
Image credit: Office of the Prime Minister
Updated: Apr 23
If there is one thing that separates Canada’s foreign policy from other countries in the world, it is its strong support for promotion of human rights. From Foreign Minister Freeland’s Tweet about civil rights activists in Saudi Arabia to Canada’s annual resolution at the UN Human Rights Council with respect to Iran’s human rights record, the Liberal government has made it clear that promoting human rights is an integral part of the Canadian foreign policy.
But has Canada’s approach to human rights been effective in the Middle East? Dennis Horak, the former Canadian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who was expelled and declared a persona non grata in the recent diplomatic row, doesn’t think so. “The least effective way to approach human rights is the approach we have taken. To stand on the sidelines and yell at countries is not effective… If our objective is to affect change, then you need to engage and have a comprehensive relationship.” Horak said in a panel discussion on Parliament Hill organized by the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy.
Canada’s tense relations with the two major powers in the Middle East have curtailed its influence in the region. In case of Iran, there has been no relations since the Harper government cut diplomatic relations in 2012. While Prime Minister Trudeau promised a different foreign policy approach, evidently his re-engagement efforts with Iran have failed. In a surprising move, his party voted in support of a Conservative motion that called on the government to “abandon its current plan and immediately cease any and all negotiations” to restore diplomatic relations with Iran.
While Canada maintains diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, allowing Canadian diplomats to engage with the Saudi officials on a wide range of issues including human rights, Canada’s recent public criticism via Twitter about human rights violations in Saudi Arabia downgraded the diplomatic relations between the two countries and caused costly retaliations from Saudi Arabia.
Make no mistake, Canada must be serious in advocating and promoting human rights in the Middle East. Yet, it requires to re-examine its approach. While Twitter diplomacy and calling out rulers of Middle Eastern countries for their abysmal human rights record might be well-received by domestic constituencies, the approach has not produced positive results in these countries. In fact, it has been counterproductive by gravely limiting the Canadian influence to advance its interests in the region.
In order to be effective, Canadian diplomats need to build relationships with high-ranking officials who have influence in their respective country’s decision-making process. This requires Canada to have full engagement with these countries on political, economic, and commercial levels. It also requires Canada to invest more in its public diplomacy efforts by growing its student exchange programs and working with domestic civil society actors. It is only then that the important subject of human rights could be addressed effectively, particularly when it is part of a multifaceted discussion.
Yet, it is important to underline that human rights should not be merely confined to civil and political rights. There are many areas in which Canada could play a more instrumental role that would have a greater chance of success and betterment of human rights situations in these countries. “We have seen a lot of attentions for the political side of human rights but we have lots of subjects within human rights… access to health, education, water, and sustainable development are other aspects of human rights, which people of the region have been deprived of due to the one-sided Western obsession with political and civil rights.” The Head of United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Iran, Amirhossein Barmaki said in a policy panel in Ottawa.
With a large diaspora community from the Middle East, Canada has a special advantage to rebuild and strengthen its relationships with powerful countries in the region. More importantly, it has the potential to become a prominent and influential player in peacebuilding, mediation, and conflict resolution in this volatile region. It is ironic that while Sweden and Norway are actively engaging and mediating between various stakeholders of complex regional conflicts, Canada is still deciding whether having diplomatic relations with Iran is necessary or not.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author.
Photo source: Dano, Flickr.