Policy Updates

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.

On July 31, 2025, JICA held a signing ceremony for a US$90 million loan to HDBank to support Vietnam's agricultural sector.

The loan is co-financed with FinDev Canada and SMBC. The project aims to improve access to finance in Vietnam's agricultural sector by providing long-term loans through the bank, thereby contributing to the expansion of agricultural production and income.

The project is the second under the SMBC- JICA Sustainable Finance Framework and is also part of SAFE. The initiative contributes to SDG # 1, SDG # 2, and SDG # 8.

On July 29, 2025, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand announced CAD40 million (US$29 million) in new funding for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

The announcement was made at the UN High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine. The funding includes:

• CAD30 million (US$22 million) for humanitarian assistance, focusing on logistics, scaling up aid delivery, and providing supplies; and
• CAD10 million (US$7 million) to support the Palestinian Authority’s role in stabilizing and governing the West Bank.

With this new funding, Canada has committed over CAD355 million (US$260 million) in international assistance to Palestinians since October 2023. Minister Anand reiterated Canada's support for a two-state solution, an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and sustained humanitarian access to Gaza.

On July 9, 2025, Canada pledged a CAD7 million (US$5 million) contribution to a new technical assistance project in the Republic of Moldova aimed at empowering rural women and promoting climate resilience.

The initiative, titled Advancing Climate Resilience and Women’s Empowerment in Moldova, will enhance access to training and resources in agroforestry and climate-smart agriculture. It focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs in rural areas by strengthening leadership, financial inclusion, and business development capacities.

This project reflects Canada’s broader commitment to gender equality and sustainable development, and follows ongoing Canadian support to Moldova in areas such as governance and economic resilience. It builds on Canada’s broader engagement, including a recently announced CAD120 million (US$88 million) sovereign loan to bolster Moldova’s financial resilience.

On June 30, 2025, Canadian Secretary of State Randeep Sarai announced Canada’s support for new blended finance initiatives totaling US$17 million at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.

The pledge included:

• CAD10 million (US$7 million) for a blended finance accelerator to support gender-responsive investment in emerging markets;
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to help developing countries improve domestic resource mobilization in the digital economy; and
• CAD2 million (US$1 million) to support SDG-aligned national financing strategies with the UNDP.

Canada also endorsed the Sevilla Platform for Action on private capital mobilization.

On June 29, 2025, Canadian Secretary of State Randeep Sarai concluded her visit to Ghana, announcing CAD13 million (US$9 million) in new funding to expand the EMPLOY project, aimed at improving vocational and technical skills training for Ghanaian youth, particularly women.

The initiative supports economic empowerment through education in trades such as solar panel installation and machinery operation. The visit also highlighted Canada’s broader partnerships in climate-smart agriculture, gender equality, and green entrepreneurship.