Canada was one of 11 partner countries in the Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Well-Being, a group set up as part of a wide-reaching dialogue between the European Union, Norway, Iceland, and Russia.
The group, whose activities cover the so-called Northern Dimension area that includes parts of the Arctic and sub-Arctic as well as the Baltic Sea, examines issues like indigenous mental health and addictions, said director Marek Maciejowski in an interview from his office in Stockholm.
It also aims to reduce alcohol and drug abuse among youth, stop communicable diseases, and promote healthy lifestyles including “safe sexual [behaviour].”
On Dec. 9, 2011, a letter signed by Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq terminating the relationship was sent to Oleg Chestnov, then the chair of the group’s committee of senior representatives, according to Mr. Maciejowski who read the letter’s text over the phone.
“It is with regret that I am writing to inform you that Canada is no longer in a position to remain a member of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Well-Being (NDPHS) and is resigning effective immediately,” he said the letter reads.
“The current economic climate has required many countries, including Canada, to exercise fiscal restraint. As part of these efforts, Canada will focus and prioritize its efforts to address Northern issues through other existing networks.”
Gloria Wiseman, who was at the time the Canadian contact listed on the group’s website, ndphs.org, confirmed by phone vthat Canada had pulled out of the group in 2011.
Ms. Wiseman, who is now the director of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s multilateral relations division, directed all other questions to Health Canada media relations. A spokesperson for the department acknowledged receipt, but questions were not returned by press time. Questions to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade were forwarded to Health Canada.
Manfred Auster, the head of the political and public affairs section and the current chargé d’affaires at the European Union Delegation to Canada, also confirmed in an op-ed in Embassy that Canada had pulled out of the group.
Funding
Canada was on the hook for 39,163 euros ($52,084 at the current exchange rate) or 11.7 per cent of the organization’s total annual fiscal year 2012 contributions of 335,505 euros ($446,201), according to financial documents posted on the group’s website.
Canada had agreed to pay the money as part of a decision by the committee of senior representatives to adopt the presented budget in Brussels on Oct. 27 and 28, 2011, meeting minutes show.
It would have been a continuation of years of Canada paying similar sums of money to be part of the group, according to grants to the organization’s secretariat disclosed on the DFAIT website. Canada paid $53,071 and $47,924 to the secretariat in the 2010 calendar year, for example.
The group sent a letter back to Canadian officials asking the country to “honour its commitment regarding the budgetary issues relating to our partnership, and to pay its contribution,” but that has never been done, said Mr. Maciejowski.
He said in the absence of Canadian funds, other countries agreed to transfer money they had earmarked for other activities to the group’s core budget to fill the hole.
“It is fair to say that...I did not appreciate what happened in terms of a financial perspective,” said Mr. Maciejowski.
“But also, I would repeatedly say that Canada was doing a great, great job here.”
Canada was represented at the partnership by Robert Shearer, said Mr. Maciejowski. At the time, Mr. Shearer was a counsellor for health and social affairs at Canada’s mission in Brussels.
“He had been doing a wonderful job, both for the partnership and for Canada. I really highly appreciated that guy. He was one of the best people I had the pleasure of working with,” said Mr. Maciejowski.
Mr. Shearer is now a director general in Health Canada’s health care programs and policy directorate, according to the government’s electronic directory.
He was out of the country when Embassy phoned on April 9, a representative of his office said.
The group counts as partner countries Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden, as well as nine multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organisation.
It’s not the first time Canada has withdrawn from an international body. In March, Canada withdrew from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which Prime Minister Stephen Harper said cost Canada $350,000 a year. The UN called the decision “regrettable.”
Original Article
Source: embassynews.ca
Author: Carl Meyer
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