Canada is facing a UN battle - with Bono
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

OTTAWA—U2 frontman Bono might think the world needs more Canada but he’s singing the praises of his Irish homeland now as Ireland launches a bid for a spot on the UN Security Council — marking a formidable competitor to Ottawa’s own aspirations for a council seat. Ireland rolled out Bono’s star power as it kicked off its campaign in New York on Monday to win a seat on the influential body for the 2021-22 term.Ireland’s attempts to win over the UN crowd began the night before when U2 played to a packed house at New York’s Madison Square Garden — with more than 150 UN diplomats invited as special guests.Bono pointedly took a few minutes during the performance to lavish praise on the United Nations.“If the United Nations didn’t exist, we would have to invent it. That is the truth. It’s the one place we can all meet. It’s the one place that puts peace on the negotiating table first,� he said.The next day, Bono was at UN headquarters to join Irish politicians for the launch of the country’s campaign. The Irish rocker said that at a time when international institutions are under attack, the United Nations is needed more than ever and his country — with its history of conflict and violence — is well-suited to help.“If you look at the agenda of what the Security Council will be called on to address over the coming years, doesn’t it look a lot like us? We’d like to think Ireland’s experience of colonialism, conflict, famine and mass migration give us a kind of hard-earned expertise in these problems. And, I hope, an empathy and I hope humility,� Bono said.The singer acknowledged that UN diplomats could vote for Canada and its “truly remarkable leader ... That Canada is nice is the worst thing I can say about them.�Bono has sung Canada’s praises in the past. But now Canada finds itself in a tough competition with what Bono calls a ...