Hon. Roméo Antonius Dallaire:

Honourable senators, as the last of the Canadian troops are pulling out of the Kandahar combat zone today, and with the odour of demobilization or, certainly, budgetary cuts coming forward, I thought I would speak on the subject of the military, particularly security, international security and our engagement.

Central to Canada's security agenda are military forces capable of defending our country and supporting our foreign policy abroad. For many years, Canada's national defence policy has identified three core objectives: to defend Canada, to work with the United States in defending North America, and to contribute to international peace and security. Recently, Canadian troops have participated in international operations, including, of course, the coalition in Afghanistan, and peacekeeping missions as far back as the Balkans, East Timor, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kosovo, the Congo, Darfur, Cambodia and Rwanda.

Canada now faces difficult choices about its military commitments. Since a nation's ability to influence international security decisions depends, in part, on its capacity to shoulder responsibilities, the kinds and levels of military capacity that Canada has will affect our future role in the world as one of the leading middle powers.

Increasingly, international forces are being called upon for a wide range of commitments, such as engaging in combat, restoring order, enforcing peace agreements, and protecting civilians.

The coming years are likely to see a high demand for military forces with varied capabilities. Canadians need to consider how our military can best support our foreign policy within a structured format.

Canada has long believed that military capability is only one part of a broader approach to security at home and abroad. Our human security approach — a term that is less and less used — to foreign policy recognizes that the security of states is essential but not sufficient to ensure the safety of their citizens. It is also vital to address non-military sources of conflict that fuel social instability and create environments in which political and religious extremism can flourish.

In view of the dangers posed by fragile and poorly governed states, the international community must work with such states to strengthen their governing institutions and judicial systems, to hold their leaders accountable and to support the rule of law. Stabilizing fragile states also requires conflict prevention and a sustained commitment to the reconstruction of states emerging from conflict.

These tasks can be assumed only if Canada acts in partnership with other governments, multilateral institutions, private sector actors and civilian societies, and in so doing reconstitutes its capabilities through a whole-of-government concept that it actually applies, funds and implements. It is time to relook at our commitments to the UN and also — if I may put a plug in — for members to rejoin the genocide prevention group that is looking specifically at the commitments of Canada in the prevention of mass atrocities by other means than purely military.

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