Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs commemorating the 60th anniversary of Lester B. Pearson being awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace

December 10, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

“Today, we celebrate 60 years since Lester B. Pearson was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in recognition of his creative and effective intervention during the Suez Crisis.

“For Canadians, this distinction is still an immense source of national pride, both for the global significance of the Nobel Prize for Peace and because the peacekeeping mechanism that Pearson helped to devise has advanced the cause of peace, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law around the world.

“Similar to how the Suez Crisis required a new approach to conflict resolution in 1956-57, the complexity of conflict in 2017 compels us to re-examine how we contribute to modern-day peace operations. Canada recently announced that it is taking a comprehensive approach to peacekeeping that draws from civilian, police and military resources. Our aim is to enhance the protection of children, increase the participation of women in peace operations and provide the specialized capacities that the United Nations and its agencies need.

“As we work to implement these measures, and to help build a more peaceful and prosperous world, we draw inspiration from the words spoken by Lester B. Pearson six decades ago as he accepted the honour conferred upon him. ‘Of all our dreams today,’ he said, ‘there is none more important—or so hard to realize—than that of peace in the world. May we never lose our faith in it or our resolve to do everything that can be done to convert it one day into reality.”

Contacts

Adam Austen
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Adam.Austen@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
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media@international.gc.ca
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