Canada on the United Nations Security Council
Release Date: 09/01/2019
Shortlisted, 2020 Dafoe Book Prize, J.W. Dafoe Foundation
Finalist, 2019 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, Writer's Trust of Canada
As the twentieth century ended, Canada was completing its sixth term on the United Nations Security Council, more terms than all but three other non-permanent members. A decade later, Ottawa’s attempt to return to the council was dramatically rejected by its global peers, leaving Canadians – and international observers – shocked and disappointed. Drawing from more than twenty archival libraries and more than eighty interviews with experts and practitioners, Canada on the United Nations Security Council tells the story of that defeat and what it means for future campaigns, describing and analyzing Canada’s attempts since 1946, both successful and unsuccessful, to gain a seat as a non-permanent member. It also reveals that while the Canadian commitment to the United Nations itself has always been strong, Ottawa’s attitude towards the Security Council, and to service upon it, has been much less consistent. Nonetheless, the benefits of council membership have consistently equaled or outweighed the costs of participation. Impeccably researched and clearly written, Canada on the United Nations Security Council is the definitive history of the Canadian experience on the world’s most powerful stage.
This book will appeal to students and scholars of Canadian history and international relations, and to policy practitioners, journalists, and those with an interest in foreign policy.
Selected Praise for Canada on the United Nations Security Council:
Shortlisted, 2020 Dafoe Book Prize, J.W. Dafoe Foundation
Finalist, 2019 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, Writer's Trust of Canada
As the twentieth century ended, Canada was completing its sixth term on the United Nations Security Council, more terms than all but three other non-permanent members. A decade later, Ottawa’s attempt to return to the council was dramatically rejected by its global peers, leaving Canadians – and international observers – shocked and disappointed. Drawing from more than twenty archival libraries and more than eighty interviews with experts and practitioners, Canada on the United Nations Security Council tells the story of that defeat and what it means for future campaigns, describing and analyzing Canada’s attempts since 1946, both successful and unsuccessful, to gain a seat as a non-permanent member. It also reveals that while the Canadian commitment to the United Nations itself has always been strong, Ottawa’s attitude towards the Security Council, and to service upon it, has been much less consistent. Nonetheless, the benefits of council membership have consistently equaled or outweighed the costs of participation. Impeccably researched and clearly written, Canada on the United Nations Security Council is the definitive history of the Canadian experience on the world’s most powerful stage.
This book will appeal to students and scholars of Canadian history and international relations, and to policy practitioners, journalists, and those with an interest in foreign policy.
Selected Praise for Canada on the United Nations Security Council:
- "Adam Chapnick’s Canada on the United Nations Security Council is a keeper. For anyone interested in the inner workings and vast impact of the world’s most important deliberative body, Chapnick’s book – informative, engaging, and well-grounded in fact – is a must-read. For anyone interested in foreign policy and Canada’s role in the world, this is a book to read and enjoy. "
- "Adam Chapnick artfully writes the history of Canada’s role on the UN Security Council and cautions about the challenges ahead. Through careful examination of Canada’s successful council terms, Chapnick reveals how Canada previously showed global leadership on issues such as apartheid, land mines, and R2P. Election is no longer a slam dunk for Canada, however. To win a seat in 2021, Canada needs to offer proof that we are ready to make a full commitment to the UN. It will also take clear policy positions and broad public support at home and around the world. Chapnick concludes that such effort is worthwhile, and fitting for a country with our internationalist values, financial means, and wealth of skill and talent. This is a book to be read in the policy centres of Ottawa, and by the general public, as we gear up for a tough campaign that, if successful, would result in Canada playing a strategic role in addressing crucial global issues during these turbulent times."
- "Adam Chapnick’s ground-breaking and eloquent biography of John Wendell Holmes revealed his gift for understanding the history of Canada’s foreign policy. This new book, a timely study of Canada’s relationship with the Security Council, is confirmation of his wisdom and acumen. Essential reading for policy makers." - Bob Rae, 21st Premier of Ontario, Canada’s Special Envoy to Myanmar, and professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto
- "With meticulous, original research and engaging narrative verve, Adam Chapnick’s timely work of history takes us behind the scenes of Canada’s various campaigns for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. The book gives us both a gossipy insider’s view of the politicking that goes into a Security Council bid and a brisk analysis of the what Canada did – or did not – accomplish during its various stints on the Council. It’s a rare work of serious academic history that is this entertaining, as Chapnick lifts the curtain on the inner working of the UN while capturing the drama – and the occasional absurdity – of the game at hand."