Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
OTTAWA — Climate change, refugees and peacekeeping are among the topics up for discussion as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets in Ottawa today with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The meeting is part of Trudeau’s efforts to have Canada work more closely with the world body. Trudeau has criticized the former Harper government for diminishing the country’s role at the UN.
Ban and Trudeau are expected to discuss climate change, gender equality and women’s rights, the Syrian refugee crisis and the potential for Canada to contribute more to UN peacekeeping.
Canada’s contributions to peacekeeping missions have fallen to a few dozen troops in recent years from a high of several thousand in the mid-1990s.
However, a recent report by the Rideau Institute and the Centre for Policy Alternatives said the mission in Afghanistan left the Canadian Forces without the skills for peacekeeping work.
Trudeau and Ban will also meet students at an Ottawa high school to discuss the importance of building diverse societies to promote peace and broad economic growth.
