Thank you, and good morning.
I am here today as a volunteer on behalf of Engineers Without Borders Canada.
In budget 2018, we ask that Canada commit to a timetable of predictable annual increases to the international assistance envelope to bring Canada's development assistance to 0.31% of GNI within this government's first mandate.
Canada's current level of development assistance is 0.26% of GNI, which is the lowest in recent history. While development assistance globally has increased by 9% in the past year, according to the OECD, it is disappointing that Canada's own contributions have declined by 4%.
Increasing aid would help Canada achieve its sustainable development goals and increase economic growth. Forthcoming research on the Canadian international development platform suggests that countries receiving development assistance are more likely to import greater quantities of Canadian goods, compared to those that don't have aid.
We hope that budget 2018 can correct this downward spending trend so that Canada can fulfill its global commitments.
Thank you very much.