Thank you for joining us to talk about why we should embrace diversity, why inclusion must defeat exclusion. This is a central issue for the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and I welcome you on his behalf.
We have come a long way since nuclear tests were common, threatening the environment and reminding all of us what those mushroom clouds meant for humanity. But the threat remains.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said, Canada is proud to be back at the UN and to recommit itself to multilateralism. We are a trading nation. We are a multilateralist nation.
Last month, Canadian security agencies foiled an imminent terrorist attack by a lone actor attempting to detonate homemade explosive devices in one of Canada's busiest cities. This was yet another reminder to Canadians that terrorism is a global threat that knows no borders.
I want to start by acknowledging that we're on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. They were here first and I'm grateful to them, as I think we should all be, that we can be here.
On behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I want to tell you that it is a great pleasure and honour it is to be the first Canadian minister ever to attend the Pacific Islands Forum [PIF].