(Ottawa ) Montreal has succeeded in attracting a new international organization. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to announce shortly that a NATO entity, the NATO Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Security, will be set up in the metropolis, learned The Press.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
In doing so, Montreal will strengthen its position as the third largest city in both Americas that hosts the largest number of international organizations, after New York and Washington. Already, the metropolis is recognized as the “Canadian capital of international organizations”, according to the organization Montréal International.
According to our information, the Prime Minister will take advantage of his participation in the next NATO summit, which will take place in Madrid, Spain, on June 29 and 30, to confirm the choice of Montreal. Mr. Trudeau had proposed last year to create such a center of excellence. Last month, NATO formally accepted Canada’s proposal.
“The NATO Center of Excellence will be in Montreal,” confirmed a source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the Trudeau government’s decision.
Concretely, the Center of Excellence will offer military and civilians a platform where they can develop, improve and share their knowledge on the repercussions of climate change on security. It will also develop ways for NATO to reduce the impact of military activities on the climate, among other things.
“As the world’s leading political and military alliance, NATO has an obvious role to play in dealing with the security consequences of climate change,” says the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs website.
NATO member countries are aware that climate change will strain the resilience of military installations and equipment and create more difficult operational conditions. “In multiple ways, climate change poses unique challenges to military actors and security agencies tasked with maintaining our security. »
Currently, 67 international organizations are based in Montreal. The metropolis is notably the host of four UN headquarters and is considered the capital of civil aviation.
During the Madrid summit, the leaders will address issues such as strengthening the deterrence and defense positions of member countries, support for Ukraine and other members of the military alliance who are exposed to the Russian threat, as well as as the membership applications submitted by Finland and Sweden, among other things.
The NATO summit in Madrid is the latest leg of Justin Trudeau’s eight-day overseas trip that begins on Thursday and will also take him to Kigali for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and to Schloss Elmau, Germany, for the G7 Summit.
Towards “COP15” in Montreal
Montreal will also host next December the second part of the UN Conference on Biodiversity, commonly known as “COP15”. This was confirmed on Tuesday by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity of the United Nations, which is established in the metropolis.
This event, which is to be held from December 5 to 17, was originally scheduled to take place in Kunming, China. But strict health rules and repeated confinement in major Chinese cities have forced the United Nations to reconsider their choice.
In the office of Mayor Valérie Plante, it is indicated that the holding of COP15 in Montreal is “excellent news, demonstrating once again [le] environmental leadership [de la Ville] locally and internationally”. The economic benefits are estimated at $76 million for the Montreal region.
“As mayor of a green and inclusive metropolis […], it is a great honor to hold this major event in Montreal. We are ready to welcome next December world leaders motivated to accelerate the ecological transition to protect biodiversity,” said Ms.me Plant about it.
On Tuesday, environmental organizations have in turn welcomed the news, saying they hope that this event “marks the kick-off of new structuring actions” in the environment. “This is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness among Montrealers, Quebecers and Canadians about the fundamental importance of biodiversity in our lives and for our future,” said the executive director of the Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP- Quebec), Alain Branchaud.