time Sea of ally of the United States in the South Pacific, Palau, whose North Beach is seen here, does not recognize China.Japan(East Sea)O C E A N8. PalauYellowSeaSouth China SeaEast ChinaSeaPhillipinesPalauTropic of CancerOn Oct. 31, 2009, the U.S. Departmentof Justice announced it hadtransferred six Muslim Chinese(also known as Uyghurs) from the terroristdetention facility in Guantanamo Bayon Cuba to another island on the otherside of the globe, namely Palau, a smallPacific nation some 500 kilometres southof the Philippines. Freed from charges ofterrorism against the United States, themen did not wish to return to their nativeChina, on fears that officials there mightprosecute them as terrorists, as Beijingcontinues to crack down on Muslimseparatists. A long-time ally of the UnitedStates, Palau does not recognize Chinaand eventually resolved the impasse byoffering itself as the temporary home forup to 17 Uyghurs.This unusual transfer turned the eyesof the world to what must surely be a hiddengem. Despite its tropical climate, thisarchipelago of atolls attracts few foreigntourists. But those who have discoveredPalau over the years have consistentlyraved about its pristine beauty. Its coralreefs are particularly popular among recreationaldivers, partly because they mightget a chance to experience sharks up closeand personal. Conscious of this fact, thegovernment of Palau has worked withsurrounding Pacific island nations to protectthis increasingly threatened animal, bycreating the first world’s shark sanctuaryin 2009.This wise policy promises to lessen Palau’seconomic dependence on the UnitedStates by boosting the domestic tourismindustry, poised to make gains in the futurethanks to foreign investors, who haverecognized the island’s potential. Such aninflux promises to boost the average percapitaincome of Palau’s 21,000 residents,which is already 50 percent higher thanthat of the Philippines. But in a way, thisprospect of more development is also apity.diplomat and international canada 55

Di spatches|MICROSTATESSince independence, Saint Lucia has forged an economic base that consists of banking and of tourism. Shown here is Soufrière, a town on theWest Coast of Saint Lucia.Gzdavidwong9. Saint LuciaSt. LuciaVenezuela56The path to Brazil, where World Cup2014 takes place, is still a long shotfor the Canadian soccer team. However,one of the benefits of their qualificationefforts thus far was getting to playand winning on the lush, tropical islandof Saint Lucia in the eastern Caribbean.But while few Canadians regularly followtheir soccer team, it is likely that evenfewer could find Saint Lucia on a map.The island nation certainly deservesa closer look since its recent history andimmediate present highlight many of thecommon problems faced by many of theworld’s microstates. But this observationshould not obscure the genuine accomplishmentsof this Caribbean islandnation of some 162,000 residents. Most oftheir ancestors came to Saint Lucia againsttheir will, as African-born slaves, forcedto work in the sugarcane plantations thatmade Saint Lucia such a profitable andprized colonial possession during the 17thand 18th Centuries.It is, perhaps, no wonder then thatownership of Saint Lucia ping-pongedbetween France and the United Kingdom14 times before the latter became the island’sfinal colonial master in 1814. Thisrelationship formally ended in 1979, wellafter the major phase of decolonizationhad run its course. Since this occasion,Saint Lucia has forged an economic basethat consists of banking and of tourism— the country’s largest employer. Yes,this member of Commonwealth confrontssome inescapable economic realities,such as its dependence on foreign energysources and tourism dollars, which tend todry up during economic downturns. SaintLucia, nonetheless, possesses one of themost diversified economies in the region,as its government seeks ways to revive itsmanufacturing sector. It can also lay claimto literary prominence, as the birthplace ofDerek Walcott, who won the 1992 NobelPrize for Literature, among other honours.Indeed, Walcott is yet another reason whyCanadians would do well to learn a thingor two about Saint Lucia, as he taught atthe University of Alberta, in Edmonton,for a three-year engagement that endedlast autumn.WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

MICROSTATES|Di spatchesThe Caribbean island nation of Barbados, whose capital of Bridgetown is shown here, enjoys one of the highest per-capita incomes in theregion.10. BarbadosVenezuelaBarbadosNewsweek claimed in its 2010 countryranking that the “best countriestend to be small, rich, safe,and cold.” Well, Malta and, to a lesserdegree, Barbados [population 285,000]prove that a nation can be small, relativelywell-off, safe and blessed with a climatethat does not chill your bones for a goodportion of the year. Thanks to its financialsector, which operates in the same timezone as major financial centres in theeastern United States, this island nationat the outer eastern edge of the Caribbeanenjoys one of the highest per-capita incomesin the region. Other major sourcesof income include tourism, agricultureand light manufacturing, with emergingBrazil being the country’s most importanttrading partner alongside Trinidad andTobago.Thanks to major government investmentsin education, Barbados alsopossesses one of the most educated workforcesin the region. Unfortunately, not allof the country’s best and brightest stayhome. Several prominent names in theworld of popular entertainment (Rihanna)and literature (Canadian Austin Clarke,who holds the Order of Canada) havejoined countless others in leaving Barbadosfor greener pastures. The countrymust wrestle with a growing debt-to-GDPratio. But then again, which country doesnot face that problem these days?Wolfgang Depner’s most recent publication,Readings in Political Ideologies sincethe Rise of Modern Science, co-edited byDr. Barrie McCullough, is scheduledfor release by Oxford University PressCanada in 2013.diplomat and international canada 57

Di spatches|refugeesDabaab’s dilemmaKenya’s refugee camps, the largest in the world, are overcrowded. What to do?By Chantaie AllickUNHCR / B. BannonParalyzed by polio, Muktar, a 31-year-old father of five, is relocated by donkey cart from a temporary settlement into a new tent.More than 100,000 Somalis havefled to Kenya in the past sixmonths to escape a droughtand famine that has decimated the EastAfrican country. They trek across barren,drought-ravaged, sand-covered land inblowing wind to do so.Then, they arrive at Dadaab, an overcrowdedsettlement made up of dirtpathways, administrative buildings, large,self-sustaining markets and tin-roofedshacks and tents in neat rows surroundedby thick wood fences made of branches.Children run around, and goats wanderthe open spaces dotted with thin-limbedtrees where some of the town’s brownskinnedinhabitants have spent theirlifetimes.For the past 20 years, in the desert-likeborder region of the eastern part of Kenya,a strange settlement of stateless Somalishas established an uncertain existence inthe Dadaab refugee camps: lives spentin exile. The camps are the largest andmost overcrowded in the world. At thebeginning of 2011, the settlement, built for90,000, had more than 300,000 refugeescompeting for space and resources.The complex was built in 1991 to houserefugees from the Somali civil war. Afterthe initial mass arrival in 1991 and 1992, asteady inflow of Somalis has continued toarrive at the settlement, which is made upof three camps set up with mud houses,open markets, schools, administrativebuildings and borehole wells on an openswath of land provided by the Kenyangovernment. Desperate women and childrenhave walked for days to reach theshelter and food provided by the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR).In 2011, the camps received 140,000refugees, almost half of them in June andJuly alone. The UNHCR expected that,by year’s end, more than 500,000 peoplewould be crammed into a space meant tohouse less than one-fifth of that number.Improvements made at the camps overthe years are now being overwhelmed bythis mass influx. Better shelter, sanitation,food distribution, policing and protectionhave all been sacrificed, while riots, rapeand insecurity have once again becomethe norm.Some had to wait days in the earlyhours of the emergency for food or assistance.Many fell through the cracks. Somedied.An expansion of the camps, planned toaddress the original overcrowding, is nowbeing filled with rows of white UNHCRtents to accommodate the new arrivals.58WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

efugees|Di spatchesUNHCR / B. BannonA relocated family builds a tukul next to their new tent to shield against the mid-day sun.Aid workers worry about running out ofwater; in some areas of the camps, 1,250people share one tap.Lessons have emerged from 20 years atDadaab, where what began as a temporarysolution has spanned generations.Overcrowding wouldn’t be an issue ifnot for the protracted situation that hasbeen left to fester. Dr. James Milner, aCarleton University expert in refugee issues,says: “The idea of simply providinghumanitarian assistance to refugees incamps is not going to lead to a solution.”Dr. Milner sees three options: repatriation,resettlement or local integration. But a returnto Somalia through repatriation isn’ta realistic option for Somali refugees andresettlement to another country wouldhave been more easily done before Sept.11, 2001.Local integration of refugees intoKenyan society may, however, be amore viable option. It would require theKenyan government to offer citizenship(or another form of legal status) for refugeesin much the same way that Tanzaniadid in 2010. This would allow refugeesfreedom to move beyond the confines ofthe camps, permitting them to work andto contribute to Kenyan society. While theKenyan constitution has been amendedto allow for this solution, the political willdoesn’t exist to implement it.Kenya has a long, problem-fraught historyof hosting Somali refugees. Securityconcerns have caused the government toadopt a policy of containing refugees inthe camps. Kenya has often been laudedfor its willingness to allow the refugeesinto the country, but without the freedomto leave the camps, the refugees have fewoptions.Dr. Milner says the current crisis is anopportunity to make Kenya, which haslong abdicated all responsibility to theUNHCR, a full partner in dealing withrefugee issues. Given the circumstancesin Somalia, it’s more than probable thatKenya will continue to host its refugeesfor many years.Security problems are not a new phenomenonin refugee camps, but decidinghow to deal with them in the future hasto include lessons from what has workedin the past.With this latest influx of people, andthe subsequent scarcity of resources, securityhas once again become an issue atDadaab. But more policing isn’t the onlyanswer. In fact, according to Dr. Milner,it isn’t a matter of simply increasing thenumber of officers. Nuanced and innovativeresponses are needed — what Dr.Milner calls “targeted interventions.” Bettertraining for police officers has workedin the past. As well, the UNHCR hasemployed counselors to help the victimsof crime.The UNHCR and other aid organizationshave been warning of a crisis inthe region for several years, says WilliamSpindler, a UNHCR spokesman inDadaab. Still, the world was unpreparedfor what happened. “The infrastructure isin place,” he said, “but what caught everyoneby surprise was the number of peoplewho arrived in such a short period.”Famine and drought were once problemscontained within a country’s borders,he explained. As environmental disastersbecome more common, mass movementacross borders may as well. The worldneeds to be prepared with funds, food andsupplies.Yet the UNHCR doesn’t have a permanentbudget. Instead, each year it appealsto governments for handouts. Each year,the organization must raise 95 percent ofits budget.In its final 2011 global appeal, theUNHCR budgeted $223 million for operationsin Kenya. The influx of refugeesduring the year led to a budget shortfallof between 20 percent and 40 percent. It’sdifficult to budget for unexpected disasters.An operating budget would makeit easier. Indeed, the financial pressure isnot only about more money – but, rather,about being able to spend funds as neededrather than as directed by donor countries.According to Alexandra Lopoukhine,who works with Care Canada (theUNHCRs main partner on the groundin Dadaab), the solution here is to usepermanent funds to merge emergencyresponse with development initiatives inthe camps — including the cost of highereducation. Those permanent funds wouldhelp support development projects withinthe camps. They could, for example, beused to introduce new farming techniquesthat would help refugees produce theirown food and lower their dependence onthe agency for day-to-day survival. Thatin itself would go a long way to solvingmany of the issues in the camps. Thiscould include working with the UnitedNations Development Program to increasewater and food supplies.All of the experts agree that findingsolutions for Dadaab, and for those wholive there, is complicated. If solutions hadbeen sought more aggressively in the past,rather than letting the Somalis languish inthe stateless life of UNHCR handouts, thecamps would have been at least partiallycleared out and better able to accommodatethe latest influx. Alas, millions of aiddollars have been put into Dadaab and yetthe world is no closer to a long-term solutionfor the camps’ inhabitants.Chantaie Allick is a reporter and writerbased in Toronto.diplomat and international canada 59

DELIGHTS|BOOKSHow Anglo-American diplomacy averted ‘world war’george fetherlingAs we begin to observe the bicentenaryof the War of 1812, it’s hardto miss the importance of a passageon the very first page (the first of 958)in Amanda Foreman’s impressive newbook A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Rolein the American Civil War (Random Houseof Canada, $40). One legacy of that war,she writes, summarizing the political anddiplomatic mood of London in the decadebefore the Civil War, was the fear that theUnited States would invade Canada (for athird time). The anxiety was partly in responseto “a conviction among Americansthat they should never stop trying” to dojust that. But there was a second factor aswell. Forty years had passed but it “wasneither forgiven nor forgotten in Englandthat precious ships and men had had to bediverted from the desperate war againstNapoleon Bonaparte in order to defendCanada.”Dr. Foreman, an English-reared residentof New York, educated at Sarah LawrenceCollege and Oxford, has written a masterfuland exciting one-volume history of theCivil War itself, with all its gore and (apopular Civil War concept) glory. Yet she’sdone far more than that. She focuses onhow old-fashioned diplomacy preventedwhat could have been a world war ofsorts, as the British Empire took up onequarter of the global land mass. The heartof the matter was the familiar possibilitythat the Northern government would annexCanada, as the U.S. secretary of state,William H. Seward, kept insisting it do.That would have had the effect of bringingBritain into the war as a Southern ally. Thecooler head of Abraham Lincoln soughtnothing of the kind, famously saying “Onewar at a time.” The British too had nowish for such an outcome. The situation,however, came to a boiling point several60In only two years at sea, the Confederate raider Alabama, powered by both canvas andsteam, sailed the Atlantic and Pacific top to bottom, while also going as far afield as SouthAfrica and the Indian Ocean.times, thanks to the intrigues of Confederatediplomats in Canada, Britain andFrance.In Canada, there were Confederate representativesposted to Halifax, Montrealand Toronto. They were mere “commissioners”because the South wasn’t recognizedby any other country and so had noembassies or ambassadors. These Canadiancommissioners didn’t work togetherterribly well (one reason being that theydidn’t all report to the same branch of theConfederate government in Richmond).Even individually they were not quitesuccessful, despite having a secret fundof a million dollars in gold: a tremendousamount of money for a government that,throughout the war, had difficulty evenkeeping its soldiers clothed and shod.The commissioners’ plans to encourageanti-war sentiment in the North andexecute a series of clandestine raids intoU.S. territory were generally unworkable,though one venture — a raid on the townof St. Albans, Vermont — was successfulenough that it didn’t end in ludicrousfailure. The success rate, however, didn’tmatter so much as the fact that such eventstook place at all. By permitting them toproceed, Britain seemed to have assumedan ambiguous if not downright passiveattitude to its own neutrality laws. ManyBritish and British colonial subjects livingin the Northern states got caught up invarious drafts while the towns along theU.S.-Canada border were full of officialrecruiters, as well as “crimpers” who impressedinnocent fellows into service inWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

BOOKS|DELIGHTSa kind of low-grade kidnapping. And ofcourse individuals of many other nationalitiesrushed to America to join the onearmy or the other.The United States and Britain cameclosest to declaring war on each other inthe first year of the conflict. In November1861, an American warship, the SanJacinto, commanded by Charles Wilkes,stopped a British mail packet, the Trent, ininternational waters off the Bahamas andabducted the Confederate commissionersto London (James M. Mason) and Paris(John Slidell). The pair were taken to Bostonand imprisoned. Americans cheeredand Britons fumed. Whitehall respondedwith demands so stern that Prince Alberthimself intervened to soften the language,though the terms remained intact: releaseof the two men and a full explanation forsuch a blatant violation of internationallaw. The deadline for an answer wasseven days. While the British governmentawaited the response, it quicklymade plans for strengthening Canada’sdefences. Britain’s minister in Washington,Lord Lyons, privately informed the hawkishWilliam Seward of the reply’s contentsbut waited until December 23 to deliverit officially. That gave him just enoughtime to lower the diplomatic temperature.At a cabinet meeting on Boxing Day, theAmericans sent a sheepish note deploringCaptain Wilkes’ actions and promising releaseof the two prisoners in January.In only two years at sea, the Confederateraider Alabama, powered by bothcanvas and steam, sailed the Atlantic andPacific top to bottom, while also going asfar afield as South Africa and the IndianOcean. Its ship’s motto was Aide-toi, etDieu t’aidera — “Help yourself and Godwill help you.” Of the total of 158 U.S.ships destroyed by the impoverishedConfederate Navy, the Alabama sank 65of them. Its exploits made it, in Dr. Foreman’swords, “the most famous ship afloat[as the] entire English-speaking worldknew her history.” But it would not beafloat much longer. It lost a duel with theUSS Kearsarge off France in mid-1864.In some ways, however, the Alabamawas only representative of a much broadereffort.As soon as the war got underway, theUnited States began blocking Southernports on the Atlantic (and later New Orleansas well), launching its strategy oftrying to starve the Southerners to death.All the South could do was to build shipsoverseas both to harass U.S. commerceand run the blockade where possible.Remember that Rhett Butler of Gone withthe Wind was a blockade-runner by profession.What you won’t learn from the filmis that he was probably using a ship builtin England or France with financial helpfrom the members of the Royal Exchangein London or cotton brokers in Liverpool.Having no access to Southern ports, Confederatewarships like the Alabama, andso many others, were born in Britain orEurope and never saw their home country,for they stalked the world’s shippinglanes, resupplying in whatever neutralports would have them. Like sharks, theynever slept.So desperate was the Confederategovernment for ships that it tried to buysome from China. In his new, but posthumouslypublished, book The Alabama, BritishNeutrality, and the American Civil War(Indiana University Press, US$22.95), theAmerican historian Frank J. Merli calls thecoveted Chinese flotilla a “paranaval force,a squadron of some six or eight ships ofa class that contemporary terminologymight designate coastguard cutters.” Anotherhistorian has called it a “mosquitofleet.” In the end, the deal fell throughowing to a failure of diplomacy by thevarious parties.U.S. secretary of state William H. SewardCanada is where the Anglo-Americanwar, if there were to be one, would havebroken out.Canadians were overwhelminglyagainst slavery (which John Graves Simcoehad outlawed in Upper Canada inthe 1790s). So, too, were Britons not connectedto one of the manufacturing citiesin the Midlands or to big capital generally.But the English intelligentsia and others,indeed much of the Empire, endorsedthe Confederacy, or at least the idea of it.Caught between the lines, so to speak,diplomats had to tread carefully, at leastin public. Lord Lyons confided in a letterto Lord Russell, the foreign secretary, thatSeward had some plan to tour England ona good-will mission. The British knew itwould turn into an ill-will mission instead.Lord Palmerston, the prime minister,joined in, telling Lord Russell that Secre-diplomat and international canada 61

DELIGHTS|BOOKSJohn Graves Simcoe outlawed slavery in UpperCanada in the 1790s.Florence Nightingaletary Seward was “vulgar and ungentlemanlikeand the more he is seen here theless he will be liked.” Seward was furiousabout all the Confederate activity underwayin plain sight on Canadian soil, whilethe governor general of Canada, LordMonck, struggled to preserve the letter ofBritain’s neutrality laws.For his part, British Prime MinisterPalmerston “was not in the least interestedin petty recruiting scandals, except as acounterargument to Northern complaints62about the Alabama.” His worry, rather,was that the U.S. would take over completecontrol of the St. Lawrence Riverand thus keep British vessels from usingit. Connected to this in several importantways was the possibility that naval warfareon the Great Lakes, the site of one ofmost important American victories in theWar of 1812, would resume. This, despitethe fact that the Rush-Bagot treaty haddemilitarized these waters in 1817. Formost of the Civil War, the only naval vesselon the Lakes was an American gunboatguarding Confederate prisoners on thesouthern shore of Lake Erie. But this couldchange quickly, given the British obligationto defend the Canadas and the South’sextensive (if not always smoothly run) infrastructureat important points along theborder. This subject is a highly complexone that a Canadian historian, John Bell,surveys in his new book Rebels on the GreatLakes: Confederate Naval Commando OperationsLaunched from Canada, 1863—1864(Dundurn, $27.99 paper). Mr. Bell clearlyhas infinite patience, an excellent nose fortracking, and a serious but likeable prosestyle: a combination all too rare.Once the Civil War sputtered to its end,the U.S. sought recompense from Englandfor allowing construction of the Alabamaat an English shipyard (at Birkenhead inCheshire). It also demanded reparationsfor all the U.S. merchant shipping lost inattacks by the Alabama and other Confederateraiders, putting the figure at two billiondollars (or, as one especially powerfulsenator suggested, all of Canada, in lieu ofcash). Palmerston reacted angrily but diedbefore the end of 1865. The liberal Gladstone,who became prime minister in 1868,acknowledged the principle involved butthought the dollar amount ridiculous. Aninternational commission was establishedto consider the matter. The affair draggedon for the remainder of the decade, andbeyond.William Seward, who once proposedto President Lincoln that the U.S. declarewar on the whole of Europe as a way ofdistracting the nation’s mind from theslavery problem, was in an expansionistmood, as usual. Having engineered theAmerican purchase of Alaska from theRussians in 1867, he now suggested thatthe British payment take the form of NovaScotia, the Red River Colony (in what’snow Manitoba) and the land that wouldcome to be British Columbia. To Seward,the last of these was the most important,as it could be merged with Alaska. Hedied, out of office, in 1872, by which timeBritish prime minister Lord Palmerston circa1845Hamilton Fish, a new and less combativesecretary of state, was in place. The figuresappointed to resolve the matter (Sir JohnA. Macdonald among them) found in theAmericans’ favour. In the end, Britain paid$15.5 million, offering an apology but admittingno guilt. The relevant document,the Treaty of Washington, deserves to bebetter known. Many cite it as one of thefirst milestones on the road to multilateraland multinational arbitration, the codificationof international law, and so on.Dr. Foreman’s book is full of compellingindividuals as well as politics andideas. For example, some exceptionaljournalists strut across her pages, mostparticularly the near-legendary W.H.Russell—“Russell of the Crimea.” It washe who coined the phrase “the thin redline.” He is often said to have inventedthe profession of war correspondent aswell (eroding the tradition by which commissionedofficers dashed off occasionaldespatches even while in the saddle). TheCrimean War of 1853-56, in which Britain,France and the Ottoman Empire foughtthe Russians to settle a bar bet about theHoly Land, was the single greatest influenceon the American Civil War — strategically,tactically, even sartorially — butmost importantly in the terrible level ofcarnage that resulted. There is a usefulcomparison to be made between Dr. Foreman’swork and another new book, TheCrimean War in the British Imagination byStefanie Markovits (Cambridge UniversityPress, US$99).WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MARPD-Art

BOOKS|DELIGHTSLibrary and Archives Canada, Raymond Gibson Collection, 1977-157, C-91766Soldiers in 259th battalion, led by Brig.-Gen. Bickford, second-in-command of the Siberian force, disembarking at Egersheld, Vladivostok, in 1919.In the Crimea (where his first-handreportage caused an unknown FlorenceNightingale to take up battlefield nursing),Russell didn’t shy from reportingthe true horrors that he saw. He assumedthe same tone in America. He preferred atent full of common soldiers to a secondedfront parlour full of generals. As one colleaguecommented, “He is a good chapto get information, particularly from theyoungsters.” So naturally his employer,The Times of London, sent him to Americawhen war broke out there. The newspaperlater recalled him, however, on thegrounds that he was too sympathetic tothe South, or at least not sympatheticenough to the North. Curiously, the samepaper had no qualms about Francis Lawley,its reporter who followed the Southernarmies and was outrageously blind totheir every flaw and misstep. As a reader,I’m delighted to find that Dr. Foremandiscusses Edward Dicey, who promotedthe Northern armies for the Spectator andwrote what is still an endearing pro-Unionmemoir, Six Months in the Federal States.It is not to be confused with, but simplycontrasted to, Three Months in the SouthernStates (April, May and June 1863) by LieutenantColonel Arthur J.F. Fremantle of theColdstream Guards. He took leave fromthe service to travel in all 11 Confederatestates, using letters of introduction fromone official or another (even Jefferson Davis)to gain an audience with the next generalon his list. Studying the Confederatearmy through the eyes of a professionalsoldier left him with solid collegial respectfor his hosts. His handsomely writtenbook is still in print as a 1991 paperbackedition (University of Nebraska Press,US$18.95). Dr. Foreman uses this one, too,to good effect.To state the matter as simply as possible,then, the most important diplomaticquestion of the American Civil War waswhether to take sides in a divorce (in waras in real life, always a risky proposition).A similar situation, one involving Canadaand its numerous allies arose near the endof the First World War and continued onfor a time afterwards. In 1917, the yearof both the February and October revolutions,Russia deposed the czar (who wasexecuted the following year) and ranthrough two prime ministers. The countrywas a shambles of starvation and unrest.diplomat and international canada 63

Library and Archives Canada, Raymond Gibson Collection, 1977-157, C-91749DELIGHTS|BOOKSCanadian ordinance officers moving stores in Gornostai, east of Vladivostok, in 1919.When V.I. Lenin came to power, he madegood on his promise to withdraw Russiafrom the alliance of Western powers fightingthe Germans and others. Whereupona civil war erupted between the BolshevikRed Army and the conservative WhiteArmy. Eager for a less unfriendly Russianregime as well as for Russia’s oil (that oldstory), Canada, Britain and others decidedit was a splendid moment to invade Russiafrom Vladivostok and other points inthe Russian Far East where the Whiteswere strongest. This episode, commonlycalled the Intervention, is not widely spokenof or taught in today’s Canada, for itproved a singular failure.Benjamin Isitt examines the mess inclose detail in From Victoria to Vladivostok:Canada’s Siberian Expedition, 1917−19 (UBCPress, $29.95 paper). As his title suggests,he pays special attention to one unit thatdeparted from Victoria — but not beforestaging a small mutiny. Many or most ofthe men were conscripts. To get some of64them onto the transport vessel, officershad to resort to their service revolversand use their heavy canvas belts as whips.Few of these soldiers who entered throughVladivostok ever proceeded far enoughinland to actually reach Siberia, whereall the others, coming overland from thenorth and east, were to join up. Some Canadians,however, did reach Omsk, in thecentre of the country. There, in partnershipwith the British, they were able, for a time,to hold together the White government. Itneeded propping as it was as wobbly asthree-legged table. Its leader, somewhatoddly, was a Czech admiral. Like theReds, the Whites and their foreign friendswere continually battling for control ofthe Trans-Siberian Railway (ironically, themost significant engineering megaprojectof the last few czarist regimes).Mr. Isitt makes the point that our participationwas one more step towards anindependent Canadian foreign policy,a matter of great concern and pride, especiallygiven Canada’s role in the lateunpleasantness in Europe. The world warhad finally come to an end only a fewmonths before the launch of the Intervention,which sputtered on for at leastanother year. But that’s about the best thatcan be said of the expeditionary force.Like those of other nationalities, Canadiantroops had become entangled in this hopelesseffort when they were already sick ofwar. For many people, the Interventionbecame a mirrored symbol of the classwarfare breaking out at home. Labourunions were major players in fomentingdissent, though radical farm movementsand some of the intelligentsia were importantas well. The language was oftenextremist. In their book When the StateTrembles: How A.J. Andrews and the Citizens’Committee Broke the Winnipeg General Strike(University of Toronto Press, $35 paper)Reinhold Kramer and Tom Mitchell quoteone union organizer telling a crowd in1919: “Drafts [that is, conscripts] are beingWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

BOOKS|DELIGHTSshipped to Vancouver so that they can goacross to Russia to massacre the proletariatthere. Let us have justice and if not,then blood will be spilled in this country.”The literature of the Winnipeg GeneralStrike and related events is quite extensiveof course, but now, in these times of protests,the subject of labour v. capital in thebroader sense is being taken up afresh. Ofnew books in the field, perhaps the mostimportant (and certainly the best written)is Seeing Reds: The Red Scare of 1918−1920,Canada’s First War on Terror by the Vancouverhistorian Daniel Francis (Arsenal,$27.95). The last part of the subtitle maysound over the top, but the book isn’tabout ideology. Rather, it’s a study of howboth sides in a major conflict create propagandain order to promote paranoia. Werethis text in digital form, a reader could indeeddo a search-and-replace, substitutingthe word terrorist for each use of reds, andend up understanding how the strife ofone era is so often revisited upon another.Another example, a quite accidental discovery,hit me in 2010 when the Universityof Toronto Press celebrated the centenaryof Canadian Who’s Who by producing a facsimileof the first edition. The personageslisted in the 1910 version ($19.95 paper)are exactly those you would expect toCanadian soldiers at Gornostai Barracks in 1919. In his book, author Benjamin Issitt says onesoldier noted that the Czarist-era buildings were "better than anything we had in Canada."find: Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Nellie McClung,and a great many figures in finance andrailways. The reprint also includes all theadvertisements from the 1910 original.Law firms and insurance companiesdominate. But there is also a brazen fullpagead for the Thiel Detective Service, anAmerican-based firm of strike-breakerswith offices in Canada’s four largest cities,not to mention the latest trouble spots inMexico.George Fetherling’s most recent book isIndochina Now and Then (Dundurn Press).Library and Archives Canada, Raymond Gibson Collection, 1977-157, C-91717diplomat and international canada 65

DELIGHTS|canadianaThe big Pig WarBy Laura Neilson BonikowskyBellevue Sheep Farm’s “Home Prairie” establishment on San Juan Island was a gathering place for British and Americans alike in the1850s. An artist’s depiction shows a San Juan Island camp in its heyday in September 1859, at the height of the Pig War crisis.The boundary between Canada andthe United States was a matter ofdispute between 1783 and 1872,when the issue was arbitrated by GermanEmperor Wilhelm I. The last portionof the boundary had been ambiguouslydetermined by the Oregon Treaty of 1846,which extended the 49th parallel “to themiddle of the channel which separates thecontinent from Vancouver’s Island, andthence southerly through the middle ofsaid channel, and of Fuca’s Straits, to thePacific Ocean.”However, the “middle of the channel”could have applied either to RosarioStrait, to the east of San Juan, Orcas andLopez islands, or to Haro Strait, to thewest of the islands. San Juan Island, whichwas claimed by both Britain and the U.S.,was a strategic military position; the countrythat owned the islands would dominatethe waterways connecting the Strait66of Juan de Fuca with the Strait of Georgia.The Hudson’s Bay Company hadclaimed San Juan Island in 1845 and establishedsalmon curing stations alongthe western shoreline by 1851. In 1853,the U.S. claimed the three islands aspart of the new Washington Territory. Inresponse, the Hudson’s Bay Companyestablished Bellevue Sheep Farm in December1853. In only six years, it grewfrom 1,369 sheep to more than 4,500 onstations across the island. A boundarycommission established in 1856 failed toresolve the issue satisfactorily for bothsides. By the spring of 1859, Americantroops had been stationed on the islandand 18 Americans had staked claims onprime sheep-grazing land. The British consideredthem squatters and their claimsillegal.On June 15, 1859, the tense situation exploded.An American farmer, Lyman Cutlar,found a big pig rooting in his garden,eating his potatoes. Cutler shot and killedthe pig, which was owned by CharlesGriffin, who ran Bellevue Farm. Cutlaroffered Griffin $10 in compensation, butGriffin wanted $100. Cutlar argued thathe shouldn’t have to pay for the pig at allbecause it had trespassed on his property.When British authorities threatened toarrest Cutlar and evict his countrymen,American settlers demanded militaryprotection from Brigadier-General WilliamHarney, in command of the Departmentof Oregon. The anti-British Harney dispatched64 soldiers to San Juan Island toprevent British ships from landing. JamesDouglas, governor of Vancouver Island,concerned that American squatters wouldoccupy the island if not kept in check, sentthree warships and ordered Rear AdmiralRobert Baynes to land marines on theisland and engage the Americans. BaynesWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

canadiana|DELIGHTSOffering ExclusiveRates For Diplomats-This map shows the final boundary betweenCanada and the U.S. at Haro Strait.declined, citing the foolishness of involving“two great nations in a war over asquabble about a pig.”By the end of August, there were 461American troops in place with 14 fieldguns and eight 32-pounder naval gunsopposing five British warships carrying 52guns. The Americans dug in and the Britishfired practice shots into the bluffs alongGriffin Bay. Commanding officers wereordered not to fire the first shot, but todefend themselves if necessary, instigatinga battle of taunts and insults as each sidetried to goad the other into aggression. Itwas amusing for tourists arriving on excursionboats from Victoria and the officersfrom both sides who shared whisky andcigars at Charles Griffin’s home.When news of the situation reachedWashington and London, shocked officialsset about defusing it. President JamesBuchanan sent General Winfield Scott tonegotiate with Governor Douglas. Theyreached a settlement in November, agreeingto reduce their presence to no morethan 100 men on each side, with the Britishcamp established at the north end ofthe island and the American camp at thesouth. The two camps had an amicablerelationship for 12 years until the matterwas turned over to Kaiser Wilhem I. Hereferred it to a committee of three thatmet in Geneva for most of a year beforedeciding in favour of the United States onOctober 21, 1872, establishing the marineboundary through Haro Strait.Laura Neilson Bonikowsky is the associateeditor of The Canadian Encyclopedia.At Accu-Rate Corporation ourteam of highly experienced currencytraders and foreign banking partnersallow us to negotiate currency priceslower than any other currency dealeror commercial institution.Accu-RateCorporationForeign Exchange & International Payment Serviceswww.accu-rate.casayso longto browfurrowsandcrowsfeet‘just for you’Accu-Rate Corporation2573 Carling Ave.(613) 596-5505For your personalconsultation please call:Marie BoivinManaging Director613-596-5505 ext. 101marie@accu-rate.caWorld Exchange Plaza111 Albert St.(613) 238-8454BOTOXDavid JordanMedicine Professional CorporationM.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S.(C)613-563-3800301 O’Connor, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1V6®diplomat and international canada 67

DELIGHTS|ENTERTAININGCrêpes morph and evolveMargaret DickensonWho doesn’t like crêpes? Whenin doubt over what to serve,you can always turn to crêpes.Although many see them as a special treatfor breakfast (and so they are), they maybe creatively introduced into virtuallyany part of a menu. Crêpes Suzette setaflame with brandy can proudly lay claimto being one of those universally populardesserts.As a child growing up on a farm inNorthern Ontario, crêpes were not partof our family’s culinary vocabulary, nevermind menu. As a matter of fact, neitherwas the word menu. On the farm backthen, we just planned and prepared meals.Mom, however, did make the most extraordinarypancakes, sometimes stuffedwith jam and cottage cheese before beinglovingly baked in a woodstove oven. Thatwas a surprise usually reserved for stormywinter days.My next serious and frequent encounterwith “pancakes” was when myhusband, our wee daughter and I movedto Moscow in the early ’70s. An eveningballet performance at the Bolshoi inevitablymeant feasting on blinis and caviar atintermission. To be honest, I impatientlywaited for the intermissions to come,eager to savour once again the greatestculinary experience Moscow had to offerat that time. These blinis were small yeastraisedpancakes, made with buckwheatflour so they tended to be slightly heavy.Always accompanied by chilled vodka,that remarkable combination has retaineda principal position (in one form or another)in my repertoire of recipes throughoutthe decades.With a move to Brussels, crêpes soontook centre stage. These paper-thin pancakes— subtle in flavour, delicate, tenderand flexible — lend themselves to all sortsof splendid creations. Immediately, myRussian blinis and caviar (always servedwith luscious dollops of sour cream), reemergedon our entertaining menus ascrêpes and caviar either served rolled asan hors d’oeuvre or flat as an appetizer atthe table. Even repeat guests would counton their reappearance and disappointmentreigned if I decided to give the crêpes abreak.Would it be surprising if I said that amove to South Korea meant my crêpesand caviar experienced another mutation?Inspired by the appealing “pouch-like”shape of the popular Asian dish, dimsum, my crêpes evolved into irresistible“sachets.” Filled with sour cream andcaviar, each little sachet was securely tiedclosed with a carefully knotted fresh chivestem. On our return to Canada, Canadiansmoked salmon replaced the caviar.But crêpes have a life far beyondCrêpes Suzette and crêpes and caviar.They marry well with a broad spectrum offlavours, from savoury to sweet: seafood,poultry, escargots, avocado, fruit, custards,ice cream, just to name a few. Such combinationsare easily assembled and withoutexception, always scrumptious. Just think,have you ever not enjoyed a crêpe? Crêpesalso like being pampered — dusted withicing sugar, drizzled with syrup, bathedwith sauces and garnished artisticallywith fresh herbs, berries, nuts or curls ofdark chocolate.Savoury crêpes are the perfect solutionas a main course for a brunch or lightlunch, particularly when served with aside salad. Equally so, sweet crêpes forBocconcini crêpe sandwichesdessert will have those at the table scrapingtheir plates and wishing for more.The beauty of crêpes is that the battercan be prepared in advance, placedin airtight plastic containers and keptrefrigerated for up to two days or frozenfor months without compromising thequality of the final product. I always keepcrêpe batter on hand in my freezer. Oncethawed, batter will appear to have separated,but worry not. Transfer it to a bowland whisk it thoroughly before droppingit onto a preheated (medium-low heat)griddle or skillet.The following recipe is one of my latestcreations. It’s an hors d’oeuvre thatwill leave guests puzzled, surprised andreaching for yet another. You will need alittle patience as you perfect the cookingtechnique; however, it will be well worththe effort. Bon Appétit!Bocconcini Crêpe SandwichesMakes 16 hors d’oeuvres1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flourPinch of salt1/2 cup (125 mL) crêpe batter*1/3 cup (80 mL) chopped smoked turkeythigh (or ham)1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) vinaigrette (a mustardherbvariety)1 1/2 tbsp (23 mL) coarsely chopped freshdill weed2 tbsp (30 mL) bocconcini cheese, chopped1 1/2 tbsp (23 mL) pestoAioli Mayonnaise1 tbsp (15 mL) mayonnaiseLarry Dickenson68WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

ENTERTAINING|DELIGHTS1/5 tsp (pinch) finely chopped fresh garlicGarnish: 16 petit sprigs of fresh dill weed1. Whisk flour and salt into crêpe batter toform a smooth, slightly heavier mixture.Toss chopped smoked turkey (or ham)with vinaigrette and set aside.2. Preheat a medium-size nonstick skilletplaced over medium-low heat. Slowlyand carefully drop four small portions(i.e., about 3/4 tsp or 4 mL) of crêpe batteronto skillet to create coin-size crêpes(diameter: 1 inch or 2.5 cm). Quickly topeach cooking crêpe first with 1/4 tsp(1 mL) of chopped dill weed, then 1/3 tsp(2 mL) of bocconcini and finally 1/4 tsp(1 mL) pesto, keeping all ingredientswithin the perimeter of the tiny crêpe.(Note: Do not turn over.) Promptly transfercrêpes to a plate.3. Repeat procedure (i.e., step 2) to make 4more garnished petit crêpes and transferthem to the plate.4. Drop 8 similar petit portions of crêpemixture onto the skillet. As crêpes set, turnthem over and cook briefly. Remove thecrêpes from the skillet one at a time, andplace each squarely on top of one of thecheese and pesto garnished crêpes to createtiny “crêpe sandwiches”. Promptly transfercrêpe sandwiches to a parchment paperlined tray; cover closely with plastic wrap.5. Repeat formula (Steps 2 to 4) to make 8more crêpe sandwiches.6. Prepare the mayonnaise by whiskingtogether mayonnaise and garlic; set aside.7. Up to 45 minutes before serving, add atouch (i.e., 1/8 tsp or 2 drops) of Aioli Mayonnaiseto top of each crêpe sandwich, topwith 3/4 tsp (4 mL) of chopped smokedturkey (or ham) mixture and garnish witha small sprig of fresh dill weed. Coverloosely with wax paper and refrigerateuntil shortly before serving.* To make 1 1/3 cups (325 mL) of crêpebatter, sift together 1/2 cup (125 mL) ofall purpose flour and 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ofgranulated sugar in a small bowl. In a mediumsize bowl, beat together one egg, oneegg yolk and 1/2 cup (125 mL) of milk.Continue to beat constantly, gradually addhalf the flour mixture to the milk mixture;add another 1/4 cup (60 mL) of milk, theremaining flour mixture and finally 2 tbsp(30 mL) of melted butter. Beat well.Margaret Dickenson is the author of theinternational award winning cookbook,Margaret’s Table — Easy Cooking & InspiringEntertaining, as well as creator andhost of the TV series, Margaret’s Table.See www.margaretstable.ca.Chef’s ParadiseA division of C.A.Paradis Inc.Open Monday-Saturday, 8am - 5pm1314 Bank Street, OttawaChefsParadise.cadiplomat and international canada 69

DELIGHTS|WINEPinot Noir: From Burgundy — and beyondPieter Van den WeghePinot Noir can provide one of thegreatest experiences a wine drinkercan have. Young wines entice witharomatics and flavours of cherry, plumsand violets. As Pinot matures, the winesgrow more savoury and aspects of mushroom,earth and game evolve. On thepalate, the texture is extraordinary. Thisis a red wine which doesn’t rely uponalcoholic power and weight to succeedand its elegance and haunting beauty arebeyond many grape varietals.But, there is a rub. Quite a few, in fact.7010 t h ANNIVERSARYSPRINGTIME IN PARISSATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012HILTON LAC-LEAMYINFO@SNOWFLAKEBALL.COMSNOWFLAKEBALL.COMPinot Noir is fickle and maddeninglyinconsistent. When compared to otherred varietals, the disparity between thehighs and lows in quality is staggering.Even in Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s homeand zenith, there are no guarantees. Partof this is due to Pinot Noir’s lack of geneticstability and its resulting tendencyto mutate. In Burgundy, where the grapeis thought to have been grown since atleast the 4th Century, there are more than1,000 types of Pinot Noir. While all ofthese clones exhibit similar qualities, theydiffer in many respects. Some do not producequality fruit and many prefer differentsoils and climates. In the vineyards,for reasons of convenience and economy,many growers in Burgundy and elsewherehave given into the temptationof planting clones which require lessmaintenance and provide larger yields.Unfortunately, the resulting wines havenot contributed to Pinot Noir’s positivereputation.Pinot Noir also costs more to produceand sell. Yields of fruit must be kept lowfor good-quality wine. The vines arehighly susceptible to mildew, rot and disease.They tend to die young and manyplants stop producing wine-worthy fruitafter three decades. All of these factorscontribute to higher prices. While it maybe easy to find a $12 bottle of reasonablygood and identifiable Cabernet Sauvignon,$12 will not cut it for the same levelof quality in a Pinot.Lastly, Pinot Noir is also not a goodtraveler. Though it has been planted farand wide throughout Europe and beyond,it wasn’t happy about it. For a long time,only a few tolerable expressions of Pinotwere produced outside of Burgundy.Then, something changed. Growersstarted to select clones more appropriatefor their environments. They experimentedin the vineyard and the winery.Over time, certain regions such as California,Oregon and New Zealand beganto succeed with this temperamental grapeand established their own reputations forcrafting perfect Pinot Noir. The resultingwines are delicious, and, while some criticsstate they may never be Burgundy atits very best, neither is much of Burgundy.This trend of compelling Pinots fromnew places is continuing. More and moreregions, typically with cooler and moremarginal climates, are contributing a newfacet to Pinot Noir. What follows are threesuch distinctive Pinots.First, we have a fun one from Italy’snorthern province of Alto Adige. It’s a2010 Pinot Nero produced by Colterenzio.This wine is light to medium-bodied andhas loads of joyful cherry flavour. Thestructure’s elegant and fresh and there’s anote of an earthy minerality on the finish.With excellent food pairing capabilities,this Pinot is great value at $22. Purchaseand home delivery in Ontario of thischarming wine is available through theStem Wine Group (www.stemwinegroup.com).For a far more Burgundian expressionof Pinot Noir, we go to wine producedby one of my favourite Canadian wineries,Five Rows. The winery is located inNiagara’s St. David’s Bench VQA subappellationand is operated by the Lowreyfamily, who have farmed the area forfive generations. The current generations,Howard and Wilma Lowrey and theirson, Wes, produce some of Canada’s mostcompelling wines. Despite the challengingvintage providing many nervousmoments and demanding much vineyardwork, their 2008 Pinot Noir is a deliciouscombination of bright cherry and blackraspberry aromas and favours with notesof floral, vanilla bean and spice. Only 106cases were made, and, while this winewill not appear in the LCBO system,it is available from the winery (www.fiverows.com) for $50 a bottle.Next is a Pinot Noir from an unexpectedplace. It’s the Laura Catena’s 2009“Luca” Pinot Noir from Argentina. Whilethere are very good Pinots emerging fromPatagonia in Argentina’s south, this winecomes from Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Thegrapes are sourced from a dessert vineyardwhich is at an altitude of more than1,400 metres. The location provides lots ofsunshine and very cool nights. Enticingaromas of cherry, spice and smoke lead toa silky and complex palate. This beautifulPinot is available from Vintages for $28(CSPC#175570).Even when the producers and regionsare familiar, selecting a bottle of PinotNoir is often similar to playing Russianroulette. However, the three suggestedwines can point you in the right direction.Pieter Van den Weghe is the sommelier atBeckta dining & wine.WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MARsfb-diplomat_internat-en1.indd 117-11-11 2:22 PM

esidences|DELIGHTSExotic grandeur in RockcliffeBy Margo RostonDyanne WilsonThe main reception room at the expansive Rockcliffe home of Indian High Commissioner Shashishekhar Gavai and his wife, Rina.When a house is sold during agame of bridge, the playersmight need a little glass ofport to get over the shock. When the dealis made between the guys over a drinkin the library without consulting theirwives, a double is probably in order.It sounds like fiction but it actually happenedin the Acacia Avenue home that isnow the residence of the Indian high commissioner.The house has an interestinghistory. But these days, it is a cultural beaconfor those who enter. Many sculpturesand artworks from India are highlightedin the spacious reception areas whereHigh Commissioner Shashishekhar Gavaiand his wife, Rina, entertain.Like so many houses in the area, thisone has its roots in the lumber business.Built in 1909 by civil engineer AllanGilmour Mather, whose father had aconnection with the Gilmour LumberCompany, the home was designed in theEdwardian Classical style. It made an imposingsight with its white-painted brickexterior, a gallery running across the frontand sides and a notable red tile roof. Thehouse was probably designed by Mather'suncle, local architect James Mather, MarthaEdmond speculates in her book RockcliffePark: A History of the Village.According to Edmond, the stock marketcrash of 1929 forced Mather to sell hisdiplomat and international canada 71

DELIGHTS|residencesall photos Dyanne WilsonAnother seating area in the main reception room.Designer showroom & professionalworkroom on premisesCOMMITTED TO QUALITYINSPIRED BY DESIGNCOMMITTED TO QUALITYINSPIRED BY DESIGN1134 Bank Street(near Sunnyside)613.730.9090www.elitedraperies.caArtfulinteriors• Custom window coverings • Shutters • Blinds • Furniture• Upholstery • Slipcovers • Bedcoverings • HardwareElite's talented team of designers and technicians cantake on any project of any scale — from expertly handcrafteddraperies to interior design to complete custom homerenovations. Elite has the depth of experience and capabilitiesto make your dream project a reality.home to Shirley Woods, Sr., whose fatherJames founded the Woods ManufacturingCo., makers of their famous Woods sleepingbag. Apparently one of these bags accompaniedRoald Amundsen through theNorthwest Passage in 1903 and warmedAdmiral Byrd in the Antarctic. Shirley,himself, designed the first down-filledvest for Second World War soldiers.A passionate renovator, Woods removedthe massive porch and gallery(revealing a finely-detailed veranda atthe top of the front steps) and covered thebrick with stucco. In 1934, Woods sold hishouse to his friend Edmund Newcombewhen he was visiting with his wife fora game of bridge. The two men, takinga break for a drink in the library, madethe deal and then came out to tell theirstunned spouses.The Indian government bought thehouse from the Newcombes in 1950.Today, the impressive seven-bedroommansion sits in a large garden, partlyhidden by a cedar hedge. Once inside,visitors are greeted in the large entrancefoyer by Mrs. Gavai who is wearing abrilliant peacock blue sari trimmed withgold embroidered peacocks, the nationalbird of India. The entrance is dominatedby a large fireplace. Atop the mantel arebrass Hindu gods and, in front, a largetraditional brass candle holder. Heavybrass temple bells line the stairway to thesecond floor.On the main floor, there are two largecream-coloured reception rooms filledwith art and Indian carpets. Of specialinterest are two stunning marble and goldvases from Rajasthan, India’s largest state,that compete with the couple’s collectionof more than 150 bells from a variety ofcountries. Silver tables brighten the mainreception area, also home to a collectionof traditional drums. Another collectionof blue and white china from Japan andChina, and paintings of Krishna, thecentral figure in Hinduism, fill the walls,tables and breakfronts in the rooms. Silkpillows add dashes of colour to the formalrooms. “The blue room,” a favouriteof Mrs. Gavai, is a small and charmingsunroom looking out over the garden andbackyard patio.The expansive dining room is themedin burgundy and blue and can seat up to18 guests, who dine on china and use silverwarefeaturing the crest of India. “Andthe food is all homemade,” Mrs. Gavaisays. She has two helpers who keep thehouse in shape and do the cooking.A typical meal at the residence includes72FALL 2011 | OCT-NOV-DEC

esidences|DELIGHTSClockwise from top left: The exterior of thehome on Acacia Road; the Gavais; the diningroom where guests are often treated toMrs. Gavai’s cooking; some Indian pillows,which add lovely accents to the receivingrooms.all photos Dyanne Wilsondiplomat and international canada 73

DELIGHTS|residencesall photos Dyanne WilsonThe home’s grand entrance; some samples from Mrs. Gavai’s bell collection.PREMIER REALTY LTD. (2008)CHRISTOPHER LACHARITYSALES REPRESENTATIVE613-240-8609OFFICE: 613 567 1400FAX: 613 567 1300EMAIL: CHRIS@PROFILEPROPERTIES.CA1 RAYMOND ST. OTTAWA ON. K1R 1A2a fish, meat and chicken course, distinctlyseasoned with spices to give the dishesdifferent flavours and colours. Five or sixvegetarian dishes and rice pilaf round outthe sumptuous meal. Three Indian dessertsalways complete the feast.The high commissioner and his wifeare both culturally active in Canada. Theyhave a large constituency of more thanone million people of Indian descent livingin this country. With 2011 declaredthe Year of India in Canada, the couplehas promoted 108 events across the country— dance and musical events, a filmfestival and a trade fair. “There has beena big audience for our events,” says Mr.Gavai. And his wife, who organized theIndian Women's Association to promoteher country, is equally pleased with itssuccess.Visiting the Indian High Commissioner'sresidence in Ottawa is a charming culturaland educational tour of an exoticland, an experience enhanced by the delightfuldiplomats who live there. D74WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

envoy's album|DELIGHTS1.6.2.5.4.1. In celebration of Taiwan's Centennial National Day, David Taiwei Lee, representative for the TaipeiEconomic and Cultural Office in Canada, and his wife, Lin, hosted a reception at the ChâteauLaurier in October. Six cabinet ministers, including Treasury Board President Tony Clement (centre),seven senators and 68 MPs attended. (Photo: Dennis Chen) 2. The Canadian Federation of UniversityWomen's diplomatic hospitality group took a tour of Parliament in November, compliments of GovernmentHouse Leader Peter Van Loan. Participants are shown here. Standing to the right of Mr. VanLoan (front, centre) is organizer Ulle Baum. (Photo: Darlene Stone) 3. To mark Albania’s national day,Ambassador Elida Petoshati took part in a flag-raising ceremony at Ottawa City Hall. It was the firsttime the Albanian flag has been raised by the City. (Photo by Ulle Baum) 4. Greek deputy foreignminister, Demetri Dollis, right, visited Ottawa in September and Ambassador Eleftherios Anghelopouloshosted a reception in his honour. 5. Armenian Ambassador Armen Yeganian and his wife, Maria,hosted a national day reception in October. 6. Romanian Ambassador Elena Stefoi hosted a nationalday reception at Ottawa City Hall on Dec. 1. From left, Russian Ambassador Georgiy Mamedov, Ms.Stefoi and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. (Photo: Lois Siegel)3.diplomat and international canada 75

DELIGHTS|envoy’s album1.2.3.1. Cuban Ambassador Teresita Sotolongo, right, hosted a reception in honour of Cuba’s culture day.She’s shown with Cuban painter Yoel Finalé, centre, and curator Lilia Faulkner. 2. Czech AmbassadorKarel Zebrakovsky and his wife, Marketa Zebrakovska Smatanova, marked their national day witha reception at the National Arts Centre in October. From left, Courtnay Romkey Darville, Ms ZebrakovskaSmatanova and Larry Lederman, Canada's former chief of protocol. 3. The delegation of EuropeanUnion to Canada and member states of the EU presented their 4th annual EU Christmas concertat the Notre Dame Cathedral Dec. 9. From left, Laura Mennill, director of the Lisgar CollegiateInstitute String Ensemble, EU Ambassador Matthias Brinkmann, Timothy Piper, director, organist andpianist for the Christ Church Cathedral Girls' Choir and Robert Filion, musical director of the ChoraleDe La Salle. (Photo by Ulle Baum)76WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

DELIGHTS|envoy’s album6.1.2.5.4.3.1. The Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada presented an award to U.S. Ambassador DavidJacobson, which was accepted by his wife, Julie, at the association‘s annual Eid dinner. From left, ZulKassamali, vice-president of APMC Toronto, Mrs. Jacobson, event emcee Charles Coffey and OttawaMayor Jim Watson. (Photo: U.S. embassy) 2. Algerian Ambassador Smail Benamara, right, hosted anational day celebration at his embassy in November. He’s shown with Lawrence Cannon, strategicadviser at Gowlings. (Photo: Ulle Baum) 3. Icelandic Ambassador Sigridur Anna Thordardottir and herhusband, Jon Thorsteinsson, attended a dinner at Restaurant 18, featuring celebrated Swedish chef GustavTrägårdh. The following evening, Swedish Ambassador Teppo Markus Tauriainen hosted a privatedinner in his home. (Photo: Lois Siegel) 4. Australian indigenous leader Tom Calma spoke at the Instituteon Governance (IOG) in November about a campaign dedicated to improving the health and well-beingof Australia's indigenous citizens. From left, IOG president Maryantonett Flumian, Mr. Calma, MarionLefebvre, vice-president for aboriginal governance. (Photo: Bruce MacRae) 5. The Turkish Embassy, incooperation with the Turkish-Canadian Cultural Association, presented a free painting workshop inNovember at Ottawa City Hall. Turkish artist Hikmet Cetinkaya gave the workshop. Ambassador RafetAkgunay and his wife, Zeynep, are shown in front of one of his paintings. (Photo: Ulle Baum) 6. OscarArias, former president of Costa Rica, received an honourary degree from Carleton University. From left,Carleton chancellor Herb Gray, president Roseann O'Reilly Runte and Mr. Arias. (Photo: Mike Pinder)78WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

National days|delightsCelebration timeA listing of the national and independence days marked by countriesJanuary1 Cuba Liberation Day1 Haiti Independence Day1 Sudan National Day4 Myanmar Independence Day26 Australia Australia Day31 Nauru National DayFebruary4 Sri Lanka National Day6 New Zealand National Day7 Grenada Independence Day11 Iran National Day15 Serbia National Day16 Lithuania Independence Day17 Kosovo Independence Day18 Gambia Independence Day22 Saint Lucia Independence Day23 Brunei Darussalam National Day23 Guyana Republic Day24 Estonia Independence Day25 Kuwait National Day27 Dominican Republic Independence DayMarch3 Bulgaria National Day6 Ghana National Day12 Mauritius National Day17 Ireland St. Patrick’s Day20 Tunisia Proclamation of Independence23 Pakistan Pakistan Day25 Greece Independence Day26 Bangladesh National DayApril4 Senegal Independence Day16 Denmark Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II17 Syria National Day18 Zimbabwe Independence Day26 Tanzania Union Day27 Sierra Leone Republic Day27 South Africa Freedom Day27 Togo National Day29 Israel National Day30 Netherlands Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Beatrixdiplomat and international canada 79

DIGNITARIES|NEW ARRIVALSNew heads of missionAgostinho Tavares da Silva NetoAmbassador of AngolaMr. Tavares da SilvaNeto joined Angola’sforeign ministry in1977 after completingstudies at the KarlMarx Institute in Luanda.Much later, hewould also complete adegree in international relations at theUniversity of Brasilia.But before that, he held several governmentalpositions. In 1982, he was head ofthe department of human resources in thesecretary of state for cooperation. In 1987,he was sent to Spain, on his first foreignposting, as an administrative attaché. In1997, he moved on to India, where heserved as third secretary before returningto headquarters in 2000 as head of the Asiaand Oceania department.From 2000 to 2005, he served as firstsecretary, and later counselor, at the embassyin Brazil before returning to his formerjob at headquarters (head of the Asiaand Oceania department).Mr. Tavares da Silva Neto speaks Portuguese,Spanish and English. He is marriedto Prudence de Sousa Carneiro da Silvaand has five children.Oscar Mauricio Duarte GranadosAmbassador of El SalvadorMr. Duarte Granadosis an academic whocame to diplomacylater in his career. Aftercompleting studies atthe Karl Marx Instituteof Economics in Bulgaria,he completed amaster’s degree in law and social sciencesin 2000. A few years later, he received amaster’s in human rights and educationfor peace.Mr. Duarte Granados began his teachingcareer at the University of El Salvadorin 1993. He became deputy dean of theschool of law and social sciences in 2003,a position he kept until 2011. In 2003, healso became a member for the council ofUniversity of El Salvador and a member ofthe board of directors of the school of lawand social sciences. He has representedthe University at the Central Americancouncil for integration and has worked,since 2004, as a member of the examinationboard for international relations at theuniversity. Between 1998 and 2001, he wasa coordinator of assistance for refugeesand victims of Tornado Mitch in Usulutan,El Salvador.Mr. Duarte Granados is married. Hespeaks Bulgarian, English, basic Macedonianand Spanish.Nam Joo-hongAmbassador of KoreaMr. Joo-hong comesto diplomacy throughacademia. He has abachelor’s degree inpolitical science and internationalrelationsfrom Konkuk Universityin Seoul, a master’sin strategic studies from the University ofAberdeen in the UK and a PhD in politicalscience and international relations from theLondon School of Economics.He began his career as a research fellowat Harvard University’s centre for internationalaffairs, and then became a professorat the National Defence College. He thenworked as a special adviser in charge ofsecurity and unification at the nationalsecurity planning agency and as deputysecretary-general of the national unificationadvisory council. He then became aprofessor at Kyonggi University’s graduateschool of unification and security andlater at the same university’s graduateschool of politics and policy. He addedthe title of dean of that school in 2003.Between 2007 and 2008, he was a senioradviser to the 17th presidential transitioncommittee and became ambassador forinternational security affairs at the Koreanministry of foreign affairs and trade in2010.Mr. Joo-hong is married with a son anda daughter.Leslie B. GatanAmbassador of the PhilippinesMr. Gatan is a careerdiplomat who joinedthe service in 1983, inthe office of the UnitedNations and other internationalorganizations.He spent threeyears in that job beforebeing posted to Sri Lanka as third secretaryand vice-consul. After that, he wasposted for five years to Switzerland as firstsecretary and consul after which he returnedto headquarters and became directorof ASEAN affairs. His next posting, asminister-counsellor, was to Thailand,where he spent two years before beingsent to Italy as counsellor and consul for ayear and then to Belgium as minister foranother year.Back at headquarters, Mr. Gatan spenta year as special assistant in the office ofthe undersecretary for policy before beingsent to the United Nations in New Yorkfor six years, first as minister and thenas deputy permanent representative. Hethen returned to headquarters as assistantsecretary of the office of the UN and otherinternational organizations.He has a bachelor of arts in politicalscience, a bachelor of business managementand a masters in urban and regionalplanning. He is married to Lydia DebbieMijares.Ulrich LehnerAmbassador of SwitzerlandCanada isn’t new forMr. Lehner, a careerdiplomat who wrotethe Swiss foreign serviceexam in 1981 andjoined soon after. Partof his early educationtook place in Sion, hisbirthplace and then, for a time, in Torontobefore he moved on to study in Geneva.He has a degree in economic and socialscience from the University of Geneva anda post-graduate diploma in security policystudies.His first posting, for one year, was toPortugal as an attaché. He then spent ayear as third secretary at the embassy inBrazil before being sent as second secretaryto the embassy in Norway. He returnedto headquarters as an officer in thepolicy planning branch and later headedthe office for peace policy.In 1991, he went to Rome as counselorfor four years and then followed that upwith four years at the embassy in Egypt.From 1998 to 2002, he was director of theGeneva Centre for Security Policy andfrom 2004 to 2007, he headed the politicaldivision responsible for internationalorganizations. Prior to coming to Canada,he served for four years as ambassador toFrance and Monaco. In Canada, he’s duallyaccredited to Bahamas.Mr. Lehner is married to FedericaLehner Timbal, and has two children. Hespeaks French, German, English, Italianand Portuguese.80 WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

diplomatic contactsAFGHANISTANEmbassy of the Islamic Republic ofAfghanistan240 Argyle StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 1B9TEL 563-4223 FAX 563-4962contact@afghanemb-canada.netwww.afghanemb-canada.netALBANIAHer Ex. Elida PetoshatiEmbassy of the Republic of Albania130 Albert Street, Suite 302Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 236-4114 FAX 236-0804embassyofalbania@on.aibn.comALGERIAHis Ex. Smail BenamaraEmbassy of the People’s DemocraticRepublic of Algeria500 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6N2TEL 789-8505 FAX 789-1406www.embassyalgeria.ca/eng.htmANGOLAHis Ex. Agostinho Tavares da SilvaNetoEmbassy of the Republic of Angola189 Laurier Avenue EastOttawa, Ontario K1N 6P1TEL 234-1152 FAX 234-1179info@embangola-can.orgwww.embangola-can.orgARGENTINAHis Ex. Arturo BothamleyEmbassy of the Argentine Republic81 Metcalfe Street 7th FloorOttawa, Ontario K1P 6K7TEL 236-2351 FAX 235-2659embargentina@argentina-canada.netwww.argentina-canada.netARMENIAHis Ex. Armen YeganianEmbassy of the Republic of Armenia7 Delaware AvenueOttawa, Ontario K2P 0Z2TEL 234-3710 FAX 234-3444armcanadaembassy@mfa.comwww.armembassycanada.caAUSTRALIAHis Ex. Justin Hugh BrownAustralian High Commission50 O’Connor, Suite 710Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL 236-0841 FAX 236-4376www.canada.embassy.gov.auAUSTRIAHis Ex. Werner BrandstetterEmbassy of the Republic of Austria445 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6M7TEL 789-1444 FAX 789-3431www.austro.orgAZERBAIJANHis Ex. Farid ShafiyevEmbassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan275 Slater Street, Suite 904-COttawa, Ontario K1P 5H9TEL 288-0497 FAX 230-8089BAHAMASHis Ex. Michael D. SmithBahamas High Commission50 O’Connor Street, Suite 1313Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL. 232-1724 FAX 232-0097ottawa-mission@bahighco.comhttp://bahamas.comBANGLADESHHis Ex. A.M. Yakub AliHigh Commission for the People’sRepublic of Bangladesh340 Albert St., Suite 1250Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 7Y6TEL 236-0138 FAX 567-3213bangla@rogers.comwww.bdhc.orgBARBADOSHis Ex. Edward Evelyn GreavesHigh Commission for Barbados55 Metcalfe St., Suite 470Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6L5TEL 236-9517 FAX 230-4362ottawa@foreign.gov.bbBELARUSEmbassy of the Republic of Belarus130 Albert Street, Suite 600Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 233-9994 FAX 233-8500belamb@igs.netBELGIUMHi Ex. Bruno van der PluijmEmbassy of Belgium360 Albert Street, Suite 820Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7TEL 236-7267 FAX 236-7882ottawa@diplobel.fed.bewww.diplomatie.be/ottawaBENINHis Ex. Honoré AhimakinEmbassy of the Republic of Benin58 Glebe AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 2C3TEL 233-4429 FAX 233-8952ambaben@benin.caBOLIVIAHis Ex. Edgar Torrez MosqueiraEmbassy of the Republic of Bolivia130 Albert Street, Suite 416Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 236-5730 FAX 236-8237info@emboliviacanada.comwww.emboliviacanada.comBOSNIA-HERZEGOVINAHer Ex. Biljana Gutic-BjelicaEmbassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina130 Albert Street, Suite 805Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 236-0028 FAX 236-1139embassyofbih@bellnet.cawww.bhembassy.caBRAZILHis Ex. Piragibe dos Santos TarragoEmbassy of the Federative Republicof Brazil450 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6M8TEL 237-1090 FAX 237-6144mailbox@brasembottawa.orgBRUNEI DARUSSALAMHer Ex. Rakiah Haji Abdul LamitHigh Commission for BruneiDarussalam395 Laurier Avenue EastOttawa, Ontario K1N 6R4TEL 234-5656 FAX 234-4397bhco@bellnet.caBULGARIAHis Ex. Evgueni StoytchevEmbassy of the Republic of Bulgaria325 Stewart StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6K5TEL 789-3215 FAX 789-3524embgottawa@hotmail.comBURKINA FASOHer Ex. Juliette BonkoungouEmbassy of Burkina Faso48 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL 238-4796 FAX 238-3812burkina.faso@sympatico.cawww.ambaburkina-canada.orgBURUNDIMrs. Justine SemondeChargé d'AffairesEmbassy of the Republic of Burundi325 Dalhousie Street, Suite 815Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7G2TEL 789-0414 FAX 789-9537ambabottawa@yahoo.cawww.ambabucanada.comCAMEROONHis Ex. Solomon Azoh-Mbi Anu’a-GheyleHigh Commission for the Republicof Cameroon170 Clemow AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 2B4TEL 236-1522 FAX 236-3885cameroon@rogers.comwww.hc-cameroon-ottawa.orgCHILEHis Ex. Roberto Ibarra GarcíaEmbassy of the Republic of Chile50 O’Connor Street, Suite 1413Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL 235-9940 FAX 235-1176echileca@chile.cawww.chile.caCHINAHis Ex. Junsai ZhangEmbassy of the People’s Republicof China515 St. Patrick StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 5H3TEL. 789-3434 FAX 789-1911www.chinaembassycanada.orgCOLOMBIAHer Ex. Clemencia Furero UcrosEmbassy of the Republic of Colombia360 Albert Street, Suite 1002Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7TEL 230-3760 FAX 230-4416embajada@embajadacolombia.cawww.embajadacolombia.caCONGO (ZAIRE)His Ex. Dominique Kilufya KamfwaEmbassy of the Democratic Republicof the Congo18 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J3TEL 230-6391 FAX 230-1945COSTA RICAHis Ex. Luis Carlos Delgado MurilloEmbassy of the Republic of Costa Rica325 Dalhousie Street, Suite 407Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7G2TEL. 562-2855 FAX 562-2582embcr@costaricaembassy.comwww.costaricaembassy.com82| EMBASSIES | HIGH COMMISSIONS ‐ | OTHER INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVESWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

diplomatic contactsKENYAHis Ex. Simon Wanyonyi NabukwesiHigh Commission for the Republicof Kenya415 Laurier Avenue EastOttawa, Ontario K1N 6R4TEL. 563-1773 FAX 233-6599kenyahighcommission@rogers.comwww.kenyahighcommission.caKOREA, REPUBLICHis Ex. Nam Joo-hongEmbassy of the Republic of Korea150 Boteler StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 5A6TEL. 244-5010 FAX 244-5034www.emb-korea.ottawa.on.caKUWAITHis Ex. Ali Al-SammakEmbassy of the State of Kuwait333 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario, K1N 1J9TEL. 780-9999 FAX 780-9905LATVIAHis Ex. Juris AudarinsEmbassy of the Republic of Latvia350 Sparks Street, Suite 1200Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 7S8TEL. 238-6014 FAX 238-7044embassy.canada@mfa.gov.lvwww.ottawa.mfa.gov.lvLEBANONEmbassy of Lebanon640 Lyon StreetOttawa, Ontario K1S 3Z5TEL. 236-5825 FAX 232-1609info@lebanonembassy.cawww.lebanonembassy.caLESOTHOHer Ex. Mathabo Theresia TsepaHigh Commission for the Kingdomof Lesotho130 Albert Street, Suite 1820Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4Tel: 234-0770 Fax: 234-5665LIBYAHis Ex. Abdulrahman AbututaEmbassy of the Great SocialistPeople’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya81 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1000Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6K7TEL. 230-0919 FAX 230-0683info@libya-canada.orgLITHUANIAHer Ex. Ginte DamusisEmbassy of the Republic ofLithuania150 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1600Ottawa, ON K2P 1P1TEL. 567-5458 FAX 567-5315ginte.damusis@lithuanianembassy.cawww.lithuanianembassy.caMACEDONIA (REPUBLIC OF)His Ex. Ljuben TevdovskiEmbassy of the Republicof Macedonia130 Albert Street, Suite 1006Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 234-3882 FAX 233-1852MADAGASCARHis. Ex. Simon Constant HoraceEmbassy of the Republic ofMadagascar3 Raymond StreetOttawa, Ontario K1R 1A3TEL: 567-0505 FAX 567-2882ambamadcanada@bellnet.cawww.madagascar-embassy.caMALAYSIAHer Ex. Dato’ Hayati IsmailHigh Commission for Malaysia60 Boteler StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8Y7TEL. 241-5182 FAX 241-5214malottawa@kln.gov.myMALIHis Ex. Mamadou BandiougouDiawaraEmbassy of the Republic of Mali50 Goulburn AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8C8TEL. 232-1501 FAX 232-7429ambassadedumali@rogers.comwww.ambamalicanada.orgMEXICOHis Ex. Francisco Javier BarrioTerrazasEmbassy of the United MexicanStates45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1000Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4TEL. 233-8988 FAX 235-9123info@embamexcan.comwww.embamexcan.comMONGOLIAHis Ex. His Ex. Zalaa UulTundevdorjEmbassy of Mongolia151 Slater Street, Suite 503Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3TEL. 569-3830 FAX 569-3916mail@mongolembassy.orgMOROCCOHer Ex. Nouzha ChekrouniEmbassy of the Kingdom ofMorocco38 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL. 236-7391 FAX 236-6164MYANMARHis Ex. Kyaw TinEmbassy of the Union of Myanmar85 Range Road, Suite 902Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8J6TEL. 232-9990 FAX 232-6999meottawa@rogers.comnepalHis Ex. Bhoj Raj GhimireChargé d'AffairesEmbassy of Nepal408 Queen StreetOttawa, ON K1R 5A7TEL 680-5513 FAX 422-5149NETHERLANDSHis Ex. Wilhelmus J. P. GeertsEmbassy of the Kingdom of theNetherlands350 Albert Street, Suite 2020Ottawa, Ontario K1R 1A4TEL. 237-5030 FAX 237-6471Ott-cdp@minbuza.nlNEW ZEALANDHis Ex. Andrew NeedsNew Zealand High Commission99 Bank Street, Suite 727Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6G3TEL. 238-5991 FAX 238-5707info@nzhcottawa.orgwww.nzembassy.com/canadaNIGERHer Ex. Nana Aicha FoumakoyeEmbassy of the Republic of theNiger38 Blackburn AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8A3TEL. 232-4291 FAX 230-9808NIGERIAEx. Iyorwuese HagherHigh Commission for the FederalRepublic of Nigeria295 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 1R9Tel. 236-0521 Fax 236-0529NORWAYHer Ex. Else Berit EikelandRoyal Norwegian Embassy150 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1300Ottawa, ON K2P 1P1TEL. 238-6571 FAX 238-2765emb.ottawa@mfa.nowww.emb-norway.caO/OF EASTERN CARIBBEANSTATESHis Ex. Brendon BrowneHigh Commission for the Countriesof the Organization of EasternCaribbean States130 Albert Street, Suite 700Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 236-8952 FAX 236-3042echcc@oecs.orgwww.oecs.org/ottawaPAKISTANHis Ex. Akbar ZebHigh Commission for the IslamicRepublic of Pakistan10 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J3TEL. 238-7881 FAX 238-7296parepottawa@rogers.comPALESTINEMr. Amin Abou-HassiraHead of the General Delegation45 Country Club Dr.,Ottawa, OntarioK1V 9W1TEL: 736-0053FAX: 736-0535palestinegd@rogers.comPANAMAHis Ex. Francisco Carlo EscobarEmbassy of the Republic of Panama130 Albert Street, Suite 300Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 236-7177 FAX 236-5775embassyof panama@gmail.comPARAGUAYHis Ex. Manuel SchaererKanonnikoffEmbassy of the Republic ofParaguay151 Slater Street, Suite 501Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3TEL. 567-1283 FAX 567-1679consularsection@embassyofparaguay.caPERUHis Ex. José Antonio BellinaEmbassy of the Republic of Peru130 Albert Street, Suite 1901Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 238-1777 FAX 232-3062emperuca@bellnet.caPHILIPPINESHis Ex. Leslie B. GatanEmbassy of the Republic of thePhilippines130 Albert Street, Suite 900Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 233-1121 FAX 233-4165embassyofphilippines@rogers.comwww.philippineembassy.caPOLANDHis Ex. Zenon Kosiniak-KamyszEmbassy of the Republic of Poland443 Daly AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 6H3TEL. 789-0468 FAX 789-1218ottawa.info@msz.gov.plPORTUGALHis Ex. Pedro Moitinho de AlmeidaEmbassy of Portugal645 Island Park DriveOttawa, Ontario K1Y 0B8TEL. 729-0883 FAX 729-4236embportugal@embportugal/ottawa.orgQATARHis Ex. Salem Al-ShafiEmbassy of the State of Qatar(Temporary) 1 Rideau Street, Rm162-164Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8S7Tel: (613) 241-4917Fax: (613) 241-3304ROMANIAHer Ex. Elena StefoiEmbassy of Romania655 Rideau StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6A3TEL. 789-3709 FAX 789-4365Romania@romanian-embassy.comhttp://ottawa.mae.roRUSSIAHis Ex. Georgiy MamedovEmbassy of the Russian Federation285 Charlotte StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8L5TEL. 235-4341 FAX 236-6342info@rusembassy.cawww.rusembassy.caRWANDAHer Ex. Edda MukabagwizaHigh Commission for the Republicof Rwanda121 Sherwood DriveOttawa, Ontario K1Y 3V1Phone: 569-5420/22/24Fax : 569-5421/5423generalinfo@ambarwaottawa.cawww.ambarwaottawa.caSAUDI ARABIAHis Ex. Osamah Bin Ahmad AlSanosi AhmadRoyal Embassy of Saudi Arabia201 Sussex DriveOttawa, ON K1N 1K6Tel 237-4100 Fax 237-056784| EMBASSIES | HIGH COMMISSIONS ‐ | OTHER INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVESWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

SENEGALHis. Ex. Amadou Tidiane WoneEmbassy of the Republic of Senegal57 Marlborough AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8E8TEL. 238-6392 FAX 238-2695Info@ambsencanada.orgSERBIAHis Ex. Zoran VeljicEmbassy of the Republic of Serbia17 Blackburn AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8A2TEL. 233-6289 FAX 233-7850generalinfo@serbianembassy.cawww.serbianembassy.caSLOVAK REPUBLICHis Ex. Milan KollárEmbassy of the Slovak Republic50 Rideau TerraceOttawa, Ontario K1M 2A1TEL. 749-4442 FAX 749-4989emb.ottawa@mzv.skwww.mzv.sk/ottawaSLOVENIAEx. Tomaz KunsteljEmbassy of the Republic of Slovenia150 Metcalfe Street, Suite 2200Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1P1TEL. 565-5781 FAX 565-5783vot@gov.sihttp://ottawa.veleposlanistvo.si/SOUTH AFRICAHer Ex. Mohau PhekoHigh Commission for the Republicof South Africa15 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1M 1M8TEL. 744-0330 FAX 741-1639rsafrica@southafrica-canada.cawww.southafrica-canada.caSPAINHis Ex. Eudaldo MirapeixEmbassy of the Kingdom of Spain74 Stanley AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1M 1P4TEL. 747-2252 FAX 744-1224embespca@mail.mae.eswww.embaspain.caSRI LANKAHer Ex. Chitranganee WagiswaraHigh Commission for theDemocratic Socialist Republicof Sri Lanka333 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1204Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1C1TEL. 233-8449 FAX 238-8448slhcit@rogers.comwww.srilankahcottawa.orgSUDANEmbassy of the Republic of the Sudan354 Stewart StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6K8TEL. 235-4000 FAX 235-6880SWEDENHis Excellency Teppo MarkusTauriainenEmbassy of Sweden377 Dalhousie StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 9N8TEL. 244-8200 FAX 241-2277Sweden.ottawa@foreign.ministry.sewww.swedishembassy.caSWITZERLANDHis Ex. Ulrich LehnerEmbassy of Switzerland5 Marlborough AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8E6TEL. 235-1837 FAX 563-1394ott.vertretung@eda.admin.chSYRIAEmbassy of the Syrian Arab Republic46 Cartier StreetOttawa, ON K2P 1J3TEL. 569-5556 FAX 569-3800www.syrianembassy.caTAIPEI Economic & Cultural officeDavid Tawei Lee, Representative45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1960Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4TEL. 231-5080 FAX 231-7112publicaffairs@on.aibn.comTANZANIAHis Ex. Alex Crescent MassindaHigh Commission for the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania50 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL. 232-1509 FAX 232-5184tzottawa@synapse.cawww.tanzaniahighcommission.caTHAILANDHis Ex. Udomphol NinnadThe Royal Thai Embassy180 Island Park DriveOttawa, Ontario K1Y 0A2TEL. 722-4444 FAX 722-6624thaiott@magma.caTOGOEmbassy of the Togolese Republic12 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J3TEL. 238-5916 FAX 235-6425TRINIDAD AND TOBAGOHis Ex. Philip BuxoHigh Commission for the Republicof Trinidad and Tobago200 First Avenue, Third LevelOttawa, Ontario K1S 2G6TEL. 232-2418 FAX 232-4349ottawa@ttmissions.comTUNISIAHis Ex. Mouldi SakriEmbassy of the Republic of Tunisia515 O’Connor StreetOttawa, Ontario K1S 3P8TEL. 237-0330 FAX 237-7939atottawa@comnet.caTURKEYHis Ex. Rafet AkgünayEmbassy of the Republic of Turkey197 Wurtemburg StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8L9vTEL(613) 244-2470 FAX 789-3442embassy.ottawa@mfa.gov.trwww.turkishembassy.comUGANDAHis Ex. George Marino AbolaHigh Commission for the Republicof Uganda231 Cobourg StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J2TEL. 789-7797 FAX 789-8909uhc@ugandahighcommission.comwww.ugandahighcommission.caUKRAINEHis. Ex. Ihor OstashEmbassy of Ukraine310 Somerset Street, West,Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0J9Tel. 230-2961 Fax 230-2400emb_ca@ukremb.cawww.ukremb.caUNITED ARAB EMIRATESHis Ex. Mohamed Abdulla M. BinMutleq Al Ghafli125 Boteler StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 0A4TEL. 565-7272 FAX 565-8007Consulate FAX: 565-1444www.uae-embassy.ae/careception@uae-embassy.comUNITED KINGDOMHis Ex. Andrew PocockBritish High Commission80 Elgin StreetOttawa, Ontario K1P 5K7TEL. 237-1530 FAX 237-7980www.britainincanada.orgUN Refugee agencyFurio de AngelisUNHCR Representative in Canada280 Albert Street, Suite 401Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G8Tel: 613-232-0909Fax: 613-230-1855www.unhcr.caUNITED STATES OF AMERICAHis Ex. David Cary JacobsonEmbassy of the United States ofAmerica490 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1N 1G8TEL. 238-5335 FAX 688-3088www.usembassycanada.govURUGUAYHis Excellency Elbio Oscar RosselliFrieriEmbassy of the Oriental Republic ofUruguay130 Albert Street, Suite 1905Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 234-2727 FAX 233-4670VENEZUELAEmbassy of the Bolivarian Republicof Venezuela32 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL. 235-5151 FAX 235-3205www.misionvenezuela.orgVIETNAMHis Ex. Sy Vuong Ha LeEmbassy of the Socialist Republic ofVietnam470 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6M8TEL. 236-0772 FAX 236-2704YEMENHis Ex. Khaled Mahfoodh BahahEmbassy of the Republic of Yemen54 Chamberlain AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 1V9TEL. 729-6627 FAX 729-8915www.yemenembassy.caZAMBIAHis Ex. Nevers MumbaHigh Commission for the Republicof Zambia151 Slater St., Suite 205Ottawa, OntarioK1B 5H3TEL. 232-4400 FAX 232-4410ZIMBABWEHer Ex. Florence Zano ChideyaEmbassy of the Republic ofZimbabwe332 Somerset Street WestOttawa, Ontario K2P 0J9TEL. 421-2824 FAX 422-7403info@zimottawa.comvisa@zimottawa.comwww.zimottawa.comdiplomatic contactsdiplomat and international canada | EMBASSIES | HIGH COMMISSIONS ‐ | OTHER INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES 85 85

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DELIGHTS|destinationsAustralian odyssey: reefs and rainforestsAn overview of the beach at Port Douglas, a surfing mecca.By Jessie ReynoldsCairns: Days 1-6As a natural spectacle, NorthQueensland is comparable to theRockies in Canada or Death Valleyin the U.S. It offers, in other words, aunique experience. On my 14-day tour, Imade sure to visit Cairns and Port Douglasbefore heading south to Sydney.Cairns (pronounced ‘cannes’) has thetowel and postcard stores of many oceansidetowns, but also offers fine dining,a well-maintained boardwalk and variouspublic parks, including a children’splayground straight out of Tim Burton’simagination.The Hilton Cairns is an ideal base foryour North Queensland visit. It’s close toocean, city and esplanade. The restaurant,Hanuman, provides a great breakfast buffet.(Once we worked through the differencebetween tomato sauce and ketchup— there is none — and the differencebetween a latte and flat white — again,they’re the same thing — I very muchenjoyed my early morning meals.) Bynight, Hanuman transforms into a fineIndian restaurant with dishes of amazingvariety. When it comes to wine, be readyanywhere in Australia for pages of menuslisting only Australian wine by region,and rightly so. (Aside from a slightlyacidic edge, the house wines are generallyquite good.) Hanuman has a winner in anAustralian Sauvignon Blanc, Salitage Treehouse(2008).The Hilton offers fantastic service, bothin terms of dining and front desk andconcierge staff. They are incredibly knowledgeable,friendly and happy to direct youto off-the-beaten-track dining, shoppingand bar options. They also will accommodaterequests, no matter how unusual.Harder pillow? Not a problem. Storeyour bags for a day, three days after youchecked out? Of course. Still, if you wantwater with lunch, or a morning coffee, beready to ask at least two different people88 WINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

destinations|DELIGHTSand to wait for between 10 to 20 minutesSpend one day walking the boardwalk.It might take only an hour or so to go fromstart to finish, but stop at some of the restaurants,shops, cafés (which make trulyexcellent coffee) and the numerous gelatoshops, and the day will race by happily.The boardwalk also covers the resortand yacht club area, then past local barsand stores, and the uniquely-shaped (andvery large) public swimming pool. It couldeasily belong to a five-star resort and looksout over the ocean to the mountainsSeveral tours leave from Cairns to theGreat Barrier Reef and nearby rainforests. Irecommend skipping the Ocean Spirit dinnercruise. The boat stays in the harbour,traveling in slow circles, and doesn’t provideviews any better than had it stayedmoored to the pier. Many of the best toursdepart from Port Douglas, an hour northof Cairns.A short drive from downtown Cairns —“hire” a car, take the bus or hail a cab — isthe A.J. Hackett Cairns bungee jumpingcompany. If you aren’t the sort to try it, theyalso operate a gigantic swing that sendshorizontally prone patrons zooming downa huge arc at incredible speeds. If you aremore of an observer, or need some liquidcourage, they also have a well-stocked barand make a mean white Russian.Also close to Cairns is the Kurandacable-car and railway. The company’swebsite (www.ksr.com.au) has extensiveinformation about travel options. Allowat least six hours for both legs of the trip. Iopted for the cable-car going one way andfor the railway on the return. The cablecar takes you to Kuranda via two stops inthe jungle at which you can take a guidedtour, explore on your own, or just finda place to lean and look at the beautifulwaterfalls.Cairns (pronounced ‘cannes’) offers finedining, a well-maintained boardwalkand various public parks.diplomat and international canadaAUSTRALIAPortDouglasKuranda is a somewhat charming —and distinctly friendly. Go through towntowards the amphitheatre and you willpass entrances to very beautiful junglewalks (of varying degrees of difficulty).Coming from eastern Ontario, I’m usedto walking carelessly through forests. InNorth Queensland, it’s safest to operate onthe assumption that everything is poisonous:spiders, caterpillars and plants. Wearclosed-toe shoes whenever you’re leavinga town or city and carry bug spray, even ifyou’re there in the Australian winter.The Kuranda jungle paths take you pastancient trees, plant-filled valleys, streamsgliding over shallow waterfalls and alongriverside pathways. If you take the cablecar into Kuranda and the railway back,you see more than if you use one transportationmethod round trip. The cablecar affords an amazing view of Cairns, theocean and the nearby mountain ranges.The train takes you around heart-poundinglysharp corners beside a mountainsidecliff and through several tunnels.The train station is directly beside themain shopping centre in Cairns that offersanything you might need (towels, localgifts, clothing, boomerangs, etc.). Notethat most of the shops in Cairns closeat 5:00 p.m. and only the night market(featuring mostly trinkets,T-shirts, on-sitemassages, leather hats and overpricedlocal opal jewelry), which is near Cairn’scentral bus station, is open for shoppingafter hours.CairnsqueenslandNew south walesDaintree National ParkSydneyGreat Barrier ReefLocated in Far North Queensland, 2,400 kilometres north of Sydney, Cairns and Port Douglasserve as base camps for visitors to Australia who want to scuba dive in the Great BarrierReef and who want to trek in Daintree National Park, a World Heritage site famous for itslavish biodiversity.It seems that everything closes earlydue to the mass exodus to restaurantsand bars. Cairns, in the downtown core,caters to backpackers and a somewhatyounger demographic. So be ready fornoise if you go into town and leave theboardwalk.If you want a few minutes of solitude,kick off your shoes, walk along the boardwalkto the public pool, dip your feet inthe water and enjoy the breeze coming offthe ocean — and then head to the patioat Villa Romana Trattoria for a flat white.Sitting there in the sun, sipping coffee andwriting my postcards was the perfect wayto say goodbye to Cairns after a wonderfulweek.Port Douglas: Days 7-9Port Douglas is a much more naturalescape than Cairns. It’s the gatewayto the Great Barrier Reef, theDaintree National Park and many othernatural attractions. There are fewer backpackersand less feeling of evening excess.That’s not to say that there isn’t a thrivingnightlife, though. Some of the restaurantsand bars in Port Douglas are the mostpopular in the entire region.No matter where you’re staying downtown,take a morning walk towards FourMile Beach and you’ve basically mappedthe whole town. You can orient yourselfusing the one main street, the marina andFour Mile Beach.89

DELIGHTS|destinationsJessie reynoldsOur writer, scuba diving near the Great Barrier Reef, where she also found this clown fish.If you can, stay near the town’s mainstreet or near Four Mile or opt for one ofthe many inclusive apartment residences.These often have pools, kitchenettes, inroomlaundry facilities and patios whichare great for enjoying your homemadepina coladas and margaritas. The PortDouglas Queenslander has one of the bestrates, an excellent central location and,despite a lack of some common amenities(shampoo, extra towels, evening serviceand an office that closes at 9 p.m.), it’s agood option if you’re staying for morethan a few days. I found myself appreciatingthe laundry machines as you willcertainly use all your towels at least twicea day.You will find grocery marts that provideingredients for a fantastic meal. This90comes in handy when you’re ready for abreak from the astronomical prices of ameal in Port Douglas, and Australia, ingeneral. (Comparisons are easy as the Canadianand Australian dollars are roughlyequivalent.) A plate of pasta? $30. Onesmall scoop of gelato? $5. One side gardensalad? $15. Having said that, make sureyou head to 2 Fish for the barramundi dinner.Tell the restaurant’s Nick that Gerhard— a local tour guide who recommends theplace — sent you.For breakfast every day, I walked tothe Beaches Café on Four Mile Beach. Theowners are fantastic and will make whateveryou want if they have the ingredients.Show up before the 8:00 a.m. rush and getyour breakfast to go, walk 10 meters to thebeach and sit on the golden sand to enjoyyour breakfast and (heavenly) cappuccino.The tourists of Port Douglas disappearbetween 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. — due to thenumerous one-day adventures on offer.Try the scuba diving day at the Great BarrierReef with Poseidon Tours. Buses pickyou up at your hotel (regardless of whereyou’re staying in town — be out front orbe prepared for the honking horn whenthe driver arrives). We were on the boat by8:30 a.m. and ready to start diving (after avery in-depth and humour-filled lesson)by 10 a.m. when we arrived at the reef. Alternatively,you can snorkel above the reef.John De Boer, who’s been diving formore than 20 years, was our leader. Hetook all the stress out of the experienceand did everything he could to make itmemorable. I recommend doing all threeavailable dives. Each site is different. Wevisited one site with cliffs of reef that madeyou feel as though you were parasailingrather than scuba diving. The sheer sizeand the presence of sea turtles, sharks(smaller reef sharks, though we were toldto be diligent in looking for larger sharksnearby and to head towards the bottomof the reef if we did see one) gave it aprehistoric feel. Another dive was a shallowunderwater hill with more sand andcolorful fish (including Nemo). By the lastdive, you’re a seasoned pro and can enjoytaking underwater pictures.Either bring your own underwatercamera or rent one of their high-qualityunderwater Canons for $55. The advantageof renting the camera on board isthat they can simply swap your camera’smemory card and return it to you afterwards.They also offer a fairly impressivelunch.If you’re doing a half-day tour, or aretaking a day off from tours just to relax,rent bikes to tour the city, shop in PortDouglas or head 20 minutes out of townto Silky Oaks for afternoon tea. It’s a gorgeous(but not conveniently located) resortnear Port Douglas. The entrance is framedwith tall, beautiful, windblown sugar caneplants.The local community of Mossman, acity close to Port Douglas, relies on sugarcane for much of the region’s employment.With a decrease in production overthe past few years, the sugar refinery inMossman is innovating and has recentlyregistered a patent to use different, fibrousparts of the plant as a natural sweetener.The sugar-farming community works asa cooperative, using a railway that circlesthe cane fields and harvests an equalportion of each farmer’s plantation so noWINTER 2012 | JAN-FEB-MAR

destinations|DELIGHTSindividual farmer is affected by daily priceincreases and decreases. Also, local farmersare planning to grow cocoa, vanillaand sugar cane, a combination they saymakes this area unique as the only one togrow the main ingredients for purely locallymade chocolate.After a day at the reef, or fishing, dryoff and go visit the other natural wondersin the area, such as Daintree NationalPark. Take a look at the many pamphlets,which seemingly are on every flat surfacein the town, or just sign up with BTSTours. They’re flexible (I called at 6 p.m.for a tour for the next day at 8 a.m. withouta problem.) Their Daintree Rainforesttour starts off with a very informativejungle walk which takes you past ancienttrees. Tour guides place the age of one ofthem at somewhere between 600 and 1,200years. Aside from just being in the rainforest,hearing the silence (many of the animalsare nocturnal) and feeling small andawestruck, keep your eye out for giganticspiders — and take in babbling brooksheading down into deep valleys, toweredover by the huge sun-stealing trees thatform the rainforest’s canopy.The Daintree National Park is aUNESCO World Heritage site and hascertainly earned this honour as the world’soldest continuously living rainforest.Locals and tourists take good care of it,including those few residents who live(without electricity connections and usingonly generators) on the Daintree side ofthe Daintree River, which you reach onlyby ferry.After a jungle walk, BTS took us to seeAl, the operator of the only Daintree Riverboat cruise. The cruise was a lovely opportunityto put on more bug spray and enjoyDaintree National Park, a UNESCO WorldHeritage site.The entire city of Sydney is peppered with amazing shopping and dining.the breeze coming off the ocean.Al talked mostly about the importanceof the mangroves (around 30 of theworld’s 60 varieties exist in the Daintreearea) and why preservation of this uniquetree is necessary to the ecosystem in thearea. He also spoke quite a bit aboutcrocodiles, which seems to be a commonpastime in Australia’s north. All of thelocals have at least one story about theirpet being eaten, seeing one while out fishingor warning tourists to take the threatseriously. On the cruise, Al pointed outseveral logs which turned out to be fourmetercrocodiles. Used to the sound of hisboat (a glorified tin can), they would swishtheir gigantic tails and swim alongside usfor a few minutes before heading back tothe river’s edge to wait for an unsuspectingpet, tourist or wild pig.After the boat tour, we headed to theBTS campsite. With a small natural clearwater pond at hand, we canoed and swam(“don’t worry about the eels, they’re morescared of you than you are of them”)while our guide prepared lunch – fantasticbarbecued Australian lamb (and fish andvegetarian alternatives) with several otherside dishes, including coconut rice and afresh fruit salad.After lunch, we toured Cape Tribulation(“Cape Trib”), Cow Bay and, ofcourse, a gelato shop. The beach at CapeTrib is a large, gorgeous semi-circle of palesand and a very shallow decline into theocean. At the very least, take your shoesoff and walk along the surf (being mindfulof the crabs that are hidden just below thesand’s surface).Sydney: Days 10-14Sydney is like a more-southern Vancouverbut bigger (population: 4.5million) with more varied neighborhoodsand crazy, crazy driving.There is so much to do that you needat least two weeks to see it all. In my fivedays, I managed a sort of “must see” list,but did miss a few.Downtown Sydney is divided into sections.Circular Quay is a harbour-frontregion. Its ferries will take you to wellknownManley and other ocean-side suburbsof Sydney. The ferry is a cheap andfantastic way to get views of the city, thefamous Opera House and Harbour Bridge.Darling Harbour contains the downtownskyscrapers and much of the dining andnightlife in the city. The Rocks, the firstsettled area in Sydney, has many historicalbuildings and higher-end artisan stores.Kings Cross is the city’s red light districtwhich, during the day, at least, is interesting.Further afield are Manley and Bondi,the latter of which boasts the worldfamoussurfing beach.The entire city is peppered with amazingshopping and dining. At Sushi Rio inDarling Harbour, the chefs stand in themiddle of a bar fitted with an electronicsushi train. They’ll tell you what’s in eachroll that makes its way past you and willalso make sushi to order. It was fantasticdiplomat and international canada 91

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