Deputy Minister of International Development appearance before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA) on the study on Canada’s engagements and interests in Africa

December 12, 2024
Published: April 11, 2025

Table of contents

1. Committee Context and Remarks
   1. Scenario Note
   2. Opening Remarks
   3. AEFA Members’ Biographies
2. Canada’s Priorities and Engagement in Africa
   1. Overview of Canada’s Engagement and Africa Strategy
   2. Canada's International Assistance to Africa and Top Implementing Partners
   3. Map of Bilateral Footprint
   4. Engagement with the African Union (AU)
   5. FIAP Overview
   6. Key Development Results
   7. Trade and Investment
   8. Humanitarian, Peace and Development Nexus
3. Key Development Themes
   1. Gender Equality / Women’s Voice and Leadership
   2. LGBTQ2I+
   3. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
   4. Climate Change
   5. Education / TVET
   6. Inclusive Economic Growth
   7. Peace and Security
   8. Health
   9. Supporting Rural Areas
   10. Funding for Democracy and Governance
   11. Combatting Sexual Violence
   12. Youth-focused Programming
   13. Food security
4. Canada’s Bilateral Development Assistance in Africa (by country)

   Top 5 Recipients

   1. Ethiopia
   2. Mali
   3. Mozambique
   4. Tanzania
   5. South Sudan

   Hot Spots

   1. Sudan
   2. Kenya
   3. DRC
   4. Burkina Faso
   5. Chad
   6. Sahel
   7. Zimbabwe

   North Africa

   1. Egypt
   2. Morocco
   3. Tunisia
5. Multilateral / IFI Engagement
   1. Humanitarian Assistance in Africa
   2. African Development Bank (AfDB)
   3. International Financial Institutions and Multilateral Development Bank Reform
   4. G7 and Africa
6. Geopolitics
   1. Russia, China, Gulf Countries and Türkiye in Africa
   2. BRICS

Appearance Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs And International Trade

Canada’s Interests and Engagement in Africa

Minister Of International Development

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Scenario Note

• Your in-person, one-hour appearance begins at 11:30 a.m.
• The following officials will accompany you in-person during the appearance and may be called upon to respond to questions:
  • Cheryl Urban, Assistant Deputy Minister, Africa and Pan-Geographic Affairs
  • Tara Carney, Director, International Humanitarian Assistance

Committee Logistics

• After your opening remarks of up to 10 minutes, the committee will move to rounds of questions.
• Unlike House of Commons Committee practice, questions will be asked on a first come, first served basis. Senators will typically be afforded up to 4 minutes per round of questions unless otherwise indicated by the Chair.
• Any Senator can attend a Senate committee meeting and pose questions, even if they are not a member of that committee.

Committee Membership & Context

• For the full list of committee members, please see the committee biographies included in the briefing binder.
• This will be your first appearance before the committee. This appearance was scheduled in June 2024 but was cancelled as a result of the Senate motion that restricted committee meetings to Government Business.
• Your predecessor, Minister Sajjan, appeared on the committee’s study on the Foreign Service on November 3, 2022. Questions during his appearance covered the following areas: Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, as well as the successes and challenges of the 2013 GAC amalgamation of CIDA and DFAIT.
• With respect to the committee’s study on Canada’s engagements and interests in Africa:
  • The committee has held 16 meetings on the study to-date. GAC officials who have appeared on the study include:
    • Cheryl Urban, Assistant Deputy Minister, Africa and Pan-Geographic Affairs, on Canada’s engagements in Africa on December 7, 2023.
    • Christopher MacLennan, Deputy Minister of International Development on international development in Africa on February 8, 2024.
    • Marcel Lebleu, Director General, West and Central Africa Bureau on trade and commerce in Africa on April 17, 2024.
    • Jacqueline O’Neill, Ambassador for Women, Peace, and Security on peace and security in Africa on October 3, 2024.
    • Ben Marc Diendéré, Canada’s Permanent Observer to the African Union on his mandate and role on November 28, 2024.
  • Other broad committee lines of inquiry raised during the Africa study and relevant to your upcoming appearance include:
    • The perception that Canada must increase its engagements with Africa and that Canada is often an “invisible” partner in Africa, for example, due to support being channeled through multilateral organizations;
    • The concern that Canada may “lose out” on benefiting from Africa’s potential including its natural resources, youthful population, and expected market access;
    • The extent to which BRICS countries’ engagements in Africa impact Canada’s goals on the continent and relationships to African partners;
    • The need for Canada to update its Africa strategy in favour of developing “win/win” partnerships with African counterparts;
    • Potential for Canada to deepen relationships with Africa at Canada’s upcoming G7 Presidency;
    • Security concerns when engaging with Africa;
    • How Canada can best increase its diplomatic footprint in Africa with limited resources;
    • The role of civil society organizations in development efforts in Africa and how the Government of Canada supports civil society organizations both in Canada and in Africa;
    • Departmental capacity to respond and deliver support in a ‘poly-crisis’ global environment; Aid “fatigue” in contexts like Sudan;
    • The role of African Canadian diaspora communities in Canada’s engagements with Africa and the untapped potential of the African Canadian diaspora in forging links with African partners.
  • Your meeting is expected to be the last public hearing the committee will hold on the Africa study. The committee must submit their final report on the study by March 31, 2024.

Mr. Chairman, Honourable Senators,

First of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation to join you this morning to talk about Canada's commitment to Africa.

As Deputy Minister of International Development, I am honoured to speak to you today about how Canada and Africa are working together to advance development priorities on the continent.

As you've heard, Africa is taking its place in a world where African voices are increasingly influencing international issues.

Canada is working with its African partners to address the challenges and opportunities that will determine Africa's path to sustainable development.

In May 2024, the African Development Bank predicted that 11 of the world's 20 fastest-growing economies would be African. Such economic growth could unlock an estimated US$3 trillion in consumer spending.

Nevertheless, the continent continues to face extreme poverty, which affects almost a third of Africans.

Addressing poverty in many parts of Africa is hindered by inadequate infrastructure, conflict and insecurity, and democratic backsliding.

In the face of these challenges, Canada remains a committed, reliable and trusted partner.

Canada has a proud history of achieving development outcomes throughout Africa.

The effectiveness of Canada’s development programming in Africa has benefitted immeasurably from the deep expertise of Canadian civil society organizations, including partners from the Afro-Canadian diaspora, whose continued engagement in Africa will be essential moving forward.

Given the current global context, it is important that Canada and Canadians work to expand our presence on the continent as advocates for our core values of human rights and equality.

Thanks to the Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada is a leader in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Indeed, Canada has supported over 130 women’s rights organizations in Tunisia, empowering them to advocate for women’s rights and gender equality.

In Sierra Leone, the advocacy efforts we supported have contributed to a historic law prohibiting child marriage, which was passed earlier this year.

Moreover, Canada helped improve the capacity of more than 100 women’s rights, LGBTQI+ organizations and networks in Africa to promote human rights and increase women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.

As you know, Canada has been reviewing its commitment to Africa with a view to strengthening its partnerships. To this end, the Government of Canada has consulted over 600 stakeholders through diplomatic dialogues, public consultations, high-level visits and Senate and House of Commons committee appearances.

We heard from 83 small businesses, 39 African countries, 200 civil society organizations and more than 70 African-Canadian diaspora associations.

We spoke with African leaders, the private sector, as well as the continent's dynamic young entrepreneurs and innovators; what was clear was that African countries want to work with international partners as peers.

Prime Minister Trudeau's participation in the 33rd African Union Summit, held in Ethiopia in February 2020, marked an important step in Canada's re-engagement with Africa.

Since then, our engagement has continued to grow. This past spring, Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen co-chaired the Development Policy Dialogue in Addis Ababa with my African Union Commission counterpart.

Just over a month ago, the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly; Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Mary Ng and Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen welcomed the African Union Commission Chairperson and his delegation to Toronto, for the second Canada–AUC High-Level Dialogue.

As part of the High-Level Dialogue, the government made several announcements aimed at reinforcing Canada’s partnerships with Africa.

From a development perspective, the government announced a new trade and development nexus focus, and a suite of development programming focussed on women’s economic empowerment.

A key theme during the High-Level Dialogue discussions, was the importance of Africa’s youth population.

Significant opportunities and challenges lie ahead for Africa's future prosperity, given that 60% of the continent's 1.4 billion inhabitants are under the age of 25.

In this respect, the creation of employment opportunities for young Africans is crucial to sustainable development. Increased access to education and technical and vocational training is a key element in expanding employment among young Africans.

Canada's efforts in this area are closely linked to its partnership with the African Union Commission, and are fully aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063.

I applaud the work of this Committee, and we at 抖淫视频 are closely following your deliberations as we work with our partners to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

AEFA Members’ Biographies

Peter M. Boehm (Chair)
Independent Senators Group – Ontario 

Appointment to the senate

• October 3, 2018

Professional background

• Studies: D in History from the University of Edinburgh, a Master's degree in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, and a Bachelor's degree in English and History from Wilfrid Laurier University.
• Public Servant: Various positions at Global Affairs (1983 – 2018), including: Deputy Minister for the G7 Summit, Deputy Minister of International Development, Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canadian Ambassador to Germany, and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization of the American States.

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate group: Independent Senators Group (November 3, 2018 – Present)
• Member: Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (2018 – Present)

Committee membership

• Chair: Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2020 – Present)
• Member: Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence (2018 – Present)
• Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2018 – Present)
• Former Member: Standing Senate Committee on National Finance (2018 – 2023)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Throughout the committee’s Africa study Senator Boehm has expressed concerns about donor fatigue as an impediment to finding solutions to problems on the African continent. He has questioned Canada’s ability to respond effectively to crises.
• Senator Boehm has questioned the relevance of the Commonwealth and la Francophonie in Africa today.
• Senator Boehm has expressed interest in governmental resource sharing, for example, co-locating missions with likeminded allies, in a time of departmental fiscal restraint.
• Senator Boehm has an interest in multilateral organizations like the OCED and UN.

Peacekeeping:

• During Senate debate, Question Period, and Committees, Senator Boehm frequently highlights the importance of United Nations peacekeeping From his perspective, the UN's role is to maintain international peace and security, by working to prevent conflicts, and by working proactively to lay the foundations for peace.

GAC ‘Fit For Purpose’:

• During the March 2023 visit to 125 Sussex, Senator Boehm underlined that the committee has heard a lot of emphasis on human resources and the need for consistent recruitment. He also suggested that parliamentary diplomacy could be better leveraged.
• During this study, he has repeatedly questioned other government departments on whether they are using GAC’s training center for their personnel working abroad.

Peter Harder (Vice-Chair)
Progressive Senate Group – Ontario

Appointment to the senate

• March 23, 2016

Professional background

• Studies: Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
• Public Service: 30 years of experience in the Federal Public Service, including in the departments of immigration, public safety, industry, the treasury board and foreign affairs.
• Immigration: Senator Harder served as the founding Executive Director of the Immigration and Refugee Board.
• Foreign Services/GAC: He joined the Foreign Service in 1977.
• Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2003 – 2007).

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate groups: Independent (2016 – 2020)
• Progressive Senate Group (2020 – Present)
• Leader of the Government in the Senate (2016 – 2020)

Committee membership

• Deputy Chair: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2020 – Present)
• Member: Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (2022 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senators (2020 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (2020 – Present)
• Former Member: Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (2020 – 2022)
• Standing Committee on Human Rights (2021 – 2022)
• Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (2021 – 2022)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator Harder has questioned how Canada can best increase its footprint in Africa, given that Canada is a relatively small country in comparison to the African continent. He has asked if increasing the number of Canadian diplomatic missions in Africa is the most effective way to have a greater presence on the continent.

Humanitarian Aid:

• Senator Harder closely follows humanitarian operations, and regularly asks questions about the logistics, resources and results of these operations.

Ukraine:

• Senator Harder is interested in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, asking logistical questions about how the work is being carried out on the ground, if seized Russian assets have financed reconstruction, and potential roadblocks to rebuilding, such as ongoing corruption in Ukraine.

GAC ‘Fit For Purpose’:

• Senator Harder has stated that locally engaged staff are an important element of our international footprint and inquired about their recruitment, role, security issues, and how they are managed.

Gwen Boniface
Independent Senators Group – Ontario

Appointment to the senate

• November 10, 2016

Professional background

• Police/Security: Served internationally for 10 years, including as Deputy Chief Inspector of Ireland’s Garda Síochána Inspectorate tasked with reforming Ireland’s national Police Service, as a Transnational Organized Crime Expert with the United Nations Police Division and as Deputy Executive Director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
• Commissioner: Served with Law Commission of Canada for 5 years as a Commissioner.
• Indigenous: Initiated a truth and reconciliation project in her home community of Orillia in 2019 with Indigenous and non-indigenous members.

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate group: Independent Senators Group (2016 – Present)
• Member: Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association (2017 – Present)
• Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (2017 – Present)

Committee membership

• Co-Chair: Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (2022 – Present)
• Member: Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2020 – Present)
• Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (2022 – Present)
• Standing Committee on National Security and Defence (2017 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (2017 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (2021 – Present)
• Former Chair: Standing Committee on National Security and Defence (2020 – 2021)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator Boniface has questioned how security concerns act as a barrier against Canadian businesses looking to expand in She has noted the interplay between security, democracy building, and development efforts in Africa.

Ukraine:

• In May 2024, Senator Boniface expressed concerns about “Ukraine fatigue” having a negative impact on allies’ support to Ukraine and asked about Canada’s efforts to ensure continued unwavering Canadian support to Ukraine.

Defence & Security:

• With a Background in law enforcement, Senator Boniface has a special interest in security issues, particularly those related to human trafficking and CBSA-related work.

GAC ‘Fit For Purpose’:

• During the March 2023 visit to 125 Sussex, Senator Boniface asked whether, in consultations with other countries, GAC has found they are facing the same issues and hurdles related to human resources.
• During this study, she has demonstrated an interest in the Government of Canada’s footprint abroad.

Mary Coyle
Independent Senators Group – Nova Scotia (Antigonish) 

Appointment to the senate

• December 4, 2017

Professional background

• Studies: Bachelor’s degree in in languages and literature with a major in French and a minor in Spanish and a Master’s degree in rural planning and development.
• Rural Development: She subsequently worked as a Rural Development Advisor in Indonesia and later to support two State Islamic Universities develop their community engagement strategies.
• Involvement: Vice President and Director of the school’s Coady International Institute (1997 – 2014)
• Executive Director of the Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership (2014 – 2017)

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate group: Independent Senators Group (2018 – Present)

Committee membership

• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2019 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Indigenous Peoples (2017 – Present)
• Former Member: Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (2020 – 2022)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator Coyle has raised the role of Canadian and Africa civil society organizations in international development and peace and security She has asked if GAC partners with civil society organizations and for details on what such partnerships entail.
• Senator Coyle has expressed interest in climate-focused initiatives in Africa, and green economy partnerships between Canada and African countries.

Ukraine:

• In March 2024 Senator Coyle asked about the role of civil society in Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Gender equality:

• Senator Coyle is an advocate for gender equality in the in Canadian public institutions and in Canadian society.

GAC ‘Fit For Purpose’

• On March 9, 2023, she noted that Canada has had 15 Foreign ministers in the past 22 years, and expressed the view that some Ministers did not have the time or the power to provide Canadian diplomats with real leadership; she asked John Baird, who was appearing as a witness, to share his views on how these multiple changes affect the Foreign Service.

Marty Deacon
Independent Senators Group – Ontario (Waterloo Region)

Appointment to the senate

• February 28, 2018

Professional background

• Commonwealth Games Canada: Executive Board Member & Chef de Mission (2012 – Present)
• Canadian Olympic Committee: Director, Executive Board (2009 – 2023)
• Independent Consultant: Education consultation at the elementary and secondary school level (2016 – 2018)
• Waterloo Region District School Board: Superintendent & Executive Officer (2010 – 2016)
• Principal (2000 – 2010)

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate group: Independent Senators Group (2018 – Present)

Committee membership

• Member: Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs (2020 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2020 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (2022 – Present)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator Deacon expressed concerns over Canadian mining companies’ activities in In May 2024, she asked how Canada can help African private sectors diversify and move away from resource extraction.
• She has questioned if there is still a role for traditional UN peacekeeping in Africa.

GAC ‘Fit for Purpose’:

• During the March 2023 visit to 125 Sussex, Senator Deacon asked what the Government learned from the pandemic with respect to emergency management, and what the connection is between the work at NORAD and similar sites and GAC’s Emergency Watch & Response Centre.
• She also asked what direction Canada should take as a middle power in its diplomacy given major changes on the international scene.
• Senator Deacon considers that the development aspect in diplomacy is very important for a rich, medium sized- country like She regularly asks questions about Canada's development assistance efforts and resources.

Ukraine:

• In March 2023, Senator Deacon asked for a status update on the missing Ukrainian children, and if any children had been repatriated.

Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia
Independent Senators Group – Newfoundland and Labrador 

Appointment to the senate

• June 1, 2018

Professional background

• Studies: Medical degree (MB.ChB.) and a Certification in Family Medicine (CCFP)
• Medicine: Practiced family medicine in Twillingate, NL (1984 – 2018)
• Community Engagement: Involvement with local minor hockey, community outreach initiatives, and fundraising for the Lions Club and support of the Anglican Church Sunday school program.

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate group: Independent Senators Group (2018 – Present)
• Member: Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association (2019 – Present)

Committee membership

• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2020 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (2018 – Present)
• Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament (2019 – Present)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator Ravalia has asked how African countries could become less dependent on outside resources to achieve positive health outcomes.
• He has shown interest in China and Russia’s engagements in He has wondered if Canada could learn from BRICS countries’ engagement in Africa.

GAC ‘Fit for Purpose’:

• During the March 2023 visit to 125 Sussex, Senator Ravalia asked what GAC is doing to attract “hyphenated- Canadians” so that we can reap the benefits of their language skills, cultural knowledge, etc.
• In November 2022, the Senator asked DND about their involvement with GAC in the development of the Indo-Pacific Strategy given the potential threats in that region of the world.
• In June 2022, he recognized the importance of modernizing Canada's diplomacy as well as modernizing its digital technologies to revitalize the Foreign Service. He asked if Canada has an infrastructure capable of addressing potential cybersecurity threats and whether it is working with its Fives Eyes allies on this issue.

Ukraine:

• In May 2024 Senator Ravalia questioned whether Western support for Ukraine is sustainable, in particular given Russia’s continued support from BRICS partners.

Vaccine Equity and Health:

• Senator Ravalia has been a strong advocate for the redistribution of COVID-19 vaccines to disadvantaged countries and has repeatedly called for Canada's involvement in vaccine distribution in needy and underdeveloped countries.
• Senator Ravalia regularly enquires about health outcomes and the risk of disease in conflict zones, like Ukraine and Gaza.

Yuen Pau Woo
Independent Senators Group – British Columbia

Appointment to the senate

• November 10, 2016

Professional background

• Research: Senior Fellow in Public Policy, Asian Institute of Research at The University of British Columbia (2014 – 2021)
• Senior Fellow, Asia Pacific Business Studies, Simon Fraser University (2014 – Present)
• Asia Pacific: President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (2005 – 2014)
• Distinguished East Asia Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (2014 – 2021)
• President of China Global: The Vancouver Society for Promotion of Chinese Art and Culture (2014 – 2020)

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate group: Independent Senators Group (2016 – Present)
• ISG Facilitator (2017 – 2021)

Committee membership

• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2017 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce (2021 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (2021 – Present)
• Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (2017 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (2022 – Present)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator Woo has argued that China’s engagement in Africa has often led to positive results, like the building of infrastructure.
• He has questioned Western allies’ credibility in Africa, given Africa’s colonial history.

GAC ‘Fit for Purpose’:

• Senator Woo has showed significant interest in the recruitment process for the Foreign Service and how to optimize it.
• Senator Woo has said he is in favour of greater recruitment into the Foreign Service of officials from other departments.

Amina Gerba
Progressive Senate Group – Quebec (Rigaud)

Appointment to the senate

• July 29, 2021

Professional background

• Studies: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Business Administration
• Business: Co-founded two companies manufacturing hair and body care products: Kariliss Laboratories Inc. and Kariderm
• Consulting: Founder (2003) of non-profit Afrique Expansion Inc., in order to build bridges between Canada and Africa, and encourage business opportunities

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate group: Progressive Senate Group (2021 – Present)
• Member: Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association (2021 – Present)
• Canada - France Inter-Parliamentary Association

Committee membership

• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2021 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Human Rights (2021 – Present)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator Gerba has questioned if Canada is doing enough in Africa.
• She has expressed the view that Canada should increase its engagement with Africa.
• Senator Gerba has expressed interest in building business links between Canada and Africa.
• She has shown interest in the African Development Bank.

GAC ‘Fit For Purpose’:

• During the March 2023 visit to 125 Sussex, Senator Gerba sought details on Canada’s Africa Strategy, and what we know about how other countries are positioning themselves in Africa.

Stephen Greene
Canadian Senators Group – Nova Scotia (Halifax – The Citadel) 

Appointment to the senate

• December 22, 2008

Professional background

• Politics: Candidate for the Reform Party in the 1993 and 1997 federal elections; served as Chief of Staff to Preston Manning of the Reform Party of Canada (1993 – 1996)
• Insurance: He worked in the insurance industry and became engaged in national and international insurance issues (1996 – 2009)
• Foreign Service: Early in this career, he worked at the Canadian embassy in Washington D.C., and at the Canadian Consulate in Boston.

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate groups: Conservative Party of Canada (2009 – 2017)
• Independent Senators Group (2017 – 2019)
• Canadian Senators Group (2019 – Present)
• Deputy Liaison (2022 – Present)
• Deputy Government Whip in the Senate (2010 – 2015)
• Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate (2016 – 2017)

Committee membership

• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2019 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (2020 – Present)
• Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (2019 – Present)

Recent points of interest

Ukraine:

• Senator Greene has advocated for more aid to Ukraine as well as the imposition of a no-fly zone.

Mohammad Khair Al Zaibak
Canadian Senators Group – Ontario

Appointment to the senate

• January 28, 2024

Professional background

Studies:

• Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications and Engineering.

Business:

• Co-Founder and CEO of Canadian Development and Marketing Corporation.
• Co-founder and previous director of Teranet Inc., a public-private partnership.
• Non-profits and other ventures:
• Co-Founder of Lifeline Syria, a non-profit assisting Syrian refugees to resettle in Canada.
• Co-founder of the Canadian Arab Institute, a think tank focused on the wellbeing and prosperity of the Canadian Arab community.
• Senior Fellow at Massey College.
• Member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian International Council.
• Former chair of the Canada Arab Business Council.

Committee membership

• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2024 – Present)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s positions on the Israel-Hamas war:

• Senator Al Zaibak has questioned why Canada did not support the May 10, 2024, UN resolution to upgrade Palestine’s status at the UN. He argued this position contradicts Canada’s support for a two-state solution.
• Senator Al Zaibak has expressed concerns regarding the humanitarian situation in Ukrainian Refugees:
• Senator Al Zaibak has asked about the humanitarian conditions of Ukrainian refugees in Canada and in third-party countries.

Leo Housakos
Conservative Party of Canada – Quebec (Wellington) 

Appointment to the senate

• December 22, 2008

Professional background

• Studies: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration
• Business: Had a career in business, served two terms as Vice-President of the Hellenic Congress of Quebec and as a founding member of the Hellenic Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senator Group: Conservative Party of Canada (2009 – Present)
• Deputy Whip of the Opposition (2020 – Present)
• Speaker of the Senate (2015)
• Speaker Pro Tempore (2014 – 2015)

Committee membership

• Chair: Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (2021 – Present)
• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2009 – 2021/2022 – Present)
• Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (2009 – 2016/2021 – Present)
• Committee of Selection (2021 – Present)

Recent points of interest

GAC ‘Fit For Purpose’:

• During the March 2023 visit to 125 Sussex, Senator Housakos asked what the Department needs to do to address perceived gaps in intelligence gathering, defense against cyber-attacks and theft of intellectual property at a level equivalent to our allies in the US, UK and France.

Bill C-57, An Act to implement the 2023 Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine

• Senator Housakos has argued strongly against the use of carbon amendments in Free Trade Agreements.

Sanctions:

• In February 2024, Senator Housakos argued that Canada has a double standard approach to sanctions, given that Canada has imposed sanctions on Russia, but not countries like China and Turkey, who have enhanced their trade relationships with Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.
• In May 2022, Senator Housakos introduced Bill S-247 An Act to amend the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law).

Afghanistan:

• Senator Housakos has asked if Canada should accept that “it lost” when it comes to Afghanistan.
• Senator Housakos has deplored what he described as Canada having let down our friends and supporters in Afghanistan, asking if the failure was because of a lack of intelligence or because of an error from GAC or IRCC.

Michael L. MacDonald
Conservative Party of Canada – Nova Scotia (Cape Breton) 

Appointment to the senate

• January 2, 2009

Professional background

• Studies: Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History
• Provincial Politics: He ran twice provincially for the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party in 1993 and 1998
• Business: President and owner of the Fortress Inn Louisbourg (1988 – Present)

Political and parliamentary roles

• Senate Group: Conservative Party of Canada (2013 – Present)
• Co-chair: Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group (2019 – Present)
• Treasurer: Canada-Korea Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group (2020 – Present)

Committee membership

• Chair: Committee of Selection (2021 – Present)
• Member: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2009 – Present)

Recent points of interest

Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa:

• Senator MacDonald has expressed concerns over China’s engagement in Africa.
• In May 2024, Senator MacDonald asked how China’s military, economic, and political involvement in Africa impacts the stability of the Sahel region.

GAC ‘Fit for Purpose’:

• Senator MacDonald asked about the impact of selecting non-career diplomats as ambassadors.

China:

• Senator MacDonald has expressed concerns about Chinese influence.

Canada’s Approach to Africa

• At the 2nd Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue on November 7, 2024, Ministers made a series of announcements in support of the Africa Strategy.
• The Strategy’s key pillars focus on enhancing partnerships related to diplomacy, peace and security, trade, development and strengthened people-to-people ties.

Supplementary messages

• Canada announced, at the HLD, the naming of Special Envoys for Africa and for the Sahel; a diaspora engagement mechanism; $54M for peace and security initiatives; a future Trade Mission to Africa; a new Africa Trade Hub; a trade and development program; $176.6M in development projects focused on youth and women’s empowerment; and a new Embassy in Benin and High Commission in Zambia.
• Under the Africa Strategy, Canada will strengthen its support for peace and security, strengthen its ties with and presence in African countries and institutions, strengthen partnerships for shared prosperity, strengthen partnerships to reduce poverty, provide humanitarian assistance, support economic development and empower youth.

Supporting facts and figures

• In Canada, the African diaspora has more than quadrupled, from 300,000 people in 2000 to 1.3 million in 2021.
• Canada is a popular study destination for Africans. In 2022, close to 100,000 Africans held permits to study in Canada, representing 10 per cent of all study permit holders in Canada.
• The AU’s Agenda 2063 emphasizes the role of the private sector in achieving inclusive and sustainable development – in particular, underlining the importance of promoting entrepreneurship across the continent.

Background

Prime Minister Trudeau directed MINT via her 2021 Mandate Letter to produce a strategy for economic cooperation across Africa. Separately, MINA instructed her Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant in 2022 to produce an Africa Strategy. These efforts were consolidated in spring 2024.

抖淫视频 (GAC) conducted extensive consultations and high-level engagements since 2022 to inform its renewed approach to Africa. We received input from more than 600 stakeholders in government, business, civil society, academia and African diasporas in Canada and from 39 African countries.

The Strategy focusses on strengthening, expanding, and making more visible Canada’s partnerships with African countries and institutions.

Canada's International Assistance to Africa and Top Implementing Partners

Total International Assistance 2016/2017 - 2022/2023, 20.9bn

• Crises in other regions (e.g. Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia) refocused development spending away from Sub-Saharan Africa
• Humanitarian Assistance: In 2022-23, approximately 29% of GAC bilateral humanitarian assistance targeted Sub- Saharan Africa. The top recipients of GAC's humanitarian assistance included Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Lebanon
• $5.3 billion Climate Finance Commitment: To date, 29% of GAC's approved project amounts target Sub-Saharan Africa, while 37% target Asia, and 24% to the Americas

Bilateral aid: the disbursement of funds where the donor earmarks or

controls the funds by specifying the recipient and/or other aspects of the initiative.

Multilateral aid: institutional support to a multilateral organization that pools contributions so that they become an integral part of the organization's financial assets.

Canada’s International Assistance by Department

Canada's Footprint in Africa

Figure 1 - Map of Canada's Bilateral Footprint in Africa

Engagement with the African Union (AU)

• The AU is a key focal point in Canada’s efforts to broaden and deepen its multilateral and regional engagement in Africa.
• Canada’s strengthened relationship with the AU is reflected in our new permanent mission to the AU, regular high-level political, trade and development dialogues, including the Canada-AUC High-Level Dialogue in November 2024, and the signing of a historic Memorandum of Understanding that institutionalizes and reinforces the relationship.

Supplementary messages

• This year marks 15 years of Canada being accredited to the AU as a permanent observer. 
• Canada is committed to strengthening its relationship with the AU, including through the recently signed MOU, which focuses on key areas such as peace and security, climate action, gender equality and sustainable development.

Supporting facts and figures

• In May 2024, the Minister of International Development announced $20M (2024-2029) in funding for the AUC, including $2.5M for peace and security, and $10M for education and technical/vocational education and training. This represents a doubling of Canada’s previous grant (2020-2024).
• In addition, Canada supports other AU specialized agencies and AU-led continental integration efforts through separate funding agreements. For example: $17M to Africa Risk Capacity Agency (2023-2026) for disaster risk preparedness; and $5M for the AU’s Green Recovery Action Plan (2023-2026) through the Global Green Growth Institute.

Background

Canada-AU Strategic Engagement: At the Canada-AUC High-Level Dialogue, held in Toronto on November 7 and 8, Canada reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen its relationship with the AU. The Dialogue involved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. Canada announced significant financial commitments, including $54 million for peace and security initiatives and $176.6 million for development projects supporting the empowerment of youth and women. Canada also expressed its support for the AU's G20 membership, and UN Security Council and international financial institution reforms. Several bilateral meetings were held on the margins of the HLD, including between Prime Minister Trudeau and his AUC Counterpart, Chairperson Faki.

On November 6, 2024, the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade, and Economic Development met with her AUC counterparts in Toronto for a Trade Policy Dialogue. May 2024, in Addis Ababa, Minister Hussen co-led the first Development Policy Dialogue (DPD), garnering significant high-level engagement from the AUC. In April 2024, AUC Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, met with Ministers Joly and Hussen and other senior government officials while in Ottawa.

Key AU Initiatives: Agenda 2063 is the AU’s blueprint for inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development of the continent. Agenda 2063 has 15 flagship projects to accelerate Africa’s economic growth and development and promote a common identity by consolidating Africa’s history and culture.

One of the key flagship projects is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will create the largest free-trade area in the world (in terms of number of countries participating). Canada’s current funding to the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) entitled, “Implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to Boost Intra-African Trade,” (2021-2026, $15.2M) is supporting the implementation of reforms needed at the national, sub-regional and continental levels to move from ratification to inclusive implementation of the AfCFTA, with a focus on gender and the environment.

Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP)

• Since its adoption in 2017, Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) has guided the delivery of Canada’s international assistance.
• The FIAP provides a feminist, intersectional, human-rights based framework that seeks to address the root causes of poverty and inequality.  
• Under the FIAP, Canada’s international assistance is improving the lives of the poorest and most marginalized, including in sub-Saharan Africa, through better health, nutrition, food security, education and economic well-being.

Supplementary messages

• The FIAP has strengthened Canada’s reputation as a donor committed to advancing gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• The government is striving to counter global backsliding on gender equality and rights of women and LGBTQI+ people. 
• Responsive on SSA Target: 抖淫视频 continues to make every effort to meet the FIAP targets, including directing 50% of its bilateral international assistance to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, while also respecting ongoing commitments in areas such as climate change and global health and responding to humanitarian needs around the world.
• From 2017-2018 to 2022-23, the volume of Canadian bilateral international assistance to Africa has been significantly higher than to other continents, and has increased during this timeframe.

Update 

Preliminary 2023-24 figures indicate that GAC met its 15% GE-3 target (achieving just over 15%) but fell short of the Sub-Saharan Africa target (reaching just under 45%, with a target of 50%). Canada has yet to meet its Sub-Saharan Africa target but came close in fiscal year 2021-22 at 49.4%. The department remains off-track to meet this target, due to several factors including the allocation of significant humanitarian assistance to regions outside Sub-Saharan Africa, such as the Middle East and Ukraine, and limited ability to deploy climate finance loans in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Supporting facts and figures

• Canada is among the top bilateral donors for its share of support to investments in gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.  
• Canada has supported 2,200 women's rights organizations and movements in more than 30 countries since the launch of the Women’s Voice and Leadership initiative (WVL). Close to 53% of WVL projects have been implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022 alone, organizations supported by the program influenced over 100 policies and laws, dismantling systemic barriers to equality.
• In 2019, Canada contributed $300 million to the Equality Fund to create a sustainable source of funding for women’s organizations and feminist movements in developing countries. As of March 2024, the Equality Fund Initiative has granted $56M directly and indirectly to 1,134 women’s rights and feminist organizations in over 100 countries to address issues such as violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and economic justice. The Equality Fund works with the African Women’s Development Fund, which supports women’s rights and feminist groups throughout Africa.
• Canada is the largest donor to Vitamin A supplementation programs, and has established itself as a global leader in preventing and treating malnutrition, through partners such as Nutrition International and UNICEF. For example, Canada is providing $34 million over three years to UNICEF to strengthen the equitable coverage of Vitamin A supplementation, which UNICEF estimates will reach about 41 million children under five in 15 countries in Africa by 2026.

Key Development Results

Examples Of High-level Results

Canada’s international assistance investments in Africa have contributed to positive results across a range of sectors, such as the following:

• Progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, via changes in policies and laws, improved capacity of women’s rights organizations to promote the rights of women, and women’s increased participation in leadership and decision-making.
• Improved quality of and access to health care, as well as increased capacity for women and girls to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR).
• Enhanced resilience and food security through improved agricultural practices and support to those affected by humanitarian emergencies, particularly women and girls.
• Improved quality of and access to public education, for instance via teacher training, curriculum development and textbook development.
• Reinforcement of the women, peace and security agenda by ensuring assistance is directed toward advancing gender equality and inclusion in conflict-affected settings.

Examples Of Country-level Results

• In Ethiopia, Canadian development assistance between 2013-14 and 2019-20 contributed to long-term improvements in agriculture, food and nutrition. Programming led to increased productivity and household incomes for smallholder farmers, while interventions in nutrition, maternal, newborn and child health and water, sanitation and hygiene contributed to improving the overall health of targeted women and children.
• Between 2012-13 and 2017-18, Canada contributed to systemic and transformative change in the basic education sector, introduced new agricultural technology and techniques which increased small-scale productivity, improved access to nutritious food by emphasizing community engagement in the fight against harmful social and cultural practices towards women and girls in Senegal.
• Canada’s support to regional economic integration and growth has improved border crossing efficiency, supported the development of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, and promoted the establishment and growth of women-led businesses across the continent.
• Canada’s support has increased employment and self-employment opportunities for almost one million people in some of the poorest and most vulnerable areas across Egypt.

Examples of Recent Project-level Results:

Gender Equality/Empowerment of Women and Girls

• In Mali, Canada’s Women's Voice and Leadership project strengthened the capacity of local organizations to defend women's rights while advocacy networks helped to influence programs and policy. In 2023-24, more than 100 advocacy actions with religious and political authorities resulted in women gaining new land titles, often a major impediment to gender equality in Mali and other African countries.
• Over 130 women’s rights organizations in Tunisia have been supported, empowering them to advocate for women’s rights and gender equality. More than 15,000 people, at least 60% of them women, were directly involved.
• In Kenya in 2023-24, 113 women’s rights organizations and 7 feminist networks were funded to support diverse groups such as rural women, young women, LGBTQI+ women, ethnic minorities, widows, women with disabilities, and sex workers. They report improvements in governance, organizational development, strategic planning, negotiation skills, risk management, and resource mobilization. The project influenced six national policies including Finance Bill 2023, Women's Economic Empowerment Policy, Unpaid Care Work Policy, Public Participation Bill 2023, and Budget 2024/2025 and others, demonstrating effective advocacy and engagement.

Human Dignity: Health

• Canada’s funding to a Tanzania Health Basket Fund has helped increase the number of women accessing birth delivery services to 97% in 2022 from 80% in 2020, and the number women using modern family planning to 50.2% from 42%.  
• In Ethiopia, Canada’s support has helped to improve nutrition for mothers and children through supplemental feeding and micronutrients, including providing over 3 million children with Vitamin A supplements. It has enabled 365,000 children to get treatment for acute malnutrition.
• Canadian programming in Morocco has provided essential care services to almost 5,400 women victims of gender-based violence and established 746 service centers. Canada also supported the training of over 1,000 religious leaders on well-being, health, and gender-based violence topics, and reached over eight million individuals through campaigns for the deconstruction of discriminatory social norms.

Human Dignity: Education

• Canadian funding has helped 25,883 girls and women in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo return to school. It also improved the teaching and school environment for more than 19,000 students in 24 schools, 73% of whom were refugees or displaced persons.
• In South Sudan, Canadian funding has helped to improve safe hygiene practices in schools and enhance protection from school-based Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). By the end of 2023, over 16,000 girls had received ‘dignity kits’ to manage their periods, while sanitation facilities had been rehabilitated in 35 schools. As a result, school attendance increased significantly.
• In Sudan, Canadian funding has helped many children to continue formal and informal learning. Through a project with the UN in 2023-24, almost 19,000 children attended centres offering safe learning spaces where they could participate in alternate learning programs. Amid nationwide school closures due to the on-going conflict, 57 e-learning centers were established to support displaced children.
• In Mozambique, Canadian partner CODE project in 2023-24 results included the graduation of 4,685 teachers (2,300 of whom are female), the creation and dissemination of a gender-sensitive pedagogical manuals to all 38 TTIs operating in country, and  the revitalization of the website of the Institute of Distance and Open Learning which now hosts these manuals for both online and offline options, ensuring educational continuity. Collectively, these efforts enhance the availability of accessible, safe, high-quality, and gender-sensitive education, especially benefiting girls from pre-primary to secondary levels and supporting a more equitable educational environment.
• Canadian technical and vocational education and training (TVET). programming in Tunisia has increased the job placement rate of project graduates from 11% to 20% in targeted sectors.  

Inclusive Governance

• In Kenya, Canada has supported over 1,000 women leaders with advocacy initiatives, including young women and women with disabilities, ensuring political parties adhere to the two thirds gender rule as stated in the Constitution of Kenya, in which not more than two thirds of the members of electoral or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender. Canada’s support has contributed to women’s candidacy in elections, rising from 8.7% in 2017 to 12% in 2022.
• Supported by Canadian funding, over 150 individuals have been elected in municipal, regional and national councils and parliament in Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan. Additionally, over 40 women beneficiaries have been appointed heads of various ministries and councils, and over 100 civil society organizations and government institutions are now integrating gender equality and inclusive governance principles into their policy frameworks and programs.
• In Mali, Canada is helping civil society organizations to combat impunity and corruption linked to gender-based violence. Almost 12,500 people, including close to 9,000 women, have received training and legal education on human rights and gender equality from mobile clinics. Twelve cases of human rights violations have been brought before Mali’s courts and other international bodies.

Growth that Works for Everyone

• Canada supports initiatives that are improving bean productivity, and market linkages among smallholder farmers in 31 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, helping to improve food security for Sub-Saharan African households.
  • Between 2017 and 2022, a key regional project improved market opportunities for 3.7 million farmers (50% women) by directly linking them with 298 small and medium enterprises (28% women-led) involved in bean processing and trading.
  • The volume of beans traded across major bean corridors in sub-Saharan Africa has increased by 3.6 million tons (from 1.9 million tons in 2017 to 6.5 million tons in 2022), contributing to significant export revenue.
  • Climate-smart seeds have been distributed to 19.4 million farmers (48% women).
• Canada has contributed to improving access to decent work and self-employment opportunities for women in Egypt by increasing market access for 35 women-led start-up businesses; improving the employability of 1,100 women, 19% of whom are living with disabilities; and enhancing access to tailored financial and non-financial services for 1,940 women entrepreneurs.
• In a regional program in East and West Africa, partner Acumen, enhanced economic opportunities for marginalized groups. In 2023-24, the project positively impacted 15,100 individuals (7,500 men and 7,600 women), including through support to social enterprises delivering essential goods and services. Early-stage companies in Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya were supported to grow and create job opportunities. The women-led enterprises supported by the project leverage 3.0x financing, unlocking $8.7 million.  More than 240 emerging business leaders from 11 countries participated in development programs, and 70 entrepreneurs (42 women and 28 men) participated in specialized accelerator programs. Almost all participants in the leadership program (97%) indicated that they had benefited from the program, including by expanding their professional networks. Overall, the companies supported by this project reached more than 56.9 million people with innovative solutions and 84% of those impacted by the project reported an improved quality of life.

Peace and Security

• Canada’s “Support to Mozambique Peace Process” project made significant progress on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, a key element of Mozambique’s efforts through the 2019 Maputo Peace Accord to definitively end decades of conflict. As of March 2023, Canadian contributions had supported the demobilization of almost 5,000 ex-combatants. Per the Maputo Peace Accord, all of the agreed opposition party16 military bases have now been closed with Canada’s support.
• In 2023-24, in Senegal, more than 2,800 actions to promote peace and security were carried out in various regions thanks to Canadian funding. For example, community mediations were carried out with a 92% success rate. Such efforts have helped to strengthen cohesion within communities, prevent and manage conflicts as well as increase the participation of women in these processes.
• With Canadian support, UN Women implemented a project in Kenya focusing on prevention and response to violence against women during elections. Almost 3,000 survivors of Violence Against Women in Politics accessed essential services such as legal aid, counselling, and medical aid.

Environment and Climate Action

• Canadian support helped to advance equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector by improving the business performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises, with a specific focus on women and youth. In 2023-24, 3,500 women entrepreneurs received business development services and support to use environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. This has helped to build resilience against climate impacts and has facilitated market linkages and access to finance.
• Through food security and climate adaptation programming in Egypt, Canadian funding improved food and nutrition outcomes for over 3,000 households in the 10 poorest villages of Upper Egypt. 

Trade And Investment

• Africa is a region with major economic potential where Canada has improved its trade and investment presence, but where there is still significant potential for growth.  
• Canada has a modest but growing trade relationship with African countries.

Supplementary messages

• Canada is committed to enhancing economic cooperation with the dynamic economies across the African continent and to diversifying its trade relations with the region. 
• African economies are full of potential, and young, tech-savvy Africans are driving an economic transformation fuelled by research and innovation in many key sectors, in which Canada also excels. 
• There is significant potential for growth and opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, infrastructure, ICT, clean technology and renewable energy, all areas where Canadian solutions can drive sustainable growth.
• The vibrant African diaspora in Canada acts as a bridge, fostering economic, social, and cultural connections that strengthen our bilateral relationships. 
• Many Canadian businesses remain reluctant to engage in African markets due to the high levels of perceived risk. While there are certainly risks, it is important that the gap between real and perceived risks is narrowed.

Supporting facts and figures

• Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with the African continent totaled $16.3 billion in 2023 ($5.8 billion exports; $10.5 billion imports) which has increased by 68.0% in the last 5 years, while this represents a large increase, the amount traded with the African continent is quite small in comparison to the global amount traded by Canada. 
• In the last 5 years, the value of 2-way merchandise trade between Canada and the African continent increased from around $10 billion to more than $16 billion.
• Top Canadian exports in 2023 were cereals, machinery, vehicles and parts, and precious stones and metals. Top Canadian imports in 2023 were precious stones and metals, mineral fuels and oils, fertilizers, and fruit and nuts.  
• Canada’s five biggest trading partners on the continent over the last three years have been South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. 
• Canadian Direct Investment Abroad (CDIA) in Africa was $12.0 billion in 2023 (average compound annual growth of 4.3% between 2018-2023).  Main recipients were Mauritius, Mali, Namibia, Burkina Faso and South Africa.  
• A large share of CDIA in Africa is in the mining sector in 2023 (45.3%): Africa is home to the second-highest value of Canadian mining assets. In 2022, there were $37.0 billion of Canadian mining assets held by 98 companies, representing 41.2% of total Canadian mining assets abroad.  

Background

• Commercial exchanges have experienced remarkable growth over the past five years: merchandise exports from Canada to Africa have grown by 13.0% and imports from Africa by 130.4% (2019-2023).
• Canadian companies face a number of perceived and actual barriers to expansion in Africa, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, underdeveloped and/or burdensome regulatory and policy frameworks, and weaker capital and banking markets. The perception of risk is quite high and may have not always been an accurate reflection of the actual risks in particular markets.
• In 2022-2023, the top five sectors of TCS clients in Africa were Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), Education, Clean Technologies, Mining and Agriculture and Processed Foods.

Humanitarian, Peace and Development Nexus – Canada’s Engagement in Africa

• A coherent and coordinated approach across policies and donor investments in the humanitarian, development and peace and security areas is critical for addressing the root causes of conflict and achieving peace and prosperity.
• As the gap between humanitarian needs and funding continues to widen, Canada is working to address root causes of conflict, mitigate vulnerabilities, and build resilience.
• Canada is an active member of both the Sahel Alliance and the Coalition for the Sahel to better coordinate various global development, humanitarian and peace and security efforts.

Supplementary messages

• Canada encourages partners to ensure their responses are coordinated across the humanitarian-development-peace spectrum.  
• Canada created the Sahel Regional Development Program which is building a portfolio of projects that are both flexible and responsive to the difficult and ever-changing challenges of the region, allowing key players to build on synergies across the nexus.
• In 2024, Canada also developed a Conflict Prevention Framework for the Sahel and Coastal West Africa to guide our engagement on peace and security in the region. This ensures an integrated and coherent approach, alongside our African and international partners

Supporting facts and figures

• According to the United Nations over 2 billion people, or a quarter of the world’s population, now live in conflict affected areas.
• Canada is one of 36 adherents to the 2019 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Recommendation on the Triple Nexus which calls for strengthened policy and operational coherence, better coordination, programming and financing, and serves as the basis for convening actors on better alignment of practice and evidence.

Background

The triple nexus is an operational framework developed by international partners to bring complementarity and coherence between humanitarian, development and peacebuilding - as well as improved coordination between actors. Canada has made commitments to a nexus approach through our Feminist Foreign Policy, the Feminist International Assistance Policy, and Canada’s National Action Plan to advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. 

抖淫视频 is working to advance a triple nexus approach under its new organizational structure by improving coordination and reducing silos across teams. The Department is also piloting new grants and contributions processes to allow increased flexibility for partners to pivot resources to address sudden onset crises and advance triple nexus approaches within programming.

Gender Equality / Women’s Voice And Leadership

• Advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is the best way to build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world.
• Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy makes gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls the central pillar of all our efforts
• As part of its feminist leadership, Canada advocates for working together with women’s rights and equality-seeking organizations and movements across the continent given the critical role they play in bringing about social change.

Supplementary messages

• We will not reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals if women and girls in Africa are not able to have equal opportunities to achieve their full potential.
• Canada centres the voices, leadership, and participation of women’s rights organizations at all levels of policy dialogue and as key partners in the design and implementation of international assistance initiatives to achieve sustainable change.

Supporting facts and figures

• Under the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), Canada has committed to ensuring that 50% of its bilateral international development assistance goes to Sub-Saharan Africa, 95% of its bilateral funding advances gender equality and 15% of programming specifically tackles barriers to gender equality.
• Canada has ranked as a top OECD donor for gender equality for the past five years (1st from 2020 to 2023, and now 3rd in 2024 ranking).
• The Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) Program has contributed to progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all diversity. This is as a result of changes in policies and laws, and improved capacity of women’s rights organizations and lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex plus (LBTQ2I+) groups and feminist networks to promote the rights of women and girls, including their increased participation in leadership and decision-making. As of March 2023, close to 53% percent of the WVL Program was operating in sub-Saharan Africa.
• As of March 31, 2024, the Equality Fund Initiative has granted $56 million directly and indirectly to 1,134 women’s rights and feminist organizations in over 100 countries. In 2023-2024, it granted $4.7 million to women’s rights organizations in Africa.

Background

• Across Africa women and girls, especially those in conflict-afflicted and fragile states, are often the hardest hit by poverty because of discriminatory and exclusionary practices linked to deeply rooted gender inequalities.
• The FIAP calls for the transformation of unequal power relations and recognizes that gender stereotypes also restrict men and boys to specific roles. The FIAP adopts an expanded definition of gender equality that includes gender-diverse people, recognizing that gender stereotypes lead to discrimination against LGBTQI+ people. 
• Canada engages with a mix of bilateral, multilateral, international and Canadian partners to pursue gender equality.

Annex

Results of Canada’s support - Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa

• With Canada’s support, the African Union Commission’s Women, Gender and Development Directorate developed a strategy for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (2017-2027).
• The Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) Program has contributed to the establishment of information systems to safely collect, store, analyze and share data on gender-based violence in Kenya and Nigeria.
• In South Africa, the WVL program has provided assistance to 40 Women’s Rights Organizations, including an organization that supports the economic empowerment of LGBTQIA+ persons. The program has directly supported more than 25 queer women business owners and start-ups and has sensitized over 6,000 persons on discrimination against members of the LGBTQIA+ community and its impacts.
• In South Sudan, Canada’s support through the WVL program helped several women-led organizations and networks to collectively lobby and advocate for key gender responsive acts, laws, and budgets. This contributed to South Sudan signing the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), a treaty which protects the social, political, and economic rights of women and girls.
• The Making Trade Work for Women in Eastern Africa initiative, which promotes the economic empowerment of women traders, has linked thousands of women to new markets and trading opportunities. It has allowed more than 22,000 women cross-border traders to shift from informal to formal trade and increased the sale of their products on average by 43% against a target of 15%.
• Over 130 women’s rights organizations in Tunisia were supported through the WVL program, enabling them to advocate for women’s rights and gender equality. More than 15,000 people, at least 60% of them women, have been involved or benefited from the activities undertaken.
• Canada has contributed to the improvement of healthy behaviours and practices supportive of women’s autonomy and decision making, through awareness campaigns on SRHR in Morocco. These campaigns reached 1.9 million people, involving 761 civil society organizations and engaging 10,043 men and boys.
• Canada has created an enabling environment for women to exercise their economic rights and leadership within their communities through the creation of 72 village savings and credit associations and 122 microenterprises in Morocco.

LGBTQI+ and Africa

• Diversity and inclusion are among Canada’s greatest strengths, and the Government of Canada will always stand up for LGBTQI+ people and their rights.
• Canada is committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons in Africa and globally through advocacy, international assistance and collaboration with civil society to influence systemic change.
• Canada is concerned by the discrimination and roll back of LGBTQI+ persons’ rights in certain African countries. It believes it is important to speak out - jointly with our partners when possible and appropriate - in support of those impacted.

Supplementary messages

• Respect for human rights is at the heart of Canada’s international policies and engagement, including the Feminist International Assistance Policy.
• Canada is committed to working with feminist and LGBTQI+ organizations, relevant regional and international institutions, and civil society partners to advance gender equality and LGBTQI+ human rights in Africa.
• Canada regularly engages with LGBTQI+ civil society stakeholders through knowledge sharing and dialogue on LGBTQI+ human rights issues globally, which help to inform Canada’s policy and programs.
• The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) has LGBTQI+ initiatives as one of its thematic priorities. This is a tangible way Canada listens to, and works with, the needs of local stakeholders, such as LGBTQI+ organizations.

Update 

Over the past few years, there has been a growing influence of the anti-gender equality movement in Africa and globally that is targeting LGBTQI+ communities—as evidenced by a surge in hateful discourses and new anti-LGBTQI+ legislation (i.e. Uganda, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali). The rhetoric often used to justify anti-LGBTQI+ legislation revolves around protecting the traditional family, child protection and decolonization.

On February 28, 2024, for example, Ghana’s parliament unanimously passed an anti-LGBTQI+ bill, although it still requires presidential assent to become law. Ghana’s sitting President subsequently stated that the government would not act on the bill until the Supreme Court has ruled on the legal challenges brought to it on the constitutionality of the bill.

Francophone West Africa, in particular, has recently seen a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In July 2024, Burkina Faso's junta leader approved a revised family code that criminalizes homosexuality (not yet adopted by the National Assembly of the Transition [ANT]). Prior to this, Burkina Faso was among 22 out of 54 African states where same-sex relations were not criminalised. In September 2024, a wave of attacks targeted LGBTQ+ individuals in Ivory Coast after several social media influencers exhorted their followers to “hunt” gay men. In October 2024, the Malian National Transitional Council (CNT) adopted a revised penal code which included two articles penalizing same-sex relations (not yet ratified by the transition authorities).

Supporting facts and figures

• In the latest publicly available data contained in the Global Resources Report for 2021-2022, Canada was ranked the 3rd highest government donor for LGBTQI+ human rights behind the Netherlands and United States.
• Canada committed a total of US$23.1 million to LGBTQI+ international assistance programming in that period, a significant increase from the 2019-2020 report (US$17.5 million). 

Background

Many countries in Africa have poor reputations when it comes to protecting and promoting the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons. People of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) continue to be marginalized by political, religious and traditional leaders with more than 30 African countries currently criminalizing same-sex relations. The maximum penalty is death in Mauritania, Somalia, in Nigerian states where Sharia law is applied, and now in Uganda, which passed an anti-homosexuality law in May 2023. Life imprisonment is the maximum penalty in Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia, while prison terms of up to 15 years are possible in Ethiopia, the Gambia, Kenya and Malawi. In almost all cases, these laws are remnants of colonial rule, which lends credence to the argument that homophobia, rather than homosexuality, is a western import. 

A key contributing factor to this sustained rise in anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and attacks is the influence of conservative groups from the West, notably far right and Christian evangelicals in the US. These groups, that have now formed the International Anti-Gender Movement (AGM), are a fast acting, well organized and transnational movement, with persuasive actors and resources flowing within and between the global North and South. Russia has been capitalizing on its alignment with some African governments on anti-LGBTQI+ human rights to increase its geopolitical influence in the region. Russia is leaning on the continental narrative of LGBTQI+ as a Western import to further increase wedges between the West and Africa. 

Despite the myriad challenges faced by LGBTQI+ people across the continent, efforts to decriminalize homosexuality and protect the rights of this community are advancing in some parts of Africa, albeit slowly. In 2015, Mozambique removed colonial-era laws prohibiting same-sex sexual relations in their new penal code. Several countries including Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Gabon, and Cabo Verde have since undertaken similar actions and decriminalized same-sex sexual relations. Cabo Verde went even further by introducing protections against discrimination in the workplace.  Despite some progress on the legality of LGBTQI+ in Africa, the reality is much more nuanced and social attitudes on the community remain mixed. 

The African Union has not declared an official position on LGBTQI+ human rights in Africa, a deliberate decision to not draw the ire of some of its members. However, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), an independent body within the AU framework, adopted, in 2014, the Resolution 275, which condemns violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Annex: Canada’s LGBTQ2I International Assistance Program

Announced by Minister Bibeau in 2019, Canada’s LGBTQI International Assistance Program committed to providing $30 million over 5 years (2020/21-2024/25) and $10 million each year thereafter to advance the human rights and inclusion of LGBTQI+ communities abroad. The overall Program is on-track to deliver the $30M commitment by end of fiscal year 2024/25.  The targets and programming are closely monitored by LGBTQI+ civil society, coordinated by the Dignity Network Canada, which also co-chairs with GAC the Program’s community of practice.

The Program helps advance the related mandate letter commitment shared by the Ministers of International Development, Foreign Affairs, and Women and Gender Equality and includes three funding windows:   

1. The Canadian Partnerships Window: Supports Canadian organizations advancing LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion abroad including through the The Act Together for Inclusion Fund (ACTIF), a seven-year project managed by Equitas and DNC, which focuses on enhancing the respect, protection, and fulfillment of the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons in developing countries. ACTIF provides small grants to Canadian CSOs and their Global South partners, facilitating their capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy work across 36 countries, including in 7 Francophone African countries:
   • Burundi
   • Cameroun
   • Côte d’Ivoire
   • République centrafricaine
   • Sénégal
   • Tunisie

The Geographic Programs Window: Supports local and regional LGBTQI+ led organizations in the Global South. including East, West and Southern Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.    

Projects in Francophone countries in Africa

In 2023-2024, the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives enabled 273 small-scale, high impact projects ($8.2M) implemented by mostly small civil society organizations in Africa. In total, the program provided almost $700,000 to local non-government organizations to implement projects supporting 2SLGBTQI+ rights across 16 African countries. These initiatives support a wide range of activities including promoting social and legal rights and enhancing public awareness.

For example, in Mauritius, the CFLI partnered with Collectif Arc-en-Ciel to implement a project strengthening advocacy for the recognition of transgender people. Through its activities, the project garnered support for a Gender Equality Act inclusive of Transgender Persons’ Rights.

Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights (SRHR) In Africa 

• Access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is critical to advancing health, gender equality, human rights, and supporting the empowerment of diverse groups of women and adolescent girls.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to essential health services, including sexual and reproductive health services, reversing years of hard-won gains in women and young people’s health in Africa.
• Comprehensive SRHR is a key investment area under Canada’s 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights, with a target of $700 million in annual spending.

Supplementary messages

• Adolescent sexual and reproductive health indicators in Africa are among the lowest in the world due to structural and sociocultural factors like socioeconomic status and limited access to education.
• A growing global anti-gender movement threatens well-established freedoms around bodily autonomy and access to essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, especially for the most marginalized people.
• Prevailing sociocultural norms and religious beliefs across most African countries characterise adolescent sexuality as taboo. This leads to significant opposition to interventions aiming to improve adolescent SRHR outcomes.
• With the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of climate change hampering economic growth, conditions for adequate financing of SRHR deteriorated. Canada has responded with increased funding to SRHR.

Latest Developments

At the 2024 United Nations General Assembly, Minister Joly announced an investment of $112.5 million for six new SRHR initiatives. On September 28, 2024, Prime Minister Trudeau released a statement to mark the International Safe Abortion Day, and both Minister Hussen and Parliamentary Secretary Vandenbeld co-signed a SheDecides Statement on safe abortion. On June 28, 2024, the Department launched an internal Evaluation of 抖淫视频's SRHR Programming, which should conclude in October 2025.

Supporting facts and figures

• In line with the Feminist International Assistance Policy, close to 55% of bilateral development international assistance supporting the 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights (10YC) was directed to sub-Saharan Africa in 2022-23, and 60% to all of Africa.
• 7 of the top 10 country recipients of 10YC funding are in sub-Saharan Africa for 2022-23.
• In 2022-23, Canada provided $574 million for SRHR, with $236 million to the five SRHR neglected areas prioritized under the Commitment. This constitutes 41% of total SRHR spending.
• Globally, Canada ranks 3^rd (behind the US and the Netherlands) in its funding for SRHR as a percentage of total ODA allocations.

Background

In June 2019, Canada made a 10-Year Commitment (2020-2030) to increase global health funding to an average of $1.4 billion annually by 2023-2024. This represents Canada’s largest and longest sectoral commitment in international development assistance.

Half of the 10YC is dedicated to comprehensive SRHR and to advancing action in the neglected areas of safe abortion, family planning, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), advocacy and prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence. Other key priorities include infectious diseases, nutrition and immunization.  

Annex

Canada’s investments in global health and SRHR deliver concrete results in Africa, for example:

• Oxfam Canada’s support in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia is targeting the neglected areas of SRHR, namely safe abortion and post-abortion care, CSE, contraception care, and SRHR advocacy. As a result (as of March 2023), the percentage of adolescent girls in project areas who decided to use contraceptives increased from 24% to 89%, and from 30% to 91% for young women. Twenty-three more health facilities (34% increase) have started providing abortion and post-abortion care for clients since the start of project, contributing to the empowerment of women and girls and closing the persistent gaps in SRHR.
• Canada has contributed to the improvement of healthy behaviours and practices supportive of women’s autonomy and decision making, through awareness campaigns on SRHR in Morocco. These campaigns reached 1.9 million people, involving 761 civil society organizations and engaging 10,043 men and boys.
• Canada’s funding to a Tanzania Health Basket Fund has helped increase the number of birth delivery services to 97% in 2021 from 80% in 2020, and the number of women using modern family planning to 50.2% from 42%.
• In Somalia, Canada has provided training to 760 very young adolescent girls and 760 very young adolescent boys on gender equality and positive social norms addressing female genital mutilation and cutting and child, early, and forced marriage.
• Canadian funding to train 56,000 (54% female) teachers, health workers and peer counsellors across 11 of the 16 regions in Ghana, resulted in over 1.9 million adolescent girls and 250,000 young women and men (82% female) with information about their bodies and sexuality in 2022-23
• In Mozambique, Oxfam Canada has trained 264 health care providers on SRHR including safe abortion across 19 health facilities, as well as 393 community leaders (religious and traditional leaders, matrons, traditional medicine practitioners, and activists). This project empowers individuals with SRHR knowledge, allowing them to make informed decisions about their bodies- positively impacting over 114,000 people.
• In Togo, an International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) project provided CSE to 202,000 young people and trained 780 teachers on delivering CSE between 2019 and 2022. The project also trained 888 community leaders on young people’s SRHR and delivered 531,000 health services to people of all ages (59% to young people).
• Canada’s support to WaterAid Canada’s HerWASH project ($6.04 million, 2019-2024), helped to tackle the stigma around menstruation in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Pakistan. The project constructed or rehabilitated 92 gender-sensitive, accessible toilets and washing or changing rooms in schools, and trained 899 healthcare service providers and sensitized 38,459 adolescents (21,888 girls) on menstrual health and hygiene. By helping schools and health centres to provide appropriate facilities, and local small enterprises to make menstrual hygiene products, women and girls can practice menstrual hygiene outside of the home, allowing them to attend school and participate in community life while menstruating.
• Approximately 70% of the Canadian support to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Supplies Partnership ($25 million, 2021-2025) – a multi-donor pooled fund – is towards Africa. In 2023, UNFPA Supplies contributed to avert 9.5 million unintended pregnancies, 200,000 maternal and child deaths, 2.9 million unsafe abortions, and reaching 23 million of women and girls in the lowest income countries.

Climate Change In Africa

• In addition to being a very low carbon emitter, Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts due to its high exposure to climate shocks and its lack of resources for mitigation and adaptive strategies. 
• Canada will continue to deliver on our international climate finance commitments and to call on contributors to raise their climate ambitions.  

Supplementary messages

• Canada doubled its international climate finance commitment, to $5.3 billion over 2021-2026, of which 40% targets adaptation and at least 20% leverages nature-based solutions and projects with biodiversity benefits.
• This includes $300 million for Africa from Partnering for Climate to support nature-based solutions that support a transition to sustainable, low-carbon, climate-resilient, nature-positive, and inclusive development.
• Canada is providing $5 million (2023-2025) in financial assistance to the AU’s Green Recovery Action Plan to support people and communities and to grow green businesses; and is committed to reforming and strengthening international financial institutions (IFIs) to better meet the needs of developing countries in confronting the impacts of climate change.
• Canada is supporting countries in Africa, along with other developing countries, with efforts to transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient, and nature-positive economies and societies, including through its most recent Can$5.3 billion International Climate Finance Program and its Can$350 million International Biodiversity Program. Canada actively supports the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa and Senegal, as well as Indonesia and Vietnam.

Supporting facts and figures

• Africa contributes less than 10 percent of global emissions, but climate change threatens up to 118 million of the poorest Africans, exposing them to droughts, floods, and extreme heat by 2030.
• In July 2022, the African Union launched its Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2032) providing a continental framework for collective urgent action and enhanced cooperation.
• The 2023 Africa Climate Summit in Kenya highlighted African unity in addressing climate change, calling for resource allocation and climate legislation. African leaders proposed new global taxes and reforms to international financial institutions to fund climate change action in the Nairobi Declaration. Minister Hussen participated in the Summit.

Background

• COP29 resulted in establishment of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, which will replace the US$100 billion goal that was established in 2009 through to 2025 and was reached for the first time in 2022. At COP29, Parties agreed to a climate finance deal with an investment target of at least US$1.3 trillion to developing countries from all actors and sources. Of this amount, the developed country Parties will provide and mobilize US$300 billion per year by 2035. This will help some of the biggest emitters accelerate their emissions reduction and help the most climate vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.
• Developing countries, including African states, were disappointed in the outcome and consider the finance goal too low. They were asking for US$1.3 trillion from developed to developing countries in public, grants and concessional financing.
• At COP29, Canada also made important announcements, including:
  • Launch of GAIA, a $2 billion innovative blended climate finance platform co-founded by FinDev Canada in partnership with the Japanese MUFG Bank. The platform will leverage funds toward climate action in 25 emerging markets and developing economies, with 70% funding dedicated to adaptation to climate change.
  • $1.25 million to support the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Action Team project, which is working to mobilize countries to submit credible and ambitious NDCs in 2025.
  • $12.5 million aimed at halting biodiversity loss; supporting communities to adopt climate smart practices; empowering women conservationists in Madagascar; and supporting biodiversity in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe to improve protected areas and enhance livelihoods in vulnerable communities in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.

Annex A - Programming Examples (funded from the $5.3 billion commitment)

In support of the African Union’s climate action objectives, Canada’s contribution is multifaceted and includes: 

• Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) ($150M, 2017-2041).
  Canada contributes $150 million (2017-2041) in concessional loans for modern and gender-sensitive renewable energy infrastructure in support of the objectives of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI). AREI is an African-led framework which aims to mobilize the African potential to achieve 300 GW of new and additional renewable energy generation capacity by 2030. To date, the program has provided loans of US$25 million (hydropower in Gabon), US$10 million (solar power in Nigeria), US$25 million (modular solar/battery storage in Chad and Cameroon) and is expected to identify other impactful investment opportunities by 2025, totalling an additional US$55 million. This investment component is accompanied by a $5 million grant which explores bankable investments in off-grid solutions in rural areas and better integrates gender equality considerations in its projects.
• Advisory Services in support of AREI ($5M, 2018-2027). As a strategic complement to the $150 million investment in support of AREI objectives, this $5 million grant to IFC is maximizing the developmental impact of the private sector investments by exploring bankable investments in off-grid energy solutions in rural areas and by working with private sector firms to expand women’s access to jobs, leadership positions, and entrepreneurial opportunities in corporate value chains within the renewable energy space. 
• African Risk Capacity Agency ($17M, 2023-2026). Through innovative tools such as climate risk insurance, early warning systems and disaster risk planning, this project supports African governments to improve their capacity to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters (e.g. droughts and flooding) improving the resilience of vulnerable African populations, and preserving hard-won development gains.
• Support for the African Risk Capacity’s Replica Program ($12M, 2023-2026). In concert with the UN World Food Program (WFP), the project will build the institutional capacity of 11 African governments to design and implement gender-responsive climate risk preparedness responses to protect vulnerable women and men, maintain their food security and protect their livelihoods in case of climatic shocks through nature-positive early action interventions funded by climate risk finance mechanisms. 
• Support for Africa Disaster Risk Financing Multi-Donor Trust Fund ($14M, 2023-2026). Hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the trust fund will increase the capacity of governments and private sector actors in 15 African countries for efficient and timely gender-sensitive response to climate disasters by increasing access to climate disaster risk financing Instruments, with a focus on insurance.
• African Climate Change Fund ($7M, 2019-2023). In collaboration with the African Development Bank, this project invests in African women entrepreneurs helping them to practice climate resilient agriculture and deploy technologies, such as renewable energy, that contribute to a low-carbon future. This initiative will also strengthen climate governance by supporting women’s participation and leadership in climate-related negotiations and policy-making.  
• Building Equitable Climate-Resilient African Bean and Insect Sectors ($20M, 2023-2027). The project will foster low-carbon, climate-resilient systems and economies in the bean and insect “corridors” in 15 sub-Saharan African countries by enhancing climate resilience more equitably among women and youth farmers and value-chain actors. This will result in improved and more sustainable food and nutrition security through increased food production and improved access to organic, insect-based fertilizers and bio-pesticides that are not hazardous to human and environmental health, in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
• Gender-transformative Wetland Conservation Project in the Lake Chad Basin ($25M, 2023-2026). This Partnering for Climate project seeks to improve the climate resilience of marginalized communities, particularly women and youth, and ecosystems that are structurally vulnerable to climate change, through nature-based climate solutions in 6 Lake Chad Basin protected areas registered under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
• Promoting Climate Smart Agriculture and Agro-biodiversity for Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable Rural Communities in Upper and Lower Egypt ($10M, 2023-2027). This climate-smart agriculture and bio-diversity project implemented by the FAO seeks to develop and implement nature-based and climate-resilient agricultural practices, increase agricultural productivity, and improve livelihoods and food security in vulnerable rural communities in the Aswan, Beheira and Kafr El Sheikh Governorates of Egypt.
• Femmes résilientes au Moyen-Atlas ($10M, 2023-2027). This project implemented by SOCODEVI aims to support the operationalization of Morocco’s Forest Strategy 2030 to prevent overexploitation and lack of valuation of the forest sector. The project works with twenty-five women's cooperatives in the Khénifra National Park region, supporting their resilience in the face of climate change.

Annex B – Examples of Results of Canada’s Support

Climate Action

• Canada has helped smallholder farmers in East and West Africa become more resilient to climate change through its support to the Green Climate Fund and the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF).
  • The ARAF is a US$58 million impact equity fund that aims to enhance the livelihoods and climate resilience of 10 million people in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda by investing in early-stage agribusinesses that support smallholder farmers. As of 2021, ARAF has directly benefitted about 320,000 farmers, 40% of them women, and indirectly benefitted approximately 1.6 million people.  
• In Ethiopia, Canada has supported lasting solutions to the climate crisis. In 2021, Canadian-supported World Bank programming in the country’s urban centres helped to reclaim 3,650 hectares of land, including by planting 527,000 trees and creating 88km of flood barriers. These actions enabled small scale urban gardening to improve nutrition in urban households.

Annex C – Partnering for Climate (Africa Component)

In 2021, the Government earmarked $315 million, as part of Canada’s 2021-2026 $5.3 billion climate finance commitment, to leverage the expertise, innovation, and resources of organizations and Indigenous Peoples in Canada to support climate change adaptation in developing countries through a focus on nature-based solutions.

Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation are actions that protect, sustainably manage and/or restore natural and modified ecosystems to support climate action, while addressing societal challenges by simultaneously contributing to human wellbeing and biodiversity. 

The $315 million Partnering for Climate initiative has two envelopes: one for organizations in Canada using nature-based solutions to support gender-inclusive climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation in sub-Saharan Africa ($300 million); and a second, entitled Indigenous Peoples Partnering for Climate, for Indigenous Peoples in Canada to partner with Indigenous organizations in ODA-eligible countries to increase climate resilience ($15 million).

Snapshot of the $300 million Partnering for Climate portfolio: 

• 16 projects covering 25 of the 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
• 5% of funding ($100.4 million) for West Africa, 39.4% ($125.6 million) for East Africa, 22.3% ($72.4 million) for Central Africa, and 3% ($9.2 million) for Southern Africa.
• An initial target of allocating at least $20 million to gender-transformative (GE-03) projects was exceeded: 4 projects ($56.8 million) are gender transformative. The other 12 ($261.2 million) are gender integrated (GE-02).
• Projects work across a wide range of ecosystems and support sustainable agriculture, forestry, fisheries, economic diversification, and nature-based value chains that contribute to food security.

The portfolio is supported by active monitoring, evaluation and learning activities to capture and share real-time lessons learned, strengthen partner capacity, and monitor progress over time. For example:

• In partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, 抖淫视频 funds the Nature for Climate Adaptation Initiative, which aims to enhance Global North and Global South civil society organizations’ understanding, knowledge, and capacity to design and deliver nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation that provide biodiversity and livelihood benefits to people of all genders and social groups in developing countries. A free, ecosystem-based e-learning course has been developed and is offered on the initiative’s website to the public.
• In partnership with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 抖淫视频 funds the Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation: Monitoring and Accompaniment Project to provide oversight and guidance to GAC’s partners in the implementation of nature-based solutions programming. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature will track partner’s challenges and experiences with the implementation of the Nature-based Solutions Global Standard and provide trouble-shooting support. This overall experience will be shared widely to better inform nature-based solutions and help refine the Global Standard.
• GAC and the Canadian Coalition on Climate Change jointly launched the Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity Community of Practice. The latter includes members from across Canada and the world and is overseen by a steering committee to help guide the efforts to highlight and promote evidence-based, impactful, and gender-inclusive nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and biodiversity. The steering committee includes representatives from the National Indigenous Organizations. The community of practice places special emphasis on Indigenous knowledge and engagement, and gender equality, and includes an annual practitioner forum during International Development Week.

Education In Africa 

• Education is more effective if it is equitable, inclusive, gender-responsive, conflict-sensitive, and locally driven.  
• Given education is one of the most powerful tools for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability, Canada welcomes the African Union’s designation of 2024 as the Year of Education.
• Providing quality skills and technical and vocational training for Africa’s youth can spur economic growth, innovation, and social development, and contribute to peace and stability.
• Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) underscores the importance of education and skills development to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Supplementary messages

• Canada’s international assistance programming aims to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable have access to quality, inclusive education, with a focus on advancing equal educational opportunities for girls, adolescent girls, and women, especially in crisis contexts.
• Canada supports programs and partners that build life skills, and provide technical and vocational education and training, with an emphasis on assisting women and marginalized youth to find work, including in non-traditional and better-paying fields.
• Canada is supporting efforts to build the capabilities of young people to participate in labour markets, create productive employment, and contribute to economic growth.   

Update

The African Union (AU) designated 2024 as the Year of Education in Africa, with a focus on building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning, including skills and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Supporting facts and figures

Canada’s engagement

• In May 2024, as part of Canada’s first Development Policy Dialogue with the African Union Commission (AUC), Canada announced a doubling of its support to the AUC to $20M (2024-2029), including $10M for education/TVET.
• In 2022-23, Canada provided $328 million in international assistance to Africa for education. The top 3 country recipients were Mozambique ($23M), Tanzania ($22M), and Mali ($18M).
• Canada’s Charlevoix Education Initiative, in support of the Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education for Girls, is estimated to have benefitted four million girls, adolescent girls, and women worldwide. Nine of the top ten Charlevoix partner countries were in Africa. The Initiative generated $4.3 billion in pledges, including Canada’s pledge of $400 million over 3 years in support of 55 projects.
• Building on Charlevoix, Canada launched the Together for Learning campaign (2021-2023), a campaign promoting greater access to safe and inclusive quality education for marginalized children and youth, particularly those experiencing forced displacement resulting in the creation of Canada’s Refugee Education Council and announcement of $67.2 million.
• The top Canadian partners active in education programming in Africa include Colleges and Institutes Canada, Plan International Canada, Save the Children Canada, World University Services of Canada (WUSC), Canadian Bureau for International Education.

Demographics and Education in Africa

• By 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42% of the global youth population, and youth unemployment in Africa is expected to be 12%.
• According to the African Union, 98 million African children and young people do not attend school. The out-of-school rate in sub-Saharan Africa is 21% for children of primary school age (6-11 years), 34% for youth of lower secondary school age (12-14 years), and 58% for youth of upper secondary school age (15-17 years). Nine out of ten children cannot read a simple text with comprehension by age 10. There is a pressing need to provide education and create jobs to meet the growing youth population's employment needs.
• TVET is essential to equipping youth with relevant skills and training for employment, thereby enabling economic growth. In the current African labour market, 29% of employed youth are under-skilled and 57% under-educated, while 18% are over-skilled and 8% over-educated.

Background

Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion in the world. Learning is negatively impacted by lack of resources (school supplies and textbooks), trained teachers, and basic amenities (electricity, potable water, and sanitation facilities).

Girls are disproportionately impacted by education exclusion. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, 9 million girls between the ages of 6 and 11 will never go to school, compared to 6 million boys. This disadvantage starts early and by adolescence the exclusion rate for girls is 36% compared to 32% for boys. Overtime, this translates to a lower earning potential and quality of life for women and girls. 

Annex: Examples of education projects supported by Canada  

Burkina Faso 

• Strengthening Girls’ Rights to Complete their Education Safely and On-Time [$14M, 2020-2024; Plan International Canada] aims to support access to safe and gender-responsive education for girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 16 in the security challenged northern and eastern regions of Burkina Faso. This project applies the Speed Schools approach, an intensive nine-month program that compresses the first three years of primary school to allow out-of-school children to catch up to their peers and then integrates them into the formal education system. These efforts are complemented by activities related to education on sexual and reproductive health rights to reduce stereotypes and improve the understanding of girls’ rights in terms of access to education and sexual and reproductive health. 

Mali  

• Improving Adolescent Girls’ Inclusive Education in Mal [$20M, 2020-2024; Plan International Canada] aims to improve rights to inclusive, quality and gender-sensitive education for 90,000 conflict-affected girls and adolescent girls in 11 communities in the Segou and Mopti regions of Mali.  

Mozambique  

• Empowering Adolescent Girls to Learn and Earn (EAGLE) [$9.1M; 2020-2025; Voluntary Services Oversea (VSO)] - aims to support out-of-school, vulnerable and disabled girls and young women to become literate and advance their economic empowerment.   

Tanzania 

• Keeping Adolescent Girls in School (KAGIS) [$14.2 million, 2021-2026, Plan International Canada] aims to facilitate adolescent girls’ access to and retention in the school system, and address harmful and discriminatory norms, practices, and behaviors that affect their education.

Tunisia

• Education for Employment in Tunisia [$5.8M; 2019-2024; College and Institute Canada] Aims to increase the economic power of young adults, particularly women living in the most disadvantaged regions of Tunisia. The project supports the Higher Institutes of Technological Studies (ISET) in the development of training program according to the competency-based approach in the sectors of maintenance of agricultural machinery, ecotourism, renewable energies and agrifood. The project plans to directly benefit 1200 graduates (45% women), 40 professors and 175 management staff within the ISET network, and professionals from various targeted ministries. The project also expects to indirectly benefit 27,745 graduates and their families for a total of about 110,000 people (50% women).

Inclusive Economic Growth

• Canada’s international assistance in Africa advances economic growth that works for everyone to reduce poverty and promote women’s economic empowerment.
• Women’s economic empowerment is central to Canada’s development efforts to achieve gender equality, inclusive economic growth and drive progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Our portfolio of investments in this area spans a wide range of initiatives and partners, from small scale micro-finance projects working at the grassroot level to large scale investments through the multilateral development banks.

Supplementary messages

• Canada’s assistance helps to build the capacity of institutional structures, supports entrepreneurship, expands access to capital and encourages private sector investment in inclusive growth initiatives.
• The private sector drives job creation, innovation, productivity and economic growth, including in developing countries. Through our international assistance programming, Canada helps individuals and enterprises become more competitive, innovative, and green; to increase their employment and market opportunities; and to ensure that markets work better for the poorest and most marginalized, especially women and youth.
• Canada’s innovative financing tools can help to mobilize capital and expertise from the private sector for sustainable development. 
• FinDev Canada, our Development Finance Institution, supports private sector growth and investment in emerging markets and developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of FinDev Canada’s three priority regions.

Supporting facts and figures

• Canada supports partnerships for inclusive growth that are crucial to the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP)’s success, with multilateral and civil society organizations, development banks and the private sector.
• Canada’s assistance focuses on increasing the economic leadership and empowerment of women at all levels, promoting women’s economic rights and access to decent work, and helping to address unpaid work and the disproportionate burden of care shouldered by women.
• In 2022-23, 33% of Canada’s international assistance for inclusive economic growth went to Sub-Saharan Africa (data that include North Africa are not yet available).
• The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is one of Canada’s key multilateral development partners contributing to sustainable economic growth in Africa. Canada joined the AfDB in 1982 and is the fourth-largest non-African shareholder in the Bank (following the United States, Japan and Germany) with a 3.68% voting share.
• As of September 2024, FinDev Canada’s presence in Sub-Saharan Africa includes 17 clients, represented 45% of its investment portfolio, totalling USD 501 million (FinDev Canada does not have presence in North Africa).

Background

Despite rapid economic growth and decline in poverty rates in Africa in recent decades, growth remains uneven on the continent. According to the World Bank, growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to regain its momentum, growing 3.8% in 2024 and 4.1% in 2025, up from 3.6%. Rising conflict and violence across the region exerts a dampening effect on economic activity, with climate shocks exacerbating this fragility. About 429 million people in Africa are still living in extreme poverty in 2024.

Annex – Programming Examples

With Canadian support, RENEW (RENEW International Canada Ltd and RENEW LLC - Accelerating Regional Business Growth [ARBG] in East Africa [$18.2M, 2022-2029]) has created an innovative network across eight East African countries that will help African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) trade regionally, become gender-responsive and climate-smart, accelerating economic growth and creating decent jobs. Evidence derived from project results will be used to advocate for national and regional gender-responsive policy reforms and increases in gender-lens investments from regional and international investors.

• Canada supports initiatives that are improving bean productivity, and market linkages among smallholder farmers in 31 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, helping to improve food security for Sub-Saharan African households.
  • Between 2017 and 2022, Canada helped improve market opportunities for 3.7 million farmers (50% women) by directly linking them with SMEs involved in processing and trading beans – a regional staple.
  • The volume of beans traded across major bean corridors in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased by 3.6 million tons over 5 years, contributing to significant export revenue.
  • Climate-smart seeds have been distributed to 19.4 million farmers (48% women).
• Canada has contributed to improving access to decent work and self-employment opportunities for women in Egypt, by increasing market access for 35 women-led start-up businesses, improving the employability of 1,100 women, 19% of whom are living with disabilities, and enhancing access to tailored financial and non-financial services for 1,940 women entrepreneurs.
• Canada has created an enabling environment for women to exercise their economic rights and leadership within their communities through the creation of 72 village savings and credit associations and 122 microenterprises in Morocco.
• Canada has helped strengthen financial security and economic resilience for rural women in Tunisia by strengthening women's entrepreneurship, improving their skills, facilitating their access to financial services, and increasing their income. As part of a Canadian-supported project, over 400 women participated in commercial fairs, enhancing product visibility and enabling networking.
• Canada, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), contributes $150 million (2017-2041) in concessional loans for modern and gender-sensitive renewable energy infrastructure in support of the objectives of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) - an African-led framework which aims to mobilize the African potential to achieve 300 GW of new and additional renewable energy generation capacity by 2030. To date, the Canada/IFC program has provided loans of US$25 million (hydropower in Gabon), US$10 million (solar power in Nigeria), US$25 million (modular solar/battery storage in Chad and Cameroon), and US$10 million (off-grid solutions through a Pan-African platform). This investment component is accompanied by a CA$5 million grant which explores bankable investments in off-grid solutions in rural areas and better integrates gender equality considerations in its projects.

International Assistance Innovation Program: The IAIP is a 5-year pilot program that was recently renewed in Budget 2024 and designed to make strategic investments to catalyze private funding for projects that have a positive impact on international development. Canada’s funding must be repaid but may also include non-repayable technical assistance to help achieve impact. Canada has committed $530 million to date through the IAIP for investments supporting climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure, renewable energy, financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, and gender-lens investing. More than half of the IAIP portfolio is in sub-Saharan Africa. The IAIP complements existing resources for international development assistance, and the work of Canada’s development finance institution, FinDev Canada.

Peace and Security: Canada-African Engagement

• Canada works closely with African partners on issues such as counter-terrorism capacity building; peace and stabilization operations; deployments of military staff officers and civilian police; and through cooperation to tackle biological, chemical and nuclear threats.
• Canada and the AUC share concerns about the rise of authoritarianism, unconstitutional changes of government and violent extremism, and exchanged on these issues during the recent High-Level Dialogue in November.

Supplementary messages

• Canada welcomes the constructive engagement of the AU and bilateral African partners on major regional crises. Spillover effects, deteriorating democratic conditions, illicit trafficking in natural resources, the security implications of climate change, and intensifying violence remain a concern, particularly in the Sahel, Sudan, and eastern DRC.
• Canada appreciates the important work of the AUC to strengthen preventive diplomacy, mediation, and coordination with sub-regional bodies, particularly in response to emerging and enduring regional crises.
• Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace, and Security visited Ethiopia (Addis, Mekelle) in January 2024 to engage with civil society and government officials on key issues like conflict-related sexual violence, establishment of a national dialogue, transitional justice policy, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR).
• In August 2024, Canada supported U.S.-led efforts to bring civilian Sudanese women to Geneva to influence planned ceasefire talks on Sudan.

Supporting facts and figures

• In May 2024, Minister of International Development Hussen announced $20 million (2024-2029) in funding to the AUC, of which $7.5 million is to support Agenda 2063, $2.5 million to support peace and security issues, and $10 million for education and technical and vocational education and training. This represents a doubling of Canada’s previous grant (2020-2024).

Background

AU Security Priorities: 1) preference for peace enforcement and “kinetic operations” (aggressive, offensive measures) coupled with international supply of equipment and weapons to the AU; 2) expanded partnerships, particularly “with like-minded partners with links to Africa”, on issues such as conflict prevention, mediation, preventive diplomacy, and election observation; and 3) inclusive participation of youth and women. These issues, particularly #2, were raised at the HLD, where senior officials noted that there may be opportunities for Canada to engage in mediation efforts.

AU-UN Peace operations: In December 2023, the UNSC adopted a resolution providing a framework for AU-led peace operations to be financed, on a case-by-case basis, up to 75% through UN contributions. Canada co-sponsored the resolution.

Peace and Stabilization Operations Program: Canada has contributed over $140M in Africa since 2018, focused on protecting frontline activists, human rights defenders, and civilians affected by conflict and/or political repression; advancing the WPS agenda; and, supporting mediation/dialogue processes, weapons/ammunition management, countering mis/disinformation, and peacebuilding and social cohesion.

Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Programme: 19 projects totalling a value of $41.1M in Africa. This includes: seven projects in North Africa valued at approximately $13.9M; six projects valued at C$13.7M in the Sahel region, and six projects in East Africa valued at C$13.5M. 

The Weapons Threat Reduction Program: Over $100M in programming delivered in Africa since 2012, serving as Canada’s contribution to the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.  

The Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program: has provided funding to the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), which has supported efforts focused on implementation of African maritime security frameworks and helped combat transnational organized crime at sea. Through the CCG, Canada has in the past been represented at the G7++ Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea, which supports the Yaoundé Code of Conduct. 

Health In Africa

• Investment in Africa’s health and health systems are key to inclusive and sustainable growth in the region. 
• Building equitable and resilient health systems allows countries to better prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies and improve health outcomes.
• Canada’s 10-Year Commitment (10YC) to Global Health and Rights is supporting women, children's and adolescents' health and rights and is strengthening health systems.

Supplementary messages

• Sub-Saharan African countries face a variety of health challenges. These includes high burden of communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, alongside high levels of maternal and child mortality, malnutrition, adolescent pregnancy, and weak health systems. 
• COVID-19 underscored the importance of primary health care, underpinned by equitable and resilient health systems. It also catalyzed a greater sense of country ownership and leadership for health, including the importance of domestic financing.
• Outbreaks predominantly affect impoverished populations due to their limited access to clean water, sanitation, health services and education, which exacerbate the spread and impact of disease.
• The increased autonomy of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), paired with the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), represents a positive shift towards building sustainable, increased health sovereignty across the African continent.

Updates

Canada is also responding to new health security threats such as mpox, with the provision of $1 million to WHO’s response to control the outbreak in Africa and donating up to 200,000 doses of mpox vaccine from our national stockpile. Canada continues to work with Africa CDC and WHO AFRO to advance the Lusaka Agenda, with a focus on strengthening collaboration amongst global health initiatives in support of country-led pathways to Universal Health Coverage.

Supporting facts and figures

• In line with our Feminist International Assistance Policy, 55% of GAC-bilateral development funding supporting the 10YC (61% of all 10YC spending, or $830 million) was directed to sub-Saharan Africa in 2022-23   
• 7 of the top 10 country recipients of 10YC funding were in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda).
• In 2022-23, Canada invested over $1.41 billion under the 10YC, a 7% increase over the previous year. This included $574 million for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Background

Despite significant improvements, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) still has the worst health outcomes globally. The region, home to 13% of the world’s population, carries 25% of the global disease burden. Nearly half of the world’s deaths among children under five occur in SSA. The region also has the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates and is heavily impacted by infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Additionally, SSA is now facing a double burden of both infectious and chronic diseases.

• 抖淫视频 (GAC) has been a supporter of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria since its inception in 2002, committing more than $5.3 billion, making it GAC’s largest annual health investment. These contributions have helped save 65 million lives globally across the three diseases. In 2023 alone, 25 million people received antiretroviral therapy for HIV, 7.1 million people were treated for tuberculosis (TB), and 227 million mosquito nets were distributed to help against malaria. Canada is the sixth largest country donor to the Global Fund.  72% of Global Fund investments are in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Recognizing the need to strengthen vaccine manufacturing capacity across the African continent, Canada has invested in a growing portfolio of initiatives to enhance the regional vaccine manufacturing value chain. Through Canada’s Global Initiative for Vaccine Equity (CanGIVE), Canada supports the mRNA Technology Transfer and Manufacturing Hub Programme based in South Africa ($45 million; 2022-25). Canada also welcomes Gavi’s African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA).
• In 2022, Canada announced $250 million in humanitarian assistance to help address the global food security and nutrition crisis, building on the $514.5 million already allocated in 2022 for emergency food and nutrition assistance with a focus in SSA. In 2023, Canada announced $84.6 million in funding to fight global malnutrition and prevent acute malnutrition supporting the implementation of four new projects by Canadian partners, including Action Against Hunger, Children Believe, SickKids Centre for Global Child Health and World Vision Canada.
• The African Union has a three-year MoU with Nutrition International. Areas of engagement include advocacy, tracking progress against nutrition related commitments activities, providing technical assistance to increase capacity of AU Members and the AUC, and developing a Joint Action Plan for the operationalization of the MoU. The AU has publicly committed to drive action on adolescent girls’ nutrition across the continent and has requested NI’s support for the development and implementation of a continent-wide adolescent nutrition strategy that will drive health and gender equality outcome.
  • On May 13, 2024, Minister Hussen launched the first Canada-African Union Commission Development Policy Dialogue (DPD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Minister Hussen along with a delegation from the AU visited a Canada-funded Nutrition International Vitamin A Supplementation Project in Addis to gain a firsthand vitamin A supplementation programs can reduce child mortality rates
  • Through its ongoing funding to Nutrition International, the Government of Canada helps to provide up to 75% of the world’s supply of vitamin A capsules, thus supporting a key childhood survival intervention which reached up to 157 million children under 5 across 58 countries globally during the period April 2023 to March 2024. Canada also supports vitamin A supplementation in Africa through its support to UNICEF and its Vitamin A Supplementation in a New Age (VINA) project.
  • On November 7, 2024, during the High-Level Dialogue (HLD) Minister Hussen met with AU Commissioner Samate, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS) and discussed the importance of improving the capacity of African health agencies to support their mandates. Canada’s Minister of International Development highlighted Canada’s support for vaccine manufacturing on the continent and the key role of local women’s organisations in advancing maternal and child health as a part of Canada’s $1.4B 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights.

The Future of Global Health Initiatives/The Lusaka Agenda: Launched in December 2023 following a 14-month consultation process referred to as the Future of Global Health Initiatives (FGHI), the  outlines how global health initiatives (GHIs) like the Global Fund, Gavi and the Global Financing Facility can better complement domestic financing to maximize health impacts in support of country-led priorities and trajectories to universal health coverage (UHC). Canada has played a leadership role in advancing the Luska Agenda, in which African voices have been central. 

Canada, Ghana and Amref Health Africa served as co-chairs of the Lusaka Agenda Interim Working Group from January to June 2024. The Working Group helped create a Joint Working Group across the Global Fund, GAVI and Global Financing Facility Boards with a focus on malaria, health system strengthening and country engagement; laid the ground work for a series of “pathfinder countries”  or “country champions” to advance the Lusaka principles; and facilitated work toward an African roadmap for implementing Lusaka (underpinned by an AU Summit decision to support the establishment of an accountability mechanism within the AU architecture to ensure the effective implementation of the Lusaka Agenda in Africa).  We have been encouraged by the African voices and are providing modest support to UN Foundation for 2.5 days a week through to mid-December to support the Africa track discussions which have been an important driver of the process. 

The AU Summit decision on Lusaka provides the political and policy cover for advancing joint work of Africa-CDC, the AU Commission (AUC), WHO-AFRO, the Global Fund Africa Constituency Bureau.  The Roadmap for Implementation of the Lusaka Agenda in Africa was a key outcome document and was enthusiastically supported at the August Lusaka Agenda side meeting during the AFRO Regional Committee meeting. On October 18, the AFRO Regional Director sent a recognition letter to thank ministers of health for the finalization of the roadmap.    

Supporting Rural Areas in Africa

• Poverty in Africa continues to be overwhelmingly rural and is primarily concentrated within the agriculture sector.
• Rural populations living in poverty contribute the least to climate change but are the most at risk of diminished social protection and quality of life owing to rising global temperatures.
• Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy focuses on removing barriers to success for the most vulnerable, especially women and girls, many of whom live in rural and remote areas.

Supplementary messages

• Canada’s engagement in rural areas of Africa spans various sectors, including gender equality, education, agriculture and food security, climate change, and peace and security.

Background

Employment in agrifood systems is particularly high in Africa, accounting for 62 per cent of total employment. In sub-Saharan Africa, 66% of women’s employment is in agri-food systems, compared with 60% of men’s. Yet, in many countries, discriminatory social and gender norms, and policies and laws prevent women from owning agricultural assets such as land and livestock, accessing financial and advisory services, digital technologies or engaging in markets. This negatively affects how women participate in and benefit from agriculture and food systems.

Project Examples
Although the department does not track projects according to whether they are implemented in a rural versus an urban location, many of the international assistance projects Canada supports benefit and take place in rural areas and communities. Here are some initiatives that support rural areas across Africa:

Her Time to Grow; $8 million, IDE Canada (2022- 2026):
Aims to improve the lives of rural women working in agriculture in Ethiopia, Ghana and Zambia, by helping them to fully participate in the economic life of their communities, earn an income, gain greater market access for their goods, and increase financial independence.

Nature-Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation; $35 million, Canadian Foodgrains Bank (2023-2026):
Aims to improve low-carbon, climate-resilient economies in rural areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe for the enhanced well-being of communities, especially women, girls, and other vulnerable groups. The project contributes to the scale-up of nature-positive food systems for enhanced climate change adaptation within a representative set of Afromontane and sub-Afromontane ecosystems across sub-Saharan Africa.

Rural Women Cultivating Change in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania; $15 million, SeedChange (2021-2026):
Targets remote rural regions of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania to empower women and encourage gender-transformative change, using agroecological approaches that encourage equitable production, resource management, and market access. Support is provided to advance climate adaptation, increase food security, enhance gender equality, reduce sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and improve livelihoods for rural women.

Babanayaa – Improving the Well-Being of Rural Women and Girls in Ghana; $1 million, Ghana Rural Integrated Development (2019-2024):
Aims to improve the well-being of women and girls in 30 rural communities in Ghana’s northern and Brong Ahafo regions, including their food security, health, safety, and social standing. The project’s activities focus on increasing income with agricultural and livestock production and improving market access and supporting young women to attend primary and secondary school, among other activities.

Women and Cocoa Communities Initiative (WCCI); $10 million, Socodevi-FPGL (2022-2027):
Aims to improve living conditions in rural cocoa communities in Côte d’Ivoire, especially those of women and young girls. Project activities will help to raise awareness, train and support women producers to start and strengthen small businesses and cooperatives and make it easier for them to access credit and agricultural insurance.

Funding for Democracy and Governance

• At the start of 2024, 18 African countries representing over 300 million people were expected to hold elections.
• In certain parts of Africa, non-democratic regimes, increasing prevalence of human rights violations, persistent corruption, shrinking civic space, and the significant risk of election-related violence and democratic backsliding are of concern.
• Canada’s support to electoral integrity is comprised of programming throughout the entire electoral cycle to support technical expertise, capacity building, and election observation.

Supplementary messages

• Canada strongly supports democratic progress, and the values of inclusive and accountable governance, peaceful pluralism, and respect for diversity and the universality of human rights.
• Through both advocacy and international assistance programming, Canada is committed to building strong partnerships with African countries and stakeholders, including the AU, to strengthen democratic institutions and participation, improve governance mechanisms, and promote and protect human rights.
• GAC’s 2022-2023 international assistance for inclusive governance in Africa amounted to $88 million. This includes an initiative through the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) for the development of an Integrated Framework for Protecting Elections that promotes the use of risk management, resilience-building, and crisis management methods in Africa. Recent efforts focussed on Mauritius, Kenya, and South Africa.
• Canada is committed to continuing to assist countries and democratic actors in the region, including national governments, the African Union (AU), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and civil society organizations, to promote democracy, strengthen democratic institutions, improve governance mechanisms, and enhance transparency and accountability. 
• Canada is also implementing five capacity-building projects led by Transparency International (TI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).These projects support efforts to curb money laundering, disinformation and boosting women’s political participation during elections.

Supporting facts and figures

• In 2023, Canada supported 4 EU-led Election Observer Missions (EOMs) in Africa (Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and Liberia (twice)). The project deployed Canadian observers to participate in the EU-led EOM to the 2024 presidential elections in Senegal. The project will support EU-led EOMs in Africa this year (2024/25), including in Mozambique and Guinea Conakry.
• According to the latest Freedom House rankings (2024), only 9 countries in Africa are rated as “free” (Botswana, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Sao-Tome y Principe, Seychelles, and South Africa). The number of countries rated “not free” has grown from a low of 14 (2006 and 2008) to 25 in 2024. Failed democratic transitions, arbitrary detention of opposition figures, silencing of journalists, social media, and internet blackouts, crackdown on human rights activists, and corruption and state capture by private interests are all cause for concern and drivers behind declining Freedom House ratings.
• The Transparency International project addresses the challenge of clean money in elections and is being implemented in Zambia and Madagascar. The National Democratic Institute project addresses disinformation in elections and is being implemented in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
• Canada supported two UNDP projects in Libya as well as in Tunisia and Sudan to address information integrity and women’s political participation. In South Sudan, Canada provides funding support for a UNDP project ($1.3 million- unannounced) focusing on creating an enabling environment for credible, peaceful and inclusive elections.
• Canada supports a UNDP project in Mozambique ($1.5 million) and the Electoral Education and Inclusive Governance Program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2023 –2029, $10.25 million). Canada is the only donor funding an electoral governance project in the DRC beyond the 2024 elections.
• GAC funds an initiative through International IDEA for the development of an Integrated Framework for Protecting Elections that promotes the use of risk management, resilience-building, and crisis management methods in Africa. This includes efforts in Mauritius, Kenya, and South Africa, as well as collaboration with the Office of Elections Commissioner of Mauritius, Internal Control at the Ministry of Finance of Mauritius, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa, amongst others.  

Background

The AU adopted the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which came into force in February 2012. Values of democratic governance are also reflected in the AU’s Agenda 2063. The AU’s response to Unconstitutional Changes in Governance includes suspension from all the organization’s activities, as well as sanctions in cooperation with Regional Economic Communities (RECs). Currently, the AU has suspended Mali (June 2021), Guinea (September 2021), Burkina Faso (February 2022), Sudan (April 2023), Niger (July 2023) and Gabon (August 2023). As observed in West Africa, however, sanctions and restrictions imposed on member states by ECOWAS failed to ensure military regimes abide to a return to constitutional order, further alienating these regimes and contributing to their announced withdrawal from the institution.

The efforts of African leaders to remove, avoid, or extend term limits are worrying. Other undemocratic practices used to maintain power include manipulation of polls, electoral fraud, partisan mobilization of state power and resources, banning opposition political parties and failing to call elections or to honour their results. The quality of and support for democracy in some states are undermined by additional factors including economic stagnation, entrenched inequalities (including gender inequality), poor governance practices, lack of accountability, rising insecurity (including the growing terrorist threat), and corruption.

Combatting Sexual Violence in Africa 

• Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting, is a violation of women’s and girls’ human rights, and a barrier to the full achievement of gender equality, peace, and development.
• Ending all forms of SGBV and harmful practices, especially for women and girls in all their diversity, is a priority for Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.
• As part of its feminist leadership, Canada advocates for working together with women’s rights and equality-seeking organizations and movements across the continent given the critical role they play in bringing about social change.

Supplementary messages

• Ending SGBV is an enabler for sustainable development overall; the elimination of gender-based violence is a prerequisite to achieving gender equality, health and wellbeing, quality education, and peaceful and democratic societies.
• Child, early and forced marriage is an abuse of girls’ and women’s human rights. It keeps girls from reaching their full potential, jeopardizes their health, often puts an end to their education and limits their ability to fully contribute to the development of their families, communities, and countries.
• During humanitarian crises, including refugee crises, women and girls face significantly higher rates of SGBV including greater vulnerability to child, early and forced marriage. It is imperative that SGBV prevention and response initiatives, including SGBV risk mitigation, are integrated in humanitarian programming from the outset of conflict and crises.
• Canada’s efforts to end SGBV include financial support to multilateral and global organizations that prevent and respond to SGBV, including harmful practices such as child early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). See Annex A for programming examples.

Supporting facts and figures

• Over 230 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting. The largest share of the global burden is found in African countries, with over 144 million cases[i].
• An estimated 640 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood, with 12 million girls married annually. That is approximately 33,000 girls married every day; 23 girls every minute.
• Since the launch of the Feminist International Assistance Policy in 2017, Canada's spending to enhance prevention of and response to SGBV has totaled more than $436M.
• Between 2018 and 2023, Canada tripled its annual investments in preventing and responding to SGBV – from just over $30M in 2017-18 to more than 96M in 2022-23.
• These investments have placed Canada as the top bilateral donor in funding efforts to end violence against women and girls for three years in a row, according to the 2020, 2021, and 2022 OECD-DAC annual reports.

Background

• SGBV disproportionately affects women and girls and remains a key barrier to the achievement of gender equality. This includes rape, trafficking in persons, slavery, domestic abuse, and harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting. While prevalent to varying degrees across the continent, SGBV is exacerbated in fragile and conflict settings where sexual violence is used as a weapon of war.
• Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence across the globe with 31% of women reporting that they have suffered violence from intimate partners at some point in their lifetime.
• Not only does SGBV cause serious short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems for women, it also impacts their children’s health and well-being, and has high social and economic costs for women, their families and societies at large.

Annex A: SGBV project examples

• Accelerating Action to End Female Genital Mutilation in Ethiopia, UNICEF, 2020-2024, $10M: aims to strengthen the rights of women and girls and improve their access to comprehensive health and protection services. It will help provide 1.7 million women and girls with improved health services to treat and prevent complications related to FGM/C.
• Challenging Harmful Attitudes and Norms for Gender Equality and Empowerment in Somalia, Save the Children Canada, 2021-2024, $10 million: aims to challenge discriminatory social norms that perpetuate harmful practices, such as sexual and gender-based violence, female genital mutilation/cutting, and child, early and forced marriage by empowering adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 19 to claim their rights over their bodies.
• Canada’s efforts to end SGBV and harmful practices through multilateral and global organizations also include:
  • UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation ($7.5M, 2022-2025) which has country-level interventions in 16 African countries and regional-level interventions.
  • Long-time Canadian support to the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage ($30M, 2015-2023; $35M, 2023-2028) which is implemented in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia and engages in regional initiatives including the African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage.
  • The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women ($10M, 2023-2028) that provides support to civil society organizations, including women-led organizations, to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and implement laws and policies to address and eliminate SGBV.
  • UNFPA’s “Making All Spaces Safe” ($5M, 2024-2027) which aims to improve prevention and response to technology-facilitated gender-based violence through a global response to the issue as well as targeted initiatives in Benin and Kenya.
  • Global Survivors Fund ($5M, 2024-2027): working to enhance reparations for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and strengthen the capacity of state actors and local civil society organizations to prevent and respond to CRSV.
• Canada’s Leadership at the UN on Child, Early and Forced Marriage
• Canada’s leadership on child, early and forced marriage is an integral part of our Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which aims to address the unacceptably high rates of sexual and gender-based violence experienced by women and girls, and advances Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy to uphold and advance human rights and gender equality.  
• Since 2014, Canada and Zambia have co-led the biennial UN General Assembly Resolution on Child, Early and Forced Marriage at Third Committee. This year marked the 10^th anniversary of the resolution at the UN. It was adopted by consensus on 18 November with 123 cross-regional co-sponsors, the second highest co-sponsorships in the history of the resolution.

Youth-focused Programming In Africa

• In Africa, more than 60% of the population is under 25 years of age, making African youth a significant political, social and economic force.
• Youth play an important leadership role in economic development on the continent, including in peace and security through community stabilization efforts and peace processes to help build long-term stability.
• Providing quality skills and technical and vocational training for Africa’s youth can spur economic growth, innovation, and social development, and contribute to peace and stability. 

Supplementary messages

• Given education is one of the most powerful tools for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability, Canada welcomes the African Union’s designation of 2024 as the Year of Education.
• Canada’s international assistance programming aims to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable have access to quality, inclusive education, with a focus on advancing equal educational opportunities for girls, adolescent girls, and women, especially in crisis contexts.
• Prevailing sociocultural norms that limit women and girls' access to education and training opportunities lowers earning potential and the quality of life of women and girls.
• Adolescent sexual and reproductive health indicators in Africa are among the lowest in the world due to structural and sociocultural factors like socioeconomic status and limited access to education.

Update 

The African Union has committed to uphold youth voices in the peace and security agenda on the continent. The AU appoints African Youth Ambassadors for Peace (AYAP) to work with the AU Youth Envoy in championing the promotion of peace and security on the continent.

Minister Joly met with the AU Youth Envoy, Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, in September 2024. Ms. Mpemba was also in Canada for the second Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue, held in Toronto in early November.

Canada’s third national action plan on Women, Peace and Security: Foundations for Peace (2023-2029) notes the United Nations Security Council resolutions on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and advocates  for the inclusion of youth voices in international and multilateral forums.

Supporting facts and figures

• By 2050, 1 in 4 people on the planet will live in Africa. The continent will see the fastest increase globally in working age population with a projected net increase of 740 million people.
• By 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42% of the global youth population, and youth unemployment in Africa is expected to be 12%. There is a pressing need to provide education and create jobs to meet the growing youth population's employment needs. According to the African Development Bank, 29% of employed youth are under-skilled and 57% are undereducated while 18% are over-skilled and 8% are overeducated.
• In 2022-23, Canada provided $328 million in international assistance to Africa for education. The top 3 country recipients were Mozambique ($23M), Tanzania ($22M), and Mali ($18M).
• Canada’s Charlevoix Education Initiative, in support of the Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education for Girls, is estimated to have benefitted four million girls, adolescent girls, and women worldwide. Nine of the top ten Charlevoix partner countries were in Africa. The Initiative generated $4.3 billion in pledges, including Canada’s pledge of $400 million over 3 years in support of 55 projects.
• As a catalytic member of the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact, Canada works to ensure that efforts undertaken include intergenerational perspectives that help address the unique challenges faced by youth, particularly young women peacebuilders.

Background

With more than 60% of the continent’s population under the age of 25, the African Union’s Youth Charter, along with Agenda 2063, affirm that youth are Africa’s biggest untapped resource. The continent’s youth bulge, while an opportunity in terms of a workforce, also poses challenges. Skilled youth have the potential to drive economic growth, innovation, and social development, and contribute to peace and stability. However, 72 million young people on the continent are unemployed, not in training or receiving formal education. The majority are young women presenting a significant gender disparity in labour market participation, educational outcomes and livelihoods for this group.

Canada’s WPS Ambassador

UNSC resolution 2250, adopted unanimously in December 2015, was the first international policy framework to recognize the positive role of youth (age 18-29) in preventing and resolving conflict, countering violent extremism, and building sustainable peace. Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, Jacqueline O’Neill, is dedicated to engaging with youth leaders and peacebuilders. In her most recent visit to Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique) in January 2024, she exchanged with youth working to implement Youth, Peace and Security efforts in their respective communities.

Annex: GAC Youth Programming in Africa

Youth-focused programming in Africa supports the development of life skills, and the provision of technical and vocational education and training, and support for revenue generation activities with an emphasis on women and marginalized youth.

• Green Rising, $7M, 2023 – 2025, UNICEF and GenU: The project will support and harness the collective ingenuity of 10 million young people across Africa, Asia and the Americas at grassroots levels to take concrete green actions to protect and adapt to impacts of climate change on their families and communities. The Green Rising Initiative will bring together youth-led organizations, civil society organizations, foundations, tech platforms (e.g. Goodwall, U-Report, Green YOMA, Learning Passport, Green Education Curricula), governments, and private sector to develop and deliver youth-centered training programs to enable young people to develop climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions.
• Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program, $25.3M, 2022-2027, Colleges and Institute Canada: This project seeks to increase the economic opportunities for women and men graduates from the Technical and Vocational Training Institutions in the blue economy in Kenya. The project works with 20 Vocational Training Centres and two National Polytechnics in Kenya’s coastal and Great Lake regions. The initiative aims to directly reach 5,472 students (2,189 adolescent girls and women; 3,283 boys and men).
• Défi éducation des filles au Mali, Mali, $13.3M, 2020-2025, Alinea International: The project aims to make education inclusive, equitable and of high quality for vulnerable girls in conflict-affected areas in Mali. The project works to change social norms and other barriers to girls’ education through interactive radio broadcasts. It also seeks to better education services by improving the performance of the public sector in the provision of equitable educational services. The project offers vocational training to girls who can no longer access primary education while offering remedial classes for those with learning difficulties.
• Adaptation of Coastal Communities and the Blue Economy, $7.3M, 2020-2024, Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel de la Gaspésie et des Iles: The project, which targets coastal communities in Guinea Bissau, the Republic of Guinea, Gambia and Senegal, aims to improve the economic, social and environmental development of these communities in a sustainable way. The key areas of focus include protecting and restoring mangroves and implementing a management plan for resources and renewable energy; enhancing and strengthening value chains, mariculture and tourism with waste management and the circular economy; promoting gender equality, the rights of the most vulnerable groups and help youth participate in economic governance activities and employment in the economic governance of their activities in a climate change context.
• Green skills for the climate-smart agribusiness network ($10M, 2024-2028, Colleges and Institutes Canada): This project supports the implementation of Egypt’s TVET strategy to improve the employability of young women and men in the agribusiness sector. It aims to increase their capacity to gain industry-relevant and climate-smart skills and support their transition to the job market.
• Talents Pluriels – Safe and Inclusive Economic Growth for Vulnerable Youth in the DRC, $5M, 2022-2025, Cuso International: The project aims to improve safe, inclusive, and equitable economic growth for vulnerable youth in the cities of Bukavu, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Project activities include: training vulnerable youth entrepreneurs in a safe, inclusive and gender-responsive environment. The training aims to strengthen and grow micro, small and medium-sized enterprises; tailoring training on the developing and adopting safe, inclusive and gender-responsive human resource policies and practices. 
• Women & Cocoa Communities Initiative, $10M, 2022-2026, Socodevi: This project aims to empower women and young adults (18-35 years old) in rural cocoa-producing communities in the Ashanti and Western regions of Ghana. The training and support the project provides encourages collective savings, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion and contributes to the sustainable resilience of the cocoa sector and the equal distribution of economic benefits and opportunities.

Food Security In Africa

• Global food insecurity and malnutrition have been on the rise since 2015 due to a confluence of economic, conflict and climate shocks.
• The situation is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa where hunger increased by 25% since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 282 million people in the region facing hunger in 2022.
• Canada provides long-term agriculture and food systems development assistance to address the root causes of hunger and strengthen resilience in global agriculture and food systems, disbursing $678 million in fiscal year 2023-2024.  
• Emergency food and nutrition assistance is a key component of Canada’s humanitarian assistance portfolio globally, with support to key partners such as the World Food Programme, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, UNICEF and Action Contre la Faim Canada.

Supplementary messages

• Canada recognizes the urgent need for countries to address rising food insecurity, which is disproportionately impacting the poorest and most vulnerable people, particularly women and girls, and is reversing progress made towards the SDGs.
• Canada recognizes that support for regional and country plans like the African Union’s Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) has been vital to promoting resilient food systems and agri-food trading strategies for several years in Africa.  
• Canada is pleased that food security and nutrition remain high on multilateral agendas, including 2024 G7 and G20 presidencies.

Update

In October 2022, the first Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue (HLD) was held in Ottawa. One of the issues discussed was food security and the nexus with public health and climate change. In 2022, while participating at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, Prime Minister Trudeau announced $250 million to help address the global food security crisis. This funding is addressing the increasing global food and nutrition needs – especially for the most vulnerable people and with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. In 2023, Canada operationalized the Canada-funded African Development Bank Agri-Food SME Catalytic Fund, a $100M initiative focused on driving finance towards small and medium agri-enterprises.

Supporting facts and figures

• The most recent estimates show that nearly 282 million people in Africa (about 20 percent of the population) were undernourished in 2022, an increase of 57 million people since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
• About 868 million people in Africa were moderately or severely food-insecure and more than one-third, 342 million people, were severely food-insecure. Estimates show that in 2021 the majority of Africa’s population – about 78 percent – were unable to afford a healthy diet, compared with 42 percent at the global level.
• In 2022, while participating at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, Prime Minister Trudeau announced $250 million to help address the global food security crisis. This funding will address the increasing global food and nutrition needs – especially for the most vulnerable and with a focus in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, there is a pressing need for external food assistance in 45 countries worldwide, 33 of which are in Africa. The primary drivers of acute food insecurity in these regions are conflicts in West and East Africa, and widespread dry weather conditions in southern Africa.

AU Member States are increasingly coordinated on global issues and are exercising their influence within international institutions. In 2021, the AUC and AUDA-NEPAD, the AU Development Agency, worked with AU Member States to create an African Common Position on Food Systems ahead of the United Nations Food Systems Summit in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the SDGs. The African Union is also an active G20 member in the design of the Global Alliance to End Hunger and Poverty which will be launched under the Brazilian G20 Presidency in 2024.

The African Common Position on Food Systems is a unified view on how to transform Africa's food systems over the next decade, focused on resilience in the face of growing vulnerability and shocks. It is anchored in the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth. There are biennial reviews conducted on the implementation of the Malabo Declaration and the third review report (2022) indicated ongoing challenges to food security and climate related shocks (floods, droughts in Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa).

抖淫视频 launched the Resilient Agri-Food Systems Framework in 2023 as a response to the global food crisis and preparation for future shocks and disruptions. It provides strategic and technical guidance to improve Canada’s international development agri-food systems programming, policy and advocacy to address the causes of global food crises.

Annex

Food Security and Malnutrition - Examples of Results of Canada’s Support

• In collaboration with the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, Canada has contributed $20M to the Building Equitable Climate-Resilient African Bean and Insect Sectors (BRAINS) This project aims to foster low-carbon, climate-resilient systems and economies in the bean and insect corridors across 15 sub-Saharan African countries. This will be accomplished through enhancing climate resilience more equitably among women and youth farmers and value chain actors, bringing to scale the adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies boosting climate resilience across targeted production systems, and building a pipeline of enterprises investing in carbon-neutral, climate-resilient, and gender-responsive business development aligning with emerging climate finance sector goals. The project directly benefits 10 million people (women and girls represent 60%) and 50 million people indirectly.
• In Ghana, Canada is contributing to the empowerment of women and young adults (18-35 years old) in rural cocoa-producing communities in the Ashanti and Western regions. The project encourages collective savings, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion and contributes to the sustainable resilience of the cocoa sector and the equal distribution of economic benefits and opportunities.
• Canada has contributed to fighting against malnutrition in favour of women and children in Burkina Faso. In partnership with the World Food Programme, and based on the triple nexus approach, the Building Resilience of Vulnerable People in Burkina Faso initiative enables vulnerable populations to better cope with recurrent shocks, adapt to them and recover from them more rapidly, while offering economic and food prospects to targeted populations, particularly women.

Canada’s Bilateral Development Assistance in Ethiopia 

• In 2022/23, Ethiopia was Canada’s largest bilateral development program, providing $250M across all funding streams.
• Canada aims to foster peace and security; improve the economic resilience, physical well-being, and agency of Ethiopians, particularly women and girls; and support basic human needs.
• Last year, Canada partnered with the Government of Ethiopia on its social safety nets program, helping over 9.7 million people to become more financially self-sufficient, and resilient to climate shocks.

Supplementary messages

• Ethiopia is critical to the prosperity and stability of the Horn of Africa.
• Ethiopia boasts one of Africa's fastest-growing economies, with potential for expanding trade relations in areas of interest to Canada, such as, critical minerals and renewable energy.
• Canada collaborates with the Government of Ethiopia and other donors on major public works projects with 46,000 projects completed annually, benefiting eight million rural individuals through landscape rehabilitation and 1.7 million urban individuals benefiting from public works and youth employment programs.
• Canada is working closely with the Government of Ethiopia on the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Program, launched on 23 November 2024. Canada plays a leading role in convening partners and supports the program through a $14M contribution aimed at demobilizing more than 370,000 ex-combatants. The DDR process marks an important step in translating Ethiopia’s Cessation of Hostilities Agreement commitments to tangible actions.

Supporting facts and figures

• Ethiopia ranks 176/191 in the 2023 Human Development Index. 25.4% of its population lives on $2.15 USD or less per day (32.4 million people), down from 37% in 2005.
• Ethiopia has some of the world’s lowest gender equality indicators, with 23% of women and girls experiencing high rates of sexual and gender-based violence.

Background

Canada-Ethiopia diplomatic relations will celebrate 60 years in 2025.

This year Canada is playing a leading role in donor coordination co-chairing the overall Development Partners’ Group as well as the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Humanitarian Assistance, and Gender Equality groups.

Mali  

• In response to the coups d’État (2020 and 2021) and the presence of Russian-affiliated security forces, Canada has suspended direct financial assistance to the Malian government and the planning of new bilateral programming.
• Canada remains committed to supporting Mali's vulnerable populations by providing aid, including humanitarian assistance, through trusted international and Canadian partners.

Supplementary messages

• Canada is committed to supporting vulnerable populations through the new Sahel Regional Development Program, which promotes stability in the Sahel and Coastal West Africa. 
• The escalating conflict and deteriorating security situation are hindering our ability to deliver aid to hard-to-reach areas and causing significant populations displacements.
• In October 2024, Canada provided 400,000$ in humanitarian assistance to help vulnerable populations cope with devasting floods in Mali. 

Update

Mali’s recent decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), alongside Niger and Burkina Faso, indicates a growing rift with traditional partners. This move could lead to significant economic and social repercussions, such as higher food prices, loss of trade-related livelihoods, and increased challenges for Malian refugees seeking safety in neighbouring countries. 

Supporting facts and figures

• In 2022-23, Canadian aid, all channels combined, reached $128 million, ranking Canada 4^th among bilateral donors (after USA, Germany and France). 
• For 2024-25, 26 bilateral aid projects will be operational in Mali, totaling some $95 million. With the suspension of new bilateral programming, our bilateral aid will come to an end in 2027-28 or shortly thereafter. 
• There has been notable progress in the health and education sectors, where Canada has had a longstanding presence. Some examples:
• Life expectancy has improved from 53.1 to 61.7 years from 2000 to 2021. 
• The rate of births attended by skilled personnel rose from 26% in 2012 to 45.1% in 2021. 
• HIV prevalence among those aged 15-49 years dropped 0.9% in 2022 from 1.3% in 2012. 
• Malaria cases have decreased 3.9% since 2020. 
• Girls’ school enrolment has risen from 46% in 2000 to 69% in 2020.
• However, adult literacy (aged 15 and over) has dropped to 31% in 2023 from 35% in 2018. Mali’s literacy rate remains very low, with a considerable gender gap: 22.08% of women vs 40.43% of men. 
• It is estimated that in 2024, 7.1 million Malians will need humanitarian aid, 23% of them women and 54% children. 

Background

Canadian assistance has contributed to reducing gender inequalities in accessing basic health services, education and justice, reducing food insecurity, malnutrition and gender-based violence. However, these gains will undoubtedly be reversed due of the worsening political and security situation in Mali. 

Canada’s Development Assistance in Mozambique

• Canada has supported Mozambique since its independence. It is the 8th largest recipient of our assistance, receiving over $1.45B since 2010; and $173M in 2022-23.
• Canada’s assistance has reduced maternal mortality, increased school enrollment, especially for girls, fed 48,000 students at 104 schools in food insecure districts, and enabled demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration to end a long running civil conflict.
• Investments in women-led agricultural cooperatives have led to increased productivity and nearly tripling of the sale price of farmers products.
• Mozambique now faces post-election social unrest, an armed insurgency in its north, as well as extreme climate vulnerability, including to drought and cyclones.

Supplementary messages

• Following disputed general elections, on October 9, 2024, demonstrations have been met with state violence, arbitrary detentions, and loss of life. Canada, with Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and US, issued joint statements calling for peace, stability, respect for citizen rights, condemning police brutality and calling for justice.
• Canada supported implementation of the Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation, via the peace process basket fund ($5M 2019-2024). The project successfully disarmed, demobilized, and reintegrated more than 5000 combatants, and closed all 16 opposition bases.
• Canada partnered with Norway in Mozambique to create and co-chair a “Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict”, with other likeminded countries and UN partners. Further, on child protection, Canada and Mozambique have co-sponsored numerous UN resolutions on Child, Early, and Forced Marriage, a common value and interest.

Supporting facts and figures

• Mozambique ranks 185th of 191 countries on the Human Development Index; and 145th of 180 by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
• Almost 75% of Mozambicans live on just more than $2 USD.
• The ongoing insurgency in northern Mozambique displaced more than 1.2M.
• Between 2019 and 2023, Canada provided $37.2M in humanitarian assistance (e.g. ICRC; WFP).
• Mozambique partners with Canadian organizations, including Oxfam Canada, Right to Play Canada, Save the Children Canada, the University of Saskatchewan, Aga Khan Foundation Canada, Mission Inclusion, and Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
• Canada’s multilateral contributions include support for health (Global Fund), and education (Global Program for Education).

Canada’s International Development Assistance in Tanzania

• As a stable country with strong growth potential, Tanzania is at a critical juncture where strategic international assistance, mutual economic cooperation and domestic reforms are helping transform the economy and concurrently alleviate poverty.
• In 2022-2023, Canada provided $228M in international assistance to Tanzania, of which $149.8M was allocated to multilateral institutions.
• Canada has contributed to improvements in health outcomes by strengthening the national health system and advancing gender equality by supporting sexual and reproductive health and rights, girls’ access to education, women’s economic empowerment, and building capacity of women’s rights organizations.

Supplementary messages

• Canada is the largest bilateral contributor to the Health Basket Fund ($75 million, 2021-26), a project supporting the Government of Tanzania to improve the health status of Tanzanians and strengthen health systems nationwide.
• Over the last five years, Canada has disbursed $72.3 million to Canadian civil society organizations working in partnership with local organizations in Tanzania.

Supporting facts and figures

• In the last ten years, Canada has contributed over $512M to the health sector through support to the Government of Tanzania working in partnership with Canadian organizations to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• In the health sector, Canada has supported efforts that have resulted in a substantial decline in infant and under-five mortality rates and a decrease in adolescent girls’ pregnancy. However newborn mortality remains high and maternal mortality rates have been stagnant for the last decade.
• Canada has been a key partner to advance education outcomes investing over $148 million over the past 10 years through bilateral funding.
• Gender parity has been achieved in primary schools where girls now represent 50.02% of the school population.
• Canada has been a leader in improving the quality of teacher training, and developing quality, relevant, and gender-sensitive school curricula at the national level.
• Canada has provided significant support for SMEs and inclusive economic growth over the last decade ($120Milateral).
• Canada has also supported more inclusive governance in Tanzania (since 2018, $12M bilateral).
  • Canadian investments in a national birth registration program have contributed to over 7 million children now having a registered birth certificate, securing their right to access public services such as healthcare and education.
  • With Canadian support, a new generation of young presenters and producers delivered 886 national radio programs on topics relating to the rights and empowerment of women and girls to an audience of 3.6 million listeners.

Canada’s International Assistance In South Sudan  

• Canada is currently the fourth largest bilateral international assistance contributor to South Sudan, providing development, humanitarian and peace and security assistance.
• In April 2024, Canada announced $132.2M in funding to address urgent needs in Sudan and its neighbouring countries, including humanitarian and development assistance for South Sudan, for example to strengthen sexual and reproductive health services.
• Canada’s assistance has contributed to tripling the number of people accessing health care and a six-fold increase in the number of women delivering babies attended by skilled birth attendants since 2012.

Supplementary messages

• In September 2024, South Sudan once again postponed its first national elections to December 2026, citing unmet electoral conditions.
• Canada stresses the importance of timely, credible elections for stability and democracy and therefore is providing international assistance to support election preparations.
• As of 26 November, nearly 880,000 individuals were displaced from neighbouring Sudan to South Sudan, straining an already stretched humanitarian response.

Update 

In 2024, it is estimated that 9 million people in South Sudan, including refugees from Sudan and other neighbouring countries, need humanitarian assistance due to conflict, insecurity, the impacts of climate events, and dire economic conditions. From its outset in April 2023, the Sudan conflict has had devastating impacts on South Sudan’s economy. Fighting has resulted in sustained damage to the oil pipelines as warring parties (i.e., Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces) seek to control oil infrastructure. Since February 2024, South Sudan’s oil exports dropped to approximately one-third of their previous level.  Oil exports previously provided 90% of government revenue. In February 2024, South Sudan’s government tried to impose new taxes on humanitarian activities, which Canada and other donors deemed illicit and illegitimate. Canada's advocacy was crucial in getting these measures lifted. Pipelines reportedly re-opened in early November.

Supporting facts and figures

• Through the G7 Charlevoix Declaration on Girls’ Education, Canada has improved basic education for girls in South Sudan, helping to achieve near gender parity in school enrolment.
• Canada has supported 16 women-led organizations and 3 women’s networks to advocate for women’s rights, gender responsive legislation, and women’s meaningful participation in the peace process through CARE Canada.
• Over 262,000 individuals benefited from climate-resilient agricultural training and community conflict prevention activities through Canada’s support to World Vision Canada.
• Canada has helped to address food needs, protect livelihoods, and strengthen the resilience of more than 2,000,000 people by supporting food security and agricultural development initiatives.

Background

South Sudan is ranked last on the UNDP Human Development Index. Since its independence in 2011 Canada has contributed over $1.2 billion in international assistance to South Sudan.   In May 2023, Minister Joly spoke with her South Sudanese counterpart, former acting Foreign Minister Deng Dau Deng, to discuss the Sudan crisis (and more specifically, the Transitional Government of South Sudan’s efforts to mediate).

Support For Sudan  

• Canada is deeply concerned by the humanitarian impacts of the conflict in Sudan, which has led to the world’s largest displacement crisis, with nearly 12M people forcibly displaced since the conflict began.
• In April, Canada announced $132.2M in funding for urgent needs in Sudan and its neighbouring countries, including $100.7M in humanitarian and $31.5M in development assistance.
• Canada is responding to the alarming levels of sexual violence amongst women and girls, and has reached 185,170 people (mainly women) with life-saving sexual and reproductive health and other medical services this year.

Supplementary messages

• Credible reports have been cited about the widespread use of ethnic and sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war - particularly against women and girls.
• Canada is responding by supporting life-saving reproductive health services, including basic and comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and post-rape treatment in conflict-affected regions.
• Canada also supports civilian and civil society voices, especially women, to engage meaningfully in mediation efforts to ensure lasting peace.

Update 

In September 2024, the UN-mandated Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, reported serious violations and abuses of international humanitarian law by warring parties, potentially constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity.  In October 2024, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission documented at least 400 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence from April 2023 to July 2024, although the real figure is expected to be much higher.  Canada alongside10 other donor countries released a on October 18 calling for unhindered humanitarian access and the respect of international humanitarian law.  Insecurity, systematic aid obstruction and looting of humanitarian assets are severely hindering aid delivery to vulnerable populations. 

Supporting facts and figures

• In November, Sudanese authorities extended their approval for the re-opening of the Adre border crossing, from Chad to Darfur, by three months, a critical crossing for delivery of essential supplies into Sudan.
• Since the conflict began, over 8.6 million people have been internally displaced, and 3.23 million people have fled Sudan.
• Nearly 26 million people, or half the population of Sudan are estimated to be facing acute hunger with 755,000 people facing famine-like conditions.
• In October, the killing of at least 687 civilians, including 43 children and 33 women were documented - compared to 251 civilians in September (an increase of 173%).
• With support from Canada, UNFPA have deployed 78 mobile health teams to reach those who cannot access health care facilities.
• Canada supports 49 Women and Girls Safe Spaces that provide psychosocial services and gender-based violence referrals through UNFPA.
• Canada has contributed to providing emergency water, sanitation, hygiene, protection and health assistance for over 180,000 conflict-affected people in Sudan’s East and South Darfur states through CARE Canada.
• Canada has contributed to getting 2 million children back in school – 17 million reman out of school

Background

On April 15, 2023, conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group, causing widespread displacement, and over 24,850 civilian fatalities, with real fatality numbers likely significantly higher.

Canada’s International Assistance to Kenya

• Canada’s international assistance to Kenya is significant with $154.9 million disbursed in 2022-23. Canada is the 6^th largest bilateral donor to Kenya.
• Canada’s assistance targets a broad range of sectoral areas, including education, health and nutrition, economic growth, agriculture, climate resilience, governance, the care economy, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity.
• Kenya has achieved important development results, including in health and education. Mortality rates for children under age 5 have decreased over 60% since 1993, and tertiary school enrollment has increased from 9% in 2015 to 20% in 2022.

Supplementary messages

• In 2023, Canada allocated over $10 million in humanitarian assistance to help meet the immediate needs of refugees, host communities and people affected by other crises, such as drought or flooding, in Kenya. This funding to experienced UN, Red Cross, and NGO partners helps deliver emergency food, nutrition, and protection assistance to the most vulnerable populations.
• Kenya hosts over 800,000 refugees hailing from nearby countries such as Somalia, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Canada is a long-standing supporter of refugees in Kenya, including providing support for refugee education and girls empowerment. Through a $13M project Canada has funded with World University Service of Canada, 636 young women have been trained on business skills and 1201 households have received cash transfers to keep their girls in school.
• Canada and Kenya are leaders in advancing gender equality. Canada supports 95 women’s rights organizations in Kenya to deliver services and support vulnerable women and girls, including survivors of violence, adolescents, sex workers, and LGBTQI+ community members.
• Canada is a leading development partner in the education sector, with an enhanced focus on technical and vocational education and training for the blue economy, a priority area for Kenya given the youth bulge. Since the start of our partnership, Canada has supported almost $74M of blue economy investments in Kenya, including $25M for technical and vocational education and training.
• Canada and Kenya are jointly addressing climate change. Canada is providing $16M to PLAN Canada to enhance nature-based solutions in Kenya focused on mangrove and forest restoration. Kenya is a leader in addressing climate change, having hosted the Africa Climate Summit in September 2023.

Update 

• In June 2024, Kenya erupted in widespread, youth-led protests against the Finance Bill, reflecting deep frustration with the high cost of living, corruption, and poor governance. Over 50 died and hundreds were injured as demonstrators stormed Parliament on June 25. Despite President Ruto withdrawing the bill and reshuffling his Cabinet, public discontent persists amid a $80 billion debt crisis and IMF pressures.

Supporting facts and figures  

• Kenya is a middle-income country and Africa’s seventh largest economy.
• Kenya has achieved important development results. Nationally, fertility rates have significantly reduced (from 5.4 children per woman in 1993 to 3.4 children per woman in 2022), along with child mortality and childhood stunting (from 26% stunting in 2014 to 18% in 2022).
• Kenya has also made progress on gender equality, having developed 13 county-specific gender-based violence policies and laws in 2022.
• About 36% of Kenya’s 54 million people still live below the poverty line. Moreover, poverty is exacerbated in Kenya’s rural and arid northeast and coastal regions.

Background

• Kenya is currently the lead nation for the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti. The MSSM is a UN Security Council sanctioned mission (not an official UN peacekeeping operation), supported by like-minded states such as Canada. The mandate is to support the Haitian National Police to re-establish security in Haiti so that holding free and fair elections in Haiti is possible. Canada has provided $86.2M CAD to the UN Trust Fund for the MSSM, the financing mechanism for the mission. To date, in 2024, the total number of MSSM personnel in Haiti stands at 426, including Kenyan, Jamaican, and Belizean military and law enforcement personnel. Around 600 additional Kenyan personnel are expected to be deployed before the end of 2024. President Ruto participated at the meeting of the ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti on the margins of UNGA on September 23, 2024, co-hosted by Prime Minister Trudeau and then Haitian Prime Minister Conille. A number of countries used the opportunity to announce pledges, particularly for the MSSM, yet funding remains insufficient.
• Canada and Kenya held their third Binational Commission (bilateral consultations) in Ottawa on May 30-31. The Binational Commission focused on Kenya’s domestic challenges including a large youth population and a high rate of youth unemployment, a difficult economic context, and regional peace and security challenges. Bilateral consultations also helped enhance the already strong bilateral relationship, laying the foundation for a more robust strategic partnership ahead.
• MINE and Dr. Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, Kenya’s Principal Secretary responsible for Foreign Affairs, had a warm and productive bilateral meeting on the margins of the Binational Commission, where they discussed the Canada-Kenya partnership and topics including development cooperation, labour migration, and Kenya’s leadership on a global stage on climate change.
• MINE Hussen travelled to Kenya in September 2023.

Canada’s bilateral development assistance in the Democratic Republic Of Congo (DRC)

• Canada’s international assistance to the DRC is significant, with $207 million disbursed in 2022-23, making it the 6th largest recipient of Canadian international assistance.
• Canada’s assistance targets a broad range of sectoral areas, including gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, combatting sexual violence, and child protection. It helps the poorest and most vulnerable populations, with the longer-term goal of building a safer and more sustainable future.
• The DRC has made some progress in promoting gender equality over the last few years, including a decline in child marriage and an increase in women's representation in the political arena. However, the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in the country threatens this progress.

Supplementary messages

• Canada is a leading development partner in the health sector. Thanks to Canada's support, last year (2023-2024), more than 40,000 people were made aware of harmful practices for sexual and reproductive health and nearly 15,000 female survivors of sexual violence received quality medical care.
• Canada is concerned by ongoing violence, violations of human rights, and international humanitarian law in eastern DRC, and disturbed by dramatic increases in reported sexual and gender-based violence.
• Canada strongly condemns the atrocities committed by any armed groups, as well as the violations of international law by any parties. Canada calls all regional actors to refrain from any direct or indirect support to armed groups and stresses the urgent need for immediate, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected populations.
• We urge to achieve swift progress in the implementation of the commitments made through the Luanda Process for lasting peace.
• Canada currently ranks 6th among humanitarian donors in DRC and thus far in 2024 has allocated more than 28 million dollars to gender-sensitive humanitarian funding to meet the urgent needs of populations affected by conflicts.

Update 

Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement between DRC and Rwanda in place since August 2024, tensions between Congolese forces, the M23, and independent armed groups have persisted in DRC’s eastern provinces, with notable ceasefire violations. Conflict-related sexual violence has been sharply rising - doubling in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The deteriorating security situation in North Kivu has led Congolese authorities to moderate their stance on the withdrawal schedule of MONUSCO (UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). However, Canada remains concerned about the potential consequences of a too-rapid withdrawal on security and the humanitarian situation. 

Supporting facts and figures

• MINE travelled to DRC in April 2024 to visit development projects and met with international partners and representatives of the Congolese government. DRC PM Suminwa travelled to Ottawa in November 2024 as part on the “Accelerating Africa” conference, and met with PM Trudeau, MINE and MINA.
• Canada contributed $986 million to the DRC between 2016/17 and 2022/23.
• Canada is a lead partner in the health sector. Through our support to Canadian NGO Santé Monde, over 100,000 adolescents and youth (including 57% women) were provided with sexual and reproductive health services and 64 health facilities were supported to improve the availability and accessibility of contraceptives.

Background

The DRC is the second largest country in Africa and the fourth most populous (92.4 million inhabitants in 2022). Despite its abundant natural resources, the DRC is still one of the world's poorest countries. It ranks 180th (out of 193 countries) according to the United Nations Human Development Index (2022). In 2024, an estimated 73.5% of the population lived on less than $2.15 a day (World Bank, 2024). 

Congolese women and girls live in a context of inequality and marginalization. Access to sexual and reproductive health services is very limited. Sexual violence is widespread, and reported cases have been sharply rising in the country's East. In addition, early marriages are common, and a significant proportion of births are to teenage mothers. The under-five and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world.

The humanitarian crisis in DRC’s eastern provinces is one of the world’s longest- running. Humanitarian needs are significant across the country, but most critical in the East. Ongoing conflict between the national armed forces and the M23 militia in North Kivu province and conflict with or between scores of other armed groups across the eastern region, has fuelled record levels of displacement, acute food insecurity, and gender-based violence. 6.9 million people remain internally displaced, and more than 25 million people (one in four) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity. DRC also faces an ongoing mpox epidemic and experienced episodes of severe flooding over the last year. Despite a UN-wide scale-up call in 2023, the country’s 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan remains underfunded (47%). 

International Assistance To Burkina Faso

• Since 2011, Canada has significantly contributed to Burkina Faso's development in improving maternal and child health, enhancing food security, promoting education for girls, and developing the microfinance sector.
• We have suspended direct financial assistance and new program planning for Burkina Faso due to the 2022 coups d'état and the presence of Russian-affiliated forces. However, we continue to provide assistance, including humanitarian aid, to vulnerable populations through trusted partners.
• We are partly redirecting our assistance to Burkina Faso through the new Sahel Regional Development Program to foster stability in the Sahel and Coastal West Africa.

Supplementary messages

• From 2011 to 2022, Canada contributed more than $678.19 million in assistance, and has made a difference:
  • In the western Boucle du Mouhoun region, Canada electrified 16 localities and 30 Health and Social Promotion Centers, contributing to the economic development of the region and improving access to basic social services.
  • Between 2000 and 2020, Canada invested over $100M to support basic education in Burkina Faso, contributing to significant results for girls’ education, such as achieving a gender parity index of 0.98 in 2023.
  • We have contributed to the deployment of a sustainable school canteen program. Between 2021 and 2024, through that program, Canada’s funds provided access to nutritious meals to over 114,600 girls and 115,800 boys students, including displaced children in the North.
  • We enhanced the capacity of the government’s financial audit structure to exercise its oversight over the extractive industry’s revenues.
• In 2024, humanitarian partners reached over 1.3 million people with $9 million in funding [not announced], including the provision of food assistance, malnutrition treatment, critical healthcare, safe water and sanitation and protection services.

Update

On August 24, attacks perpetrated in Barsalogho by the JNIM (affiliated with al-Qaida) caused more than 200 deaths and 300 injuries among civilians and military personnel. In July, the junta leader approved a revised family code criminalizing homosexuality (yet to be adopted). In May, the transition was extended by five years. The junta is suppressing dissent and restricting freedoms of expression, including for local and international media outlets, and by arresting, kidnapping and conscripting critics to serve in the military. Burkina Faso’s decision to withdraw its membership from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), along with Niger and Mali, signals growing distancing from traditional partners.     

Supporting facts and figures

• Burkina Faso ranks 184th out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index (2021-2022). 42.2% of its population is under 15 years old, and more than 40% is living below the poverty line (2023).
• Despite sustained economic growth (3.7% in 2024), poverty reduction in Burkina Faso is hampered by strong demographic growth (2,5%), growing insecurity and disparities between urban and rural areas in terms of access to health and education services and economic opportunities.
• In 2022-2023, Canada's assistance to Burkina Faso reached $105 million, with more than $72.9 million from 抖淫视频 (GAC). GAC's programming included humanitarian, development, counterterrorism, and peace and security.

Background

Burkina Faso is facing an unprecedented security and humanitarian crisis. Insecurity and climate shocks have led to the displacement of more than 2 million people (March 2024). An estimate of 6.3 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Assistance’s delivery is hampered by insecurity, logistical barriers, and bureaucratic impediments, such as the suspension of humanitarian cash transfer activities. With 1.2 million people cut off from the rest of the country, humanitarian assistance relies heavily on cargo flights to reach the most affected populations. The State is controlling only 40% to 60% of the territory and taking worrying measures to fight terrorism such as arming volunteers, seizing gold from mining companies and reinforcing ties with non-likeminded for arms procurement.

To respond to the multiple crises facing the country, Canada adopted a nexus approach to improve access to basic health services and education (including for displaced populations), increase community resilience and reduce food insecurity, malnutrition, and gender-based violence throughout the country. Canada has also been a major donor in supporting local irrigation and agricultural production, with initiatives to help build resilience to climatic shocks.

Chad

• Encourage the holding of legislative, provincial, and communal elections on December 29, 2024, while promoting social cohesion.
• Welcome the presidential elections in May after over two years of transition but concerned about the inclusivity and transparency of Chadian institutions organizing elections and resolving disputes.
• Concerned by the recent floods and the humanitarian repercussions of the situation in Sudan on Chad and neighboring countries.
• Canada's development assistance to Chad focuses climate change, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive governance.

Supplementary messages

• Canada encourages Chadian authorities to create an inclusive environment with political oppositions and civil society to ensure democratic governance during President Deby Itno's five-year term.
• Canada coordinates its efforts with international partners in the Sahel region, including Chad, through the Coalition for the Sahel and the Sahel Alliance.
• Canada development engagement in Chad reflects the decision to increase Canada presence in the Sahel region.

Supporting facts and figures

• In 2022-2023, Canada’s international assistance to Chad (all channels combined) reached $36 million, including $14 million in humanitarian assistance and $5.6 million in bilateral assistance.
• Examples of projects funded include Strengthening social cohesion, resilience and empowerment of women and girls in Chad ($3 million / 2022-2025 / World Food program) and Strengthening Resilience of Women to Climate Change in Chad ($10.2 million / 2023-2027 / SOCODEVI)
• In May 2023, Minister Sajjan (former minister of international development) visited Chad where he met with Sudanese and Cameroonian refugees, announced funding for gender-responsive humanitarian assistance and Canada’s new Sahel Regional Development Program.

Background

Chad is one of the world’s least developed countries, with 46.7% of its population living below the poverty line. The country ranks 189/193 on the human development index (UNDP 2022) and 165/169 on the gender inequality index (UNDP, 2021). Chad ranks as the world’s most climate-vulnerable country (ND-GAIN) and more than 80% of Chadians depend on rain-fed agriculture and livestock rearing.

Chad’s military leader, Mahamat Deby Itno, won the May 2024 presidential election in the first round with 61% of the vote, marking the end of three years of political transition after his father was killed fighting rebels in 2021. Several experts and international partners question that the elections were free, democratic, and transparent. Some opposition parties in Chad are planning to boycott the upcoming legislative, provincial, and municipal elections based on allegations of corruption and a lack of guarantees that the elections will be free and fair.

Sahel Regional Program

• Through the Sahel Regional Program, Canada supports populations in the Sahel and neighboring Golf of Guinea countries with effective and sustainable aid, enhancing their resilience and social cohesion, and containing crisis spillovers.
• Programming in the Sahel addresses the root causes of instability, such as poverty, lack of economic opportunities, insufficient access to basic services, governance and disinformation.

Supplementary messages

• Following the coups in Mali (2020 and 2021), Burkina Faso (2022), and Niger (2023), Canada suspended direct financial assistance and limited technical assistance to the military juntas. Planning for new bilateral development initiatives was also halted, with funds redirected to the Sahel Regional Program.
• The Sahel Regional Program aims to empower women, promote social cohesion and increase the resilience of vulnerable populations in the Sahel (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad) and neighboring Gulf of Guinea countries (Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire), through trusted partners, including Canadian civil society organisations.

Update 

In 2024, the military juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced the creation of Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This reconfiguration has heightened regional instability, marked by growing insecurity, human rights violations, increased gender-based violence, and climate change impacts. The Sahel has become the global epicentre of jihadism, with a record 7,620 deaths reported in the first half of 2024. Terrorist threats are expanding toward coastal countries, diverting resources from essential social services and facilitating recruitment by armed groups. Additionally, insecurity and climate shocks are exacerbating population displacements and humanitarian needs, further increasing community vulnerabilities.

Supporting facts and figures

• On November 7, 2024, as part of its upcoming Africa Strategy, Canada announced the appointment of a Special Envoy to the Sahel.
• During a 2023 visit to Chad, former Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan announced the creation of the Sahel Regional Development Program, which now includes six active projects, with a total budget of $10.6 million for 2023-2024.
• Enhancing development and preventing further radicalization in the Sahel are crucial for stabilizing Africa and limiting the crisis’s spillover effects. This also helps secure Canadian mining assets in the region, valued at $11.7 billion in 2022.
• Since 2017, Canada has provided $1.82 billion in international assistance (through all channels) to Sahelian countries, distributed as follows: Mali ($774.6M), Burkina Faso ($486.8M), Niger ($338.6M), Chad ($167.9M), and Mauritania ($53M).
• Burkina Faso (187), Mali (188), Niger (189), and Chad (189) rank among the lowest on the 2023 Human Development Index (out of 193 countries).
• Canada contributes to the efforts of three key regional organizations to improve aid coordination and ensure a needs-based approach for local populations. Canada has been a member of the Sahel Alliance since 2022, the Sahel Coalition since 2020, and a founding member of the OECD’s Sahel and West Africa Club (1976).

Background

Since 2012, jihadist groups have actively exploited poverty to recruit in the Sahel. Meanwhile, closer ties with Russia and China have emerged, accompanied by disinformation and propaganda, fueling mistrust and violence. Recognized for its support to Sahelian populations during crises, Canada maintains its presence to counter the influence of malign actors. Canadian NGOs, known for their credibility and reliability, enhance the impact of Canadian international aid, which is perceived as sincere and enduring. 

Canada’s Development Assistance in Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe’s socio-economic situation is dire with the highest inflation in the world, the second largest informal economy in the world (by share of GDP), 42% living in extreme poverty, and an agriculture-based economy that is highly susceptible to climate shocks and natural disasters.
• Canada’s bilateral international assistance program in Zimbabwe was closed in 2014. However, the country continues to receive Canadian international assistance through other delivery channels. In 2022-23, Canada provided $23.3M in bilateral assistance to Zimbabwe.

Supplementary messages

• Civic space remains limited and highly vulnerable, as the Government uses “lawfare” tactics against activists, unions, journalists, and civil society. The SADC Summit in Harare in August 2024 saw a massive crackdown on human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists.
• Bilateral interactions are constrained by the ruling party’s suspicious posture towards western countries and its authoritarian practices. Corruption is rampant and there are limited human rights protections and weak rule of law in the country.
• Despite these limitations, Canada’s Embassy in Harare engages with government, likeminded partners, members of the political opposition, and civil society, using all available channels to promote human rights, democracy, good governance, and the rule of law.
• Canada’s objective is to support governance reform in Zimbabwe in respect of democratic principles, good governance, and rights.

Supporting facts and figures

• In September 2008, Canada adopted the Special Economic Measures (Zimbabwe) Regulations (“Zimbabwe Regulations”), in response to state-sponsored electoral violence that occurred earlier that same year, to human rights violations, as well as to the denial of a peaceful democratic transition and a worsening humanitarian situation.
• Canada’s sanctions in relation to Zimbabwe are targeted. Prohibitions in place include an arms embargo and dealings prohibitions against listed persons. Canada has currently listed 77 individuals and four entities designated under the Zimbabwe Regulations. This does not preclude Canada from providing international assistance. Canada’s sanctions are designed to minimize adverse consequences for the civilian population, including vulnerable groups, or for legitimate business, humanitarian, or other activities.
• Development funding to Zimbabwe has been provided for initiatives aligned to FIAP including education, health and sexual and reproductive health rights, climate change, food security, and gender equality.
• Canada is providing funding to a range of partners in Zimbabwe, including CARE Canada; the Canadian Foodgrains Bank; The Mennonite Central Committee of Canada; and Transparency International (among others).
• Canada’s regional programming supports climate change resilience, intra-African trade, gender equality, and agriculture, as well as regional organizations in which Zimbabwe is a member such as the African Union.
• Zimbabwe also benefits from Canada’s support to various key multilateral programs, such as the Global Fund, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait, the Green Climate Fund, and the Global Environment Facility
• Canada provides humanitarian assistance in Zimbabwe. In 2023, $140,000 was provided to assist people affected by a cholera outbreak.

Background

The Government of Zimbabwe has committed to economic, governance and land reforms with the understanding that such reforms would lead creditors and donors to support arrears clearance. Canada is not a bilateral creditor, and no Canadian farmers are implicated in the land reform track. The Canadian Embassy has thus focused its participation on the economic and governance tracks. In March 2024, a Zimbabwean delegation met senior GAC officials in Ottawa regarding governance and economic reforms underway, including clearing debt arrears with International Financial Institutions and to request Canada’s support for readmission to the commonwealth and removal of sanctions.

In October 2024, the Commonwealth Secretary-General (SG) recommended that members invite Zimbabwe’s formal reapplication to the Commonwealth. Commonwealth leaders have agreed to a set of core criteria for membership, including compliance with the Commonwealth’s fundamental values as expressed by the Commonwealth Charter, notably democracy and human rights. The Commonwealth SG’s assessment acknowledges that Zimbabwe has not yet fully aligned itself with the values set out in the Commonwealth Charter, though many African Commonwealth members favour immediate readmission, arguing that progress can be best supported with Zimbabwe inside the organization. The Commonwealth Secretary-General has invited members to offer views on her informal assessment of whether Zimbabwe meets the standards for membership. This process is ongoing.

On November 29, Minister Joly wrote to the SG to express Canada’s views, noting that it had “clear expectations” for Zimbabwe to “demonstrate how it intends to protect human rights, including freedom of expression.” Similarly, the UK has indicated that, in its view, “further steps are needed on democracy, governance and human rights” before Zimbabwe receives a formal invitation to apply for membership. The SG will now need to determine next steps considering that concerns have been raised by the organization’s two largest funders.

Canada’s international assistance in Egypt

• Canada has invested more than $34M over the past 6 years (2018-2023) through its bilateral development programming in Egypt ($101.6M across all of the government channels).
• Canada’s programming in Egypt focuses on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, growth that works for everyone, human dignity, and environment and climate action.

Supplementary messages

• [REDACTED]. Moreover, approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 30: this is the biggest “youth bulge” in the country’s history.
• By increasing employment and self-employment opportunities in some of the poorest and most vulnerable governorates of Egypt, Canada's programming has benefited almost 1 million Egyptians.

Update

The Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and the attacks in the Red Sea have put significant strain on Egypt’s economy:  since the beginning of 2024, revenues of Egypt's Suez Canal dropped by 60 percent and the number of ships passing through the waterway decreased by 49 percent. The situation in Sudan is also increasing the pressures on Egypt to aid refugees coming from Egypt’s southern border.

Supporting facts and figures

• With a population of over 105 million, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world. About 28% of Egyptians (over 30 million persons) live below the national poverty line.
• Egypt ranks 105^th out of 193 countries in the UN Human Development Index (2022-23) and 134^th out of 146 countries in the 2023 World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index.
• Egypt's inflation rate reached a historic high of 38% in September 2023.
• Food inflation in particular has made it difficult for millions of Egyptians to purchase nutritious food, causing rising food insecurity and malnutrition rates.
• Over 70% of Egyptians depend on government food subsidy programs to meet their dietary needs.
• The agriculture sector is highly vulnerable to climate change and insufficiently prepared to address climate change threats, leading to loss of fertile land and decreases in agriculture productivity levels.
• 63% of Egyptians workers are informally employed, with women more likely to be employed in the informal sector.
• [REDACTED]

Background

Canada’s operational projects in Egypt focus on supporting micro, small, and medium enterprise development, enhancing employment skills among women and youth, strengthening Egypt’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, food security, and improving sexual and reproductive health rights for women and girls.

Canada’s international assistance in Morocco

• Canada has invested more than $49.4M over the past 5 years through its bilateral program in Morocco and more than $65.5M through all GAC channels.
• Canada’s programming in Morocco focuses on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, growth that works for everyone, and environment and climate action.

Supplementary messages

• The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also considers Morocco to be one of the countries most threatened by climate change in Africa. Canada contributes to Morocco’s efforts to tackle climate change and preserve its biodiversity with programming, technical support as well as the sharing of expertise and best practices.

Update

According to the World Bank, Morocco's external resilience has been relatively strong in the face of multiple global disturbances, such as the conflict in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Morocco is currently implementing an ambitious and comprehensive reform program, demonstrating its commitment to supporting job-growth and building human capital by universalizing access to health care and social protection and improving the quality of education.

Supporting facts and figures

• 25% of the population is illiterate and 20% lives on less than 4$ a day.
• Morocco ranks 141^st out of 146 countries on the World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Gender Gap Index.
• It remains in the “average human development” category of the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI-2024), ranking 120^th out of 191 countries.
• Effective implementation of laws addressing gender inequality is a major challenge, as is the eradication of gender discrimination surrounding socially and culturally sensitive issues such as child marriage and LGBTQI2 rights.
• The agriculture sector accounts for 19% of GDP and 40% of jobs. Less than 20% of Morocco is arable, and it is prone to erratic weather conditions (e.g. drought for the past 6 years, and heatwaves).
• Canada’s bilateral development program in Morocco totals approximately $5.5M per year.

Background

Canada’s bilateral development program aims to steer Morocco's development towards greater inclusion of its most vulnerable women and youth by supporting national priorities working to increase 1) their participation in the economy, and 2) gender equality.

On September 8, 2023, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake hit Morocco near Marrakesh, killing more than 2,900 people and injuring more than 5,600. As an immediate response, Canada provided $5M in humanitarian assistance, followed later by an additional $2M to Care Canada/Care Maroc to support the economic recovery of affected communities. After the earthquake, Minister Hussen visited the affected area where this project is being implemented.

Canada’s international assistance in Tunisia

• Canada has invested more than $50.1M over the past 5 years through its bilateral program in Tunisia and more than $62M through all GAC channels.
• Canada’s programming focuses on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, growth that works for everyone, inclusive governance, and environment and climate action.

Supplementary messages

• The democratic space is shrinking in Tunisia, marked by progressive suspension of democratic principles and the rule of law as well as increasing repression of civil rights and media freedom.
• Canada’s international assistance in Tunisia promotes the inclusive participation of women and youth in social and political decision-making structures and improves labour market integration and entrepreneurship amongst vulnerable Tunisians.
• Canadian expertise remains highly valued in Tunisia, particularly in the fields of gender equality, women's empowerment, higher education and climate change adaptation.

Update

President Saied is resisting major economic reforms, and the country risks default, with US$3.9B in external debt repayments scheduled for 2024. Tunisia's GDP fell from 2.4% in 2022 to 0.9% in 2023, due to a drought that has impacted agricultural GDP, and the unfavorable global environment. The Tunisian economy has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Inflation has continued to rise, from 8.3% in 2022 to 9.4% in 2023. Shortages and the high cost of several staple products continue to affect the daily lives of most of the population.

In the lead-up to and since the presidential elections held in October, Tunisian authorities have been increasingly using legislation to punish the spread of “false information and rumours” to silence political opponents, critics and journalists, including civil society organizations working on human rights and in particular migrants and refugee rights.

Supporting facts and figures

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had a negative economic impact, increasing the country's need to support its system of subsidized commodity and fuel prices.
• The unemployment rate is 22% for women and 42 % for youth.
• Men represent 72.7% of the working population.
• Tunisia ranked 131^th out of 146 on the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Gender Gap Index, and 101^th out of 192 countries on the 2024 Human Development Index.
• 2 million people are illiterate (17.7% of the population); the illiteracy rate among women is 23% (65% in rural areas).
• Desertification currently affects 75% of Tunisia’s territory.Water scarcity, the degradation of natural resources and of biodiversity are also major environmental challenges.

Background

Following the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia’s democratic development was considered the region’s most promising.  Its current trajectory is now uncertain. President Kais Saied, recently re-elected, cites political paralysis to implement unilateral and exceptional measures to reshape Tunisian state institutions, weaken opposition and shrink the space for civil society. Canada's development programming operates at the local level and with civil society organizations. Project partners and beneficiaries consider Canada as a reliable ally working effectively with CSO partners to advance gender equality and to promote and protect democratic principles and inclusive governance.

Tunisia is also facing major climatic challenges, including rising temperatures, frequent and increasingly prolonged droughts, rising sea levels, growing pressure on water resources and the country's vulnerability to extreme weather events. The recently approved climate action projects directly support Tunisia's Ecological Transition Strategy and fight against climate change.

Humanitarian Assistance In Africa 

• Conflict, insecurity, and the effects of climate change and economic downturn have left an estimated 149 million people in Africa in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024.
• Africa is a priority for Canada’s humanitarian assistance funding, with over $300M allocated to UN, Red Cross, and NGO partners in fiscal year 2023-24.
• This funding helps provide food, safe water and sanitation, treatment for acute malnutrition, other essential medical care, emergency shelter, and protection services to crisis-affected people throughout Africa.

Supplementary messages

• As part of Canada’s humanitarian funding for 2024, Canada has announced allocations to crises such as the DRC ($27M); Ethiopia ($30.7M); and the crisis in Sudan and its regional humanitarian impact ($100.7M including the above Ethiopia funding).
• Canada is deeply concerned about rising conflict and insecurity across Africa, such as in Sudan, and the impacts on the most vulnerable.

Background

Humanitarian Needs: According to the UN’s latest Global Humanitarian Overview, 44% of people requiring humanitarian assistance in 2024 are in Africa and USD 20.2 billion is required to provide them life-saving assistance. Across the continent, food security continues to deteriorate. Of the five countries facing potentially catastrophic levels of food insecurity globally, three are in Africa– Mali, South Sudan, and Sudan. Over 120 million people globally are currently estimated to have been forcibly displaced, with more than half of all IDPs living in Africa. Sudan is currently the largest displacement crisis in the world, with more than 11.8 million people displaced.

Canada’s Humanitarian Funding this fiscal year: To date this fiscal year (2024-25), Canada has disbursed more than $225 million in humanitarian assistance funding in response to needs in Africa. In addition, $57 million Canada has been allocated for Africa this year from Budget 2024 resources which are pending Parliamentary appropriation.

African Development Bank

• The African Development Bank is a key development and policy partner for Canada across Africa where priorities important to Canadians, like gender equality and climate action, can be jointly advanced.
• The Bank is able to leverage its resources to generate up to 4 dollars for every dollar invested, allowing Canada to maximize the value of our support for Africa’s increasing funding needs in critical areas like sustainable infrastructure and clean energy.
• Canada’s important significant shareholding in this Bank provides us considerable influence on Africa’s work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and sustainable economic growth.

Supplementary messages

• Canada’s programming through the Bank gives Canada continent-wide leverage on critical issues including climate action and food security, such as through our flagship funds which include the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund and the Agri-SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism.
• Canada continues to support the Africa’s poorest countries of Africa through its engagement with the Bank’s concessional fund, and pledginged $369.4 million over 2023-2025 to the African Development Fund, a 10% increase that will provide grants to support countries’ on climate action and food security, amongst other priorities.
• The African Development Bank is a global leader in innovative solutions to stretching limited development financing, which is critical in our post-COVID global economy.

Supporting facts and figures

• Canada is the fourth largest non-regional shareholder in the African Development Bank, holding 3.8% of voting power, representing approximately $10.5 billion in capital contribution historically.
• Our shareholding ensures Canada retains a seat on the Board of Directors. As head of the constituency, Canada also represents China, South Korea, Kuwait, and Turkey at the Board of Directors.
• In addition to its capital contribution, Canada is the 7^th largest contributor to the African Development Fund (ADF), the Bank’s concessional funding mechanism that provides grants and low-interest loans to the poorest countries of Africa.
• In December 2022, at the 16^th replenishment of the ADF, Canada pledged $369.4 million for 2023-2025. This compares to $355.2 million for the previous cycle.
• Canada has donated over $1.3 billion in support to the ADF since 2017.
• Apart from core resources noted above, 抖淫视频 has also created or otherwise contributed to ongoing trust funds at the AfDB, including:
  • 2023/24 – $10 million contribution to the African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism. Aims to increase access and adoption of fertilizer for biodiversity-friendly and sustainable agriculture to produce more food.
  • 2023/24 – $14 million contribution to the Africa Disaster Risk Financing Programme. Aims to support management of climate-related disasters risks and be better prepared when they occur.
  • 2021/22 – Canada-led $100 million Agri-Food SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism (ACFM). Program aAims to increase financing for underserved gender-oriented and climate-smart agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises across the African continent.
  • 2020/21 – $133 million Canada-AfDB Climate Fund (CACF). This program aAims to catalyze public and private sector investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation across Africa, while promoting gender-responsive, sustainable economic development.
  • 2019/2020 – $12.5 million contribution to the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA). Canada’s contribution to this multi-donor fund helps to increase African women entrepreneurs’ access to financing by guaranteeing loans to women-owned enterprises and helps promote a shift towards gender-sensitive lending.
• The AfDB has adopted climate and gender as cross-cutting issues in its programming and has set a target of 40% of programming as climate finance as per its new Ten-Year Strategy and the last ADF replenishment.
• On gender, the ADF has committed to ensuring 80% of public-sector concessional operations have direct outcomes that benefit women and girls by 2025.
• AfDB’s 2024 Annual Meeting concluded on May 31^st in Nairobi and Governors agreed to a General Callable Capital Increase to support the Bank’s AAA credit rating. Canada has yet to obtain approval to take part and buy its shares. Officials are recommending that approval to participate in this callable capital increase and purchase shares on behalf of Canada be obtained through the 2025 Budget process.
• The AfDB will be electing a new President during their Annual Meetings in May 2025 as President Adesina will have completed two (2) 5-year terms, the maximum allowed under the Charter of the Bank.

International Financial Institutions (IFI) and IFI Reform

• International financial institutions [IFIs] are among Canada’s largest and most strategic partner institutions, providing much-needed financing and technical assistance to developing countries.
• IFIs contribute to advancing Canadian development priorities, including Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Canada is pleased with progress so far by IFIs to better address the challenges of the 21^st century and remain committed to their continued reforms to be more efficient at meeting the needs facing developing countries.

Supplementary messages

• Canada prioritizes efforts by multilateral development banks to use their capital more efficiently to increase available financing, and to increase private capital mobilization.

Supporting facts and figures

• Since the pandemic and the launch of IFI reform efforts, Canada and other shareholders have been called on to provide significant contributions to IFIs.
• Canada’s contribution to the 16^th replenishment of the African Development Fund (2023-2025) totalled $369 million, supporting least-developed African countries.
• Budget 2024 confirmed funding for Canada to buy its shares in capital increases processes of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Invest for a value of approximately $146.3 million and of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for a value of approximately $216.7 million.
• In June 2024, Canada announced a US$200 million purchase in hybrid capital (an innovative financing instrument) at the World Bank, which when leveraged will provide up to $1.6 billion in additional lending capacity over 10 years.
• Canada also contributes to specialized funds at IFIs to support key Canadian priorities such as climate action, support for Ukraine and critical minerals.

Background

About IFIs: IFIs promote long-term economic development, poverty reduction and global economic stability in developing countries, and reinforce an effective, multilateral rules-based system. IFIs are funded through member country paid-in capital and callable capital, as well as through replenishments to concessional windows. Their unique financial model generates a multiplier effect. IFIs consist of the Bretton Woods Institutions (International Monetary Fund, World Bank); six regional development banks (AfDB, EBRD, IDB, Asian Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank); and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The Minister of Finance and the Minister of International Development share responsibilities as Canada’s Governors.

IFI Reform: In a context of massive financing needs to achieve development goals, and limited additional donor resources, the international community is advancing reforms to IFIs to better address today’s complex challenges. IFI reform work focuses on: i) increasing available financing for developing countries, including through private capital mobilization; ii) deepening work on global challenges such as climate change and pandemics; and iii) improving operational effectiveness and impact. MDB efforts to date on balance sheet optimization and innovating financing instruments are expected to generate up to $400 billion in additional lending headroom over the next decade.

G7 and Africa

• Africa has been on the G7 agenda since the G8 Kananaskis Summit in 2002.
• G7 members are redoubling engagement with African partners to protect their long-term geopolitical partnerships and interests.
• Canada works within the G7 to coordinate and respond to increasingly complex foreign policy, trade and development issues that are of relevance to African partners. 

Supplementary messages

• African countries and institutions seek equitable opportunities to express their perspectives on issues of global importance. African partners continue to call for greater coordination for global mobilization of financing to support just energy transitions, debt reform, peace and security, digitalization and infrastructure. These issues consistently feature as part of G7 discussions and public communications.
• African countries are advocating for renewed emphasis on International Financial Institution reform, in part due to rising debt and the fiscal impacts of the COVID pandemic. This issue remains a cross-cutting priority for the G7/G20.
• Since the 2002 G8 Kananaskis Summit, Canada has continued to play an important role in supporting the G7’s engagement with Africa. This includes the development-focussed 2002 Africa Action Plan and the 2010 Maternal, Child Health Initiative, to more recent commitments to support African partners on energy, food and agriculture, infrastructure, and regional security.
• As part of its G7 presidency, Italy is working with G7 partners to release the Apulia Progress Report on Advancing Sustainable Development in Africa. The document will monitor progress against a wide range of Africa-related sustainable development commitments and highlight specific case studies. The Canadian case study the Apulia Progress Report relates to women’s economic empowerment, showcasing the impact of the Women’s Voice and Leadership Program in Africa.

Responsive on G7: Canada will host the next G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, June 15-17, 2025. Canada will advance common priorities, such as building economies that benefit everyone, fighting climate change, and managing rapidly evolving technologies, with a focus on gender equality mainstreamed across all priorities.

Supporting facts and figures

• Issues including China and Russia's growing influence in Africa, the role of "new actors" in the region, the BRICS, major regional crises, and multilateral reform issues have become regular discussion items during G7 Africa Directors meetings.
• The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investments (PGII), launched in 2022, has pursued an ambitious $600 billion mobilization strategy to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Both initiatives support infrastructure development in developing countries with many projects already announced or in the case of the BRI completed, in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• G7 members have expressed their unanimous support for the AU's accession to the G20.
• Japan, Germany, United Kingdom and the European Union have appointed special representatives to Africa in the last two years.
• As a part of Canada’s enhanced engagement with the continent, Minister Joly announced new appointments will be made for a Special Envoy for Africa and a Special Envoy for the Sahel.
• The United States, Germany, Italy, have policy frameworks for Africa that guide their geo-strategic and foreign policy interests on the continent. Additionally, the European Union, France, and the United Kingdom are actively developing new policy frameworks for Africa.

Background

G7 and Africa Engagement: While in the past the G7’s engagement on Africa focused heavily on development and humanitarian issues, including mobilizing collective funding commitments, in recent years, G7 agenda items have centred on peace and security issues, the presence of Russia and China in Africa, and the need for greater financial inclusion and reform of multilateral institutions including the International Financial Institutions.

In 2002, the G7 Africa Directors group was conceived of and initiated during Canada’s G8 Presidency. This marked the first time that representatives from African countries and the United Nations attended a G8 meeting to discuss the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) initiative. Since then, G7 Africa Directors meetings are regularly a part of the G7 calendar and offer an opportunity for senior policy leaders leading on foreign, trade and development policy engagement with African partners to come together and help shape the G7’s priorities vis-a-vis Africa. During these meetings, Canada is represented by the Assistant Deputy Minister for Sub-Saharan Africa Branch.  

Peace and Security: Canada works alongside G7 and African partners in fora such as the UN Peacebuilding Commission, UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C4; Canada is permanent co-chair), Sahel Alliance and the International Coalition for the Sahel, Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, and G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.

The Apulia Progress Report 2024: Advancing Sustainable Development in Africa monitors progress against the following Africa-related commitments: (1) trade and infrastructure; (2) digital transformation; (3) food security and nutrition development; (4) basic education; (5) women’s economic empowerment; (6) maritime security; (7) crises and conflicts; (8) climate risk reduction and insurance; and (9) migration and refugees.

Russia, China, Gulf States, and Türkiye in Africa

• China: We continue to monitor Chinese investment in Africa, including through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and take note that China is a significant creditor in many African countries.
• Russia: Canada, along with its like-minded partners, is following closely the situation of non-African security forces in Africa. The Department continues its efforts to track their activities and their impact on local and regional stability.
• Gulf States and Türkiye: There is growing engagement by Gulf countries and Türkiye in Africa, including in terms of trade volumes and investment but also on diplomatic and mediation matters. On mediation, it will be important to assess how these mediation styles and approaches are being received by African parties and where we can learn lessons. As we consider our own engagement in the mediation space, constant reviewing and retooling is more important than ever.

Supplementary messages

• China-Russia cooperation: Canada is concerned about the deepening relationship between China and Russia. There are broad implications to this partnership, and we recognize the impact such cooperation will have in Africa.
• China’s financial support: There is a distinction between the support provided through Canadian aid through soft loans and financial contributions and that of players like China. Canada’s investments have prioritized localization, health, climate change, and gender equality.
• Russia disinformation and propaganda ecosystem spreads false narratives throughout the continent. Canadian intelligence has shown that Russia Today (RT) has become actively engaged in Russia’s global disinformation and influence efforts by acting as an extension of Russian intelligence services, relying on state-backed hacking, psychological and information operations, covert influence and military procurement. Canada stands firmly against ongoing Russian attempts to undermine sovereignty of the states and conduct covert influence operations around the world, including in Africa. Note, this is from MOSCO and ECE and draws from MINA’s .

Background

China: Between 2009 and 2023, Chinese presidents, premiers, and foreign ministers undertook 102 visits to Africa, reciprocated by 237 visits from African senior leadership to China. Since 2000, the triennial Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has served as the signature political platform through which China communicates an updated strategic approach to Africa on the public record, attracting near universal African participation at the leaders and/or ministerial level (save Eswatini which recognizes Taiwan). The 9th FOCAC took place on September 4-6, 2024, in Bejing. While China-Africa trade reached a historic high of US$282 billion in 2023, the composition is changing in certain ways. Notably, oil imports from Africa are declining as China increasingly sources crude oil from Russia and countries in the Gulf. A significant trade imbalance remains in place, with China exporting more (US$173 billion) to Africa than it imports (US$109 billion) from Africa. However, certain sectors are in rapid ascent, most notably the trade of minerals and metals, with African exports reaching nearly US$50 billion in 2021 from US$15 billion in 2010. (Security) In addition to being the largest arms supplier to Sub-Saharan Africa, China’s share of the overall UN peacekeeping budget increased from less than 1% in the 1990s to approximately 15% in 2020, and as of February 2023, China deployed 2,227 troops (majority to Africa). This more than doubled the combined total from other UNSC permanent members. In 2017, China established its first overseas naval military base in Djibouti.

Russia: With sanctions and the reduction of commercial engagement by western countries put in place, due to Russia’s 2014 illegal Annexation of Crimea and full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has sought to expand its African connections. Foreign Minister Lavrov has made multiple multi-country visits to Africa seeking to expand Russian support, and high-level African delegations have also visited Russia. Russia has used a variety of tools to seek support of African countries, including portraying itself to African partners as a specialist in counterterrorism and regime security services using the now openly linked to the Russian government, Africa Corps (since the demise of the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin) concentrating efforts in the Sahel. Russia has concluded military cooperation agreements with over 40 African countries. Russia also leverages “memory diplomacy”, particularly on issues of education and historic Soviet support for African independence movements, and extensively uses disinformation tools in Africa, omitting the fact that Russia in the 19th century attempted to colonize Ethiopia.

Türkiye: Total trade volume with Africa increased from US$5.4 billion dollars in 2003 to US$34.5 billion dollars in 2021. Turkish Airlines now flies to 56 destinations in Africa, and Türkiye has also established joint Business Councils with 45 African countries. Over 15,000 African students have received post-graduate scholarships in Türkiye between 1992 and 2022. As of 2022, Türkiye has signed military cooperation agreements with 30 African countries. On mediation, Turkiye remains an active player, which has included recent efforts to help ease rising tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Over the last decade, GCC countries have collectively invested over US$100 billion in Africa. The UAE is now the fourth-largest foreign direct investor in Africa, behind China, the EU and the US. The UAE has become China’s main rival for African ports, with UAE-based companies operating nine ports. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which hosted in November 2023 the first Saudi-Africa summit, announced it would invest more than US$25 billion in Africa by 2030 and provide US$5 billion in development aid. Food security is a key area of cooperation between GCC countries who rely on food imports and African countries endowed with considerable arable land. The global energy transition is also bringing GCC and African countries together.  Saudi Arabia and Qatar have attempted mediation efforts to resolve the crises in Sudan and Somalia, respectively.

BRICS

• Canada is closely following the evolution of BRICS to determine how the group’s actions and messaging may impact Canada’s interests.
• Canada engages with individual BRICS members as needed in pursuit of common objectives.
• Canada is prepared to work with all countries sharing its commitment to the rules-based international order, the UN Charter, and international law.

Supplementary messages

• Canada is tracking closely Russia’s 2024 presidency of the BRICS, given Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and behaviour undermining international law.

Update

• Russia hosted the latest BRICS summit in October 2024, presenting itself as a leader of a ‘global majority’ resisting a West-dominated world order. In addition to the nine BRICS members, UN Secretary General Guterres and 26 countries attended part of the summit, 12 of them at leader level.
• After adding 4 new members in January 2024 (Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the UAE), no new members were added at the 2024 Summit. However, 13 states became BRICS ‘partners’: Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Supporting facts and figures

• Three out of nine BRICS members are African (South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia).
• None of the 3 invited BRICS ‘partners’ from Africa (Algeria, Nigeria, Uganda) attended the 2024 Summit in Russia.
• With the addition of four new members in January 2024, the total BRICS GDP increased by approximately 5%. Further expansion may occur in the coming years, as more than two dozen countries have applied.
• China remains the largest BRICS member, with almost double the combined GDP of all other members.

Background

• The BRICS group seeks to advance economic development and international cooperation independent of Western-led institutions and processes. The expansion of the group has diversified interests in the membership and may further complicate intra-BRICS cooperation. Analysts assess that BRICS has neither the G7’s close integration of foreign and economic policies, nor its pragmatic cooperation on a range of issues.
• While leaders’ summits are held annually, meetings at ministerial and official levels have multiplied. The group launched the New Development Bank in 2014, which provides development loans to member states, though not to Russia; this bank remains relatively small compared to the established development banks. Efforts to develop a common currency for intra-BRICS trade or a shared payment system as an alternative to SWIFT have stalled.