Matthews: Is there any consequence to Harper’s decision not to address the UN General Assembly?
Executive director, Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
It is true that not every world leader made an appearance at the UN this week, as many stayed home to manage domestic issues. The optics for Prime Minister Harper look particularly bad though because he was in New York but chose not to address the UN General Assembly. I believe the consequence of his decision will be mostly contested domestically, with critics pointing out that Canada is no longer really trying to engage the UN.