Reception for Outgoing Canadian Heads of Mission

Rideau Hall, Thursday, June 4, 2009

It is a springtime tradition to hold a reception at Rideau Hall for the outgoing heads of mission before they set off for foreign lands. And each time, it is a great pleasure for us to help launch this exciting stage in your careers and lives.

You are assuming office at a time when the whole world is facing challenges of an unprecedented magnitude.

In many regions of the world, conflicts continue to ravage populations that have long endured violence and oppression. And in many other regions, security and stability remain tenuous.

And let us not forget that for the first time since the Korean War, Canada is having to face the difficult and painful reality of armed conflict, this time alongside the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

To say nothing of the current economic turmoil that has left no country spared and that has hit emerging economies particularly hard.

An entire system based on market-driven logic and the “fend for yourself” mentality is folding like a house of cards, dragging us down with it, a system that today is trying to rebuild itself on a different foundation.

We were in Ukraine a few weeks ago to encourage the Ukrainian people to continue in their efforts—which they have undertaken with courage and conviction—to transition to democracy and a market economy, for they have felt the full brunt of this economic crisis.

In some countries, the global financial crisis could not have come at a worse time, because they are already grappling with disastrous food and humanitarian crises. Crises that conflicts or natural disasters have in some cases made only worse.

I am thinking in particular of Haiti, where hurricanes devastated the entire country, particularly the Artibonite region—the island’s food basket—where I returned in January for a working visit to reaffirm our country’s desire to help the Haitian people to emerge from the crisis and rebuild what has been destroyed.

Nature’s fury brings to mind the spectre of climate change, which is growing worse every day and having a serious impact on the planet’s ecosystems.

Whether in Norway, which I visited following the State visit to Ukraine, or in Nunavut, from which I returned just a few days ago, the many signs of these changes can be seen in the North and are serious cause for concern: the melting ice, land slides caused by underground flooding, animals deviating from their migratory paths, to name but a few.

What all of these challenges have in common is that they concern the entire world.

They demand that we abandon unilateral solutions in favour of a global approach, one that promotes solidarity and respects the rights and interests of all peoples.

And I believe that we Canadians can bring a unique perspective to these challenges that we are all facing.

Everywhere that I have been, from State visits to official visits, I have been pleased to see that Canada is considered a model in many regards.

Many people have told me that ours is a spirit of openness and reciprocity.

I would add that Canada has even more sway internationally because it contains the world, and for Canadians, our diversity is synonymous with opportunity and key to our success.

The rule of law, respect for human dignity, equality between women and men, freedom of speech and the responsibility to act, good governance, and sustainable development are values that we are committed to promoting, here at home and around the world, and that are rooted in the diversity that defines so much of who we are.

It will be up to you, dear friends, Canadian diplomats, to embody those values in the international community.

You have a responsibility to the country you represent and to the country that will be your home away from home while on your mission: the responsibility to make diplomacy an instrument of peace, human development and reconciliation between peoples.

Strengthening the bonds of solidarity that unite us, encouraging dialogue, practising openness, knowing how to listen, being compassionate, working together toward a common goal: I believe this is what you should focus on throughout your mandate.

On a personal note, I would like to extend our warmest thanks to Rideau Hall’s librarian, Maurie Barrett, who will be leaving her position to join her husband, Dr. John Barrett, Canada’s new ambassador to Austria. Maurie, you will be missed by us and by all your Rideau Hall colleagues. We hope you will keep close ties with the institution of the Governor General and all your friends here.

Jean-Daniel and I offer all of you our warmest congratulations and wish you and your families, who go with you and support you in your work, every happiness and success.

Thank you.