Mr. Chair, I am pleased to be here today to discuss with committee members the proposed appropriations through Supplementary Estimates (B).
Before beginning however, I want to take a few moments to acknowledge the recent devastation seen in the Philippines and portions of Vietnam due to Typhoon Haiyan. We were all shocked and saddened by the tragedy. Like you, I am moved by the enormity of the devastation, and by the tragic loss of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected.
This recent tragedy serves as an important reminder that our international assistance is a tangible expression of the best of Canadian values and Canadians themselves. Canada is a compassionate neighbour, and we stand ready to do more to help deal with this crisis.
The tragedy also serves to highlight the importance of the changes we are making at DFATD towards the increased coherence of our development, foreign affairs, and trade activities under one department. The legislation passed earlier this year has enshrined in law Canada's commitment to poverty reduction and humanitarian assistance.
First, however, I would like to talk about our main items under the supplementary estimates.
Funding of $100 million is being sought to allow for the permanent creation of a quick release mechanism to respond to major international natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and conflicts, so that Canada has the ability to respond quickly, and effectively to international crises, such as we just witnessed in the Philippines and Vietnam.
In addition, the department is seeking additional funding of $90 million for humanitarian assistance in response to the Syrian crisis. Canada's support will be used by experienced humanitarian organizations to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance. This builds on the more than $200 million Canada has committed to the crisis.
Canada continues to carefully monitor the situation in Syria.
The new amalgamated department is better placed than ever to ensure the effectiveness of Canada's international humanitarian assistance and development activities, and to ensure that our contributions are in line with Canadian values and priorities. In addition to the immediate impact of Canada's humanitarian assistance, our long-term development programming is improving the lives of poor people around the world. We are doing so by ensuring that our aid is focused, effective, and accountable.
As you already know, Canada has taken a leadership role in addressing the health challenges faced by women, newborns, and children in the world's poorest countries. Canada has been at the forefront of international efforts to improve accountability in maternal, newborn, and child health programming. Canada is prepared to do more in this area and will fulfill all of its commitment made under the 2010 Muskoka initiative.
Education is critical to achieving many other development goals. Educated girls marry later and have fewer children. They are also more likely to participate in the labour force, which has huge benefits for their families and communities.
With support from Canada and other donor countries, the Global Partnership for Education helped enrol 19 million more children in schools, supported the construction of more than 30,000 classrooms, and trained more than 337,000 teachers.
Health and education, while of critical importance, are only part of the equation. We support creation of the enabling environment that helps small and medium enterprises in the developing world become stronger and more competitive through better functioning government, less red tape, and more access to markets.
A great example of how the private sector can help in finding creative solutions to development challenges can be found in Mozambique. There, we are supporting an initiative to strengthen the vaccine supply chains by using Coca-Cola's refrigerated trucks. As the thinking goes, if Coca-Cola can be available in every corner of the world, medicine can too.
The department is also supporting the launch of a 15-year investment fund that leverages private equity investment of up to $400 million to help approximately 250 promising small and medium enterprises grow. This program will create at least 15,000 new jobs in developing countries and is being managed by the Mennonite Economic Development Associates and Sarona Asset Management.
Let me conclude. Our government is committed to reducing poverty and hardship in the developing world. Through our humanitarian assistance, we are responding to crises and achieving real results by saving lives and alleviating suffering.
Under an amalgamated department, we are ensuring that development plays a more important role than ever in achieving our foreign policy objectives, including security and economic prosperity, around the world.
I am proud of the work of our development officials—and especially want to congratulate them for their efforts during the most recent crisis brought upon by Typhoon Haiyan. I would also like to take a moment of the committee’s time to thank the individual Canadian citizens, Canadian NGOs, and Canadian companies who donated so selflessly to help.
Thank you again for this opportunity to appear before the committee, and I welcome your questions.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
