ABSTRACT
The political burdens and challenges they create are local as well as global. Such conditions of interdependence and complexity highlight the need for strong institutions of global governance, which alone are capable of guiding and coordinating efforts to address global crises. At all levels of governance, the support of civil society is vital for ensuring the integrity and soundness of policy making. Moving from the global organisations to particular issues of global concern, many civil society partnerships have also contributed to human security initiatives in Canada's foreign policy. Both parliamentarians and nongovernmental organisations have been crucial on issues such as landmines, the International Criminal Court, and the Kimberley Process on conflict diamonds. The Canadian government believes that Canadians can make an important contribution on the world stage through the model they provide of a culture in which, by and large, internationalism works in a national context.
