Policy Updates

On May 10, 2024, USAID joined the AU Commissioner and 14 other partners in a statement of support for the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan at an AU-led soil health summit.

The US also announced US$40 million for the Space in Place approach, which is meant to support farmers with geospatial data and knowledge to ensure the best use of fertilizer for more nutritious foods.

Others joining the statement included the ADB, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, France, the World Bank, France, Canada, the EU, Germany, the Netherlands, the Rockefeller Foundation, Germany, and the UK. Commitments included improved investment policies, more access to fertilizers, enhancing soil inputs and interventions, and building capacity for soil health and fertilizer management.

On May 3, 2024, Canada announced CAD65 million (US$48 million) in international assistance funding to Lebanon, including CAD38 million (US$28 million) in development assistance funding and CAD27 million (US$20 million) in humanitarian assistance funding.

The humanitarian assistance will help provide WASH services, health care including SRH services, and protection services including for survivors of SGBV.

The development funding includes:

• CAD20 million (US$15 million) to the UN FAO to improve the capacities of farmers and increase food security in response to climate change and economic shocks;
• CAD13 million (US$10 million) to UNDP to improve the economic security and prosperity of women-led micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in sectors with high growth and export potential; and
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to UN Women and UNDP to address barriers facing women’s representation in decision-making and leadership positions, specifically for women in parliament and municipal councils.

On April 16, 2024, Canada released its Budget 2024, which included new funding to support Ukraine and bolster Canada’s international humanitarian assistance, but was criticized for a lack of transparency and did not include an increase in longer-term development assistance.

New funding announced included:

• CAD2.4 billion (US$1.7 billion) in loans to Ukraine in 2024 to support civilian services;
• CAD217 million (US$157 million) over five years starting in FY2025/26 for the EBRD to support Ukraine’s reconstruction;
• CAD76 million (US$55 million) for additional peace and security assistance for Ukraine between FY2024/25 and FY2026/27;
• CAD350 million (US$254 million) over two years beginning in FY2024/25 to international humanitarian assistance;
• CAD146 million (US$106 million) over five years starting in FY2027/28 to purchase shares in the Inter-American Development Bank to support clean economic growth and create economic opportunities for women in Latin America and the Caribbean; and
• CAD40 million (US$29 million) in FY 2023/24 for humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Budget 2024 also recommits to leadership on international women’s rights and gender equality, support for global LGBTQI+ rights, and the modernization of international financial institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement Act, the International Development Assistance Act, and the IMF to support responsiveness to emerging global threats.

Canadian international cooperation organizations and coalitions, including Cooperation Canada, Oxfam Canada, UNICEF Canada, and more, released statements lauding the government's commitment to CAD350 million (US$254 million) in new international humanitarian assistance. However, Cooperation Canada criticized the lack of budget transparency surrounding Canada’s IAE as well as the absence of any increase in funding for longer-term development assistance.

While previous budgets presented rough estimates of the IAE, Budget 2024 does not provide a spending forecast. Cooperation Canada noted that it is difficult to know whether Canada’s assistance budget is increasing or decreasing with no information on trends, sectoral or spending-type breakdowns, or multi-year forward spending plans. The coalition estimated the IAE budget for this year to be around CAD7.2 billion (US$5.2 billion) per year, representing a growth of about 5% from 2023's CAD6.9 billion (US$5 billion).

On April 15, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen participated in the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours, where he announced CAD132million (US$96 million) in international assistance funding to Sudan and neighbouring Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

The announcement included nearly CAD101 million (US$73 million) in humanitarian assistance and nearly CAD32 million (US$23 million) in development assistance amid the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. The funding is slated to provide crisis-affected people with emergency health services, food and nutrition assistance, protection services for gender-based violence survivors, and other assistance including shelter, water, and sanitation services. The development assistance will support critical programming in SRHR and education infrastructure.

On April 14, 2024, the C7 published a statement ahead of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Capri from April 17-19, 2024, where the group called on the foreign ministers to take concrete action to promote human rights as well as the common interests of humanity and the planet.

The C7 advocated that the G7 ministers reaffirm their commitment to developing long-term peace-building strategies that address persistent structural challenges at the basis of conflicts, ensure food security even in fragile settings, and address a profound transformation of food systems. The group also called upon their governmental counterparts to ensure safe and regular migration channels and commit to protecting migrant rights.

On April 11, 2024, Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD142 million (US$103 million) in funding for projects in the DRC and Benin to advance gender equality and women’s rights.

Six projects valued at a total of nearly CAD75 million (US$55 million) were announced for the DRC. The projects will improve access to health resources for women and girls, promote inclusive governance practices, improve women’s inclusion in public and democratic life, and help prevent and respond to SGBV. Funding also included humanitarian programming that will address critical needs arising from the conflict in eastern DRC.

Five projects valued at a total of CAD68 million (US$49 million) were announced for Benin. The initiatives are slated to increase women’s economic resilience, promote a greener economy and agricultural sector, address SGBV, and strengthen inclusive health systems.

On April 8, 2024, Canada’s IDRC announced a new CAD70 million (US$51 million) partnership with the UK's FCDO to fund the AI4D partnership.

The partnership builds on the IDRC’s AI4D Africa partnership with the Sida, which has worked closely with African communities since 2020 to support AI development through high-quality research, responsible innovation, and talent strengthening.

The research is slated to focus on innovative, sustainable, and responsible AI that supports the establishment of research networks and policy labs. It will also help mitigate the risks of this disruptive technology, including the identification of existing biases in AI systems.

On March 25, 2024, amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Open Canada is criticized the government of Canada for its inaction to address the public health and nutrition crisis, as well as the government’s lack of focus on the African continent as a whole.

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan followed the outbreak of war in April 2023, with 8 million people displaced, roughly half the population (approximately 25 million people) in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a cholera outbreak, and a widespread famine predicted by June 2024.

Open Canada criticized the government for its passivity in the crisis, with neither Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nor Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly having spoken publicly about Sudan since shortly after the outbreak of war. While Canada evacuated its Sudanese embassy in April 2023, it did not follow other donor countries in maintaining the presence of a senior official in the region to assist in conflict resolution or support key international humanitarian and development organizations. Open Canada also noted that, unlike the EU, UK, and US, Canada has not imposed sanctions on Sudan.

The group also criticized Canada's apathetic approach to the region more broadly. Canada announced a new Foreign Policy Engagement Plan for Africa in 2022, however, the strategy has since been transitioned into a “framework” with the Canadian government yet to release any details of the plan. Open Canada called on the Canadian government to implement a proper engagement strategy in Africa, particularly amid the growing humanitarian, development, and security crisis in Sudan.

On March 25, 2024, Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD25 million (US$18 million) in funding for Canada’s International Youth Internship Program.

The program allows youth ages 18 to 30 years, especially those who identify as Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, or living with disabilities, to be paired with organizations in LICs and LMICs to work in sectors such as education, social services, human rights, agriculture, aquaculture, and more.

The program has been operating for over 25 years and allows youth to gain skills and experience in the field of international development. The new funding will run from 2023 to 2028 and allow more than 800 eligible youth to complete internships in over 40 LICs and LMICs.

At the Summit for Democracy on March 20, 2024, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Canada announced CAD30 million (US$22 million) to protect and strengthen global democratic institutions and human rights.

The funding will support new projects, including:

• CAD22 million (US$16 million) to defend human rights and promote inclusion;
• CAD6 million (US$4 million) to strengthen resilient democratic institutions; and
• CAD3 million (US$2 million) to counter foreign interference.