Report to Parliament on the Government of Canada's International Assistance 2019-2020

ISSN: 1926-3945

Table of contents

• Executive summary
• Message from the Minister of International Development and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Message from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
• Overview of Canada’s Federal International Assistance in 2019–2020
  • Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy
  • Key Performance Indicators
  • Canada’s Signature Initiatives
  • Examples of Canada’s Major International Assistance Commitments
  • The Government of Canada’s International Assistance Around the World
• Government of Canada’s International Assistance and Official Development Assistance Disbursements by Organization, 2019–2020
• Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy
• The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
• Action Areas
  • Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls
  • Human dignity
    • Health and nutrition
    • Education
    • Gender-responsive humanitarian action
  • Growth that works for everyone
  • Environment and climate action
  • Inclusive governance
  • Peace and security
• Collaboration with Canada’s partners
• Canada’s innovative approach to international assistance
• Federal organizations providing international assistance
• Annex A
• Volume 2: Engagement with international financial institutions
  • Introduction
  • Section A: Canada’s engagement in World Bank Group operations
    • Reporting requirements
    • Governance and representation
    • Canada’s financial contributions to the World Bank Group in 2019–2020
    • Objectives and results of Canada’s WBG trust funds
    • World Bank procurement from Canada
    • Communiqués of the Development Committee of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and IMF (as required under the Bretton Woods Act)
  • Section B: Canada’s engagement in International Monetary Fund operations
    • Governance and representation
    • IMF resources, lending, and capacity development
    • Communiqués of the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the Board of Governors of the IMF (as required under the Bretton Woods Act)
    • Communiqué of the Forty-First Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)
  • Section C: Canada’s engagement in European Bank for Reconstruction and Development operations
    • Reporting requirements
    • Governance and representation
    • Benefits of EBRD membership

Executive summary

Every human being deserves the opportunity to live a peaceful and prosperous life—regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or where they live. Canadians strongly believe that everyone should be able to benefit from equal access to education, health care, food and nutrition, and jobs, as well as to be free from violence and conflict—and Canada’s international assistance seeks to do just that.

In 2019–2020, the Government of Canada provided development, humanitarian, and peace and security assistance globally through multilateral and bilateral mechanisms and by partnering with Canadian, international and local organizations. In total, the Government of Canada delivered $6.3 billion to help improve the lives and ease the suffering of billions of people and amplify the voices of the marginalized, and address the inequities and inequalities that exist in the world. This Report to Parliament on the Government of Canada’s International Assistance in 2019–2020 provides a snapshot of how Canada has contributed to global development efforts and supported progress toward achieving the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda. The report includes early investments to address the COVID-19 pandemic, but the bulk of this report reflects the pre-pandemic international environment. The 2020–2021 International Assistance Report will account more fully for Canada’s response to the effects of the pandemic in partner countries.

Applying a feminist approach to our work

Over the past year, the Government of Canada continued to implement its Feminist International Assistance Policy, collaborating to enable transformational change in our partner countries. Canada has supported targeted investments, partnerships, innovation and advocacy efforts with the greatest potential to improve gender equality, empower women and girls, and thereby reduce poverty. In fact, since introducing the Policy just 3 years ago, Canada has become one of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s top gender equality donors. With humility given Canada’s own challenges at home, Canada supports global women’s rights organizations, improving access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services, and reducing violence against women and girls. Canada also invests in women’s and girls’ economic empowerment and climate action, enables greater protections for LGBTQ2I persons, and encourages policies that safeguard the rights of Indigenous persons, migrants and forcibly displaced persons around the world.

In July 2019, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) released 6 action area policies that provide further guidance to staff and partners on what Canada aims to achieve with the Feminist International Assistance Policy across the humanitarian, development, and peace and security channels of its work. Moreover, a suite of how-to guidance notes was launched in August and September 2019. These guidance notes outline how Canada will shift its international assistance processes and practices to be more effective, integrated, responsive, transparent and innovative.

Sustainability is integral to Canada’s Approach

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and priorities are closely aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its emphasis on people, planet and inclusive prosperity.

Canada is committed to working toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing innovative solutions that benefit and empower the poorest and most vulnerable in developing countries. This Report highlights the investments that Canada is making and the results being achieved in each of the Feminist International Assistance Policy action areas and, indicates the link to the SDGs throughout.

Forging a clear path forward

When reviewing this report, it is impossible not to consider how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic may affect hard-won development gains made with Canadian investments. The World Bank has indicated that the pandemic is expected to thrust 88 to 115 million people into extreme poverty—the first such increase since 1998. It has also placed further strains on already overburdened public health systems, putting hundreds of millions at risk of COVID-19 and other diseases. Certainly the pandemic has made clear how interconnected our world is, and how the health and prosperity of Canadians is dependent on an effective global response. All of this underscores that more than ever, Canada’s diplomacy and international assistance matter, as they contribute to creating a more prosperous and peaceful world that benefits everyone, everywhere.

Throughout 2019–2020, Canada’s international assistance continued to make a positive impact around the world. In responding to the pandemic and working to maintain momentum toward achieving the SDGs, Canada has shown itself to be agile and responsive, able to pivot and to work in different ways that will improve the effectiveness of Canada’s international assistance. As Canada works to build back better from this pandemic and its development setbacks, it will continue to find new ways to design, implement and evaluate international assistance programming. This includes reinforcing local capacity by putting power in the hands of local actors. Working with these partners on an equal footing is how we will continue to inspire transformative change that truly empowers all people.

Despite the significant challenges encountered in 2019–2020, this report highlights important gains made. The government firmly believes that Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy provides the appropriate policy framework and program tools to address the COVID-19 crisis. Many of the most significant vulnerabilities revealed by the pandemic are those the Policy seeks to address. As such, emphasis will remain on empowering women and girls and advancing their sexual and reproductive health and rights, alongside investments to support developing countries on the road to economic recovery and resilience. By working together, Canada is contributing to building a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for all.

Message from the Minister of International Development and Minister of Foreign Affairs

Message from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Overview of Canada’s Federal International Assistance in 2019–2020

The Government of Canada delivered $6.3 billion in international assistance in 2019-2020. Of this, $6.1 billion was official development assistance (ODA)^{Footnote 1}. We delivered this amount through 20 federal organizations:

• Global Affairs Canada: $4,845 million
• Department of Finance Canada: $545 million
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: $643 million
• International Development Research Centre: $145 million
• Other federal organizations: $75 million

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, seeks to eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. Progress achieved is tracked and measured through the Policy’s 6 action areas.

Global Affairs Canada’s bilateral international development assistance is mostly targeted or integrated to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls^{Footnote 2}:

Canada committed to ensuring that, by 2021-2022, 95% of Canada’s bilateral international development assistance initiatives will target or integrate gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. At least 15% of this will specifically target gender equality.

The Government of Canada’s international assistance disbursements, by action area of the Feminist International Assistance Policy

Key Performance Indicators

Note to the reader:

Results data comes from numerous projects funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and illustrates results achieved during the 2019–2020 fiscal year (and for a small number of projects, during the calendar year). These figures include data from projects funded solely by Canada, as well as projects funded by multiple donors. The figures therefore reflect Canada’s contribution to international assistance results and cannot be attributed to Canada’s funding only. Furthermore, these figures represent only a snapshot of GAC’s international assistance results and do not reflect the entire breadth of its programming.

GAC is working to ensure a greater proportion of data is sex and gender disaggregated. However, limitations exist and will persist with respect to collecting and presenting all data in a fully disaggregated manner. Importantly, when data is gathered on the ground by implementing organizations, sex, gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation are self-reported by project beneficiaries and are not always or universally captured, sometimes due to concerns about privacy and of personal security.

Understanding these challenges, GAC will continue to work with its partners to improve sex and gender data collection in a manner that balances accuracy and detail with considerations of inclusion, personal safety, privacy and well-being of project beneficiaries.

Gender Equality

• 28,946,027 people^{Footnote 6} (9,927,691 women; 202,787 men; 18,815,549 gender not indicated) were reached by projects that help prevent, respond to and end sexual and gender-based violence, including child, early and forced marriage and/or female genital mutilation.

Education

• 33,796 teachers^{Footnote 6} (24,121 women; 9,632 men; 43 gender not indicated), were trained according to national standards.
  GAC’s long-term support to multilateral and global partners contributed to an additional 31,656 teachers trained (12,880 women; 16,392 men).^{Footnote 7}
• 17,532 schools have implemented changes to create welcoming spaces that respond to the specific needs of girls.
  GAC’s long-term support to multilateral and global partners also contributed to supporting 38,444 additional schools that have implemented welcoming spaces that respond to the specific needs of girls.^{Footnote 7}
• 42,310 people^{Footnote 6} (18,105 women; 16,611 men; 7,594 gender not indicated) graduated from demand-driven, technical and vocational education and training.
  Through GAC’s long-term support to multilateral and global partners, 107,692 people graduated from demand-driven, technical and vocational education and training.^{Footnote 7}

Gender-responsive humanitarian action

• 24% of humanitarian assistance projects have included sexual and/or gender-based violence or sexual and reproductive health and rights components.
• 390,798 women and girls^{Footnote 6} have received sexual and reproductive health services, including access to contraception, through a GAC-funded humanitarian response delivered by CSOs.

Health and Nutrition

• 3,163,798 people^{Footnote 6} (2,326,166 women; 182,269 men; 655,363 gender not indicated) received access to sexual and reproductive health services, including modern methods of contraception.
  Funding for contraceptives provided through UNFPA supplies helped to potentially avert 8 million unintended pregnancies and 2.3 million unsafe abortions in 2019. Beyond that, each year, every additional $10 million Canada spent on contraceptives resulted in 91,000 fewer unintended pregnancies and 25,000 fewer unsafe abortions.^{Footnote 7}
• 9,546,183 people^{Footnote 6} (8,530,372 women and girls; 852,053 men and boys; 163,758 gender not indicated) received micronutrient supplementation, including iron and folic acid.
  In 2019, 173,932,461 children received the recommended 2 doses of vitamin A through initiatives led by UNICEF and Nutrition International.
  Under the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) commitment, Canada also improved the nutrition of more than 3.1 million pregnant women from 2016-2019. In 2019, Canada’s support to Nutrition International also provided 5,225,115 adolescent girls with iron-folic acid supplementation, averting 639,225 cases of anemia.^{Footnote 7}
• 441,383 people^{Footnote 6} (184,654 women; 54,943 men; 201,786 gender not indicated) benefited from gender-sensitive health and nutrition services.
  Through its support to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Canada helps immunize millions of children every year. In 2019, Canada’s support helped immunize 65 million children, which averted 1.5 million deaths.^{Footnote 7}

Growth that works for everyone

• 3,864,952 people^{Footnote 6} (1,445,530 women; 2,404,914 men; 14,508 gender not indicated) were reached by projects that support women’s economic empowerment.
  GAC’s long-term support to multilateral and global partners contributed to an additional 4,223,077 people reached by projects that support women’s economic empowerment (2,868,715 women; 9,921 men; 1,344,441 gender not indicated).^{Footnote 7}
• 5,207,255 entrepreneurs, farmers and smallholders^{Footnote 6} (2,025,875 women; 3,146,179 men; 35,201 gender not indicated) were provided with financial and/or business development services.
  GAC’s long-term support to multilateral and global partners contributed to an additional 1,478,393 entrepreneurs, farmers and smallholders provided with financial and/or business development services (7,715 women; 9,921 men; 1,460,757 gender not indicated).^{Footnote 7}

Environment and Climate Action

• 3,597 people^{Footnote 8} (112 women; 133 men; 3,352 gender not indicated) were newly employed in the environment sector, including in technical, supervisory and management roles.
• 2,754,911 people^{Footnote 8} (1,346,179 women; 1,401,132 men; 7,600 gender not indicated) benefited from climate adaptation projects.
  Through GAC’s long-term support to multilateral and global partners, 13,652,034 people also benefited from climate adaption projects.^{Footnote 9}
• 2.31 metric megatons of greenhouse gas emissions were reduced or avoided through GAC’s contributions.
  Support to multilateral and global partners contributed to an additional 1039.179 megatons of gas emissions reduced or avoided.^{Footnote 9}
  As part of the Feminist International Assistance Policy Environment and Climate Action Area, the Government of Canada is delivering on its 2015 $2.65-billion climate finance commitment. Canada’s climate finance to date has helped to mitigate climate change by reducing an expected 193 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions.^{Footnote 10}

Inclusive Governance

• 3,594,666 people^{Footnote 8} (1,723,487 women; 1,816,086 men; 55,093 gender not indicated) were reached by projects that support women’s leadership in decision making in governance.
• 258,824 people^{Footnote 8} (110,667 women; 85,338 men; 62,819 gender not indicated) were reached by projects that support access to justice and public services for women and girls.
• 1,702 civil society organizations that advocate for human rights and/or inclusive governance were supported.

Peace and Security

• 11,005 peacekeepers^{Footnote 8} (1,529 women; 8,024 men; 1,452 gender not indicated) were trained through deployments and projects to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse.
• 88 subject matter experts^{Footnote 8} (4 women; 52 men; 32 gender not indicated), including in sexual and gender-based violence, were supported to participate in international efforts to investigate and prosecute crimes under international law.
• 532 civil society organizations, including women’s organizations, were supported to increase participation of women in peace negotiations and conflict prevention efforts.

Supporting all Action Areas

• 22 small and medium Canadian organizations supported to develop and implement programming in partnership with local organizations to support the 6 action areas of the Feminist International Assistance Policy, notably Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls.^{Footnote 11}

Canada’s Signature Initiatives

Canada has launched a number of signature initiatives to support the implementation of the Feminist International Assistance Policy, in addition to the wide range of international development projects that are planned or under way. The following examples highlight some of Canada’s key initiatives and results.

Global health and nutrition

In March 2020, Canada successfully fulfilled 2 commitments representing more than a decade of leadership in global health and nutrition:

• $3.5 billion commitment (from 2015 to 2020) to maternal, newborn and child health
• $650 million Her Voice, Her Choice commitment (from 2017 to 2020) to sexual and reproductive health and rights

The hundreds of projects funded under these 2 commitments have helped make a difference in the lives of millions of women, adolescents and children.

Gender equality

• In 2019–2020 as part of Canada’s $400 million commitment to the Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education.
• Canada launched more than 40 projects across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East to support girls’ and women’s education and skills training in conflict and crisis situations. These projects are transforming communities and more than half of them seek to immediately address gender-based violence.

These newly established initiatives are expected to reach 3.77 million girls, adolescent girls, and women.

Women in Peace Operations

The Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations provided $8.4 million to support advocacy, research, the development of the Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations barrier assessment methodology and projects to create receptive environments in UN missions. This enabled the UN, NGOs and bilateral partners to pilot approaches to increase the meaningful participation of uniformed women in peace operations. It supported the first program cycle of the Elsie Initiative Fund-implemented by UN Women and advanced partnerships with the Zambia Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces and Forces armées sénégalaises to empower troop and police contributing countries to remove barriers faced by women.

Examples of Canada’s Major International Assistance Commitments

In line with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada’s COVID-19 response from March–June 2020 focused on the world’s poorest and most marginalized, and considered the specific needs of women and girls.

Canada’s Contributions

• As COVID-19 transitioned from an epidemic into a pandemic in early 2020, Canada provided an initial contribution of $2 million to the WHO to help vulnerable countries prepare and, if necessary, respond to the pandemic.
• As the crisis worsened, Canada announced its initial COVID-19 Response Fund in March 2020. It included $50 million in additional funding to address the global outbreak and help more vulnerable countries prepare for and respond to the virus.
• This initial contribution and announcement laid the groundwork for Canada’s larger international assistance response to the COVID-19 pandemic later in 2020.

Canada’s Approach

• International coordination: Early in the pandemic, Canada sought to foster global coordination by working hand in hand with international partners through the G7 and G20, the UN system and the Bretton Woods institutions. This included partnering with the World Health Organization (WHO), which is ensuring a coordinated global response to COVID-19.
• Keeping momentum: The international response to COVID-19 must stem the erosion of hard-won gains in poverty reduction and health. Canada has emphasized the need to maintain essential health services and other long-term development efforts as countries fight the pandemic.

10-year commitment

Canada launched a 10-year commitment, from 2020 to 2030, to improve the health and rights of women and girls around the world. Starting in 2023, funding will be raised to $1.4 billion annually, with half dedicated to promoting sexual and reproductive health rights.

Women's Voice and Leadership program

To meet Canada’s commitment to provide more than $150 million (from 2018 to 2023) to address the needs of local women's rights organizations in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Canada funded 31 projects in 29 countries and regions through the Women's Voice and Leadership program (WVL).

In 2019-2020, WVL began providing financial and organizational support to women’s rights organizations (WRO), as well as fast, responsive grants to address urgent women’s rights issues. This support helped WROs strengthen their governance, management, fundraising, and safety and security operations, and to more effectively advocate for women’s and girls’ rights around the world.

Clean energy

In 2019–2020, Canada provided $40 million to the World Bank to support the expansion of clean energy systems and infrastructure, and improve energy access for women and girls in small island and developing states.

Agricultural Development

In 2019–2020, Canada provided $70 million of the total $150 million commitment to support the International Fund for Agricultural Development for climate-smart and gender-responsive agriculture in developing countries, with an emphasis on those in Africa.

Equality fund

Global Affairs Canada invested $146 million in 2019–2020 to support 868 women’s organizations and women’s networks (international and local) to advance women’s rights and gender equality.

This includes $105 million of a $300 million contribution to the Equality Fund to establish a sustainable source of funding to strengthen women’s organizations and movements in developing countries through a unique partnership between government, philanthropy, private sector and civil society actors.

The Government of Canada’s International Assistance Around the World

To learn more about activities and results around the world, please visit the Canada and the World website and the Statistical Report on International Assistance.

Hurricane Dorian: Canada’s response to Hurricane Dorian helped provide:

• 2,310 households with emergency shelter
• 3,058 households with basic food-related needs
• 4,731 households with safe water

Iran Floods: Canada’s response to Iran floods helped provide:

• 600,000 people with immediate assistance
• 59,728 tents for emergency shelter
• 135,238 hygiene kits
• 12,204 families with cash assistance

Cyclone Idai: Canada’s response to Cyclone Idai helped provide:

• 14,978 people with food
• 1,039 families with shelter repair kits, kitchen sets, mosquito nets and solar lights
• 68,469 people with clean water
• 800 families with seeds to help replant
• 1,854 families with shelter materials and household items
• 5,000 families with hygiene and dignity kits
• 94 communities with repaired water spouts

In 2019–2020, Canada’s Middle East Strategy deepened results in the region by contributing support to:

• humanitarian programs in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, which provided food, shelter, water, health, sanitation, education and protection services such as specialized care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence
• improvements to education quality and system capacity in Jordan and Lebanon, where more than 1.8 million children have access to safer, more inclusive learning environments
• gender-responsive projects including support for the Syrian Women’s Political Movement, an advocacy organization established by Syrian women
• security and stabilization by delivering 3 training programs to local police and civil society in Iraq, specifically targeted at women and youth, and to an additional 300 members of the Lebanese Armed Forces on gender-sensitive and human rights compliance measures in responding to terrorism and violent extremism

Ukraine: Canada helped support inclusive, free and fair elections; shift government resources closer to people; advance gender equality; and improve livelihoods for small-scale farmers. Highlights included simplifying the voter-registration process and providing specialized support to more than 100 emerging women leaders, with a particular focus on local candidates running in the 2020 elections. These elections were the first held in Ukraine under new gender-quota rules and should significantly increase women’s representation in local politics.

The Caribbean: Canada is supporting 13 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member countries, as well as regional systems, to bolster inclusive climate and economic resilience. Key areas of partnership include gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as well as enhancing climate action to reduce vulnerability to disasters and improve response capacity. Other key areas include strengthening public institutions and justice systems, and increasing growth of the green economy. Canada is also the largest contributor to the Caribbean Development Bank’s Special Development Fund.

Mali: Humanitarian, development and stabilization programs funded by Canada are in place to fight poverty and improve living conditions for the most vulnerable in Mali, particularly women and girls. In 2019–2020, Canada continued to support improvements to access basic social services and promote gender equality. Canada’s support for sexual and reproductive health has increased quality access to these types of services for more than 600,000 people, including more than 485,000 women.^*

^* In response to the coup d’état in August 2020, Canada suspended direct bilateral assistance to the Government of Mali in the form of direct budget support.

Ethiopia: Canada helped address barriers to gender equality in Ethiopia through programs that combat sexual and gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, and child, early and forced marriage, as well as initiatives that improve access to sexual and reproductive health services. Canada supported innovative pilots to increase women’s access to finance, while its flagship contribution to the Government of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program helped to enhance its resilience to financial shocks, including droughts, and improve the food security, nutrition and economic well-being of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable households. In 2019–2020, it helped approximately 8 million Ethiopians to access social assistance, while supporting the rehabilitation of more than 290,000 hectares of degraded land.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh has been making exceptional development progress, but disparities remain, particularly for disadvantaged groups. Canada is helping to strengthen the rights and empowerment of women and girls, including their access to quality health and education services. Canada has focused on: increasing sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescents and women; addressing gender-based violence, including ending child, early and forced marriage; and helping women defend their rights to a safe and healthy workplace. It is also providing gender-responsive humanitarian and development support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and their host communities.

Jordan: In Jordan, the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it challenging to provide citizens with the services they need, especially the large number of refugees that remain in the country. Canada’s assistance continues to help strengthen and sustain the resilience of the country’s education, health and social protection systems, improve the quality of municipal services and implement reforms that drive economic growth and create jobs. It is also increasing the quality of and access to education, including for girls and for refugees. Additionally, it is strengthening health systems and improving access for refugees.

Canada responds to diverse country needs and opportunities

1. Canada provides assistance to countries and sub-regions with the greatest depth and incidence of poverty and with limited access to the resources and capacity needed to attain their development goals. For example, Canada worked with the Government of Tanzania to reduce poverty and eliminate the inequalities and discrimination confronting Tanzanians, especially women and girls. Last year, Canada developed gender-sensitive training guides and conducted professional development for almost 750 primary and secondary school mathematics teachers and delivered essential classroom supplies.
2. Canada provides assistance to countries and sub-regions that are affected by instability caused by rapid onset or protracted crises, political violence, crime or terrorism and that often have immediate and critical humanitarian, security and stabilization needs. For example, in 2001 there were fewer than 1 million children in school in Afghanistan—and most were boys. Today, with Canada’s support, approximately 8.9 million children are enrolled in formal and community-based schools in the country, almost 39% of whom are girls.
3. Canada provides technical assistance to help tackle key barriers to progress, particularly in select middle-income countries and sub-regions. For example, Peru has experienced remarkable socioeconomic growth over the past 2 decades, but further action is needed to put the country on a more sustainable development path. Canada is supporting the Government of Peru by sharing best practices and offering advice.
4. Canada provides targeted assistance to address specific local sustainable development challenges. For example, Canada provides humanitarian and development assistance to support vulnerable populations in Venezuela, as well as to the more than 5.4 million Venezuelans who have fled to neighbouring countries since 2015. It also supported the UN’s efforts to monitor and report on the human rights situation in Venezuela. Canada has also provided strong diplomatic leadership to support the peaceful return of democracy in Venezuela.

Government of Canada’s International Assistance and Official Development Assistance Disbursements by Organization, 2019–2020

The Government of Canada, through 20 federal organizations, disbursed $6.3 billion^{Footnote 12} in international assistance in 2019–2020, of which official development assistance (ODA) made up 98% or $6.1 billion. The Statistical Report on International Assistance provides further details on international assistance and ODA expenditures by source, sector and recipient, and includes information on channels of disbursements for the International Assistance Envelope (IAE).

The following table shows the amount disbursed by each of the 20 federal organizations.

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy

Canada firmly believes that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls—both at home and abroad—is the best way to eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. Guided by its Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada has adopted a feminist approach that is both human rights-based and inclusive to deliver its international assistance. Canada has adopted a feminist approach that is both human rights-based and inclusive. The aim is to support the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity, and others who are vulnerable and marginalized—including those living in fragile circumstances. Canada has committed to making this feminist agenda a cornerstone of its domestic and foreign policies.

The Feminist International Assistance Policy is a key pillar of Canada’s overarching feminist foreign policy, which also includes:

• the Inclusive Trade Agenda
• the second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
• Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged

The Policy is the result of an extensive review that included consultations with Canadian and international partners and stakeholders, and is based on research and evidence. It aligns Canada’s international assistance with the UN’s 2030 Agenda. At the heart of this Policy is SDG 5—achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. By focusing on this SDG, Canada recognizes that ending discrimination against women and girls around the globe will drive progress toward achieving the other goals.

For more information, see the Feminist International Assistance Policy.

What Canada is doing to achieve its policy objectives

The Policy adopts an integrated approach to development, humanitarian, and peace and security assistance that aims to support transformative change through 6 interlinked action areas:

• Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls (core action area)
• Human Dignity (which includes Health and Nutrition, Education and Gender-Responsive Humanitarian Action)
• Growth that Works for Everyone
• Environment and Climate Action
• Inclusive Governance
• Peace and Security

In July 2019, Canada launched 6 Action Area Policies that set out what Canada aims to achieve through the Policy. They guide Canada’s international assistance programming and advocacy efforts through geographic, multilateral and Canadian partnerships. They also inform results frameworks, progress reporting and performance assessment.

Canada has committed to directing no less than half of Canada’s bilateral international development assistance to sub-Saharan African countries by 2021–2022. In fact, 42% of Canada’s bilateral development assistance was directed to sub-Saharan African countries in 2019–2020. Although 3% less than in 2018–2019, this is due, in part, to important investments in other regions, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Canada has also committed to directing no less than 95% of its bilateral international development assistance toward initiatives that target or integrate gender equality^{Footnote 14} and the empowerment of women and girls by 2021–2022. As part of this commitment, 15% of Canada’s bilateral international development assistance should specifically target these goals. Global Affairs Canada met this commitment in 2019–2020 with 97% of Canada’s bilateral international development assistance either targeting or integrating gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The department is also on track to meet the 15% sub-target, with 14% specifically targeting these goals in 2019–2020.

Canada has made significant progress implementing signature initiatives highlighted in the Feminist International Assistance Policy. For example, by the end of 2019–2020, Canada had successfully disbursed the entire $650 million committed in 2017 to help improve women’s access to reproductive health services and information, and respond to sexual and gender-based violence through the Her Voice, Her Choice initiative. This funding has also enabled Canada to play a key role in international movements and partnerships such as Every Woman Every Child, SheDecides, Family Planning 2020 and the Ouagadougou Partnership.

In 2019–2020, Canada moved forward in the implementation of the Women’s Voice and Leadership Program. One hundred and fifty million dollars has been committed to this program over 5 years, with 53% of the funds going to sub-Saharan African countries. By the end of 2019–2020, the program already had 31 projects up and running to support women’s organizations and networks in 29 countries and regions. Grants to local women’s organizations helped to strengthen their own operations and programming, advocate for women’s and girls’ rights, and reach vulnerable and marginalized women and girls with key health, education and income generation services.

Canada is also making meaningful progress in priority areas by:

• supporting the leadership and participation of all women and girls as agents of change
• strengthening peace operations to advance Canada’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, by deploying more women peacekeepers and civilian personnel
• providing quality education for all, including those living in fragile contexts, and increasing the number of girls who complete elementary and high school
• enhancing women’s access to and control over land, productive resources, and financial services as well as inheritance and property rights, and promoting their economic participation and empowerment
• better meeting the needs of women in humanitarian settings and reducing incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse
• increasing the participation of women, girls and those from traditionally marginalized groups in public leadership, decision-making and democratic processes
• bolstering resilience to climate change and supporting climate-smart agriculture

Throughout its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada has not wavered in its commitment to implementing the Feminist International Assistance Policy. Canada consistently prioritizes its programming objectives to align with the targets and priorities outlined in the Policy. As Canada addresses the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis both at home and abroad, the Policy will continue to guide programming choices to help build back better as we recover from the pandemic. We are confident that the Policy’s focus on greater justice, inclusivity and prosperity, will support Canada’s goal of creating a more resilient and sustainable world—so that together, we can work to prevent and mitigate future crises.

How Canada delivers international assistance

The Feminist International Assistance Policy commits Canada to delivering its international assistance in a manner that is more effective, flexible, responsive and integrated. To support the Policy’s implementation, Canada released a suite of how-to guidance notes in August and September 2019. They outline how Canada plans to improve the effectiveness of its approach in 4 key areas:

• innovative financing for sustainable development
• innovation in international assistance
• transparency and open dialogue in Canadian international assistance
• feminist approach

In 2019–2020, Canada implemented specific initiatives that are helping to improve how it provides international assistance, including:

• The Small and Medium Organizations for Impact and Innovation initiative. A $100 million fund to help Canadian small or medium organizations (SMOs) develop and implement innovative programming in partnership with local organizations. It supports the Policy’s 6 action areas with a particular focus on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls, and is implemented through 3 programming windows. The Development Impact Window funds projects through calls for proposals, the Innovation Window provides SMOs with funding to test and advance innovative solutions to global development challenges, and SMOs can build their capacity, exchange knowledge and engage Canadians through the Capacity and Knowledge Window, also known as Spur Change.
• The International Assistance Innovation and Sovereign Loan Programs. Announced in Budget 2018, these programs expand Canada’s development financing toolkit and help Canada advance efforts to mobilize additional sources of public and private development financing toward achieving the SDGs.
• The Equality Fund initiative. In June 2019, Canada committed $300 million to support efforts to bring the granting, philanthropic, government and investment worlds together in one innovative platform. The initiative aims to address the funding gap faced by women’s organizations and movements promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in developing countries. The design-and-build phase is underway and early results are expected in 2020–2021.
• The Policy for Civil Society Partnerships for the International Assistance Policy – A Feminist Approach. This policy ensures that Canada’s partnerships with civil society align with the Feminist International Assistance Policy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and that they recognize the Istanbul Principles for CSO Development Effectiveness. Its implementation is guided by close collaboration between civil society organizations (CSO) and Global Affairs Canada as part of the Civil Society Policy Advisory Group (CPAG). In 2019, the Global Affairs Canada—Civil Society Organization annual dialogue focused on enabling an environment for CSOs in Canada and globally to achieve greater development effectiveness.

Where Canada works

With the launch of the Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada adopted a flexible and responsive approach to where it provides international assistance. It takes into consideration local needs and opportunities to achieve the greatest impact for the poorest and most vulnerable in the countries where we work.

In 2019–2020, Canada provided international assistance to 150 countries in a wide variety of contexts through:

• More effective engagement with fragile and conflict-affected states. Providing better-integrated support will improve the resilience of developing countries facing crisis situations or protracted humanitarian challenges.
• Stronger partnerships for sustainable development. Longer-term development assistance for low-income countries will reduce poverty and vulnerability and create the conditions for more inclusive economic growth.
• Productive partnerships for transition. Targeted assistance that supports more democratic, inclusive and accountable governance, and that supports sustained economic growth in middle-income countries will help those countries transition into fuller, more self-sufficient economic partners.
• Targeted and shorter-term assistance. Targeted assistance in diverse countries and regions will support specific, short-term, local sustainable-development challenges, including humanitarian assistance.

As part of its Feminist International Assistance Policy, and as noted above, Canada has committed to directing no less than half of it’s bilateral international development assistance to sub-Saharan African countries by 2021–2022.

Canada promotes a coherent and collaborative approach to delivering international assistance in fragile contexts that are in line with best practices outlined in the UNWorld Bank’s 2018 Pathways for Peace report. Canada has taken concrete steps to enhance conflict sensitivity and Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) within its international assistance and across all action areas. This has allowed for greater understanding of how international assistance and conflict dynamics interact, in order to more effectively target the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, mitigate risk and maximize effectiveness.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides an essential framework for Canada’s approach to international assistance. The 2030 Agenda comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets and more than 230 indicators. These Goals are interrelated and indivisible, and strike a balance between the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. In September 2019, the UN Secretary General launched the Decade of Action to accelerate progress on the SDGs. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and related crises have exacerbated vulnerable situations and increased the challenges countries face in achieving the 2030 Agenda. Despite these challenges, Canada remains firmly committed to working toward achieving the SDGs both domestically and internationally, and to using the 2030 Agenda to provide a people-centred response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Both the Feminist International Assistance Policy and the 2030 Agenda recognize the central role gender equality plays in building a more sustainable, peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. Likewise, Canada’s overarching Feminist Foreign Policy, the Inclusive Trade Agenda, and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security also support the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

To coordinate Canada’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the federal government established an SDG Unit in 2018, housed at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The SDG Unit has developed a national 2030 Agenda strategy, which builds upon the 2019 interim report Towards Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy. ESDC also launched the SDG Funding Program in December 2018 to strengthen partnerships with organizations and foster initiatives that promote the SDGs in Canada. As of March 2020, the Program has funded 66 projects, providing a total of approximately $6.1 million to implement the SDGs in Canada.

Responsibility for Canada’s international implementation of the 2030 Agenda falls to GAC. In 2019–2020, Canadian ministers and senior officials participated in the annual UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, contributing to global discussions and highlighting efforts to achieve the SDGs. Canada continued to co-lead the UN’s Group of Friends of SDG Financing with Jamaica. This group gathers representatives from more than 50 countries, along with the UN, World Bank and the private sector, to consider solutions to unlocking the financing needed to achieve the SDGs.

Measuring progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals

The Government of Canada is committed to reporting on the implementation of the SDGs using robust data. Statistics Canada is responsible for measuring and reporting on SDG indicators, as well as for collecting, collating, analyzing, presenting and disseminating data regarding Canada’s progress toward the 2030 Agenda. To this end, Statistics Canada has developed an interactive Sustainable Development Goals data hub for disseminating Canada’s SDG data.

In 2019–2020, Statistics Canada also continued to participate in several international expert groups focused on measuring progress toward the SDGs, such as the UN Inter-Agency Expert Group on SDG Indicators and the UN Economic Commission for Europe Steering Group on Statistics for SDGs.

Sustainable Development Goals

Action Areas

Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is fundamental to realizing human rights, eradicating poverty, and achieving sustainable development and peace. It is also the core action area of the Feminist International Assistance Policy and a strategic focus across all action areas. Women and girls can be powerful agents of change, but due to pervasive gender inequality in many parts of the world they still face violence, discrimination and socio-economic marginalization. Canada has made it a priority to advance gender equality and accelerate its progress so that all people, regardless of their sex, gender identity or expression, can enjoy the same opportunities and reach their full potential.

Canada’s international assistance efforts focus on addressing fundamental and multi-dimensional challenges that act as barriers to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. They do this through 3 pathways:

• addressing sexual and gender-based violence including child, early and forced marriages, and female genital mutilation and cutting
• supporting and strengthening women’s organizations and movements that advance women’s rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls
• supporting evidence-based policy-making and program delivery for gender equality

Women and girls everywhere need to enjoy equal rights, decision-making power and full control over their lives and resources. To ensure this becomes a reality, Canada continues to work with its partners to support initiatives across all regions.

For information on GAC’s projects in this action area, please see the Project Browser. To learn more about Canada’s approach see its gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls action area policy.

Activities and results in 2019–2020

Human dignity

Respect for human dignity is central to protecting and promoting human rights for those who experience vulnerability, poverty or are affected by crisis. Advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls within the human dignity action area promotes respect for the human dignity of all people, while giving women and girls a voice as leaders and agents of change. Canada’s support for human dignity is achieved through 3 core areas:

1. health and nutrition
2. education
3. gender-responsive humanitarian action

Health and nutrition

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Education

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Gender-responsive humanitarian action

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

The increase in the number and intensity of armed conflicts around the world, the entrenchment of protracted crises, and the scope and frequency of natural disasters—which are exacerbated by the effects of climate change—have resulted in unprecedented humanitarian needs. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has created new and unique needs worldwide, and has severely exacerbated the vulnerabilities of populations facing existing crises. Canada’s international humanitarian assistance is intended to meet the needs of people affected by these crises by supporting swift and coordinated humanitarian interventions that are needs-based and adhere to humanitarian principles. The 2020 evaluation of Global Affairs Canada’s International Humanitarian Assistance Program found that Canada was a consistent and respected donor whose humanitarian investments saved lives, reduced suffering and protected human dignity.

Canada’s gender-responsive humanitarian action addresses the specific needs and priorities of people in vulnerable situations, particularly women and girls, to support their empowerment and to ensure that our assistance has a greater and more sustainable impact. By considering pre-existing vulnerabilities and intersectional discrimination, such as race, ethnicity, age and ability, we believe that this life-saving humanitarian assistance can better meet the specific needs of those living in crises, including women and girls. Canada reacted quickly to provide flexible humanitarian assistance to respond to the emerging needs of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing partners to respond to the primary and secondary impacts of the pandemic and provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable.

In 2019–2020, Canada’s humanitarian assistance supported efforts to increase the gender-responsiveness of humanitarian action through four key areas:

• humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law
• sexual and gender-based violence in the context of humanitarian crises
• sexual and reproductive health during humanitarian interventions
• the empowerment of women and girls

For information on GAC’s projects in this action area, please see the Project Browser. To learn more about Canada’s approach see its action area policy on humanitarian action.

Activities and results in 2019–2020

In 2019–2020, Canada invested $872.26 million in international assistance (of which approximately $871.76 million was ODA) on humanitarian action. Overall, Canada supported over 60 countries and territories with bilateral humanitarian assistance, and responded to 37 natural disasters. Syria, Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Yemen and Lebanon were the top recipient countries of Canada’s humanitarian assistance funding in 2019–2020.

Canada’s support over the past year has enabled international organizations to:

• increase distribution of food assistance and non-food essential relief items
• improve access to water and shelter support
• improve access to sanitation and hygiene facilities, and to quality medical services through health centres and hospitals
• improve access to international protection for forcibly displaced persons
• improve access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services during emergencies, and for women and adolescent girls in particular

In 2019–2020, Canada strengthened its efforts to address the unmet needs of women and girls by ensuring that more than 96%^{Footnote 23} of Canada’s humanitarian assistance projects integrated gender-equality considerations. For example, Canada provided 73.4 million to support SRHR services in humanitarian assistance projects.

This has helped to prevent death, disease and disability resulting from unwanted pregnancies, obstetric complications and reproductive disorders, while at the same time reducing sexual and gender-based violence.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Growth that works for everyone

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Stimulating sustainable and inclusive economic development in the world’s poorest countries benefits all nations. Canada’s focus is on supporting economic growth that benefits the most vulnerable. Upholding women’s economic rights and supporting their leadership in businesses, communities and institutions is essential to enabling them to reach their full economic potential. Canada encourages developing countries to recognize women’s economic rights and to find ways to address women’s double burden associated with the workload required to earn money while also being responsible for a significant amount of unpaid domestic labor.

At the national and global levels, Canada is working to build greener, more inclusive economies by investing in renewable technologies and advancing policies that benefit the poorest and most vulnerable. Canada recognizes the importance of mobilizing new sources of financing for development, as many countries do not have the resources or capacity to respond effectively to development challenges.

To promote economic growth that works for everyone, Canada continues to focus on:

• removing barriers to women’s economic empowerment
• building more inclusive and sustainable economies
• strengthening economic resilience

For information on GAC’s projects in this action area, please see the Project Browser. To learn more about Canada’s approach see its growth that works for everyone action area policy.

Activities and results in 2019–2020

In 2019–2020, Canada invested $822.78 million in international assistance, of which $814.60 million was ODA, toward initiatives to support growth that works for everyone. Countries receiving the most assistance were Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Laos and Nepal. In particular, Canada remained focused on empowering women economically to achieve full and productive employment through supporting activities such as:

• job creation (value-chain development, small and medium-sized enterprises development, inclusive and sustainable business)
• technical and vocational training and job placement
• structural reform (worker safety and ethics, business environment, transparent regulation, human rights, gender segregation in labour markets)
• entrepreneurship-skills training and networking
• building social capital and community capacity through infrastructure investments

Canada also supported agriculture and food-sector initiatives that focus on areas where women are more likely to work and can take on strong leadership roles. These initiatives included empowering women farmers in cooperatives and credit unions, strengthening agricultural markets, addressing land degradation and restoring critical ecosystems and productive areas and supporting smallholder farmers and value-chain workers in adopting innovative and climate-smart approaches.

In 2019–2020, Canada continued to demonstrate global leadership in development financing by championing the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. Canada provided leadership at the UN through its co-facilitation with Ghana of the 7th High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development in September 2019. It received praise for its innovative format, including a session with private-sector representatives and heads of state on “Moving the Money.” Canada continued to co-chair the UN Group of Friends of SDG Financing alongside Jamaica in New York, discussing issues including debt vulnerability and domestic-resource mobilization.

Sub-Saharan Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, structural barriers continue to limit women’s ability to engage in economic activity and access productive resources. In 2019–2020, Canada supported women’s entrepreneurship initiatives and improved women’s economic empowerment through access to education and training.

For example, in Kenya, Canada supported the Maendeleo Sawa (M-SAWA) project, which has generated equitable economic growth through the development of profitable, competitive and sustainable SMEs in the agriculture, construction and extractive sectors. Through this initiative, 43,240 entrepreneurs have received support through 24 lead firms, which in turn have supported the growth of 140 SMEs. The project has also addressed specific barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, helping to increase their leadership and control over resources, and increase their market access and income.

Promoting greater free trade between African nations has the potential to foster significant economic growth for countries across the continent. For this reason, Canada helped establish the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 2019–2020, which covers a market of 1.2 billion people and a GDP of $2.5 trillion. In partnership with a consortium of Canadian centres of trade expertise at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s African Trade Policy Centre directly supported countries in AfCFTA negotiations. This support included integrating gender equality as a formal objective of the trade deal. Canada is now focusing on assisting African countries with their AfCFTA implementation plans so that they can identify steps to take full advantage of national, regional and global markets, as well as address the concerns of women cross-border traders (importers and exporters).

Canada is promoting women’s economic empowerment through support to SOCODEVI, a Canadian NGO that works with cooperatives in developing countries. As part of the Development Program for Inclusive and Sustainable Model Cooperatives (PROCED), SOCODEVI is increasing women’s representation on cooperatives’ boards of directors. For example, only a few months after beginning its work in Senegal, half of the directors elected to one partner cooperative’s board were women. Moreover, these women took up key positions, such as chair, treasurer and executive secretary, ensuring that the new board represents the interests and needs of all members, including both women and men.

Americas

In Latin America and the Caribbean, Canada worked with partners to boost economic growth through initiatives aimed at improving the business capacity of producers and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, improving leadership skills and managing the extractive and agriculture sectors. For example, Canada supported agriculture and fish-farming initiatives in Bolivia that directly benefited Indigenous peoples. As a result of this assistance, the production of the Tara pod—a source of environmentally friendly tannin as well as a preservative and stabilizer for food and cosmetics—and the production and processing of fish has enabled:

• 710 Indigenous families to engage in profitable economic activities by applying good environmental practices
• 660 Indigenous women to gain greater economic autonomy
• 178 women to improve their leadership skills
• 434 women to improve their business-management skills

In Peru, Canada supported internships for women from the public and private sector through the Inter-American Development Bank and the Canada Extractives Fund. This in turn resulted in the development of a Gender Equality Action Plan and a workshop for 30 low-income women on mining 101, empowerment and entrepreneurship. Canada also awarded 97 scholarships, including 50 for women, to public-sector professionals from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru (the Pacific Alliance). These scholarships increased their ability to manage and regulate their countries’ extractive sectors and reinforced the Pacific Alliance governments’ plans for sustainable economic growth.

Through a partnership with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), Canada is helping to fuel growth in Nicaragua’s agriculture sector. This project provided grants to cooperatives, agri-businesses and women-producer associations to fund new farm technologies or acquire food-processing equipment to expand crop purchasing for small-scale producers. In the first year of the program, 4 recipients (2 agricultural cooperatives, an agribusiness and a foundation) were able to create 341 new jobs in the agri-food sector, 64% of which were for women.

In 2019–2020, Canada’s work with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CARE and Oxfam Canada in Cuba directly helped 1,383 individuals, including women small-scale farmers and service providers. This assistance improved their physical, social and economic well-being through training, technical assistance and by providing equipment and goods. The ultimate goal is to develop a value-chain approach to food production in Cuba that promotes import substitution and inclusive sustainable economic growth at the local level.

In Guatemala, Canada supported 2 projects in 2019–2020: Economic Empowerment of Indigenous Women and Youth in Alta Verapaz (Camino Verde), and Sustainable Economic Growth for Women (CRECER). Canadian assistance to the Camino Verde project helped 470 Indigenous women access job opportunities, particularly in the lucrative production of cardamom and turmeric. The CRECER project provided more than 740 women and men from 19 cooperatives with training in innovative, clean and sustainable business practices in small-scale agricultural enterprises.

Asia-Pacific

In the Asia-Pacific region, Canada remains focused on providing market-oriented training and skills development and on reducing barriers to women’s economic participation. For example, in Myanmar, Canadian support to the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) project in 2019–2020, resulted in technical, vocational and business-development training for 2,640 people, of whom 1,602 were women. The training included a range of trades such as electrical wiring, welding, plumbing and hairdressing. The trainees included vulnerable Rohingya and Rakhine youth and those living in the Myebon internally displaced-persons camp.

In 2019–2020, the Canada-funded Knowledge for Democracy – Myanmar (K4DM) initiative enabled governance and civil society institutions to generate and use research and data to promote inclusion and gender equality. This involved ensuring equal training opportunities for women and integrating a gender perspective into policy analysis. With IDRC support, a local think tank called the Centre for Economic and Social Development helped develop a new law to raise the minimum wage, which had not increased since 1947. Canada also helped 425 women access mentorship opportunities through the Improving Market Opportunities for Women Agricultural Producers project. The project focused on providing women with leadership, public-speaking, financial-management, and negotiation and persuasion skills. As a result, 83% of respondents reported having participated in, or led, community groups or meetings in the year following the training.

Through the International Labour Organization, Canada helped the Government of Bangladesh to develop the National Strategy for Gender Equality in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institute and Gender Guidelines. Canada’s support trained employees of 118 public institutions on these guidelines and on gender planning and budgeting in general. It also created better alignment between training opportunities and market needs in the formal and non-formal sectors in Bangladesh. These increased employment opportunities for 16,559 young people, 5,470 of whom were female and 3,223 of whom were from disadvantaged groups such as those with disabilities, low-income, or Indigenous and other marginalized groups.

Canada’s support to the Government of the Philippines’ JobStart Program provided access to employment services such as life-skills training to 18,860 at risk young Filipinos, 58% of whom were women.

From 2015–2019, CARE Canada’s economic reconstruction assistance project in the Philippines assisted 10,692 farmers affected by Typhoon Haiyan, more than half of whom were women. The project offered livelihood training and entrepreneurship capacity-building assistance that enabled farmers to participate in sustainable agriculture activities. In addition, the Evaluation of Natural Disaster Reconstruction Assistance in the Philippines demonstrated that Canada’s $20.5 million Haiyan reconstruction program directly helped participants to improve their business skills, access capital and insure their businesses. Ultimately, this increased their incomes and improved their natural disaster preparedness.

In 2019–2020, Canada worked through the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise projects in Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces to support more than 700 SMEs, including those led by women, to improve their competitiveness, and access to investment and market opportunities. Through these projects, staff at SMEs increased their skills and knowledge of management practices, benefited from improved access to small-scale infrastructure and accessed business-development services.

Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa

Women’s equal and full access to the same economic opportunities as men continues to be a challenge in many countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. In 2019–2020, Canada’s efforts in the region focused on gender-inclusive measures to create employment, improve access to decision-making positions and increase women’s participation in the economic growth of their communities.

In the West Bank and Gaza, the ICT sector provides women and youth with virtual job-creation and income opportunities. This allows them to balance their family and household responsibilities, as well as address economic and geopolitical barriers by drawing interest from outside the region. With Canada’s support, the Mercy Corps’ Technology-Enabled Careers Harnessing Untapped Potential (TECH-UP) project helped engage women and youth in technology careers. In 2019–2020, 93% of the 280 graduates of the project’s Freelance Academy, Code Academy, and Start-up Acceleration Program reported that the training enhanced their ability to generate income. For example, Freelance Academy graduates generated more than US$345,000 through freelance jobs both during the training and up to 6 months after graduation. The graduates also referred jobs to 333 individuals, who in turn generated a further US$56,000.

In addition, Canada’s support to the Future Entrepreneurs and Leaders in Innovation and Technology project helped to increase the prosperity of young women and men by enabling them to take advantage of economic opportunities in the technology and innovation sectors. In total, 30 start-ups generated employment opportunities through the project and 21 young women entrepreneurs received the support needed to start their own businesses in non-traditional sectors.

In Jordan, 271 youth, 240 of whom were female, received entrepreneurship, information and communications technologies (ICT) and social-innovation training in 2019–2020 through Canada’s support. Delivered through the Digital Opportunity Trust’s Digital Livelihoods: Youth and the Future of Work at Scale project, the courses were designed to address the barriers faced by women regarding ICT use and included training in basic digital skills, social media and marketing, as well as a more advanced introduction to web design. The Launching Economic Achievement Program in Jordan, implemented by the Canadian Bureau for International Education, also enabled 118 entrepreneurs to participate in women-led start-up teams as part of its incubator program mentorship and training. In addition, 373 gender-sensitive entrepreneurship programs were delivered to schools and universities in the country.

With Canada’s support, the UNDP’s Improving Solid Waste Management and Income Generation in Host Communities project established a cooperative association for women in Jordan to help them enter the traditionally male-dominated solid waste-management sector. This involved creating 36 jobs for vulnerable women in Northern Jordan. As a direct result of the project, women went on to manage and operate a sorting plant and 2 new municipal waste-transfer stations in the region.

To support transformative change for women in Syria, Canada contributed to the Support to the Syria Livelihoods Intervention Fund. It provides sustainable livelihood opportunities and promotes food security for the most vulnerable members of local communities, particularly women and women-headed households. For example, the project provided 50 women-headed households with training regarding small-scale egg production. By increasing the availability of eggs, this initiative led to a 25% drop in egg prices, making them more affordable for the community. It also:

• provided 175 women with entrepreneurship, business-planning and leadership training
• provided 65 women-headed households with training and in-kind support for the processing and marketing of high-quality food products
• established 3 hydroponic barley-production sites run by women, which increased the income of women-headed households, stimulated the local economy and increased food security for entire communities

In Egypt, the Canada-funded Decent Jobs for Egypt’s Young People project, led by the International Labour Organization, created employment opportunities for 210,000 young people. It focused on creating jobs by promoting entrepreneurship and facilitating job-matching processes in 4 Egyptian Governorates. Thanks to this project, 1,100 senior government officials also benefited from capacity-building and shadowing fieldwork, and 5,100 new small-business owners improved their business skills. In addition, 142,000 students completed entrepreneurship education, 11,000 job placements were made and 300 people with disabilities secured decent jobs.

In Morocco, the Economic Empowerment of Women in Morocco’s Argan Sector project, implemented by CoWater, helped women working in the lucrative argan oil industry sector access storage infrastructure so that they can better manage this resource. In total, 4,500 women received support for the upstream structuring of the sector, which ensured that they were not at the mercy of intermediaries when selling the resource.

Multi-regional

Environment and climate action

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Environmental degradation and climate change are threatening long-term development gains, with the world’s poorest and most vulnerable—particularly women and girls—at greatest risk. With this in mind, Canada’s international climate finance is supporting projects that advance clean technology, renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, watershed management and climate resilience.

In 2019–2020, Canada’s environment and climate action efforts focused on:

• strengthening environmental governance and enhancing women’s participation in decision-making
• investing in low-carbon and climate-resilient economies
• fostering environmental practices that support healthy, resilient, adaptive communities

Learn more about Canada’s approach through its action area policy on environment and climate action. For information on GAC’s projects in this action area, please see the Project Browser.

Activities and results in 2019–2020

In 2019–2020, Canada invested 714.28 million in international assistance, of which $712.10 million was ODA that went toward environment and climate action initiatives. The top recipients were Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Jordan and India.

In particular, Canada supported initiatives that mitigate climate change and help developing countries adapt to its environmental and socio-economic impacts, as well as support sustainable resource management. Among other things, these contributions helped to:

• reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and enhance their ability to respond to climate change
• increase renewable-energy use and energy-efficiency solutions and enhance employment opportunities for skilled workers in the sector
• enhance capacity to plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters such as drought, floods and cyclones
• improve adaptation, as well as disaster and climate risk planning in developing countries, particularly vulnerable countries of sub-Saharan African, and small island developing states (SIDS) and the Caribbean
• support and strengthen local and Indigenous seed systems and farmers’ rights by decentralizing registration of seed varieties and seed certification
• share best practices related to the management of protected areas, ecological restoration, wildlife conservation and fire management

Sub-Saharan Africa

Canada and its partners worked with countries in sub-Saharan Africa to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. In 2019–2020, Canada supported several multilateral and bilateral climate-related initiatives.

As the largest donor to African Risk Capacity (ARC), a specialized agency of the African Union, Canada helped countries better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters such as drought, floods and cyclones. In 2019–2020, 9 countries participated in the insurance pool, the highest level since ARC’s creation. Since 2014, ARC has assisted 3.5 million vulnerable people through more than US$624 million in drought-risk insurance coverage.

Canada, along with other G7 partners, is supporting the goals of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative. By 2020, it aims to achieve at least 10 gigawatts (GW) of new and additional renewable energy generation capacity in Africa and generate at least 300 GW by 2030. Approximately 930,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa will benefit from an additional 490,000 megawatt-hours (MWh)/year in clean, modern and affordable energy. Through a $5 million grant to International Finance Corporation (IFC), Canada is helping to maximize the developmental impact of this initiative. The grant is helping IFC explore bankable investments in off-grid solutions in rural areas and better integrate gender-equality considerations into these investments.

In addition, through the Canada-IFC Renewable Energy Program for Africa, Canada is providing $150 million in concessional financing to help attract private investment and provide access to modern, affordable, gender-sensitive and sustainable energy services. As part of this investment, Canada supported the launch of IFC’s Energy2Equal program in October 2019. Through partnerships with private-sector firms in the region, this four-year initiative is expanding women’s access to jobs, leadership positions and entrepreneurial opportunities within the renewable energy sector.

In South Africa’s burgeoning cities, disadvantaged residents, businesses and municipal governments are facing increased hardships as the result of climate change. Yet, there is little practical guidance for adaptation in these areas. Canada is addressing this through support for the Green Book, an online tool developed by researchers from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. With input from more than 50 South African researchers, the Green Book provides city-specific data on current and projected climate and relevant adaptation solutions. This research has the potential to improve resilience within 1,637 South African urban settlements, which are home to more than 65% of the country’s population. During the COVID-19 pandemic, research from the Green Book also helped map risks and vulnerabilities to the virus in South Africa.

Americas

Natural-resource wealth is critical to the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean. However, ensuring that the economic benefits from these activities are equitable and sustainable continues to be a challenge. In 2019–2020, Canada contributed to the sustainable management of forests in the region and to improving the management of mining and energy activities.

Canadian-funded projects focused on increasing the role of women in water management, managing disaster risk and embedding gender equality in the fisheries sector. For example, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Empowerment of Women for Climate Action in Honduras project assisted 10 municipalities in identifying gaps related to natural-resources management, climate adaptation and mitigation, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. It also helped them take steps to address these issues in municipal development and investment plans.

In 2019–2020, Canada supported the $3 million Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Program for the Health Sector initiative to improve resilience across the region following natural disasters. In partnership with the Pan-American Health Organization, the project has helped more than 3,000 health-care workers in 19 Caribbean countries to improve their responsiveness during disasters, as well as during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the $20 million Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund, Canada has partnered with the Caribbean Development Bank to enhance disaster-risk management and climate change adaptation in vulnerable communities across the Caribbean’s SIDS. The fund has implemented 8 sub-projects—5 in Jamaica, and 1 each in Belize, the British Virgin Islands, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Through this fund, 59 communities were able to improve their knowledge of disaster-risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihoods. For example, in the Virgin Islands, early-warning systems linked to the national emergency-response system were installed. Approximately 580 farmers from Belize and Jamaica were trained in sustainable crop-production methods and the potential impacts of climate change on their livelihoods. In Belize, 9 farmers’ cooperatives were established to promote production of local food crops using climate-smart agriculture techniques.

Canada, along with other developed countries, committed to mobilizing US$100 billion per year in climate finance to multilateral development banks and global institutions by 2020 to better address the climate needs of developing countries. As part of this commitment, Canada is contributing $223.5 million between 2019 and 2044 to help the IDB’s Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in the Americas Phase II (C2F2). This fund aims to foster private-sector investment in gender-responsive climate mitigation and adaptation projects across the Americas.

Asia-Pacific

Across the Asia-Pacific region, climate events are expected to have an increasingly negative impact on human health, security, livelihoods and poverty. In 2019–2020, Canada helped vulnerable communities to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, in addition to integrating environmental-sustainability elements into new and existing projects in the region. For example, the $10 million Climate Change and Disaster Resilience in Myanmar project launched the Myanmar Unified platform for Disaster Risk Application (MUDRA). This one-stop portal is helping government agencies to make better decisions by sharing and applying disaster-risk information.

In 2019–2020, Canada worked with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to build low-carbon and resilient economies in the region. Through its $200 million contribution to the Bank’s Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in Asia II (CFPS II), Canada is helping to catalyze the private-sector investments needed to support clean and resilient innovations. The fund aims to help the private sector overcome risks by offering financing on concessional terms to projects that would not proceed solely on a commercial basis.

Through the CFPS II, Canada had already helped support 6 concessional finance projects as of December 2019. These projects are expected to install 427.6 MW of renewable energy, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 688,000 metric tons annually. They will expand electricity provided to local power grids and help reduce poverty by supporting local economic development and creating employment opportunities in surrounding communities. For example, the first largescale installation of floating solar panels in Viet Nam—the largest installation of its kind in Southeast Asia—was completed in 2019. The Bank committed US$37 million in loans from various funds, including US$15 million from CFPS to Da Nhim–Ham Thuan–Da Mi Hydro Power Joint Stock Company. The loans went toward installing a 47.5 MW facility on the reservoir of the company’s existing Da Mi hydropower plant. The project aims to generate 63,000 MWh of electricity a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30,000 metric tons annually by 2023.

Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa

Inclusive governance

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Peace and security

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs are highlighted under this action area based on common objectives and results.

All SDGs have crosscutting interlinkages with all of the action areas of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Violent conflict and insecurity have widespread, deep and lasting effects on individuals and societies. Continued international support and collaboration is needed to establish and maintain peace and security around the world, both for the safety of individuals and as a precondition for sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda underscores that “there can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without sustainable development.” This is reflected in SDG 16, which aims to promote peace, inclusive governance and justice for all.

Canada’s international assistance has a long history of directly supporting peace, security and stability. The Feminist Foreign Policy and Feminist International Assistance Policy guide Canada’s international engagement on SDGs 5 and 16 by developing a gender-responsive and integrated response to global peace and security challenges. Canada also works to address the long-term, systemic drivers of conflict and insecurity, as well as the immediate challenges facing peace and stability through programs such as Peace and Stabilization Operations; Office of Human Rights, Freedoms, and Inclusion (OHRFI) Programming; Anti-Crime Capacity Building; Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building; and Weapons Threat Reduction.

Canada is also improving coherence by aligning the objectives of development, humanitarian assistance, and peace-and-security programming when delivering international assistance in fragile and conflict-affected states. It is also ensuring it aligns with international best practices as outlined in the UN-World Bank Pathways for Peace report. Shifting away from managing and responding to crises and moving toward preventing conflict sustainably, inclusively and collectively can save lives and greatly reduce the costs of conflict.

In addition to its work to promote inclusive governance, Canada’s Office of Human Rights, Freedoms and Inclusion (OHRFI) contributes to peace-building and security objectives by supporting targeted initiatives that address the erosion of civil society space, threats to human-rights defenders, exclusion of marginalized and vulnerable minorities, as well as digital risks to human rights. This is done through OHRFI’s new programming arm, which manages the Promoting and Protecting Democracy Fund (Pro-Dem) and the Inclusion, Diversity and Human Rights Fund (IDHR).

Specifically, Canada works to promote peace and security by focusing on:

• supporting inclusive and gender-responsive violent-conflict prevention, crisis response, and sustainable peace in fragile and conflict-affected states
• supporting gender-responsive security-threat reduction and security-system reform
• improving multilateral management of peace and security challenges

Learn more about Canada’s approach through its peace and security action area policy. For information on Global Affairs Canada’s projects in this action area, please see the Project Browser.

Activities and results in 2019–2020

In 2019–2020, Canada invested $303.98 million in international assistance, of which $182.68 million was ODA, in peace and security initiatives. The top recipients of assistance were Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Yemen and Ukraine.

Through its Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPs), Canada distributed $165.8 million in 2019–2020 for projects that support conflict prevention, and stabilization and peacebuilding in fragile and conflict-affected states. This included targeted funding for the Global Peace Architecture, implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations.

In 2019–2020, Canada’s Anti-Crime (ACCBP) and Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building (CTCBP) programs allocated $13.6 million and $15.4 million, respectively, toward capacity-building initiatives that enhanced the ability of developing countries to address transnational or violent-extremism security challenges. This support resulted in more effective security institutions, stronger legal systems, improved local policies, frameworks and community resilience.

ACCBP programming enabled beneficiary countries to better prevent, detect, disrupt and reduce the harm of the illicit drug trade, cybercrime, human trafficking, human smuggling, money laundering and the proceeds of crime. As a result, these countries were able seize drugs, disrupt human-trafficking ventures and more successfully prosecute members of transnational-criminal organizations. CTCBP’s programming increased the ability of beneficiary countries to counter terrorist financing, strengthened border management, enhanced community resiliency, and strengthened the capacity of law enforcement, military and intelligence partners to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism. Key results included enhanced gender-sensitive critical-incident response outputs for police and first responders, strengthened border security to limit the flow of terrorist and violent extremists in porous regions, as well as increased community resolve towards countering harmful narratives and extremist ideologies.

As Canada’s flagship commitment to the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, the Weapons Threat Reduction Program (WTRP) has provided more than $1.4 billion since 2002 to address threats posed by chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological weapons and materials. In 2019–2020, the program delivered $70 million in programming to prevent terrorists and states of proliferation concern from acquiring and using weapons and materials of mass destruction. This included a further $1 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a partnership of public, private, philanthropic and civil organizations intended to stimulate, finance and co-ordinate vaccine development against emerging infectious disease. Ongoing support from the WTRP ($14 million between 2019–2020) and other donors enabled CEPI to quickly make use of its existing network and platforms to combat COVID-19. It contributed to CEPI’s subsequent designation as the lead for research, development, testing and licensing of COVID-19 vaccines within the Vaccines Partnership (COVAX) of the Access to COVID Tool Accelerator (ACT-A).

Sub-Saharan Africa

Canada continued its support of peace and security in sub-Saharan Africa through programming and diplomacy that advanced a number of priorities, including promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda, minimizing the spread and impact of violent extremism, and preventing the use and recruitment of child soldiers by implementing the Vancouver Principles.

Canadian support allowed 15,000 survivors of conflict in Mali, half of whom were women, to make depositions to the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission in 2019–2020. The Commission was established to promote hope, reduce tensions and acts of violence, and contribute to seeking the truth for victims of the conflict in the region. Canada’s assistance allowed many women in the region to move from being survivors of the conflict to active proponents of the peace process. Canada also funded a number of projects to support UN peacekeeping, including peacekeeper training through the Peace Operations Training Institute and providing gender advisers in MINUSCA in the Central African Republic and Mali.

In 2019–2020, Canada supported the 2019 G7 Dinard Declaration on the Partnership for a Comprehensive and Sustainable Strategy to Combat Illicit Trafficking in the Sahel Region. It targets terrorist financing and facilitation networks for Daesh- and al Qaeda-affiliated groups in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin as well as Kenya and Somalia. For example, law enforcement, security and defence forces in Mali and Burkina Faso received specialized training to identify, document and monitor transnational flows of munitions in order to limit their spread and reduce their use by non-state violent extremist groups. Canada supported United Nations Mine Action Service training for security institutions in Burkina Faso to enable them to mitigate threats from improvised explosive devices and prevent their use by violent extremist groups. These initiatives complement ongoing Canada-led activities to counter violent extremist messaging both online and in traditional media, as well as support community engagement to address local drivers of violent extremism.

In both 2019 and 2020, Canada co-chaired the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict in South Sudan. In February 2020, this group played a key role in getting the Government of South Sudan, armed groups and political actors to sign an Action Plan to end and prevent all grave violations against children—the first agreement of its kind since the creation of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate.

In 2019, Canada helped promote peace in Mozambique by funding the mediation process that led to the opposition Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (RENAMO) and the Government of Mozambique signing the Maputo Peace and Reconciliation Accord. The agreement is an important milestone for peace in the country and the final step to demobilizing, disarming and reintegrating RENAMO ex-combatants.

Canada also continued its longstanding efforts to strengthen African capacity to address outbreaks of infectious diseases, whether naturally occurring, accidental or through bioterrorism. In 2019–2020, this included ongoing support for biological-containment laboratories in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa, most of which have played key roles in national diagnostic efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Americas

Canada works with international and local organizations across the Americas to build the capacity of justice and law-enforcement institutions and agencies. In 2019–2020, Canadian initiatives supported professional development for police forces, landmine clearing and education activities, and strengthened leadership for peace building.

Canada is making the following investments in Colombia in peace and security. For example,

• Canada continues to provide support to Colombia as it emerges from decades of conflict. In 2019–2020, the Landmine Action in Colombia Project, implemented by The HALO Trust, cleared more than 57,500 square metres of landmine-contaminated area. Surveys were conducted to identify suspected or confirmed hazardous areas, helping to protect 74 communities and allowing 13 minefields to be converted to productive use. The project also conducted a study on mine-risk education for Indigenous Peoples in five areas to build awareness among underserved communities.
• Through Plan Canada’s Leading for Peace project, 77,497 victims of the armed conflict in Colombia were able to access improved services from the Government of Colombia. The project enabled these victims to become leaders for peace building in the region and increased their economic empowerment, in addition to creating safe environments for children and youth.
• Canada’s funding of the Support to the Afro-Colombian Community Initiative for Sustainable and Inclusive Peace in Colombia project helped use a feminist lens in implementing the Ethnic Chapter of the Colombian Peace Agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces. The project also provided women with a voice in the implementation of the Agreement in regions occupied primarily by Afro-Colombian people and highlighted the importance of implementing its ethnic components.
• In 2019–2020, Canada assisted the Organization of American States’ Mission to Support the Peace Process (OAS-MAPP) in monitoring and reporting to authorities on conditions of security, peacebuilding and transitional justice throughout Colombia. The OASMAPP plays a key role in creating sustainable peace in the country by generating trust and building bridges between communities and institutions.

In Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Canada continued to focus its programming on security reform, countering Internet crime against children, and human trafficking. In the Caribbean, Canada provided capacity-building for states to counter issues such as illicit drugs, money laundering and the proceeds of crime. For example, Canada’s support provided mentoring and other opportunities for the Jamaican Defense Force to become a Special Operations Forces leader in combatting trans-regional threats in the Caribbean Basin, including in Belize, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.

Through its support to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Canada helped strengthen the Haitian Border Police’s capacity to enforce security and become more aware of the rights and needs of migrants. The IOM conducted training sessions on issues such as combatting human trafficking, protecting the rights of migrants and protecting children. It also helped organize monthly bilateral meetings with key binational institutions working at the border to share common security issues and discuss ways to collectively tackle crime.

In 2019, Canada—in cooperation with the Organization of American States—enabled a number of Latin American and Caribbean states to fully adopt and implement legislation to reduce the development, proliferation and use of weapons and materials of mass destruction for terrorism. For example, this support helped Paraguay to submit its national action plan for implementing UN Security Council resolution 1540.

Asia-Pacific

Canada remains committed to helping build safe and secure communities in conflict and post-conflict regions in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2019, Canada contributed $2 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure its readiness to undertake future monitoring and verification activities in North Korea. Canada provided a further $2.6 million to help member states implement United Nations Security Council Resolution sanctions on North Korea and counter the country’s efforts to develop illicit weapons of mass destruction and ballistic-missile programs.

In 2019–2020, Canada’s partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) strengthened the region’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to biological threats. It also played a key role in ASEAN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Canada’s assistance enabled the ASEAN region to strengthen its Emergency Operations Center Network and establish an ASEAN BioDiaspora Virtual Center to conduct real-time disease surveillance and rapid risk assessments. Canada also strengthened the capacity of all 10 ASEAN member states to identify and track terrorists and violent extremists, including foreign fighters moving to and returning from conflict areas. In addition, border-management projects provided passport-examination technology to seven ASEAN countries that assisted law-enforcement officers in identifying almost 100 imposters and some 200 fraudulent documents.

In Myanmar and Sri Lanka, Canadian support to Internews helped produce media and journal content on pluralism with a gendered perspective. As a result of this project, 226 stories were produced in Myanmar and an additional 71 in Sri Lanka. The stories reached national audiences in both countries in multiple languages, helping raise the voices of women and marginalized groups, and setting the agenda for public discourse.

Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa

Longstanding and persistent conflicts and terrorist threats in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen continue to contribute to instability in the region. The situation has only worsened with recent economic challenges and other effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019–2020, Canada provided much-needed assistance to promote peace and security in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

In 2019–2020, Canada deployed Canadian Armed Forces members to the West Bank and Gaza to participate in Operation PROTEUS. Operation PROTEUS is Canada’s contribution to the Office of the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) in Jerusalem. It promotes peace in the region and provides capacity-building support to the Palestinian Authority. The deployed personnel comprise Task Force Jerusalem, which is helping to develop the Palestinian Authority Security Force’s (PASF) ability to provide a safe and secure environment for its citizens and promote peace in the region. In 2019–2020, the Task Force provided the PASF with training support, developed logistics capabilities and constructed security infrastructure. It played a key role in facilitating cooperation between the PASF and the Government of Canada, even on issues that are not usually of military interest, such as borders and crossings, and movement and access.

Canada’s peace and stabilization funding in Ukraine in 2019–2020 supported security-sector reform and a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Donbas region, in the eastern part of the country. This helped reduce tensions, build confidence, and increase the sense of security and trust among communities in the area. Canada continued its support for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Special Monitoring Mission, which is mandated to monitor the ceasefire and build peace as part of the Minsk Agreements. In 2019–2020, approximately 30 Canadians were deployed to the Mission.

Canada provided police training and reform programming in Ukraine. The Canadian Police Mission in Ukraine (CPMU) provides strategic advice for the development of effective, sustainable and accountable security services by providing technical assistance in the form of training and advice to the National Police of Ukraine (NPU). In 2019–2020, the CPMU resourced a gender advisor who provided training and policy advice to police agencies in the Ukraine, portraying an inclusive image of police officers and championing change in policing culture. In addition, CPMU provided training on domestic violence. All courses had a GBA+ module and language that reflected diversity.

Canada provided a $2.8 million assistance package to counter Russian state-sponsored disinformation during the 2019 Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary elections. These initiatives helped the Government of Ukraine identify and counter the ongoing and highly corrosive negative influence of disinformation.

In 2019–2020, Canada committed an additional $2 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts to monitor and verify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The Plan limits Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons. Canada has helped apply international safeguards on Iran’s nuclear activities by training inspectors, increasing Farsi-language skills, and acquiring and interpreting satellite imagery.

In Iraq, Canada’s support to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) improved stability in areas formerly occupied by Daesh through community policing initiatives. Ten community-policing forums and a central community-policing office were established in the Anbar, Diyala and Ninewa governorates. Surveys conducted by IOM reported that 79% of community members and 94% of law enforcement reported an improved level of trust between citizens and police.

During 2019–2020, Canadian programming strengthened the capacity of governments and organizations in the Middle East and North Africa to prevent and respond to violent extremist activity. Specifically, Canadian support through Operation IMPACT—Canada’s military contribution to the Global Coalition against Daesh—continued to improve border-security management in Lebanon and Jordan. One example of this is the rehabilitation of 65 km of road along Jordan’s northern border with Syria. Improved border management in the region has also helped contain Daesh to existing battlefields while strengthening the capacity of local security forces to respond to continued threats posed by cross-border terrorist incursions.

In 2019–2020, Canada contributed to the Pooled Fund to support the implementation of Jordan’s National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 (JONAP). Since the adoption of JONAP in 2018, the number of women in Jordanian national security-sector organizations has increased from 4.73% to 5.43%. The number of women in senior leadership and high-ranking positions within Jordan’s Civil Defence Department has also increased, from 4.7% to 5.5%, and from 1% to 1.6% within the Gendarmerie. In addition, the numbers of Jordanian women in UN peacekeeping operations has increased by 4% since the adoption of JONAP. In fact, in 2019–2020, women constituted 17% of all Jordan Armed Forces personnel deployed to peacekeeping missions and 13.3% of those deployed by the Public Security Directorate.

In Yemen, Canada also provided more than $15 million to support peace and security. This included support for programming to advance the inclusion of women in peacebuilding at the local and national levels, and to ensure humanitarian access is able to reach the poorest and most vulnerable.

Multi-regional

Promoting peace and security globally

Collaboration with Canada’s partners

Canada could not achieve its international assistance objectives without strong partnerships both in Canada and abroad. These partnerships bring together the technical capacity, logistical know-how, advocacy skills and organizational networks necessary to deliver Canada’s international assistance and effectively support our partner countries.

In 2019–2020, Canada continued to work with a broad range of partners to achieve its strategic priorities—from civil society to local governments to multilateral organizations to the private sector. By collaborating with 181 Canadian civil society organizations such as NGOs, colleges and universities, volunteer-sending organizations, think tanks and others, GAC was able to implement Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, as well as advance its international assistance priorities. Canada built on its relationships with the private sector through:

• new FinDev Canada investments
• the deployment of innovative development-financing initiatives
• policy leadership at UN multi-stakeholder vehicles like the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation

For further information on GAC’s projects with these partners, please see the Project Browser.

Civil Society

Civil society includes non-governmental organizations, foundations, women’s groups and community groups. Canada fosters strong partnerships with these groups both at home and internationally, including in countries where it delivers programming. In 2019–2020, Canada continued to implement its Policy for Civil Society Partnerships for the International Assistance Policy – A Feminist Approach. In 2019, Global Affairs Canada’s annual dialogue with civil society organizations (CSO) focused on the CSO enabling environment in Canada and globally, as well as its policy-implementation plan.

In 2019–2020, Canada engaged with new and diverse civil society partners. In May 2019, a call for concept notes was piloted under the initiative for Canadian Small and Medium Organizations (SMOs) for Impact and Innovation to reduce applicants’ effort levels and increase the participation of new partners. In addition, the Technical Assistance Partnership launched the Pilot Mission Deployment Fund. The Fund is helping Canadian missions to deploy Canadian experts to engage in technical-assistance and capacity-building activities. In total, 20 Canadian experts—of whom 15 were women, including one Indigenous woman—were deployed to assist 15 partner-country agreements. As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, some missions also successfully adjusted their initiatives to e-expertise activities.

Through the Volunteer Cooperation Program (VCP) and youth-internship programs, Canada provides opportunities for Canadians to contribute to international assistance projects in developing countries. Through the VCP, 15 Canadian partner organizations sent 1,447 Canadian volunteers, 62% of whom were women, to more than 40 developing countries in 2019–2020. Through their expertise in a number of fields, these volunteers helped build capacity for 754 local partners. When these volunteers returned to Canada, they also participated in 1,173 community events to raise awareness about development issues. For example, in February 2020, the VCP hosted a “human library” during which 30 volunteers talked about their volunteer experiences with the audience. Although 2019–2020 was the final year of the VCP program, it has allowed Canada to send a total of 9,508 volunteers over five years through partnerships with recognized Canadian organizations such as Oxfam-Quebec, Cuso International, CESO, CECI and WUSC.

The International Youth Internship Program and the International Aboriginal Youth Internships initiative give Canadian youth opportunities to participate in international internships in developing countries. This allows them to gain valuable work experience and participate in Canada’s international assistance efforts. In 2019–2020, 346 interns were sent to 44 countries under the International Youth Internship Program and 99 Indigenous youth interns were deployed to 14 developing countries under the International Aboriginal Youth Internships initiative. For instance, some of VIDEA’s Indigenous interns spent 3 months in Zambia with Women for Change, a local Zambian organization that works to increase children’s access to education, as well as to empower women through training on income-generating activities, on sexual and reproductive health and rights. A survey carried out six months after the youth interns returned to Canada showed that 81% of youth interns and 96% of Indigenous youth interns were able to find employment or return to school after their internship.

Working with Canadian civil society partners

Canada’s innovative approach to international assistance

Federal organizations providing international assistance

Global Affairs Canada

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is the lead federal department responsible for coordinating Canada’s international assistance policy and programming around the world. This includes delivering development, humanitarian, and peace and security programming. GAC works with country partners, multilateral institutions, Canadian and international civil society partners, private-sector partners and other government institutions to develop and implement innovative and sustainable development initiatives globally. The Feminist International Assistance Policy guides all of Canada’s international assistance priorities and programming. Through this Policy, GAC champions the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in order to eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world for all. This includes providing international assistance that is human rights-based and inclusive, and considers the perspectives of the most marginalized and vulnerable. By adopting a feminist approach, GAC also aims to provide more integrated, responsive and accountable assistance that invests in innovation and research, delivers better and more transparent reporting on results, fosters effective partnerships and focuses on those regions of the world where Canada can have the greatest impact. The UN Sustainable Development Goals, coupled with the Feminist International Assistance Policy, also provide a robust roadmap to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforce the need and utility of these guiding documents.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is a global leader in the promotion of orderly managed migration pathways using an internationally recognized migration model. GAC plays a significant role in upholding Canada’s international obligations and humanitarian tradition of promoting human rights and providing protection to those fleeing persecution. It works both domestically and internationally to develop and implement timely, efficient and effective refugee-protection policies and programs.

Department of Finance Canada

The Department of Finance Canada provides funding to the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund and regional development banks to help achieve Canada’s international assistance priorities. The department also supports the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. This Initiative helps decrease debt-service payments in developing countries, supports the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to address the significant infrastructure gap in Asia, and works with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to catalyze private capital for development.

International Development Research Centre

As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) invests in knowledge, innovation and solutions to improve the lives of people in the developing world. By bringing together the right partners around opportunities with the greatest impact, IDRC helps build the leaders of today and tomorrow. IDRC-supported research helps drive change for those who need it most and generates opportunities that promote an equitable, diverse and prosperous world.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is responsible for deploying Canadian police officers to peace operations around the world through the Canadian Police Arrangement (CPA). The CPA is jointly managed by the RCMP, GAC and Public Safety Canada and is part of an integrated approach to respond to the security needs of fragile and conflict-affected states. RCMP personnel serve in international peace and stabilization operations by assisting in building law-enforcement capacity in these countries. By building the capacity of foreign police to maintain law and order, the RCMP help support global peace and security by creating safer and more stable local environments.

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) supports developing countries’ transition to low-carbon, sustainable and climate-resilient economies. Delivered through multilateral, regional and bilateral initiatives, the department’s support focuses on areas such as disaster-risk management, capacity-building for climate adaptation and mitigation, and clean-technologies deployment. International assistance delivered by ECCC also provides communities in developing countries with the tools required to implement their plan to fight climate change. (see section on “Support ambitions mitigation action”).

Canada Revenue Agency

As a key member of international and regional tax organizations, the CRA helps promote collaboration to support the sharing of expertise and technical support with tax administrations in developing countries. This assistance focuses on strengthening tax capacity to address domestic resource-mobilization challenges, as a means to foster self-reliance, growth and stability. By strengthening tax capacity, developing countries are better placed to participate in the global tax dialogue. It also ensures that international standards to combat tax evasion and avoidance are meaningfully implemented in these countries.

Department of National Defence

The Department of National Defence provides certain support to developing countries, including capacity-building activities and responses to humanitarian emergencies. In 2019–2020, the Canadian Armed Forces contributed to Operation PROTEUS, which supports Israeli-Palestinian security coordination. It also promotes institutional reform within the Palestinian Authority Security Forces by providing advice and assistance at the operational and strategic level to enhance transparency, ownership, accountability and legitimacy.

Employment and Social Development Canada

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) works to effectively implement the labour chapters of free trade agreements with partner countries and to ensure these countries promote and respect internationally recognized labour rights and principles. Its Labour Program provides technical assistance to support capacity-building projects implemented by international organizations and regional nongovernmental organizations on behalf of Canada. This assistance funds projects that strengthen democratic governance and promote economic growth, while respecting workers’ rights and improve the quality of working conditions in partner countries.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is Canada’s official representative at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the lead UN agency for telecommunications and information and communication technologies. Through the ITU’s Development Sector, the organization provides opportunities—especially to developing countries—to acquire the specialized knowledge and skills they need to engage in, and benefit from, telecommunication technologies. It is an important source of information, education and training in this field.

Parks Canada

Parks Canada supports global efforts to conserve and protect natural and cultural heritage through a broad range of international activities. The agency collaborates with international partners and shares information and best practices related to the management of protected areas and heritage places. It also helps to fulfill Canada’s multilateral obligations and the SDGs by providing expert support and financial contributions to international organizations, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, which administers the World Heritage Fund.

Canada Post

As a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), Canada Post helps support the UPU’s technical-cooperation programs. These programs help reduce the postal divide between industrialized and developing countries. This assistance includes, among other things, support to implement postal-reform plans based on national analyses, training and purchase of equipment.

Public Health Agency of Canada

The Public Health Agency of Canada represents Canada at the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. PAHO serves as both the WHO’s Regional Office and the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System. In terms of international assistance, the Agency provides financial and in-kind support to PAHO and WHO initiatives aimed at strengthening health systems in developing countries.

Canadian Space Agency

The Canadian Space Agency is a member of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters. This collaboration among space agencies around the world provides unified access to space-based data that support disaster-relief operations at no cost to the end user. Canada contributes by offering valuable data from the RADARSAT-2 satellite, and soon from that of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), both of which have 24/7 emergency-call services for disaster cases throughout the world. These services help mitigate the impact of natural or technological disasters on property and human life.

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office’s international assistance contribution consists primarily of technical assistance on intellectual-property management for developing countries. In 2019–2020, this assistance was partly provided through an annual workshop on intellectual-property services to senior intellectual-property officials from 12 developing countries. All training, forums and discussions were provided through the lens of women in the intellectual-property (IP) field. A full day was also dedicated to discussing global efforts toward advancing gender equality and women empowerment in the global IP sphere.

Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is committed to developing and strengthening international partnerships to enhance public safety, and to further the efficiency and effectiveness of correctional services worldwide. Recognized as a leader in corrections, CSC’s international activities support the Government of Canada’s foreign policy objectives. These include promoting the rule of law, the advancement of gender equality and women’s empowerment, respect for human rights, and international development and cooperation. CSC deploys corrections specialists to peace operations. It also coordinates the delivery of specialized corrections training activities, hosts international delegations, and develops and/or manages bilateral memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with several countries on various corrections projects, such as: study visits; sharing of information and expertise; needs assessments; and technical assistance.

Transport Canada

Transport Canada is promoting a safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible transportation system. In 2019–2020, Transport Canada, as champion state for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) No Country Left Behind initiative, provided technical support to Haiti for the development and implementation of Haiti’s Aviation Safety Oversight System. Furthermore, as part of the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO’s Assistance Capacity Building and Training program to support the global implementation of the ICAO Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), Transport Canada delivered capacity-building sessions to developing nations, mainly in French African states and in Caribbean states.

Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada’s development initiatives focus on capacity-building support to accountable public institutions. It works with national statistical offices and other key actors in developing countries to provide Canadian statistical expertise to develop sound global indicators for measuring the SDGs and to helping these countries measure their progress towards achieving them. At the 5th UN Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Leaders’ Forum in February 2020, Statistics Canada presented a new survey on security in public and private spaces. It also shared Canada’s practices in measuring violence against women and children, and information regarding the safe cities project currently under development.

The Canadian Museum of Nature

The Canadian Museum of Nature is a scientific and educational institution that helps Canadians and others connect with the natural world. The museum’s international assistance activities consist of its institutional contribution as a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Union enables the development of partnerships and networks that help members work together toward the conservation and sustainable use of the earth’s resources. It has a global program of activities that contributes to habitat conservation, ecological integrity and the conservation of biological diversity. The Union’s activities also emphasize the importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women, as well as the engagement of youth.

Public Service Commission of Canada

The Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) is responsible for promoting and safeguarding a merit based, representative and non-partisan Canadian public service. The PSC provides international assistance by organizing knowledge-sharing sessions with representatives from public-service organizations in developing countries. This engagement also helps support capacity-building in their public services. In 2019–2020, public-service organizations in Mongolia and Malaysia requested meetings with the PSC to learn about its role in preserving the integrity of the staffing system and the non-political nature of the federal public service of Canada.

Annex A

International assistance reporting: Canada’s legislative requirements and key financial concepts

The goal of this document is to provide Canadians with an accounting of results achieved through the use of public funds for international sustainable development, humanitarian action, and peace and security. It is also intended to give Canadians and the international community a clearer picture of Canada’s progress toward implementing the Feminist International Assistance Policy and achieving the UN’s SDGs.

It also consolidates reporting requirements related to the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act (ODAAA), the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act (Bretton Woods Act), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement Act (EBRD Act). A consolidated report was made possible by the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, which also introduced a new funding structure for the International Assistance Envelope (IAE) by establishing six dedicated “pools” that address the following types of activities:

• core development
• humanitarian assistance
• international financial-institutions funding
• peace and security
• crisis
• strategic-priorities funding

Volume 1 of this report covers all federal official development assistance (ODA) as per the ODAAA reporting requirements. It also details other IAE assistance that does not meet the definition of ODA. For more information on non-ODA activities, refer to the section on the Key Financial Concepts.

The ODAAA also requires that the Minister of International Development issue a statistical report on ODA within one year after completion of each fiscal year. This report provides more details on international assistance expenditures by organization, sector and recipient. It is also available on GAC’s website.

For more information, refer to the text of the ODAAA on the Justice Laws Website.

Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act

The Bretton Woods Act requires the Minister of Finance to table an annual report in Parliament that provides a general summary of operations under the Act and details of those operations that directly affect Canada, along with communiqués issued by the institutions’ governing committees. These communiqués can be found in Volume 2.

For more information, refer to the text of the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act on the Justice Laws Website.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement Act

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement Act requires that the Minister of Finance provide to Parliament an annual report of operations containing a general summary of all actions taken under the Act, including their sustainable development and human rights aspects. Please refer to Volume 2.

For more information, refer to the text of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement Act on the Justice Laws Website.

Key financial concepts

International assistance: includes all financial resources and activities provided by Canadian governments (federal, provincial or municipal) to support economic, environmental, social and political development in other (primarily developing) countries. This report includes only the federal component of Canada’s international assistance.

International Assistance Envelope (IAE): is a dedicated, whole-of-government pool of resources for international assistance. The International Assistance Envelope (IAE) funds the majority of Canada’s international assistance. Activities funded by the International Assistance Envelope which are not ODA-eligible include security, conflict prevention, stabilization or peacebuilding initiatives that do not meet ODA eligibility due to country eligibility or activity type. Several federal organizations have received IAE funding in recent years, including Global Affairs Canada, the Department of Finance Canada, the International Development Research Centre, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Canada Revenue Agency. In 2019–2020, the IAE funded $5.5 billion of Canada’s international assistance, totalling 88% of all federal international assistance.

Official Development Assistance (ODA): Canada’s ODA as defined in the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act is compatible with the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development definition. In addition, ODA must meet the three criteria set out in subsection 4.1 of the Act, that states it must:

• contribute to poverty reduction
• take into account the perspectives of the poor
• be consistent with international human rights standards

Given that the ODAAA applies to federal spending only, this report excludes international assistance provided by provinces, territories and municipalities.

International Assistance Envelope Allocations and Disbursements in 2019–2020

Since Budget 2018, the IAE was reorganized around dedicated funding pools to more clearly outline and project how federal Canadian aid is allocated (through the Core Development Pool, the Humanitarian Assistance Pool, the International Financial Institutions Pool, the Peace and Security Pool, the Crisis Pool and the Strategic Priorities Fund). In addition, Budget 2018 announced additional resources for the IAE, with $2 billion allocated over five years (from 2018–2019 to 2022–2023).

Budget 2019 committed to reporting on expenses against the allocations presented. The comparison can be found in the charts below.

Allocations announced in Budget 2019^*

Disbursements in 2019–2020^*

^* The Strategic Priorities Fund was allocated to the Core Development (80.7%), Humanitarian Assistance (10.5%) and Peace & Security (8.8%) pools. The Crisis Pool was allocated to the Humanitarian Assistance (64%), Core Development (26%), and Peace and Security (10%) pools for international crisis and stabilization response.

Volume 2: Engagement with international financial institutions

Introduction

Volume 2 of the Report to Parliament on the Government of Canada’s International Assistance 2019–2020 provides information on Canada’s engagement with international financial institutions (IFIs)^{Footnote 38}, with specific focus on engagements and operations at the World Bank Group (Section A), the International Monetary Fund (Section B), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Section C), as they respond to various reporting requirements under the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement (EBRD) Act.

IFIs provide financial and technical assistance to developing country governments, and in some cases private sector actors, to support poverty reduction and long-term economic development. These investments cover a wide array of sectors, including education, health, public administration, infrastructure, financial and private sector development, agriculture, and environmental and natural resource management. Some IFIs, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, also support developing countries with policy advice, research and analysis, and capacity-development activities.

Canada provides core contributions to support IFI operations and activities, while also providing funds for specific projects. Canada also actively contributes to the development of IFI policies and provides oversight of IFI financial activities through membership on boards of governors and boards of directors, the latter bodies dealing with day-to-day decisions. Canada is also involved in the work of various internal committees and engages in meaningful dialogue with other shareholders.

In order to provide strategic direction for its engagement with IFIs, Canada develops key objectives that are informed by Canada’s commitment to multilateralism, foreign policy, and development priorities, and general principles of good governance. Details on Canada’s engagement priorities are presented in Volume 1 of this report.

Section A: Canada’s engagement in World Bank Group operations

Reporting requirements

The Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act came into force in 1985 to govern Canada’s engagement with the Bretton Woods institutions: the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank Group (that is, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency). The Bretton Woods institutions constitute important channels through which Canada delivers international assistance and supports global economic and financial stability.

As laid out in sections 13 and 14 of the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act, the Minister of Finance is required to table an annual report in Parliament that provides a general summary of operations under the Act and details of operations that directly affect Canada, along with communiqués issued by the institutions’ governing committees. Sections A and B meet these reporting requirements.

For more information, refer to the text of the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act on Justice Canada’s website: Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act.

Governance and representation

Canada’s capital subscriptions and shareholding

The World Bank Group is governed by member countries, each of which owns shares of the agencies that make up the World Bank Group. Decision-making power is exercised primarily by countries, through their representative on the Board of Governors and their Executive Directors.

Canada is among the 10 largest shareholders at the World Bank Group. Since the World Bank’s creation in 1945, Canada has contributed a total of US$9.2 billion in capital subscriptions to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and US$12.2 billion in contributions to the International Development Association (IDA) (see Table A1).

Canada’s current voting power ranges from 2.5% to 3% within the Bank’s different institutions. Voting power at the Bank is a function of the shareholdings held by a country. A small share of a member’s voting power is also determined by basic votes, which are distributed equally among all members.

Information on the World Bank Group’s 2019–2020 fiscal year (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020) is provided in the financial statements of each entity. Further information on the WBG’s performance can be found on its Results webpage.

Canada at the Board of Governors

Each member appoints a Governor to represent it on the Board of Governors, the highest authority governing the World Bank Group. Governors are responsible for core institutional decisions, such as admitting or suspending members, increasing or decreasing the Bank’s authorized capital stock, determining the distribution of net income, and reviewing financial statements and budgets. Canada’s Governor at the World Bank Group during the reporting period was former Minister of Finance Bill Morneau. The position of Alternate WBG Governor was held by Diane Jacovella, Canada’s former Deputy Minister of International Development, until September 2019, and has been vacant since.

Canada at the Executive Board

Governors delegate responsibility for the day-to-day running of the organization to 25 full-time Executive Directors, located at the WBG’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Executive Directors are appointed for two years. They each represent a constituency, which can include more than one country. Canada holds one of the 25 seats on the Executive Board and represents a constituency that is also composed of Ireland and 11 Caribbean countries. Representatives of the governments within the constituency provide advice to the Executive Director on issues discussed at the Executive Board. Canada’s Executive Director to the WBG during the reporting period was Christine Hogan, until her departure in September 2019. Canada’s current Executive Director is Louise Levonian.

The Executive Board usually makes decisions by consensus. In the event of a formal vote, however, the relative voting power of individual Executive Directors is based on the shares held by the constituencies they represent. Further information on Canada’s Executive Director’s office can be found on the World Bank website.

To learn more about the governance of the Executive Board, please visit the World Bank Group’s Board of Directors’ webpage.

Canada at the Development Committee

By virtue of its significant shareholding, Canada’s Governor is also accorded a seat at the Development Committee of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and IMF. The committee meets twice a year, at the Spring Meetings and the Annual (Fall) Meetings. The Development Committee is a ministerial-level forum of the World Bank Group and the IMF for intergovernmental consensus-building on development issues and the financial resources required to promote economic development in developing countries.

In 2019–2020, Canada’s Governor tabled two Development Committee statements on behalf of Canada’s constituency, on October 19, 2019, in Washington, D.C., and on April 17, 2020 during a virtually-held meeting. Among other things, the Governor highlighted some of Canada’s priorities at the WBG, including women and girls’ empowerment, debt sustainability and transparency, coordination among IFIs, and a swift COVID-19 response.

Canada’s financial contributions to the World Bank Group in 2019–2020

Canada is an important provider of funding to the World Bank Group. In 2019–2020, Canada made the following contributions, which are reported as Canadian official development assistance:

• IDA contribution: $441.6 million

IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 74 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Strongly aligned with Canada’s international assistance priorities, IDA-financed operations focus on primary education, basic health services, clean water and sanitation, environmental safeguards, business climate improvements, infrastructure, and institutional reforms. IDA provides countries with low-interest loans, interest-free loans and grants based on a country’s level of income and record of success in managing their economy and their ongoing IDA projects.

During the reporting period of July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, Canada provided $441.6 million, as agreed under the IDA18 replenishment. This corresponds to the third and last installment of Canada’s IDA18 contribution. This contribution supports IDA’s efforts to enhance aid effectiveness, finance large regional projects such as infrastructure projects, and provide special assistance for fragile states, such as Afghanistan and Haiti, while ensuring countries do not take on unsustainable levels of debt.

• Multilateral debt relief through the World Bank: $48.1 million

Under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI), the World Bank, IMF and African Development Fund (ADF) agreed to cancel 100% of eligible debts owed by heavily indebted poor countries. At the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, United Kingdom, in 2005, Canada and other donor countries agreed to fully compensate the World Bank, IMF and ADF for the debts they cancelled on behalf of poor countries, so as not to undermine the ability of these institutions to provide new financial support to low-income countries. Canada’s total commitment over the 50-year lifespan of the MDRI is $2.5 billion and payments are made annually. Debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the MDRI has substantially reduced debt burdens in recipient countries. During the July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 reporting period, Canada provided $48.1 million to the World Bank Group for the MDRI.

• World Bank Group trust funds: $414.6 million

World Bank Group trust funds are an effective instrument for channeling donor funding to address key strategic development issues at the country, regional or global level. In particular, trust funds leverage bank funding for development programs, particularly in post-disaster and post-conflict situations; enable donor and private sector financiers of development activities to partner with the Bank, consistent with harmonization objectives; build capacity to work in innovative areas; and work with civil society organizations. Trust funds can either be single or multi-donor. Canada contributes to both types, with the majority of its contributions going to multi-donor trust funds.

Canada’s engagement with the World Bank Group reflects a strong focus on:

• the Feminist International Assistance Policy, which puts the empowerment of women and girls at the centre of its development efforts
• the poorest countries and countries in conditions of fragility and conflict through both IDA and the IBRD/IDA trust fund portfolio
• global public goods, such as health, including maternal and child health, and climate change mitigation, through IBRD/IDA trust funds and financial intermediary funds (FIFs)
• private sector development, reflected in the funding of IFC advisory services and investments, and FIFs (such as the Global Infrastructure Facility); and
• country operations, with the majority of IBRD/IDA trust fund agreements either country- or region-specific. A high share (85%) of overall IBRD/IDA trust funds are recipient-executed.

Global Affairs Canada manages Canada’s trust fund relationship at the World Bank Group. Table A2 provides a list of Global Affairs Canada trust fund disbursements in 2019–2020.

Objectives and results of Canada’s WBG trust funds

As Canada continues to engage with the World Bank Group through trust fund arrangements, the effectiveness of these partnerships is assessed to ensure that development outcomes are being achieved. Key areas of progress include:

• Canada Clean Energy and Forest Facility
• Global Financing Facility

In 2019–2020, Canada contributed $236 million to the Canada Clean Energy and Forests Climate Facility (CCEFF), which targets financing to where it is needed most in order to stimulate investment in inclusive, green growth. Established in 2020, the Facility will support transformational climate actions of World Bank projects, with a focus on Asia’s clean energy transition, renewable energy in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and forests and sustainable land use. Financing from the Facility will catalyze and scale up clean energy climate financing across multiple sectors, accelerate energy efficiency and renewable energy market development, promote the mainstreaming of gender considerations in clean energy investments, and support sustainable landscapes, climate-smart land use, and green supply chains, as well as new financial instruments that promote private sector investment and public-private partnerships.

In 2019–2020, Canada contributed $40 million to the Global Financing Facility (GFF). As a founding donor to the GFF, since 2015, Canada has committed a total of $440 million to support GFF countries to prioritize and scale up investments to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition through targeted strengthening of primary health care systems. Prior to the pandemic, GFF countries had seen positive trends in outcome indicators for under-five mortality, child growth, adolescent fertility, as well as reductions in maternal and newborn mortality.

World Bank procurement from Canada

The Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) works closely with Canadian companies to increase awareness and pursuit of multi-sectoral procurement opportunities at the IFIs. The TCS maintains the Offices of Liaison with International Financial Institutions (OLIFIs). The Washington, D.C., OLIFI helps businesses access WBG procurement opportunities.

Due to data availabilities, this section reflects contract awards for World Bank operational procurement only, and does not include sub-contractor information.

Communiqués of the Development Committee of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and IMF (as required under the Bretton Woods Act)

World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings 2019: Development Committee Communiqué

October 19, 2019

1. The Development Committee met today, October 19, in Washington, DC.
2. Global growth remains subdued, reflecting the softening pace of investment and trade. Downside risks persist due to continued policy uncertainty, trade tensions, financial volatility, and rising debt. We call on the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to continue cooperating and work with countries to bolster potential growth, increase resilience to shocks, boost domestic revenues and continue building policy buffers. They should also consolidate the multi-pronged approach with borrowers and creditors to address the increase in debt vulnerabilities in emerging and low-income economies, as well as promote sustainable and transparent borrowing and lending practices. We ask the Bank Group and IMF to promote effective regulatory and operational measures for fostering tax transparency and combatting illegal tax avoidance, money laundering, illicit financial flows and other challenges to the integrity of the international financial system, including tackling corruption. Efforts should also protect the most vulnerable, enable private sector solutions, spur job creation and strengthen public sector efficiency.
3. We welcome the 2020 World Development Report—Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains. The positive effects of the expansion of trade and value chains are evident in their impact on economic growth and income gains, jobs, productivity, technology transfer, and most importantly, poverty reduction. At the same time, trade gains remain unevenly distributed within and across countries. We call on the Bank Group to work with member countries to strive to realize free, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment, while protecting the environment and ensuring that the gains from participation are equitably distributed.
4. We appreciate the progress reported in the Human Capital Project Update, particularly the concrete institutional and policy reforms of participating countries. We encourage the Bank Group to continue working with public and private sector partners to prioritize analytics and strengthen systems, interventions and investments that improve human capital outcomes, with continued refinement of the Human Capital Index methodology. The outcomes include: improving revenue mobilization and public expenditure management, making progress toward universal health coverage in developing countries, ensuring quality education as well as lifelong learning to prepare workers for current and future job market needs, investing in and empowering women, expanding the coverage of social safety nets and improving service delivery. These actions are essential to achieving the twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner.
5. We welcome the paper on Jobs and Economic Transformation: Drivers, Policy Implications and World Bank Group Support. We appreciate Bank Group support of country-specific priorities that bring together analytics, policy advice, and tools to support jobs and economic transformation, while de-risking and catalyzing private investments. We support coordination and urgent action within the Bank Group to support institutional development and governance reforms, create markets and jobs, spur private investment, reduce barriers to creating businesses, address labor demand and supply constraints, enhance opportunities for women and youth, expand regional projects and collaboration as well as leverage regional integration and south-south cooperation. We urge management to mainstream and operationalize this agenda, drawing on lessons from past successes and on the framework provided in the paper, customized to country contexts, and ask that the Board be updated on this approach by Spring 2020.
6. Countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) face a complex landscape exacerbated by, among other issues, natural disasters, climate change, weak governance, inequalities, exclusion and poor access to energy. They have high numbers of vulnerable people, demographic and migration pressures and forced displacement. These factors create risks and challenges, and to overcome them requires innovation and increased support. Fighting poverty and promoting shared prosperity in FCV situations is key to furthering progress toward the twin goals and the SDGs. The Bank Group and the IMF must remain engaged, with strong local teams in place, to prevent, mitigate, and build resilience to crises while strengthening institutions, developing quality infrastructure, and partnering with the private sector. We look forward to the Bank Group’s new FCV strategy that aims to address the drivers of FCV in affected countries, including fragile small island states, and their impact on vulnerable populations. We also expect the strategy to guide context-specific and regional interventions, policy dialogue, and operational partnerships via country programs and country platforms with key bilateral and multilateral partners, including the UN.
7. It is critical that accountability mechanisms for Bank Group projects remain strong and effective, especially as the organization intensifies its work in more challenging environments. We reiterate the importance of the World Bank Inspection Panel and the IFC and MIGA Compliance Advisor Ombudsman in enhancing development outcomes.
8. The private sector is crucial to generating jobs and raising living standards. We appreciate the role of the Bank Group, including IFC and MIGA, in continuing to provide upstream advisory services, facilitate and expand investments and create markets by engaging with all clients, while prioritizing IDA and FCV countries. We support their efforts to build opportunities for private sector solutions while maximizing development impact, including through the upcoming MIGA strategy. We encourage IFC and MIGA to continue to be proactive and innovate to increase private sector investments and support entrepreneurship, including SMEs.
9. We agree on the critical role of IDA, the Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, in helping to tackle the most important development challenges facing the global community. We welcome the strong implementation of IDA18 and ask that lessons learned be captured and applied to IDA19. The overall direction of IDA19, with its special themes and cross-cutting issues, represents an ambitious agenda. To deliver on this, we look forward to a successful IDA19 replenishment, with strong support from existing and new donors. We ask IDA to continue to focus on delivering results on the ground through its core financing and dedicated windows. We also welcome the one-third increase in IMF concessional financing available to low-income countries approved in May 2019, which provides more room for the IMF to support its poorest and most vulnerable members.
10. Gender equality is a priority for the Bank Group, and we are encouraged by the implementation of its Gender Strategy, reinforced by commitments related to IDA and the capital increase. Going forward, it will be critical to further deepen this implementation. We also welcome the enhanced focus given to gender equality issues by the IMF, including in its country work.
11. We commend the progress in implementing the IBRD and IFC capital package and delivering on the Forward Look commitments of (i) serving all clients, (ii) leading on global public goods, (iii) creating markets and (iv) continually improving the business and operational model. IBRD should continue to engage clients across the income spectrum, while prioritizing additional financing towards countries below the graduation discussion income, in line with the commitments of the capital package. The Bank Group is uniquely placed to address global development challenges, and we encourage it to help implement country platforms to make better use of development resources and mobilize private sector solutions. We call for intensified engagement with clients to advance on the global issues identified in the capital package, namely crisis management and FCV, climate change, gender, knowledge and convening, and regional integration, and other specific issues such as energy security, biodiversity, illicit financial flows and pandemics. The Bank Group engaged on many of these issues at the recent UN General Assembly. The Bank Group should also continue to deliver on its Climate Change Action Plan.
12. We look forward to the adoption of the IFC capital resolutions by March 18, 2020, and we encourage ongoing work toward subscriptions and payment for the IBRD capital increase launched on October 2, 2018.
13. We welcome the IDA Voting Rights Review: Report to Governors and endorse the proposed review, including its guiding principles and scope. We request that the IDA Board of Directors lead the review, and we look forward to an update by the 2020 Annual Meetings, with an agreed timeline for concluding the discussions.
14. The next Shareholding Review will take place in 2020. Reviews are an opportunity to take stock of shareholders’ representation relative to the agreed Dynamic Formula and in line with shareholding principles.
15. We call on the Bank Group to work with members to lay the foundation for a proactive and orderly LIBOR transition, preserving the integrity of the financial model of the Bank Group, while applying principles of fairness and transparency.
16. We thank Christine Lagarde for her strong leadership of the IMF over the past 8 years. We also congratulate Kristalina Georgieva on her selection as Managing Director of the IMF.
17. The next meeting of the Development Committee is scheduled for April 18, 2020, in Washington, DC.

World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2019: Development Committee Communiqué

April 17, 2020

1. The Development Committee met virtually today, April 17, 2020.
2. Our meeting occurred at a time of unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its devastating effects are being felt across the globe as the human and economic toll continues to rise. We express our sympathy to those affected and offer our support and solidarity to those working on the front lines fighting the pandemic.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores that the development community increasingly faces global challenges requiring decisive, collective action and innovation. Multilateral cooperation is needed to contain the pandemic and mitigate its health, social, and economic consequences. The World Bank Group (WBG) is uniquely positioned to tackle these complex issues and to play a leading role via its lending, investments, knowledge, and convening capacity.
4. We encourage the WBG and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), within their respective mandates, to continue helping all clients, in partnership with the World Health Organization, other UN agencies, international financial institutions, and bilateral partners. We ask them to collaborate in addressing the pandemic, supporting economic recovery, and safeguarding progress toward the twin goals and the SDGs.
5. The global economy is experiencing an exceptional negative shock as a result of COVID-19. The attendant sharp decline in global investor confidence has severely tightened external financing conditions for countries across the income spectrum. The pandemic is disrupting trade, supply chains and investment flows. It is also leaving financial and human capital idle, while remittances, transport revenues, and income from tourism have rapidly diminished. In addition, steep drops in commodity prices are harming commodity-dependent economies. We ask the WBG to help countries mitigate these disruptions and support efforts to preserve jobs and boost confidence. Special attention should be paid to the provision of affordable medical supplies and to food security and safety. We also ask that all countries ensure the flow of vital medical supplies, critical agricultural products, and other goods and services across borders, and that they work to resolve disruptions to the global supply chains, to support the recovery.
6. The pandemic has already profoundly impacted human capital, including lives, learning, basic well-being, and future productivity. Disruptions in the delivery of essential services and food, combined with employment and income loss for households, are devastating. We ask the WBG to help governments deploy resources toward public health interventions, nutrition, education, essential services, and social protection against the immediate adverse effects of the shocks. We also support the WBG’s emphasis on boosting government preparedness to protect human capital against potential subsequent waves of the outbreak and future pandemics. Efforts should place special focus on fragile situations, small island states, and the poorest and vulnerable people in all countries, with attention to gender issues.
7. We commend the IMF and WBG for their rapid response to the crisis thus far. We ask them to help client countries achieve tangible development outcomes and shorten their time to recovery. We urge the two institutions to work with countries to design and implement policies and programs that help lift the poorest households out of poverty and support small businesses. We also call on them to promote structural reforms that lay the foundations for growth and higher living standards for all. We ask them to use all available financial and advisory instruments, facilitate the sharing of lessons, and offer operational flexibility to tackle this common threat at the country, regional, and global levels.
8. We welcome the WBG’s estimated financial support of up to US$150-160 billion over the next 15 months, with a focus on the poorest and vulnerable in all client countries. We are pleased that as part of this overall response, and 2 through the Fast Track COVID-19 Facility, IBRD and IDA are making funds available to help developing countries in their urgent response to the public health threat, as they strengthen their health systems, shore up social safety nets, and improve access to services, while bolstering their response capacity and building up disease surveillance. IFC is also making funds available for prompt short- and medium-term financial support to trade flows and the wider private sector. MIGA is making fast-track guarantees available to meet financing needs for the immediate health response and economic recovery.
9. We also welcome the IMF’s stepping up of financial support for developing countries through both its regular facilities and emergency funding, which will allow for much needed support at a time when many countries lack the policy and fiscal space to act. The doubling of annual access levels to the IMF’s emergency financing facilities is an important response to the challenges faced by the membership, as is its move to accelerate internal procedures to speed up disbursements.
10. IDA countries are severely affected by the pandemic. We recognize the growing burden of debt service and the need for immediate liquidity to tackle the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis in a coordinated manner. We therefore strongly support the WBG initiatives for IDA countries, including frontloading of grants and highly concessional IDA19 resources. We welcome the coordinated approach agreed by the G20 and the Paris Club, supported by the WBG and IMF, toward a time-bound suspension by bilateral official creditors of debt service payments for the poorest countries that request forbearance. We call on private creditors to participate in the initiative on comparable terms. We ask the World Bank and the IMF to work with IDA countries to evaluate their debt sustainability based on enhanced transparency, to monitor the use of freed-up fiscal space, and to provide the Development Committee with a progress report at the Annual Meetings. In line with the G20 request to multilateral development banks, we ask the World Bank to further explore options for the suspension of debt service payments over the suspension period, while maintaining financial capacity, current rating, and low cost of funding, and to report to its Board in a timely manner. We also ask the WBG and IMF to review the debt challenges of middle-income countries, and to explore expeditiously a range of solutions to fiscal and debt stress in those countries on a case-by-case basis.
11. The WBG has the financial firepower to provide a meaningful long-term response to this crisis thanks to the capital increases for IBRD and IFC, as well as the successful IDA19 replenishment. We encourage all shareholders to accelerate the subscription processes and front-load their contributions to the greatest extent possible.
12. This crisis has the potential to erase development gains for many countries. The WBG must not only address immediate economic needs, but also support long-term development priorities; ensuring affordable energy access, building energy security and resilience to economic and environmental vulnerabilities and climate change. We urge the WBG and the IMF to ensure effectiveness on the ground and help countries create the conditions for inclusive and sustainable long-term growth. We also call on the WBG to maintain its critical role in key global challenges, as outlined in the capital package commitments, to achieve the twin goals of eliminating poverty and achieving shared prosperity, as well as the SDGs. It is only by rebuilding stronger and better that these goals can be achieved.
13. The next meeting of the Development Committee is currently scheduled for October 17, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Section B: Canada’s engagement in International Monetary Fund operations

Canada has been an influential member of the IMF since 1945, as one of the original 29 signatories to the IMF Articles of Agreement. Since then, the IMF has grown to include a near-global membership of 190 member countries. Canada is engaged in all aspects of IMF governance and activities, and plays a collaborative role with our international partners to ensure that the Fund is effectively fulfilling its mandate. A healthy and stable global economy creates more jobs for Canadians, promotes stable prices for goods and services, and improves our standard of living.

Governance and representation

Canada’s voting share

Member countries’ voting shares are based largely on their relative global economic weight and openness to international trade. Canada holds a 2.22% IMF voting share, making Canada the 11th-largest member during the reporting period.

Canada at the Board of Governors

The IMF is accountable to its member countries through a number of mechanisms. The Board of Governors, composed of a Governor and an Alternate Governor appointed by each member country, is the IMF’s highest decision-making body. The Board of Governors is responsible for the most important institutional decisions required under the Articles of Agreement (e.g., approving quota increases, admitting new members, and amending Articles and by-laws). Canada’s Governor at the IMF during the reporting period was former Minister of Finance Bill Morneau. The position of Alternate IMF Governor was held by Stephen Poloz, Canada’s former Governor of the Bank of Canada, until June 2020, and has been vacant since.

Canada at the Executive Board

The Board of Governors delegates authority over the IMF’s regular business to the 24-member Executive Board, which is chaired by the IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. The constituency system allows the 24 Board members to represent all 190 member countries, making it easier to conduct day-to-day business.

Canada holds one of the 24 seats on the Executive Board and represents a constituency of 12 countries^{Footnote 41}. With all constituency members combined, the Executive Director for Canada holds a voting power of 3.38%—making it the 12th-largest constituency by voting share. Given Canada’s financial contributions and level of IMF engagement, a Canadian has always held the Executive Director position within our constituency. Canada’s current Executive Director is Louise Levonian. Ms. Levonian is supported by a staff of seconded individuals from the countries represented within our constituency.

The Executive Board usually operates on a consensus basis, so formal votes are rare. Canada contributes to the development of policy proposals before they are brought to the Board through informal discussions with staff and management, or through consultation with other members of the Executive Board.

To learn more about the governance, representation and accountability structures of the IMF, please visit the IMF’s Governance Structure website.

Canada at the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)

The IMFC advises and reports to the Board of Governors on international monetary and financial matters, and emerging issues of global importance. While it has no formal decision-making powers, it plays an important role in setting the strategic direction of the Fund. The composition of the IMFC mirrors that of the Executive Board with Canada’s Minister of Finance occupying one of the 24 seats at the IMFC table. The IMFC usually meets twice a year, during the IMF-World Bank Annual and Spring Meetings, and produces communiqués providing strategic direction and policy guidance to the IMF Managing Director and the Executive Board. Canada’s Minister of Finance also tables written statements on behalf of our constituency^{Footnote 42} during the Annual and Spring Meetings that outline our collective views on the activities of the Fund. These statements are published on both the Department of Finance Canada and IMF websites.

IMF resources, lending, and capacity development

IMF financial resources

The IMF’s total financial resources are composed of both permanent and temporary resources. Members’ permanent quota^{Footnote 43} subscriptions are the primary component of IMF financial resources. These are supplemented by New Arrangements to Borrow, a renewable multilateral borrowing arrangement that forms a second line of defence, in which Canada participates. Additionally, the IMF maintains temporary bilateral borrowing arrangements with 40 members (including Canada), which serve as a third line of defence. In the event of a major global economic crisis, the Fund can draw on these multilateral and bilateral lines of credit after all other resources have been effectively depleted. Further information can be found at the IMF’s multilateral and bilateral borrowing website.

While the resources outlined above can be used to support the macroeconomic adjustment needs of any member country, the IMF also maintains a special trust fund to enable concessional lending to the poorest and most vulnerable members^{Footnote 44}. The Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) is financed through loan and grant contributions from members such as Canada, as well as through IMF investment income.

IMF financial operations are conducted in Special Drawing Rights (SDR)^{Footnote 45}, an international reserve asset created by the IMF to supplement the existing official reserves of member countries. Table 2 summarizes the IMF’s financial resources, and Canada’s commitments to and financial position at the Fund as of April 30, 2020. For more information on IMF finances, see the IMF’s 2020 Annual Report of the Executive Board.

IMF lending programs

The IMF makes its resources available to help members finance temporary balance of payments problems while they implement economic policy adjustments. To provide this assistance, the IMF utilizes 2 types of lending arrangements: non-concessional lending that is available to all members, and concessional lending available to qualifying low-income member countries. Non-concessional lending is financed out of the Fund’s normal resources grouped under the General Resources Account, whereas concessional lending is financed out of the PRGT. Details on the IMF lending process and instruments are available on the IMF lending website.

Lending arrangements

During its 2019–2020 fiscal year (May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020) the IMF approved 29 new non-concessional lending arrangements (21 of which were emergency arrangements primarily clustered at the end of the fiscal year in response to COVID-19), as well as one augmentation and one diminution to 2 existing arrangements, totalling SDR 59 billion (approximately $112.1 billion). As of the end of the IMF fiscal year on April 30, 2020, there were 38 active non-concessional arrangements with the Fund, totalling SDR 112.9 billion (approximately $214.6 billion).

The IMF also approved 37 new concessional arrangements (28 of which were emergency arrangements primarily clustered at the end of the fiscal year in response to COVID-19) and 3 augmentations to existing arrangements under the PRGT, amounting overall to SDR 5.5 billion (approximately $10.4 billion). As of the end of the IMF fiscal year on April 30, 2020, there were 47 active PRGT arrangements totalling SDR 7.1 billion (approximately $13.5 billion).

Table 3 provides a summary of new IMF lending arrangements approved in 2019–2020. Chart 1 provides an overview of active IMF lending arrangements as of April 30, 2020. A complete list of the IMF’s active lending arrangements is available in its annual report and on the IMF Lending Arrangements website.

Capacity development

For over 50 years, the IMF has provided technical assistance and capacity development (TA/CD) to members to help strengthen the ability of domestic institutions to foster effective policies, leading to greater economic stability and growth. IMF TA/CD activities are both internally and externally financed in about equal proportions. They accounted for nearly one third of the IMF’s budget in 2019–2020. Total spending on TA/CD was US$305 million, including US$166 million that was funded externally. For more information, see IMF Capacity Development.

Canada’s contributions to capacity development

External partnerships allow the IMF to scale up its capacity building efforts for members in need. Canada has historically been among the largest external contributors to IMF TA/CD, providing approximately US$129.2 million (approximately $179.7 million) since 2010 (see Table 4 for details). This support has helped low- and middle-income countries build capacity in areas such as central bank functions, public financial management, and financial sector development and oversight. Canadian-financed TA/CD is generally delivered in three distinct ways:

1. Regional Technical Assistance Centres (RTACs): The IMF has developed a regionally tailored approach to TA/CD delivery. In addition to the training offered at the IMF Institute for Capacity Development in Washington, D.C., the IMF operates seven regional training institutes and nine RTACs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, China, the Middle East, and the Pacific. In 2019–2020, Canada provided US$1.1 million (approximately $1.5 million) to the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC) and an additional US$1.4 million (approximately $2 million) to the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) to support the mobilization of a debt management advisor for the region. These are in line with Canada’s commitment to increase support for IMF TA/CD for small island developing states. For more information, see IMF Regional Capacity Development Initiatives.
2. Country-directed initiatives: Member countries, other IFIs, and IMF project financing vehicles (e.g. RTACs, multi-donor trust funds, and country-specific trusts) can maintain “subaccounts” for targeted technical assistance initiatives and/or retaining a strategic reserve for rapid response to emerging priorities. Canada maintains a subaccount to support various TA/CD activities in the Caribbean, Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa.
3. Multi-donor trust funds: The IMF manages several thematic funds. Examples include the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Fund, along with others that focus on improving data availability, public debt management and other public financial management issues. In addition, there are two fragile state funds that specifically focus on supporting South Sudan and Somalia. Canada has previously supported multidonor trust funds, including the AML/CFT Thematic Trust Fund, the IMF-Somalia Trust Fund for Capacity Development, and IMF participation in the World Bank’s Supporting Economic Management in the Caribbean project. For more information, see Thematic Funds for Capacity Development.

Additional details on IMF operations (including IMF surveillance, lending, capacity building, and institutional governance) are available on the IMF website.

Communiqués of the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the Board of Governors of the IMF (as required under the Bretton Woods Act)

Communiqué of the Fortieth Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)

October 19, 2019

Chaired by Mr. Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank. We extend our deepest sympathies to the people and Government of The Bahamas for the loss of human lives and the devastating impact of the recent natural disaster.

Global outlook and policy priorities

The global economy is projected to grow by about 3 percent this year, but the pace has continued to weaken since April. Growth is projected to pick up next year, but the outlook is highly uncertain and subject to elevated downside risks. These include trade tensions, policy uncertainty, and geopolitical risks, against a backdrop of limited policy space, high and rising debt levels, and heightened financial vulnerabilities. Other longstanding challenges also persist.

We will employ all appropriate policy tools, individually and collectively, to mitigate risks, enhance resilience, and shore up growth to benefit all. Available fiscal space should be used to support demand as needed. Where consolidation is needed to ensure debt sustainability, fiscal policy should be carefully-calibrated, growth-friendly, and safeguard social objectives. In line with central banks’ mandates, monetary policy should ensure that inflation remains on track toward, or stabilizes around targets, and that inflation expectations remain anchored. Central bank decisions need to remain well-communicated and data-dependent. We will continue to monitor and, as necessary, tackle financial vulnerabilities and risks to financial stability, including with macroprudential policies.

Strong fundamentals, sound policies, and a resilient international monetary system are essential to the stability of exchange rates, contributing to strong and sustainable growth and investment. Flexible exchange rates, where feasible, can serve as a shock absorber. We recognize that excessive volatility or disorderly movements in exchange rates can have adverse implications for economic and financial stability. We will refrain from competitive devaluations and will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes.

We will advance structural reforms to lift growth, employment, and productivity; enhance resilience; and promote inclusion. We reaffirm our commitment to strong governance, including by tackling corruption. We will advance policies that foster innovation and more competitive and flexible markets, and strive to address challenges from demographic shifts. We will provide opportunities for all people to contribute to economic activity and share its benefits, and effectively assist those bearing the cost of ongoing transitions.

We will enhance our efforts to reduce policy uncertainty and strengthen international frameworks and cooperation.

• Free, fair, and mutually beneficial goods and services trade and investment are key engines for growth and job creation. A strong international trading system with well-enforced rules addressing current and future challenges would support global growth. To this end, we recognize the need to resolve trade tensions and support the necessary reform of the World Trade Organization to improve its functioning.
• We will cooperate to reduce excessive global imbalances through macroeconomic and structural policies that support sustainable global growth.
• We stress the importance of timely, full, and consistent implementation and finalization of the financial sector reform agenda as soon as possible, and the ongoing evaluation of the effects of these reforms. We will also address fragmentation through continued regulatory and supervisory cooperation, adapt financial regulation to structural changes and the evolving global financial landscape, and close data gaps.
• We are working toward a modern and globally fair international tax system, particularly taxation related to digitalization, and will address harmful tax competition, artificial profit shifting, and other tax challenges. We will continue to address correspondent banking relationship withdrawal and its adverse consequences. We will also continue to tackle sources and channels of money laundering and terrorism financing, proliferation financing, and other illicit finance.
• We will continue to work together to enhance debt transparency and sustainable financing practices by both debtors and creditors, public and private; and strengthen creditor coordination in debt restructuring situations, drawing on existing fora.

Sustained joint action is essential to address other challenges that transcend borders. We support efforts toward achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will continue to support domestic and multilateral efforts to address, build resilience to, and deal with the macroeconomic consequences of pandemics, cyber risks, climate change and natural disasters, energy scarcity, conflicts, migration, and refugee and other humanitarian crises. We will continue to collaborate to leverage financial technology while addressing related challenges.

IMF operations

We welcome the Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda. In line with its mandate, the IMF will continue to support its members and collaborate with the World Bank, standards-setters, and other partners to:

• Help members mitigate risks and support growth: We welcome the IMF’s broad agenda to enhance its advice on monetary and macrofinancial policies and look forward to progress on the ongoing work on the integrated policy framework. We also support the enhanced focus on governance, including tackling corruption, in line with the IMF’s governance framework. We ask the IMF to continue to work on structural reforms, including market competition issues, to boost potential output.
• Strengthen debt sustainability and transparency: We support the continued implementation of the IMF-World Bank multi-pronged approach to work with borrowers and creditors, including by assisting members to strengthen debt management capacity, debt transparency, and sustainable financing. We also ask the IMF to continue to work with members to strengthen fiscal institutions and frameworks, and enhance public reporting of sovereign debt. We look forward to continued implementation of the updated debt sustainability framework for low-income countries and to the reviews of the debt sustainability framework for market access countries and the IMF’s debt limits policy.
• Promote policies to foster inclusion and expand opportunities: We welcome the IMF’s efforts to operationalize the new strategy for engagement on social spending. We support the enhanced focus on fragile and conflict-affected states through country engagement strategies, tailored financial support, and strengthened capacity development. We also support the provision of analysis and advice to help countries achieve the SDGs. We ask the IMF to help members boost domestic resource mobilization, including through collaboration with other partners of the Platform for Collaboration on Tax and by applying the experience with medium-term revenue strategies, with a tailored approach for countries with low capacity and for fragile countries. We welcome the macroeconomic analyses of gender and inequality issues, including in the area of gender budgeting.
• Upgrade global cooperation: We welcome the IMF’s continued efforts to conduct a rigorous, evenhanded, and multilaterally-consistent assessment of global imbalances and of exchange rates. We support the IMF’s efforts to mitigate risks and enhance confidence in trade through policy advice and trade-related macroeconomic analyses. We call for further efforts to address the causes and adverse consequences of the withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships and help countries deal with them. We appreciate the IMF’s collaboration with other institutions on, and its contributions to, the global regulatory reform agenda; work on tackling illicit financial flows, including through AML/CFT; and work on international tax issues, including by analyzing the impact of global tax changes for low-income and developing countries. We support further efforts to strengthen the global financial safety net and promote a resilient international monetary and financial system, including by reconsidering elements of the IMF’s lending toolkit and deepening collaboration with regional financing arrangements.
• Facilitate global solutions to global challenges: We welcome the IMF’s work on the implications of fintech, consistent with the Bali Fintech Agenda. We also welcome work on supporting countries’ efforts to enhance resilience to cyber risks in the financial sector. In line with its mandate, the IMF will respond to increased member requests to provide guidance on members’ implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. We support the IMF’s continued assistance for resilience-building in countries vulnerable to natural disasters, especially small states and low-income countries, in collaboration with other institutions. We also support the IMF’s assistance to countries affected by conflict, migration and refugee crises.
• Adapt policy tools to lead and support change: We welcome the IMF’s continued efforts to enhance its surveillance through the 2020 Comprehensive Surveillance Review and the reviews of the Financial Sector Assessment Program and the policy on multiple currency practices. We ask the IMF to continue incorporating the recommendations of the reviews of program design and conditionality and of concessional facilities to improve program design and outcomes in recipient countries. We look forward to the forthcoming reviews of Data Standards Initiatives and data provision to the Fund; the implementation of the overarching strategy on data and statistics; and continued efforts to integrate capacity development with surveillance and lending.

We welcome the IMF’s efforts to continue providing high value-added support to its members and to enhance its efficiency. To this end, we welcome efforts to attract and retain high-caliber staff. We support ongoing modernization initiatives, including the HR strategy, the comprehensive review of compensation and benefits, and the work on enterprise risk management. We call on the IMF to make progress toward the 2020 diversity benchmarks. We support increasing gender diversity in the Executive Board.

IMF resources and governance

We reaffirm our commitment to a strong, quota-based, and adequately resourced IMF to preserve its role at the center of the global financial safety net. We note the lack of progress on a quota increase under the 15th Review and call on the Executive Board to complete its work on the 15th Review and on a package of IMF resources and governance reforms, and to report to the Board of Governors as soon as possible. We support maintaining the IMF’s current resource envelope and welcome the extension of the 2016 Bilateral Borrowing Agreements by one year. We look forward to consideration of a doubling of the New Arrangements to Borrow and a further temporary round of bilateral borrowing beyond 2020.

Beyond the 15th Review, we are committed to revisiting the adequacy of quotas and continuing the process of IMF governance reform under the 16th General Review of Quotas, including a new quota formula as a guide, with the Review to be extended from 2020 to no later than December 15, 2023. In this context, we remain committed to ensuring the primary role of quotas in IMF resources. Any adjustment in quota shares would be expected to result in increases in the quota shares of dynamic economies in line with their relative positions in the world economy and hence likely in the share of emerging market and developing countries as a whole, while protecting the voice and representation of the poorest members.

Other issues

We express our deep gratitude to former Managing Director Christine Lagarde for her outstanding leadership of the IMF and distinguished service to member countries and the global community over the past eight years. Under Ms. Lagarde’s leadership, the IMF undertook important reforms to maintain its relevance and responsiveness to members’ needs, including by modernizing its macro-financial surveillance; enhancing its financial support, lending facilities, and capacity development; increasing attention to the social outcomes and human dimensions of IMF policies and operations; and integrating climate change, gender, governance, and income inequality into the work of the IMF. Ms. Lagarde also worked tirelessly to secure the financial resources necessary for the IMF to deliver on its mission, to ensure that dynamic emerging market and developing countries have greater voice, and to achieve support for IMF governance reforms. We wish Ms. Lagarde all the best in her new position as President of the European Central Bank. We thank Mr. David Lipton for his stewardship as Acting Managing Director during the transition.

We warmly welcome Ms. Kristalina Georgieva as Managing Director and look forward to working closely with her in meeting the challenges ahead.

Our next meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2020.

Communiqué of the Forty-First Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)

April 16, 2020

Chaired by Mr. Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank

We express our deepest sympathies for the loss of human lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our urgent collective task is to mitigate the health and economic impact that the pandemic is having on people worldwide. We remain confident that, working together, we will overcome current challenges to help safeguard the global economy for all.

We are in an unprecedented global crisis. The global economy will contract sharply this year, reflecting necessary health measures to contain the virus, disruptions in economic supply and demand, and tightening financial conditions. Many countries are coping with grave challenges including limited medical supplies and capacities. In particular, many emerging market and developing countries are facing sharp declines in export demand and commodity prices, large capital outflows, foreign exchange shortages, and increasing debt burdens.

While the global outlook is subject to exceptionally high uncertainty, we expect a recovery next year as we continue to employ all available policy tools to defeat the pandemic, protect jobs, and restore growth. We have taken extraordinary macroeconomic action and, working together, will further scale up fiscal, monetary, and financial stability measures, as necessary, to facilitate a speedy return to strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth. Targeted and sizable fiscal support is critical to provide a safety net for the most affected households and businesses and create conditions for a rapid recovery. We welcome the actions of central banks and financial authorities to alleviate stressed global financial conditions and maintain financial stability.

We support the IMF in assisting member countries through financial support, policy advice, and capacity development, in close collaboration with other international institutions and partner organizations. We welcome the IMF’s crisis response package, comprising streamlined procedures, rapid and enhanced access to emergency financing, including a temporary doubling of the annual access limits under the Rapid Credit Facility and Rapid Financing Instrument, liquidity provision through a new short-term liquidity line for members with very strong fundamentals and policies, and debt service relief to the poorest and most vulnerable countries through a reformed Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT). We also call on the IMF to explore additional tools that could serve its members’ needs as the crisis evolves, drawing on relevant experiences from previous crises.

We welcome the pledges to the CCRT and the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) received so far and call for additional contributions to ensure that the IMF can support its poorest and most vulnerable members. We welcome the coordinated approach agreed by the G20 and the Paris Club, supported by the IMF and World Bank, toward a time-bound suspension by bilateral official creditors of debt service payments for the poorest countries that request forbearance. We call on private creditors to participate in the initiative on comparable terms. We welcome the IMF’s focus on crisis-related work, including on debt and financial stability risks, supporting a sustainable recovery in a way consistent with long- standing issues on our agenda.

We reaffirm our commitment to a strong, quota-based, and adequately resourced IMF at the center of the global financial safety net. We will keep demands on the IMF’s resources under close review. The IMF’s lending capacity of US$1 trillion is critical to maintain confidence that the IMF can fulfill its mandate by helping its members overcome the crisis. The recent Executive Board decisions on the doubling of the New Arrangements to Borrow and on a new round of Bilateral Borrowing Agreements are important steps in this regard. We look forward to swift action by members in implementing these decisions. We remain committed to revisiting the adequacy of quotas and continuing the process of IMF governance reform under the 16th General Review of Quotas, including a new quota formula as a guide, by December 15, 2023.

We endorse the Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda.

Our next meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., on October 17, 2020.

Section C: Canada’s engagement in European Bank for Reconstruction and Development operations

Reporting requirements

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Act (EBRD Act) came into force in 1991 and provides the legal framework for Canada’s membership in the EBRD. As a founding member and the eighth-largest shareholder in the Bank, Canada actively contributes to the development of EBRD policies while providing oversight of the Bank’s financial activities. This is primarily achieved through Canada’s seats on the Board of Governors and Board of Directors.

As laid out in section 7 of the EBRD Act, the Minister of Finance is required to provide to Parliament an annual report of operations containing a general summary of all actions taken under the Act, including their sustainable development and human rights aspects. This section meets these reporting requirements.

For more information, refer to the text of the EBRD Act on Justice Canada’s website: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement Act.

Governance and representation

Canada’s capital subscriptions and shareholding

As of December 31, 2019, the EBRD had 69 shareholders: 67 countries, as well as the European Union and the European Investment Bank. The EBRD is active in 38 economies in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the southern and eastern Mediterranean region.

The EBRD’s share capital is provided by member countries that hold proportional voting rights. Decision-making power is primarily exercised by member countries through their representatives on the Board of Governors and the Board of Directors.

Canada is the eighth-largest shareholder of the EBRD, with its shares representing 3.4% or €1.02 billion of the institution’s capital. Of Canada’s total share, €213 million is paid-in capital and the remaining is callable capital^{Footnote 46}.

Information on the EBRD’s 2019 fiscal year (January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019) is provided in its Annual Review and Financial Report. Further information on the EBRD’s performance can be found in the Sustainability Report and Transition Report. The Bank releases considerable information on its various activities. Bank publications include information guides (such as the Guide to EBRD Financing), evaluation reports, special reports, country strategies, and assorted fact sheets. Information can be obtained on the Bank’s website.

Requests for EBRD information can be addressed to:

Attention:
Access to Information Function
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London, EC2A 2JN
United Kingdom

Or submitted online to accessinfo@ebrd.com, or through the Bank’s Information Request Form.

Canada at the Board of Governors

The highest authority in the EBRD is the Board of Governors. The Board meets annually and approves the EBRD’s Annual Review, net income allocation and financial statements, the independent auditor’s report, the election of the chair and vice-chair for the next Annual Meeting, as well as other items requiring governors’ approval. Governors provide a written statement at the EBRD annual meetings. Canada’s statement outlines its priorities at the Bank.

A Governor and an Alternate Governor represent each of the 69 shareholders. Former Minister of Finance Bill Morneau was the Canadian Governor during 2019–2020 reporting period. Marta Morgan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, is Canada’s Alternate Governor.

To learn more about the governance of the Board of Governors, please visit the EBRD’s Board of Governors webpage.

Canada at the Executive Board

The Board of Directors is responsible for the general operations of the Bank. It comprises 23 members, with each representing either one member or a constituency of member countries. The Board helps to set the strategic and financial course for the Bank, in consultation with the Bank’s management. From November 2016 to September 2020, Canada was represented on the EBRD Board of Directors by Douglas Nevison. Sarah Fountain Smith is the current director for Canada. The director for Canada also represents Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia at the EBRD Board of Directors.

To learn more about the governance of the Executive Board, please visit the EBRD’s website. The office of the Director for Canada, Morocco, Jordan, and Tunisia, can be reached by email at canadaoffice@ebrd.com.

Canada at board committees

The Board of Directors has established 4 committees to oversee Bank activities: the Board Steering Group, the Audit Committee, the Budget and Administrative Affairs Committee, and the Financial and Operations Policies Committee. This division of labour is consistent with good corporate governance practices and provides an appropriate system of checks, balances and incentives. In addition, the structure ensures a more effective discussion by the Board, once initiatives are ready for approval.

The Board Steering Group is responsible for the coordination of the committees’ work programs to avoid overlap and ensure timely completion. In addition to some administrative duties, the Group’s chair is the main liaison between the Board of Directors and management. In 2019, the Group was chaired by the Director for Austria, Israel, Cyprus, Malta, Kazakhstan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Audit Committee’s primary objective is to ensure that the financial information reported by the Bank is complete, accurate, relevant and timely. The Committee oversees the integrity of the Bank’s financial statements, and the compliance of its accounting and reporting policies with the requirements set out in the International Financial Reporting System. It also reviews the EBRD’s system of internal controls and its implementation, as well as the functions of the internal audit, evaluation, compliance and risk management teams. In 2019, the Committee was chaired by the Director for Spain and Mexico.

The Budget and Administrative Affairs Committee is responsible for ensuring that the Bank’s budgetary, staff and administrative resources are aligned with its strategic priorities. To this end, the Committee reviews the medium-term resource framework, annual budgets and the business plan. It also oversees the Bank’s human resources policies, the Shareholder Special Fund, and the uses of Donor funding. In 2019, the Committee was chaired by the Director for Norway, Finland, Latvia, and Lebanon.

The Financial and Operations Policies Committee oversees the Bank’s financial and operational policies, including the annual borrowing plan and the liquidity policy prepared by the Treasury Department. The committee plays a key role in taking forward implementation of the Bank’s Strategic and Capital Framework; policy coherence and coordination; discussions on projects under the early warning system; and substantive preparations for the EBRD’s Annual Meeting. Since 2007, the Committee has also been charged with overseeing the net income allocation process. As well, it is responsible for the Bank’s Environmental and Social Policy and EBRD country and sector strategies. In 2019, the Committee was chaired by the Director for Switzerland, Ukraine, Liechtenstein, Turkmenistan, Serbia, Montenegro, Uzbekistan.

Benefits of EBRD membership

Canada’s membership in the EBRD, and its active participation in the discussion of policy and operational issues, is an important means to help shape economic and social development in the EBRD’s countries of operation. Canada strongly supports the overriding objective of developing a strong private sector in its countries of operation by mobilizing financing for projects with a high transition impact and by providing advice and technical assistance to businesses and governments. The Bank provides Canada with a vehicle to contribute to development in transition countries that are not currently part of our bilateral development assistance programs. Furthermore, Canadians are well represented on EBRD staff. At the end of 2019, there were 46 Canadians on the staff of the EBRD, representing 1.24% of total positions.

Finally, Canada’s engagement helps to raise awareness among Canadian companies of opportunities presented by the EBRD. Canadian companies can seek financing for projects undertaken in the Bank’s countries of operations. The Bank often relies on the procurement of goods and services from the private sector to implement transition projects. The Executive Director’s office works diligently with Bank management to increase awareness amongst Canadian companies of the opportunities presented at EBRD, with a view to increasing the participation of Canadian companies. Canadian financial institutions also play an active role in managing EBRD global bond issuances.