Canada and UN Peacekeeping

Each year, WFMC releases an update of our Canada and UN Peacekeeping fact sheet to mark National Peacekeepers’ Day on August 9th. The fact sheet includes details about Canada’s contributions in the context of UN peace operations as a whole, as well as the steps Canada can take moving forward. The work of the United Nations to restore peace and security currently involves more than 90,000 military, police, and civilian personnel, serving in 12 peacekeeping missions around the world. Canadian contributions of military and police personnel currently stand at 56 individuals (27 military and 29 police) deployed to UN operations. The WFMC Canadians for Peacekeeping campaign launched in 2010 with the objective to mobilize Canadians and call on the Government of Canada to increase its commitment to UN peace operations. Upon election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to re-engage in UN peacekeeping. He gave explicit instructions to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in the minister’s mandate letter and the government made major pledges at the Peacekeeping Ministerial in London in 2016. The Prime Minister made additional pledges at the Peacekeeping Ministerial in Vancouver, in November 2017. The campaign’s website tracks the status of these promises and pledges using easily measurable statistics and benchmark data and is regularly updated.