Canada will vie for a seat on the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term beginning in 2021.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched the campaign in the lobby of UN headquarters in New York, explaining how recently Canada’s demonstrated leadership on a number of UN priorities.

“We’ve led on climate change.  We’ve led on support for refugees and we’ve led on our important role in the Middle East, including the promotion of security and stability, increasing humanitarian assistance and support for building longer term resilience.  We have made it clear both in domestic policy and in international fora that respect for diversity, commitment to inclusion and steadfast support for human rights are central to how we define ourselves as a country.”

The members of the General Assembly won’t vote on candidates for the vacancy until the fall of 2020, which means Trudeau would have to win another election in 2019 if he wants to personally see Canada return to the UN’s most powerful body.