Policy Updates

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 15, 2023, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD5 million (US$4 million) in humanitarian assistance for populations who have been impacted and displaced by the September 11 flooding in Libya.

The funding from Canada is slated to assist humanitarian partners deliver immediate life-saving assistance, including emergency health and WASH services, as well as shelter and non-food items.

This funding adds to the US$10 million allocated to this crisis through the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, to which Canada is a key donor.

On September 14, 2023, the Canadian government announced that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to New York from September 19-21, 2023, to participate in the 78^th UN General Assembly.

Trudeau announced his intention to advocate for enhanced international cooperation to address global challenges including climate change, security, democracy, human rights, access to health care, and financing for development. He also slated plans to reiterate Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine as it defends itself against the Russian invasion.

As co-chair of the UN SDGs Advocates Group, Trudeau announced his plan to speak at the SDG Summit, where he intends to emphasize Canada’s leadership and commitment to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Trudeau also announced plans to host a discussion in New York on how to improve international coordination and support to address the ongoing crisis in Haiti and foster sustainable development. Political instability, insecurity and armed violence, extreme inflation, and a cholera outbreak are currently worsening conditions in Haiti.

The Canadian delegation to the General Assembly will include Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault.

On September 13, 2023, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD2 million (US$2 million) in humanitarian assistance to Morocco in response to the September 9 earthquakes.

The funding is slated to deliver life-saving services to disaster-affected populations in Morocco, such as emergency food and nutrition assistance, emergency cash provision, vouchers, and WASH services.

Canada additionally launched a matching fund for individual donations made to the Canadian Red Cross. Donations made by Canadians from September 8-28, 2023, will be matched by the fund up to a maximum of CAD3 million (US$3 million).

On September 11, 2023, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD25 million (US$18 million) in funding for climate change and SRHR initiatives at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

The funding from Canada is slated to support nature-based climate solutions and conservation interventions in Africa, as well as continue Canada’s commitment to promote the SRHR of women and girls.

Initiatives in the announcement included:

• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to the Global Centre on Adaptation to help accelerate climate adaptation action across Africa with a focus on food security, resilient infrastructure, youth entrepreneurship, and climate adaptation finance;
• CAD3 million (US$2 million) to Oxfam Canada for the Her Future, Her Choice program to promote the SRHR of women and girls in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, with a focus on neglected areas of abortion, contraception, comprehensive sexuality education, and SRHR advocacy; and
• CAD17 million (US$12 million) to the International Institute for Sustainable Development to promote climate change resilience among women and local communities in Zambia, Uganda, Fiji, Belize, Namibia, Angola, and Zimbabwe.

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 September 5, 2023, Canada announced CAD26 million (US$19 million) for initiatives promoting security and SRHR in the Indo-Pacific region.

The announcement was made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a trip to the Indo-Pacific to advance Canada- ASEAN relations. The funding from Canada included:

• CAD10 million (US$7 million) to help ASEAN Member States prevent, detect, and respond to biological threats like pandemics;
• CAD3 million (US$2 million) to the World Institute for Nuclear Security to reduce the threat of a nuclear or radiological security incident in Southeast Asia; and
• CAD13 million (US$10 million) for two projects in Indonesia to advance the rights of women and girls by improving access to quality and comprehensive SRHR information and services.

On August 31, 2023, Canadian International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced CAD23 million (US$16 million) for gender equality programming in Colombia.

Hussen made the announcement during a bilateral visit to Colombia to mark the 70^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During the trip, he met with government officials to discuss shared commitments to gender equality, diversity, poverty reduction, and human rights.

The funding from Canada included:

• CAD6 million (US$4 million) to UN Women to support public policies and programs that recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work disproportionately shouldered by women and girls;
• CAD2 million (US$1 million) to UN Women to promote gender equality considerations within national and local budgeting processes and to strengthen local advocacy for gender equality financing;
• CAD7 million (US$5 million) to the Pan American Health Organization to improve equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, particularly for vulnerable women and girls; and,
• CAD8 million (US$6 million) to UNICEF Colombia to strengthen health systems by increasing access to COVID-19 vaccines and to gender-sensitive WASH.

On August 30, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he will travel to Indonesia from September 5-6 to participate in the ASEAN Summit, followed by Singapore from September 7-8 for a bilateral visit, and India from September 9-10 to participate in the G20 Summit.

In Indonesia, Trudeau will meet with President Joko Widodo to discuss shared priorities including climate change, food security, and advancing economic ties through energy production and trade. Trudeau noted that he will officially launch the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership at the ASEAN Summit.

In Singapore, Trudeau will meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, particularly through promoting Canadian exports and investment opportunities. He will also meet with several key leaders in the private sector.

In India, at the G20 Summit, Trudeau intends to promote collaboration among G20 partners to tackle global crises including in the areas of climate change, international financial institution reform, food and energy security, gender equality, and global health. He will also continue to advocate for collective action to hold Russia accountable for the war in Ukraine.