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The Canadian law professor John Peters Humphrey helps write the original draft of what's been called "the Magna Carta of humanity."

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1952: Lester Pearson is elected president of the UN General Assembly. As president, he tries to mediate a settlement of the Korean War.The Associated Press

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1956: Canadian diplomacy wins worldwide recognition in 1956 when Britain, France and Israel try to prevent Egypt from seizing control of the Suez Canal and the first UN peacekeeping force was proposed by our country to "secure and supervise the cessation of hostilities." Mr. Pearson, then minister of external affairs, wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace in the area and is regarded today as the father of the concept of peacekeeping. The blue beret has been synonymous with peacekeeping ever since.

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1958-59: Canada has great success with its latest resolution, winning unanimous support for a proposal to study the effects of nuclear fallout and radiation on humans.

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1967-68: George Ignatieff, father of current Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, serves as president of the Security Council.The Canadian Press

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1984: Conservative PM Brian Mulroney's government makes the surprise nomination of Stephen Lewis as Canadian ambassador to the UN. Mr. Lewis serves at the post until 1988.

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1999-2000: Canada leads the establishment of a ban of anti-personnel land mines and pushes for physical security of civilians in armed conflict. Prime minister Jean Chr�tien, right, foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, left, and UN secretary-general Kofi Annan applaud after Norwegian foreign affairs minister Knut Vollebaek signs the treaty.

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2004-08: Louise Arbour serves a controversial term as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, left, hugs his Canadian counterpart, Lawrence Cannon, after the United Nations voted in an election for non-permanent Security Council members on Oct. 12, 2010.

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