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Canada Co-Founds the United Nations
The United Nations is an international organisation formed to promote worldwide collaboration, peace and order. On June 26th, 1945, Canada signed the UN charter, and the UN officially came into being on October 24th of the same year. -
Canada Joined NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation(NATO) is a military alliance between many countries throughout North America and Europe. According to the official website, "NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means." Canada joined the organisation on April 4th, 1949, by signing the North Atlantic Treaty along with the rest of the founding countries. -
Canada Prompted UN's first designated peacekeeping mission, UNEF 1.
In 1956, Lester B. Pearson(Canada’s Minister for External Affairs) suggested sending a multinational contingent to the Middle East to the UN general assembly due to the Suez Crisis. Eventually this proposal became the very first designated peacekeeping mission of the UN, UNEF I. -
A Canadian Contingent was Sent to the Congo for the ONUC Peacekeeping Mission.
In July 1960, the United Nations Operation in the Congo(ONUC) began. At this time, a Canadian Contingent was sent to Congo and this continued until 1964. According to the official website, ONUC's purpose was "to ensure the withdrawal of Belgian forces, to assist the Government in maintaining law and order and to provide technical assistance as well as maintaining the territorial integrity and political independence of the Congo, preventing the occurrence of civil war." -
Canada sends a large contingent to Cyprus
For the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP), we sent a large Canadian Armed Forces contingent on May 15th, 1964. The mission lasted until June 15th, 1993 and around 50,000 Canadian soldiers served.According to the official UN website, the purpose of the mission was to "prevent further fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities." -
Operation DANACA Began
Starting in 1974, Operation DANACA was Canada's contribution to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). According to the official website, the purpose of UNDOF was "to maintain the ceasefire between the Israeli and Syrian forces and to supervise the implementation of the disengagement agreement, following the agreed disengagement of the Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan." Operation DANACA closed in March 2006, with over 12,000 Canadians having served. -
UNGOMAP Began
The United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan & Pakistan(UNGOMAP) began on May 1st, 1988 and ended on March 15th, 1990. According to the GC website, the mission was "with the purpose of assisting the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to lend his good offices to the parties in ensuring the implementation of the Agreements on the settlement of the Situation Relating to Afghanistan (the Geneva Accords)" -
DPKO Founded
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations(DPKO) of the United Nations(UN) is a department focusing on the assisting the member states in efforts to maintain international security and peace through peacekeeping operations. It was created by the UN in 1992, which Canada is a key member of. -
MINUSTAH Began
The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti began June 1st 2004 and is continues today. According to the official UN website, their purpose is "restoring a secure and stable environment" in Haiti after disruption due to political struggles from September 1991. Mandates include "promoting the political process, promoting and protecting human rights, disarming and reconciliation of insurgents, reforming of systems, public safety/border security, assistance to damage of 2010 earthquake"&more. -
Canada signed the Paris Agreement
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, signed the Paris climate treaty at UN on the morning of April 22nd, 2016 in New York City. The agreement commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and utilise more renewable energy sources.
