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By Matthew Russell Lee, UN, CJR PFTracker

UNITED NATIONS, November 19 – Canada made a lot of noise about committing to UN Peacekeeping, perhaps because it is running for a UN Security Council seat (against Norway and Ireland), and/or to show Justin Trudeau's commitment to multi-lateralism. But after a belated deployment to Mali, it seems to quickly be coming to an end. And according to Canada's defense minister Harjit Sajjan, the UN hasn't even asked Canada to stay on contrary to the UN's answer to Inner City Press last week.  Inner City Press, banned 138 days and counting from the UN by SG Antonio Guterres (for it seems what Trudeau called "bad behavior," video here, asking a question about Canadian support to Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen), on November 16 asked Guterres' spokesmen: "November 16- 2: On Mali, please confirm or deny that (1) Canada's deployment on medevac and otherwise ends in July; separately (2) that Canada has indicated it will leave in July; (3) that Romania might replace, but not until October, and (4) what the UN intends to do for wounded peacekeepers between those dates." Past 5 pm Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq replied: "Regarding question Nov. 16-2, we have seen the press reports. Canada’s contributions to Mali, including helicopters and attached military personnel, are critical to the Mission’s ability to conduct medical evacuations and rescue wounded peacekeepers as well as for uninterrupted military enabling capabilities. DPKO is exploring various options, including engaging with Canada and other troop contributing countries, to ensure there is continuing 24/7 casualty evacuation support when Canada’s current mission is expected to end in July next year." Can the UN be "exploring" with even asking Canada to stay? Inner City Press, still banned, on November 19 asked in writing: "November 19-6: Given your Nov 16 answer at 5 pm about Canada, please immediatley respond to this: “Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said he has not been asked by the United Nations to extend Canada’s peacekeeping mission in Mali, which is set to end in July.Despite reports that Canada is resisting a behind-the-scenes UN request to extend the Mali deployment, Sajjan told CTV Question Period host Evan Solomon that while he keeps in regular contact with the UN Secretary General, he has yet to be asked to extend the mission in the war-torn West African country. “I have not been asked by the United Nations,” Sajjan said." From Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, at and after the briefing, no answer. This is today's UN - and Canadian government? When Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland spoke on the topic of Women, Peace and Security at German House on September 26, she joked that the audience were the wonkishly converted and urged those present to more directly engage with those who think differently. She said the UN General Assembly wee so far had featured robust attacks on multilateralism - the reference, it seemed clear, was to Donald Trump - but that countries like Canada and Germany must work together to confront it. She cited the #MeToo movement, but not the UN's dismal response to sexual harassment in its ranks, at UNAIDS and UNFPA. Periscope video here. Also speaking were Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Germany; Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Namibia; Josep Borrell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Spain. A moderator was Karin Landgren whose served among other places in Burundi and who's quoted a colleague, "'Our dissent channel is Inner City Press,' joked a UN colleague, referring to a journalist known for asking difficult questions." With that channel under assault, literally, what will Landgren and these countries do? But that's another story, like this one from earlier on September 26: When Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis help a press availability early on September 26, Inner City Press went to ask him something it first asked the UN, about complaints that despite invitations to Geneva by the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances victims from Biafra and Ambazonia in Cameroon were denied visas by the Swiss embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

Cassis said he was unaware of the issue but to ask the consul general. He was otherwise responsive, about the political consideration in Switzerland about arms transfers -- the country's former UN Ambasssador Peter Maurer, now heading the ICRC, this week called for review as to Yemen -- and the North Korea process.

 Is Switzerland on the short list to host the second round of talks between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump? Cassis replied he didn't know where on the list the Swiss are but that they play a unique role. He repeated this as to Iran, where Switzerland represents the US' interests. Here were his bilateral meetings:

1045  EU High Representative Federica Mogherini

1100  Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel, Algeria
1230 Foreign Minister Osman Mohammed Saleh, Eritrea

1300 Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva, Portugal

1330 EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn

1430 Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, Pakistan

1530 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russian Federation

1700 Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates

  It's UNGA madness, in four languages. We hope to have more on this.

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