Example of a Position Paper

It is with great respect and sense of purpose that the delegation of Canada addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations. Throughout its participating history, Canada has striven to uphold the noble ideals on which the UN was founded. Now, more than ever, we must all endeavor to make these ideals a reality. The complexities of terrorism, endemic poverty, and environmental degradation are among those that no one nation can confront alone.  That is why Canada has taken a leading role in its involvement on the international level. It is our hope that we can project the principles of equality, thoughtful negotiation, and compassion to the world, principles that urge mutual development over exploitation, words over weapons, and peace over war.

1. The Funding of Terrorism
Terrorism is a threat that no one in the world community can afford to ignore. The tragic events of September the eleventh, 2001, serve as a poignant reminder to one of the core values of this great body, a value clearly elucidated in Article 1 of the Charter we all embrace: “To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace.” One of the ways to prevent terrorism is to disrupt and separate terrorists from their financiers; to this end Canada pledges steadfast, absolute resolve. This is, however, an immense challenge.  It cannot be met without well-coordinated, multilateral support from our international partners.

The financing of terrorism is complex, as a wide variety of methods are used to bring in, store, and disperse funds.  For example, alternative remittance systems, also known as the Hawala or Hundi system, operate on trust. Records of transactions in these systems are rare to non-existent. Charitable organizations and cover companies are often used as fronts for laundering. In addition, the financial practices and regulations from one country to the next are often so dissimilar that they allow these funds to simply “disappear.” 

Canada has taken several significant steps, along with its partners, to starve terrorists of their assets.  These include ratifying and fully supporting the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (resolution 54/109) and implementing UNSCR 1373. Canada is also one of twenty-nine nations in the Financial Action Task Force, working to create uniform financial standards to combat terrorist funding. Finally, Canada recently chaired the G8 summit in Kananaskis, where it was a strong advocate of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, an initiative that will strengthen both international security and strategic stability.

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As we strive to end the scourge of terrorism, we must remember that there is no country untouched by its injustice. We have all felt the pain and suffering it causes. We have all been exposed to its cold inhumanity. We have all seen the devastation wrought when unmitigated hatred is used as the fuel to commit unconscionable acts. Therefore we must all work together, united and unwavering, not only to stop those who wish to commit terror, but also to address the reasons they are able to gain support. As the honorable Bill Graham, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs to the UN, stated so clearly, “The fight against terrorism challenges us to find ways to open our hearts and minds to the diversity of the world. Now more than ever we must promote dialogue and understanding, and encourage people to be tolerant of other people. In this way we will help to eradicate at its source much of the pain in the world today, which all too often translates into rising hatred, extremism, and fanaticism of all sorts.”

Canada pledges complete support to accomplish these goals, and further resolves to be open to all others that lead the world towards a more peaceful and prosperous future.  

2. The Role of Women in Development
Canada has been, and always will be, a staunch defender of Women’s rights. The role of women in development should be one of equality, where a woman is judged not by her gender, but by the quality of her contribution to society.  There have been great strides in the world community towards eliminating the great injustices of discrimination and exploitation, but there is still much work to be done.

While Canada respects the rights of all nations to their unique customs and traditions, we submit that the rights of women fall under the realm of human rights, and as such, should serve to insure the same basic, universal freedoms. In this vein, Canada has ratified both the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). We look forward to working with our international partners to insure that the rights of women to equal employment, a fair wage, and just treatment under the law are explicitly enforced.

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