Stephen Harper will join a team of Conservative ministers in New York this week, although the prime minister will not address the United Nations general assembly while he is in the city.
Harper will instead take part in a side event on maternal and child health and attend a talk on the economy hosted by the Canadian American Business Council.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird will instead be Canada's voice at the UN General Assembly, which he will address Sept. 30.
Joining him in New York are International Co-operation Minister Christian Paradis, minister of state for foreign affairs Lynne Yelich, and Deepak Obhrai, Baird's parliamentary secretary.
Meanwhile, a group of former cabinet ministers, senior diplomats, academics and foreign-policy experts is urging the Harper government to re-think how it engages with the UN.
At a news conference Monday in Ottawa, members of the group said Harper has had seven opportunities since coming to power to address the UN General Assembly and has done so only once. They noted that U.S. President Barack Obama is addressing the assembly this week and that leaders from "50 or 60" nations will be in attendance for the opening session.
The group also outlined steps the Conservative government could take to mend what they say is a strained relationship with the world body.
More to come
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