Earlier in the day, India, Mexico, Norway and Ireland were elected to become non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Canada only received 108 votes, well short of the 128 needed and six fewer than ten years ago, a defeat that was roundly condemned as an embarrassment at the time.
“We listened and learned from other countries, which opened new doors for cooperation to address global challenges, and we created new partnerships that increased Canada’s place in the world,” Trudeau said after the vote on Wednesday.
The prime minister said that Canada will continue to foster relationships with international partners and took the time to congratulate the newly elected members.
Hours earlier, Canada’s official opposition leader Andrew Scheer said that the failed bid is another foreign affairs failure for Trudeau in which he abandoned Canadian principles only to lose again.
Ahead of the vote, former Canadian Foreign Minister and current People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier told Sputnik the UN Security Council election represented a defining moment for Trudeau’s legacy.
On 1 January, 2020, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia, South Africa and the Dominican Republic will conclude their terms as non-permanent states at the 15-member Security Council.