Visit of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, to the United Nations, New York, New York, United States of America
From November 10 to 11, 2011, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, made an official visit to the United Nations in New York, United States. The Speaker was accompanied by Mrs. Ann Kinsella, Ms. Janelle Feldstein, Chief of Staff of the Speaker of the Senate, and Mr. Gérald Lafrenière, Secretary to the Delegation and Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Exchanges.
At the United Nations, the delegation met with:- Mr. BAN Ki-moon, Secretary General to the United Nations; and
- His Excellency Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the United Nations’ General Assembly.
In addition to the meetings at the United Nations, the Speaker observed a session of the United Nations’ General Assembly and also attended a briefing to members of the General Assembly on the outcomes of the G-20 Summit in Cannes in November 2011.
While in New York, the delegation met with:
- His Excellency Lhatu Wangchuk, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations and Ambassador to Canada;
- His Excellency, Abderrahim Ould Hadrami, Permanent Representative of Mauritania to the United Nations and Ambassador to Canada;
- His Excellency João Soares Da Gama, Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations and Ambassador to Canada; and
- His Excellency Narcís Casal de Fonsdeviela, Permanent Representative of Andorra to the United Nations and Ambassador to Canada.
In addition, the Speaker held informal discussions with Permanent Representatives to the United Nations from Australia, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Japan.
At the Remembrance Day Observance in the British Gardens, the delegation met with:
- Mr. Danny Lopez, Consul General of the United Kingdom to New York;
- Mrs. Geneive Brown Metzger, Consul General of Jamaica to New York;
- Mr. Victor E. Stewart, Chairman, British Memorial Garden Trust;
- Mr. Rodney Johnson, Vice-Chairman and CFO, British Memorial Garden Trust;
- Mr. Keith Taylor, Chairman, The British Soldiers’ Fund; and
- Mr. John C. Harvey, President, St. George’s Society.
The delegation also met with His Excellency Frà John Dunlap, Member of the Sovereign Council, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, who is based in New York City.
The objectives of the visit were to enhance relations between Canada and the United Nations, as well as bilateral relations with a number of countries including Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Bhutan and Andorra, whose permanent representatives to Canada are located in New York. This included highlighting the range of Canada’s interests with these countries, promoting educational exchanges, discussing research sharing in the area of agriculture and aquaculture, as well as exchanging ideas on the issue of food security around the world; highlight Canada’s interests with the United Nations in the areas of international development, security and human rights; encourage ongoing parliamentary dialogue by further promoting parliamentary exchanges; discuss foreign policies with respect to issues of international and mutual interest; and pursue good relations in all fields of contact.