Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, former U.S. president Donald Trump, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and France's President Emmanuel Macron chat during a family photo at the G7 Summit in the Charlevoix city of La Malbaie, Que., on June 8, 2018.YVES HERMAN/Reuters
Peter MacKay is a former Canadian attorney-general, justice minister, foreign affairs minister and defence minister. He is currently a lawyer and advocate for the anti-corruption non-profit Integrity Initiatives International.
In 2025, Canada is set to assume the presidency of the G7. This provides an opportunity for us to help shape a better world – indeed, it is our responsibility to do so. And one area where Canada’s contribution can be most strongly felt is with respect to improving humanitarian protections for civilians.
The Middle East crisis sparked by Hamas’s brutal slaughter of more than 1,400 innocent Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023, shows no signs of abating. In fact, the risk of further escalation is growing, with Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah causing death and displacement on both sides of Israel’s border with Lebanon.
Israel has a right to defend itself. But it is incredibly challenging to fight an enemy that hides military assets in schools, hospitals and among civilian populations, and Israel’s forceful retaliation against Hamas has utterly devastated Gaza. Though there can be no moral equivalency between democratic Israel and the terrorist thugs of Hamas, this distinction can by no means diminish the fact that the people who have paid most dearly in this horrific conflict are innocent Palestinians who deserve to live in peace and security just as much as any other people.
Hamas and Hezbollah have long been enabled by their benefactor: the Islamic Republic of Iran, which bears responsibility, above all other countries, for the atrocities. Not only has the regime directly fuelled the so-called “axis of resistance” in the region, but it has also launched two unconscionable ballistic-missile barrages at Israel.
What’s more, the Islamic Republic’s brutality against innocents also has victims within Iran. We cannot forget the horrific violent crackdown and indiscriminate violence and torture of mostly women in Iran in the wake of the killing of Mahsa Amini, or the gender apartheid that denies millions their basic human rights.
Canada must take a more decisive and vocal stand in defence of these vulnerable populations and condemn those who put civilian life in jeopardy. On principle, this starts with condemning Iran, its civilian-targeting terrorist proxies, and any entities that continue to use innocent lives as human shields.
Canada should work to advance a de-escalation, particularly in Gaza, that is unequivocal in its support of Israel’s right to self-defence while also calling for a limited ceasefire that ends strikes on civilian areas in exchange for the release of hostages. This is a challenging tightrope to walk – and it is made deliberately challenging by Iran. It is therefore in Canada’s interest that we work with our partners and allies to undermine and confront Iran’s ability to export terror, threaten civilians and destabilize the region. The cause of peace and protecting civilians demands a much firmer hand.
Many of the same considerations apply to the horrific deaths and casualties resulting from the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s Russian regime – a toll that will only rise now that North Korea is sending troops and Iran is providing weapons and manufacturing power to the Russian war effort.
Canada has long been a champion of the cause of civilian protection in armed conflict. Our leadership was crucial in the creation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty, and in 1999, as president of the UN Security Council, Canada led its first resolution on the protection of civilians. Canada also took a leading role in the establishment of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine adopted by the UN in 2005, spoke up for adherence to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, and endorsed the 2022 Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas.
This legacy must compel us to find more strategic ways to elevate our voice globally and consistently on behalf of civilians in humanitarian crises, especially in these fraught and complex times. Canada’s coming presidency of the G7 presents a unique opportunity to do so.
The consequences of these conflicts will resonate for generations, as vast areas remain contaminated by unexploded ordnance. Organizations such as Humanity & Inclusion Canada, which has expertise in land clearance and support for victims of conflict, are stepping up to address the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, but the scale of the challenge remains staggering, as the scars of conflict will linger for years. A fundamental shift is necessary – one where the protection of civilians becomes the central military and security consideration alongside success on the battlefield.
By championing this agenda during its G7 presidency, Canada has the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in saving countless innocent human lives. What more compelling and quintessentially Canadian call to action can there be?