Policy Updates

The Global Fund held its Eighth Replenishment Summit on November 21, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa, co-hosted by the governments of South Africa and the UK on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit, securing US$11.3 billion in pledges to sustain the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Partners from more than 30 countries pledged support to save lives and strengthen systems for health, marking the first replenishment held on African soil. The summit demonstrated global solidarity despite fiscal tightening, conflict, and global uncertainty, though total pledges fell short of the ambitious target set in the Investment Case and several donors had yet to confirm their pledges.

The US, the Global Fund's largest donor, committed US$4.6 billion. The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion), while Germany confirmed EUR1 billion (US$1.2 billion) and Canada pledged CAD1.02 billion (US$723 million). France noted that its support remained unchanged. Spain increased its pledge to EUR145 million (US$167 million), Italy pledged EUR150 million (US$173 million), the Netherlands contributed EUR146 million (US$169 million), and additional pledges came from many other donors. South Africa committed US$37 million, including US$10 million from the private sector. African countries made solidarity commitments totaling US$52 million. G20 member states reached US$9 billion in commitments.

Within the private sector, the Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation pledged US$135 million, and (RED) committed US$75 million. Overall, private sector support reached US$1.3 billion.

Canada announced CAD7 million (US$5.0 million) in humanitarian assistance on October 30, 2025, to support emergency relief efforts in the Caribbean region following Hurricane Melissa, including support for humanitarian partners in the region.

Canada allocated CAD5 million (US$3.5 million) of the total to humanitarian partners to provide emergency food, water, sanitation, health services, protection, and logistics services. The government earmarked CAD2 million (US$1.4 million) to the World Food Programme's Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub in Barbados, which dispatched food and relief items to Jamaica. Canada has also offered to deploy relief supplies from its emergency stockpiles via the Red Cross Movement if requested.

Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai stated that Canada's initial response focused on addressing immediate and urgent needs in the Caribbean region, while additional support opportunities are being explored. Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand emphasized that Canada continues to stand with the Caribbean in response to the disaster, focusing not only on immediate relief but also the opportunity to rebuild stronger.

Canada's government announced CAD2.7 billion (US$1.9 billion) in cuts to ODA over four years on November 4, 2025 as part of Prime Minister Mark Carney's first budget, reducing ODA spending to pre-pandemic levels.

The budget outlined reductions to global health programming, in which Canada had increased development and humanitarian spending during the pandemic to restore stalled progress on fighting major illnesses such as AIDS and tuberculosis as governments turned their attention to COVID-19. The International Development Research Centre will also see cuts starting with CAD11 million (US$7.8 million) in the fiscal year beginning in April 2026, rising to CAD24 million (US$17 million) annually by the end of five years. The Canadian government had previously allocated CAD159 million (US$113 million) to IDRC for the current fiscal year.

Under the banner of trade finance, the government repurposed CAD138 million (US$98 million) in current funding for Global Affairs Canada, primarily from an allocation the government used for funding announcements at global summits, to rebuild Ukraine's critical infrastructure. The government stated Ukraine's reconstruction could boost Canadian industry across nearly every sector. Canada has planned to cut funding to some international financial institutions while finding ways to leverage Canada's contributions further.

Canada has announced it will expedite the final CAD10 million (US$7 million) portion of its CAD70 million (US$50 million) total contribution to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund on October 31, 2025. Following the decision, members of the Canadian government emphasized the importance of supporting energy security as part of national security.

The early disbursement to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, an initiative led by the Energy Community Secretariat, will help Ukraine repair critical energy infrastructure damaged by Russian strikes. The Energy Community Secretariat has allocated approximately CAD50 million (US$35 million) of Canada's overall contribution to procure and deliver natural gas compressors for Ukraine's Kharkiv region to restore the energy supply and stablize the system ahead of winter.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand stated that energy support proved urgent as Russia targeted essential civilian infrastructure. Secretary of State Randeep Sarai emphasized that the assistance would help Ukrainian energy companies restore essential inventory and maintain stable operations. Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson highlighted that energy security is essential for supporting national security.

The funding formed part of CAD22 billion (US$15.6 billion) in economic, military, humanitarian, development, security, stabilization, and immigration assistance Canada has provided to Ukraine so far.

On September 23, 2025, during the UN General Assembly in New York, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand announced CAD60 million (US$43 million) in new funding to support multilateral efforts to stabilize Haiti.

The funding is intended to support the Multinational Security Support mission and address ongoing gang violence. The new commitment includes CAD40 million (US$29 million) for the mission, conditional on the passing of a Haiti resolution by the UN Security Council, and CAD20 million (US$14 million) for a Regional Maritime Security Initiative to counter transnational organized crime in the Caribbean.

The announcement was made during a meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. The funding is in addition to more than CAD450 million (US$325 million) in assistance committed by Canada since 2022, including over CAD86 million (US$62 million) provided for the security mission since February 2024.

On September 15, 2025, a UN Women report revealed that progress on women's rights is stagnating and regressing due to conflict, aid cuts, and a backlash against gender equality, and called on governments at the UN General Assembly in New York to commit to renewed action, highlighting that the US$420 billion needed annually to advance gender equality is a fraction of the US$2.7 trillion spent on the military.

The report, a gender snapshot monitoring progress on the SDGs, found that 676 million women and girls lived near deadly conflict in 2024, the highest number since the 1990s. Women are also more likely to be affected by rising food insecurity. The report projects that climate change could push an additional 158.3 million women and girls into extreme poverty by 2050.

Director of UN Women’s policy division, Sarah Hendriks, contrasted the US$2.7 trillion in annual military spending with the estimated US$420 billion needed to advance gender equality. The report also noted a digital gender divide, which if addressed, could lift 30 million women and girls out of poverty by 2050 and generate a US$1.5 trillion increase in global GDP by 2030. UN Women is calling for renewed commitments at the UN General Assembly, 30 years after the Beijing Declaration.

On September 10, 2025, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand announced a six-month extension of a General Permit allowing humanitarian-related transactions in Syria, part of Canada's commitment of over CAD4.7 billion (US$6.5 billion) to the region since 2016.

The extension of the General Permit aims to support the delivery of assistance in Syria during a period of political transition. After 13 years of conflict, the majority of Syrians live below the poverty line and require humanitarian assistance. The permit allows Canadians and organizations in Canada to make transactions with sanctioned Syrian institutions, including the Central Bank of Syria, for humanitarian and stabilization purposes.

Canada's support for Syria also includes resettling more than 100,000 Syrian refugees since 2015. The government remains committed to holding Syria accountable for human rights violations through proceedings at the ICJ that began in 2023.

On September 5, 2025, Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced CAD3 million (US$2 million) in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, following a magnitude 6.0 earthquake on August 31, 2025.

The WFP will receive CAD1.3 million (US$941,000) for food and logistical services. The ICRC is allocated CAD1 million (US$724,000) to support communities affected by both conflict and the earthquake. Through the CHAF, CARE and IRC will each receive CAD350,000 (US$253,000) for vital assistance including clean water, sanitation, emergency shelter, and health services.

Additionally, Sarai announced that Canada is providing a separate total of CAD36 million (US$26 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in 2025. This broader funding supports life-saving assistance such as food, nutrition, emergency health care, and protection services, delivered through UN, Red Cross, and other NGO partners.

On August 24, 2025, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Ukraine to reaffirm the partnership between their countries, agreeing to deepen security and economic cooperation.

The leaders discussed strategies for a lasting peace in Ukraine and committed to strengthening bilateral ties in security, defense, and economic domains. They called for an immediate ceasefire as a step toward a genuine peace process and emphasized the need for reliable security guarantees for Ukraine.

Under the 2024 Agreement on Security Cooperation, Canada will continue to provide military and technical assistance to Ukraine, including training and support for demining efforts. The two countries will begin annual consultations between their foreign and defense ministries before the end of 2025 to advance the agreement.

Canada and Ukraine also agreed to joint defense projects and the co-production of defense materials. They committed to expanding trade and investment to support Ukraine's recovery and signed a new agreement to enhance cooperation between their customs authorities. Canada will continue to support efforts to return unlawfully deported Ukrainian children and hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable.

On August 14, 2025, the resumed 5^th session of the INC-5.2 in Geneva, Switzerland, concluded without reaching a consensus on a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, though UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that all member states agreed to continue negotiations.

Negotiations to establish a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution concluded without an agreement. UN officials, including UNEP Executive Director Andersen and UN Secretary-General Guterres, acknowledged the outcome but emphasized that all countries remained committed to the process. The talks, which included delegates from 183 nations and representatives from over 400 CSOs faced significant differences on key issues.

The US delegation supported an agreement that allows for tailored, country-specific solutions to reduce plastic pollution while opposing prescriptive, top-down regulations. INC Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso and INC Executive Secretary Jyoti Mathur-Filipp reaffirmed their dedication to moving forward and achieving a future agreement.