Policy Updates

On April 14, 2024, the C7 published a statement ahead of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Capri from April 17-19, 2024, where the group called on the foreign ministers to take concrete action to promote human rights as well as the common interests of humanity and the planet.

The C7 advocated that the G7 ministers reaffirm their commitment to developing long-term peace-building strategies that address persistent structural challenges at the basis of conflicts, ensure food security even in fragile settings, and address a profound transformation of food systems. The group also called upon their governmental counterparts to ensure safe and regular migration channels and commit to protecting migrant rights.

On April 11, 2024, Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD142 million (US$103 million) in funding for projects in the DRC and Benin to advance gender equality and women’s rights.

Six projects valued at a total of nearly CAD75 million (US$55 million) were announced for the DRC. The projects will improve access to health resources for women and girls, promote inclusive governance practices, improve women’s inclusion in public and democratic life, and help prevent and respond to SGBV. Funding also included humanitarian programming that will address critical needs arising from the conflict in eastern DRC.

Five projects valued at a total of CAD68 million (US$49 million) were announced for Benin. The initiatives are slated to increase women’s economic resilience, promote a greener economy and agricultural sector, address SGBV, and strengthen inclusive health systems.

On March 25, 2024, Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD25 million (US$18 million) in funding for Canada’s International Youth Internship Program.

The program allows youth ages 18 to 30 years, especially those who identify as Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, or living with disabilities, to be paired with organizations in LICs and LMICs to work in sectors such as education, social services, human rights, agriculture, aquaculture, and more.

The program has been operating for over 25 years and allows youth to gain skills and experience in the field of international development. The new funding will run from 2023 to 2028 and allow more than 800 eligible youth to complete internships in over 40 LICs and LMICs.

On March 11, 2024, the CLARE partnership between the UK and Canada’s IDRC launched 17 research projects designed to build climate resilience and reduce vulnerability in LICs and LMICs, valued at CAD180 million (US$133 million).

The research projects aim to support socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards in African partners and the Asia-Pacific region. Researchers in recipient countries are leading or co-leading the research, which will embed gender equality and inclusion principles and will address a wide range of climate change issues in the fields of agriculture, health, urban adaptation, water security, among others.

On March 8, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced that Canada is lifting its temporary pause on funding to the UNRWA.

Canada announced a temporary suspension of UNRWA funding on January 26, 2024, following allegations of the involvement of some UNRWA staff in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. As UNRWA has taken immediate measures to strengthen oversight and accountability, Canada resumed funding due to the vital role UNRWA plays in providing over 2 million people in Gaza with humanitarian relief, as well as other operations supporting 4 million people elsewhere in the region.

On December 21, 2023, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen concluded a three-day trip across Canada, where he announced more than CAD26 million (US$19 million) in funding for global initiatives in climate change, justice, and economic inclusion.

The funding included:

• CAD5 million (US$4 million) from 2023 to 2028 for the Judicial Strengthening Program for GBV in the Eastern Caribbean. The funding will help increase the capacity of judicial processes, particularly in cases of sexual and gender-based violence in Saint Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
• CAD12 million (US$9 million) from 2023 to 2030 to OCIDA in Honduras. The program is implemented by the MEDA and is intended to help address poverty, climate adaptation, and gender inequalities by diversifying and improving sustainable agricultural production; and
• CAD10 million (US$7 million) from 2023 to 2028 to the TAWASOL. The program is run by WUSC and Canadian Leaders in International Consulting, and will address youth unemployment in Iraq through gender-responsive practices.

On September 22, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced CAD692 million (US$510 million) in new military, economic, peace and security, and development assistance investments for Ukraine.

The announcement was made during a visit to Canada by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s ongoing solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s war of aggression.

The funding from Canada included:

• CAD650 million (US$479 million) in military assistance to supply Ukraine with 50 armored vehicles;
• CAD8 million (US$6 million) in peace and security assistance to strengthen nuclear security measures, enhance resilience against cyberattacks, and promote recovery and stabilization initiatives; and
• CAD34 million (US$25 million) in development assistance for four multi-year initiatives supporting mental health, agriculture, infrastructure, and technical assistance for an inclusive recovery process.

Trudeau and Zelenskyy also signed a modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, which supports long-term security, stability, and economic development in Ukraine while ensuring high-quality market access terms for Canadian businesses participating in Ukraine’s economic recovery.

The commitment brought Canada’s total to more than CAD9.5 billion (US$7 billion) in assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of 2022.

On September 21, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded his participation in the 78^th UN General Assembly and announced CAD427 million (US$314 million) to support the SDG 2030 Agenda.

The funding from Canada included:

• CAD125 million (US$92 million) to support projects in line that advance quality education, health care, and gender equality, including SRHR;
• CAD78 million (US$57 million) to UN programs including UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA, and UNDP;
• CAD169 million (US$125 million) to promote global climate adaptation and leadership, with a focus on women and girls;
• CAD7 million (US$5 million) to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing and support ocean governance and protection; and
• CAD48 million (US$35 million) to promote stability and sustainable development in Haiti, with a focus on child nutrition and enhancing the justice system.

During the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, Trudeau announced Canada’s intent to allocate an additional 700 million in SDRs, representing approximately CAD1.3 billion (US$958 million), to the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. The trust will provide concessional loans to LICs.

On September 10, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced CAD131 million (US$96 million) in funding for climate change, food security, and gender equality programming at the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

The funding announced by Canada included:

• CAD63 million (US$46 million) to support climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa by helping to build climate-resilient economies, protect and increase biodiversity, and empower women and girls;
• CAD8 million (US$6 million) to develop inclusive agricultural value chains in Bolivia to improve resilience for vulnerable Indigenous populations in the face of climate change and food insecurity;
• CAD7 million (US$5 million) to the Catalytic Climate Finance Facility to address the impacts of climate change on economically vulnerable groups in LICs, particularly women and girls;
• CAD16 million (US$12 million) to help finance and grow women-led agricultural enterprises in Nigeria;
• CAD15 million (US$11 million) to help bolster food security in the Democratic Republic of Congo and increase incomes for women in the agricultural industry; and
• CAD22 million (US$16 million) to improve school nutrition in Burkina Faso, helping to alleviate food insecurity and address the nutrition and education needs of the most vulnerable, especially girls.

Trudeau’s attendance at the G20 concluded a series of engagements in the Indo-Pacific region, where he participated in the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, met with many of the region’s leaders, and officially launched the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership.

On May 29, 2023, Canadian Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan concluded visits to Ethiopia, Egypt, and Chad, where he announced a total of CAD$207 million (US$154 million) in international and humanitarian assistance funding for Africa.

The purpose of the visits was to strengthen Canada’s relationship with African partners, including the AU Commission and the AfDB. Sajjan also met with government officials, organizations, and community members in each country to discuss pressing issues including climate change, conflict, and regional instability on food security. The funding announced by Canada included:

• CAD40 million (US$30 million) for UN agencies, the Red Cross, and other NGOs for gender-responsive humanitarian assistance in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria;
• CAD27 million (US$20 million) for Canada’s new Sahel Regional Development Program responding to environment, political, the socio-economic challenges in the region;
• CAD62 million (US$46 million) for the WHO, Alinea, and SOCODEVI for projects promoting gender-responsive immunization, conservation, and climate change adaptation efforts in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad;
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) for the AU Commission to promote gender-responsive approaches to tackling the combined challenges of climate change and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic;
• CAD12 million (US$9 million) for the WFP to train national stakeholders in gender-responsive climate and disaster risk-financing tools;
• CAD17 million (US$13 million) for the African Risk Capacity Group to build member states’ capacity for gender-responsive planning, preparation, and response to disasters driven by climate change and weather events;
• CAD20 million (US$15 million) for the International Center for Tropical Agriculture to enhance the equitable climate resilience of women and youth farmers in 15 sub-Saharan African countries;
• CAD10 million (US$7 million) for the AfDB to increase access to and adoption of fertilizer and soil-health innovations for biodiversity-friendly sustainable intensification of agriculture in 15 African countries; and
• CAD14 million (US$10 million) for the AfDB to support member countries’ management of the risks of climate-related disasters, including extreme droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones.