Policy Updates

On November 19, 2024, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded his participation at the G20 Leaders Summit where he announced over CAD68 million (US$49 million) in new investments to address organized crime and drug smuggling, as well as support climate action and protection for women and girls.

Funding included:

• Nearly CAD24 million (US$17 million) to stop drug and human trafficking into Canada, increase collaboration with international security organizations, and enhance the capacities of airports in Latin America and the Caribbean to prevent the shipment of illicit drugs;
• Over CAD25 million (US$18 million) to help restore global biodiversity, support measures to alleviate malnutrition, work with farmers in climate-stressed regions, and enhance food security; and
• Over CAD19 million (US$14 million) to support women and girls in Latin America by preventing discrimination and GBV and encouraging women’s participation in conservation, land and water resource management, and improved health services for at-risk women, including Indigenous women.

Trudeau also secured Canada’s participation in two key global partnerships - the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and the Global Clean Power Alliance. Throughout the summit, Trudeau also participated in various G20 working sessions to advance progress on global peace and security, focusing on Ukraine and the Middle East.

On November 12, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD35 million (US$25 million) to support gender equality and women’s empowerment initiatives across Africa.

The funding supports a range of projects to strengthen gender equality, human rights, supporting women’s leadership, and improving access to essential services, with an emphasis on collaboration with local organizations and communities to ensure sustainable and culturally appropriate solutions.

Funding announcements included:

• CAD12 million (US$9 million) for World Vision Canada’s RESILIENT-WE: Reducing Environmental Shocks in Ethiopia to improve health and livelihoods for 56,000 people, mainly women, in the Oromia region by addressing climate resilience and GBV;
• CAD10 million (US$7 million) to UN Women’s Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women;
• CAD6 million (US$4 million) to Gender Links Renewed Women's Voice and Leadership project to support approximately 50 women’s rights organizations and LGBTQI+s groups in South Africa;
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to the UN Somalia Joint Fund’s Supporting the Rights of Women and Girls in Somalia project to build inclusive public institutions to protect human rights, with an emphasis on women and girls; and
• CAD2 million (US$1 million) to Emmanuel Relief and Rehabilitation International of Canada’s Titukule Azimai (Empower Women) project to support survivors of GBV in Malawi.

On November 7, 2024, Canada announced a total of CAD231 million (US$166 million) to support a series of flagship initiatives for peace and security in Africa, as well as building stronger and mutually beneficial partnerships by supporting economic empowerment, climate change action, and gender equality.

The funding was announced by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of International Development, and Minister of International Trade and Economic Development on the margins of the Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue in Toronto, Ontario.

Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced nearly CAD177 million (US$127 million) in funding to advance women’s and youth’s economic and social empowerment, support climate-change adaptation, and skills enhancement through the following projects:

• Supporting the UPSNJP - CAD75 million (US$54 million);
• Leading on funding the Renewed Women's Voice and Leadership in Crisis- and Conflict-affected Contexts - CAD25 million (US$18 million);
• Advancing women and youth’s economic and social empowerment in Senegal - CAD20 million (US$14 million);
• Backing the Climate Resilience through Empowering Women project - CAD15 million (US$11 million);
• Providing resources to AWBG - CAD14 million (US$10 million);
• Contributing to the United Nations Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Kenya - CAD10 million (US$7 million);
• Contributing to FIRST - CAD10 million (US$7 million);
• Strengthening the South Africa Skills Enhancement Program - CAD5 million (US$4 million); and
• Supporting Morocco's WESE - CAD2 million (US$1 million).

Hussen also announced initiatives to strengthening partnership to reduce poverty, provide humanitarian assistance, support economic development, and empowering youth by:

• Creating a new Africa trade and development program at GAC which will support development initiatives that contribute to food security, job creation, gender equality, and environmental sustainability; and
• Enhancing and expanding education and skills training programming to harness economic empowerment.

Additionally, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced CAD54 million (US$39 million) in funding for flagship initiatives and projects in the following key focus areas: peace and security, good governance, strengthened people-to-people ties, and enhancing Canada’s diplomatic footprint. This includes by:

• Supporting youth and women in peace processes;
• Supporting community-led conflict-prevention in Darfur and civilian-led political process throughout Sudan;
• Investing in counterterrorism capacity and threat resilience;
• Working to prevent violent extremism and support SGBV;
• Naming a Special Envoy for Africa and for the Sahel; and
• Formalizing Canada’s relationship with the AU Commission through a new memorandum of understanding.

On October 29, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen attended COP16 where he announced CAD62 million (nearly US$45 million) for global biodiversity and Indigenous empowerment, with a particular focus on Latin America.

The funding includes:

• CAD20 million (US$14 million) to Conservation International for the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund to advance gender equality by strengthening leadership skills among women conservationists and enhance locally driven conservation in key biodiversity areas in the Cerrado in Brazil, countries in the Indo-Burma region, and countries in the Tropical Andes;
• Nearly CAD13 million (US$9 million) to the UNDP Biodiversity Ecosystem Restoration for the Community Resilience in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh project;
• Nearly CAD10 million (US$7 million) to the WFP's Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Resilience to Climate Change in Colombia project;
• CAD7 million (US$5 million) to the IUCN - Podong Indigenous Peoples Initiative to help Indigenous people build their capacity to implement gender-responsive biodiversity conservation actions in Guatemala, Nepal, Panama, and Tanzania;
• CAD5 million (nearly US$4 million) to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the Supporting the Protection of Marine Biodiversity Within the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean project, focused in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru;

On October 26, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen concluded his participation at the 2024 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group, where he announced CAD20 million (US$14 million) over five years to the Toronto Centre to support LICs and LMICs.

The funding will support the Toronto Centre’s tailored training to financial regulators in developing countries, including for women, to help break the cycle of gender-based poverty and increase women’s participation in the economy.

The project focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indo-Pacific region, and special assistance to Ukraine.

On October 16, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD23 million (US$17 million) for the Aequitas Impact Investment Fund and over CAD6 million (US$4 million) for the fund’s Technical Assistance Facility to improve access to financial services for underserved global populations.

The 12-year project is in partnership with DID. The Aequitas Impact Investment Fund invests in small-scale financial institutions in LIC and LMICs across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America to help them improve the availability of financial products, such as bank accounts, loans, and insurance.

The project will support entrepreneurs who run micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, including women, youth and small-scale farmers.

On October 5, 2024, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded his participation at the 19th Sommet de la Francophonie where he underlined Canada’s commitment to promoting development in French-speaking countries in Africa by announcing more than CAD11 million (US$8 million).

The funding will support initiatives that focus on improved access to education, the empowerment of women and girls, youth nutrition and health, and safety and security, while strengthening Canada’s relations with French-speaking countries in Africa. It aims to advance shared values of peace, democracy, human rights, and inclusion.

On October 2, 2024, Canadian IDRC announced a new seven-year partnership valued at nearly CAD30 million (US$22 million) to support gender-transformative implementation research in sub-Saharan Africa.

The ANeSA initiative will contribute to improved health and the realization of SRHR. The partnership is funded by IDRC, the Canadian Institute of Health Research, and GAC. It will fund up to 16 Implementation Research Teams and two Health Policy and Research Organizations.

At the recent UNGA meetings, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced over CAD200 million (US$145 million) to support projects, including ones that will advance the SRHR of women and girls, which included funding for ANeSA.

On September 28, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced that Canada will provide CAD10 million (US$7 million) in funding for humanitarian needs in Lebanon.

The funds will go towards providing food, water, emergency healthcare including sexual and reproductive health, protection services and other life-saving assistance to civilians in Lebanon. It comes as a response to the recent escalation of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has increased the need for humanitarian aid in the region.

This funding is in addition to Canada's contribution to the UN CERF, which previously allocated US$10 million in response to the crisis in Lebanon. According to official reports, more than 90,000 people were displaced within Lebanon in September.

On September 25, 2024, Canada announced that it will be co-hosting the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine's 10-Point Peace Formula on October 30-31, 2024 in coordination with Norway and Ukraine.

The conference will have the aim of developing a concrete plan to strengthen the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, integrate the Women, Peace and Security perspective into the 10-Point Peace Formula, and identify approaches for post-return rehabilitation and reintegration for Ukrainians.

The conference will bring together Ministers of Foreign Affairs to advance the vision articulated in the Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework developed at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in June, 2024.