Foreign Affairs Committee on April 21st, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Nault]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Saini for the last question in this round.

You have five minutes, and you can share that if you like.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you very much to both of you for coming here.

I want to pick up on your opening comments regarding the UN.

It has now been 15 or 16 years since Resolution 1325 was passed. I'm sure you know that the UN commissioned a global study keeping score, in a way, of what has transpired over the last 15 years. One of the things that came up in that study was establishing a new UN assistant secretary-general position within UN Women. The thinking was that maybe this position would be necessary, with a dedicated budget and with the responsibility of working in areas of conflict and emergencies.

I think it was you, Ms. Allen, who mentioned that of the UN projects that have come forward, only 40% of them have been crosscutting. I just want your feedback on whether you feel that having this specific position would be ideal for making sure that, if not everything, most projects or most issues coming out of the UN would have that gender-based analysis or that crosscutting mechanism that you spoke of.

[Louise Allen]

UN Women is known to be under-resourced, particularly in terms of women, peace, and security. We welcome the recommendations for the assistant secretary-general role, particularly to ensure that there's a UN Women representative who is able to attend all the senior management meetings that bring together all of the different UN entities.

In the lead-up to the high-level review, we were advocating for increased resourcing of UN Women but also increased resourcing of gender expertise within the departments of political affairs and peacekeeping. We think there need to be higher levels of gender expertise at headquarters, mirrored across all of the different peacekeeping and special political missions.

As I mentioned before, the resourcing of gender expertise across the UN is inconsistent. We're not privy to those negotiations, but we do know that even in a mission where gender advisers have been mandated, they're not necessarily deployed, or if they are deployed, they end up filling a different position once they're actually in the mission.

Our call to all the member states who sit on the Fifth Committee, for instance, the budgeting committee at the UN, is that there is a need for ongoing gender expertise at headquarters across the different UN entities and field missions. Very similar to the overarching problems with funding of the agenda, a lot of the gender experts aren't part of the core budgets. The mission leadership or even departments are having to systematically fundraise for these positions as well, because they're not part of the formal structure of a department. We think that's problematic as well, for similar reasons, because there's no long-term continuity in the provision of senior-level gender expertise.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

The reason I suggested it was that you had mentioned earlier that it would be a great idea, and one I fully endorse, to have the next UN secretary-general be a woman. But on a more long-term basis, if that UN Women position were held by a woman, then any policy coming from the secretary-general or other departments could be funnelled through that department to make sure that any policy or any decision going forward would have gender-based analysis on that policy from that department to make sure it was equitable on all grounds.

Is that something that would be ideal?

[Louise Allen]

This is the recommendation that the members of the working group and other civil society were really working with. The reason we've been calling for increased resourcing not only at UN Women but across the board is that it's very similar to a cabinet structure, where we see that each head of department needs to be responsible for their gender obligations. Peacekeeping would have their set of responsibilities, and an external or differing UN entity wouldn't have that oversight because of the way the UN is structured.

Yes, there needs to be additional resourcing of UN Women, but there also needs to be greater accountability for the leadership within the different entities that are responsible for women, peace, and security.

I hope that answers your question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Nault]

I think I'll stop you there.

On behalf of the committee, I want to thank Ms. Hansen from Amnesty International Canada, and of course Ms. Allen from the NGO Working Group for Women, Peace and Security. Thank you very much for your presentations.

It's always a pleasure to sit and listen to people who are committed to this particular file. It's a very large one and one on which I hope we'll make some serious progress in the years to come, so thank you on behalf of the committee.

Colleagues, we'll take a two-minute break and then we'll set up for the presentation by the minister, who will be in front of us here shortly.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Nault]

Colleagues, appearing before us today is the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, who is the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie. We're here to speak to the minister on her mandate letter, and of course on the direction of the department as it relates to that mandate letter and her role as the minister.

Minister, I'll give you a chance to introduce your colleagues and then turn the floor over to you for the beginning of the presentation. Then we'll go to questions after. Welcome to the committee.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie]

Thank you very much.

My thanks also go to the members of the committee.

I would first like to introduce my colleagues. Vincent Rigby is Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy at Global Affairs Canada. He is also the Prime Minister's sherpa for the G20. Arun Thangaraj is Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer at Global Affairs Canada.

Previously, you heard from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who talked to you about his priorities, and from officials from Global Affairs Canada, who introduced you to the work that is currently being done in the department. My remarks today will therefore follow in those footsteps.

As Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, I see my major priority as being to lead Canada’s efforts to provide international assistance with the goal of reducing poverty and inequality in the world.

The international development landscape has changed a lot in recent years. The desire to reach the millennium development goals, together with solid economic growth in a number of developing countries, has helped more than 1 billion people to get out of poverty in the last 20 years.

The fact remains that one individual out of every five in developing regions still lives in extreme poverty. Most disadvantaged people live in middle-income countries at the moment, while the most persistent poverty is to be found in fragile and low-income states.

In September 2015, when Canada and other UN members supported the Agenda 2013 program and its sustainable development goals, we all embraced the ambitious goal of eradicating poverty by 2030, with no one left behind. Canada is well positioned to encourage all the measures in that program, one of crucial importance. Of course, we unreservedly support its implementation, both here in Canada and overseas.

So the time is right to adapt our international assistance policies and approaches to the new global context in which Agenda 2030 is set. By so doing, we can respond to the challenges our planet is facing today and tomorrow.

In the last five months, I have travelled inside and outside Canada meeting my colleagues from other countries and from international civil society and private sector organizations. Those discussions have allowed me to exchange ideas and better understand the strengths, Canada's comparative advantages, and the areas in which we can improve. They have also helped me to reflect on the best way in which I can accomplish the priorities inherent to my mandate.

One of my major priorities is to implement a new policy and funding framework for Canada’s international assistance. In the coming weeks, we will begin a review of our international assistance. In fact, we have already begun to review the policies and the funding framework so that we can focus international assistance on the poorest and the most vulnerable, including fragile states.

Consultations are a key aspect of that effort. Parliamentary Secretary Karina Gould and I have already met with several dozen, perhaps even hundreds, of our Canadian and international partners to seek their advice and to benefit from their experience. We are continuing our outreach efforts through discussion groups, through our website and through social media in order to reach those involved, including young people. I would also more than welcome the committee’s contribution as to the best way to assist the poorest and most vulnerable, and to provide aid to fragile states.

The results of the policy and funding framework review will, in terms of international assistance, be focused on the government’s next budget, in 2017. We are conducting this review in order to provide the best assistance possible, according to the needs and as a function of Canada’s comparative advantages.

In these times of rapid global changes, we can no longer rely on what we have done beforehand. We must also use innovative approaches and technologies, and new partners, including civil society organizations, the private sector, the major foundations, and the beneficiary countries themselves, so that our development assistance produces the greatest impact.

Public development assistance cannot meet all the needs alone. In that sense, the role of the private sector specifically will be crucial in a context where we are seeking to mobilize new financial resources for developing countries, through mixed financing and public-private partnerships, for example.

In order to guide the consultations, the priority themes have been identified based on what Canada is able to offer as added value and benefits in development. As the consultations evolve, the themes are refined. In that regard, the rights and the health of women and children come first.

I was pleased to hear that the committee is currently studying the topic of women, peace, and security, a very important issue that links to my mandate to champion human rights, including the rights of women.

Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is a priority for me and our government. We are committed to eliminating all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls so that they can enjoy their full human rights.

We will continue Canada's leadership role in ending child, early, and forced marriage, and we will continue to work to remove the barriers girls face in assessing safe, quality education. We believe that educated girls today become the empowered women of tomorrow.

Canada's recent election to the UN Commission on the Status of Women will give us a stronger voice in advancing the rights of women and girls around the world. A disproportionate number of women and children are dragged down by malnutrition and preventable diseases, simply because they do not have access to adequate nutritious food, clean water, and basic health care. Every day around the world, 16,000 children die before celebrating their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes such as pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea.

Over 160 million children under the age of five have stunted growth due to insufficient food. Far too many women continue to die from childbirth-related complications. The maternal mortality ratio in the developing regions is 14 times higher than in developed countries, and profound inequalities in access to and use of sexual and reproductive health services persist within and across regions. This is why our government is putting a strong emphasis on the rights of health of women and children.

We are proud that our support is already contributing to positive changes on a number of critical fronts. As part of the review, we will consider how Canada can continue its international leadership on maternal, newborn, and child health, while taking a more comprehensive approach that fully recognizes the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights as central to the health and empowerment of women and girls.

The second priority is green and sustainable economic growth. Economic growth is essential to lifting people out of poverty. Helping developing countries create a business-enabling environment and supporting entrepreneurship, job creation, and skills training are needed to foster inclusive growth.

When I was in Vietnam late last year, I saw first-hand how Canada's assistance is helping farmers increase their income and productivity. During my visit, I announced the support for an initiative to help farmers expand their business and improve the livelihood of their families by increasing access to agricultural financing.

However, economic growth cannot be at the expense of environmental sustainability. For all of us on this planet, climate change threatens prosperity. For millions of people in developing countries, the effects of climate change, such as changing weather patterns and rising sea levels, directly imperil their livelihood and security. Climate change is already having adverse impacts on water resources, ecosystems, economies, and communities, and it threatens to undermine development gains.

Efforts to enhance the environmental sustainability of economic growth are essential to ensure that development progress is not undermined by the destabilizing effects of climate change and pollution.

Green economic growth can also contribute to job creation and improved livelihoods. To support developing countries to transition to low-carbon economies and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, Canada has recently committed $2.65 billion in climate finance to help achieve real climate results.

Going forward, Canada will also need to consider how its international assistance investments can continue to address ongoing problems of food insecurity and water scarcity, in addition to the growing impact of climate change.

The third priority area is inclusive and accountable governance, peaceful pluralism, respect for dignity and human rights, including the rights of women and refugees, that I will work on together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

We need to build on these Canadian strengths and provide support internationally for the promotion of these values that have benefited our country.

In countries where the government is accountable to its citizens, where power is transferred regularly and peacefully, and where protection exists for the entire population, the dividends are clear. There is a greater chance of political, economic, and social stability. Human rights are more likely to be respected. Governments are able to respond to the needs of their citizens, and communities are more resilient in times of crisis.

For example, it is important to continue to support countries like Burma that have made the important choice of democratic change. To this end, we have recently announced $44 million to help build and strengthen democracy in Burma and improve opportunities for the country's most vulnerable people.

Turning to the fourth priority area, Canada needs to use all its tools to contribute to global peace and security. Fragility, conflicts, and violence hamper their prosperity and social development and deepen poverty.

Violent conflict and insecurity are on the rise and are driving levels of forced migration not seen since the Second World War. More than 11 million people have been displaced as a result of the conflict in Syria alone. Protracted displacement has become the new norm. Studies show that by 2030, without coordinated action two-thirds of the world's poorest will be living in countries and regions plagued by endemic violence and fragility.

The international community is taking note of these worrying trends. At the global meeting in the international dialogue on peace-building and state-building in Stockholm earlier this month, Canada, along with over 40 other countries and multilateral organizations, reaffirmed its commitment to implement the new deal for engagement in fragile states.

We agreed that the root causes and symptoms of fragility and conflict need to be addressed as a matter of priority in the agenda 2030 if sustainable development is to be realized.

As we increase our focus on fragile states, we will consider how we can best support peace-building and conflict prevention, as well as post-conflict reconstruction efforts. Canada is already investing significantly in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence.

We announced funding of $585 million in budget 2016 for renewal of important peace and security programs in Global Affairs Canada.

Conflicts place tremendous pressure on the international humanitarian system. Globally, humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2005 as a result of increasingly protracted conflicts, the increasing number of displaced persons and the growing frequency of natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes. This is why humanitarian assistance must be a priority for our government, in addition to investments in long-term prevention measures. We will continue to play a role in delivering vital and much needed humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations. This is a matter of human dignity and respect for humanitarian principles.

Canada is already providing essential humanitarian assistance to many vulnerable populations, including those affected by conflict. Canada’s engagement strategy in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon is expected to provide $1.1 billion over three years in humanitarian and development assistance, as part of an integrated action strategy. Of that amount, $840 million are earmarked for humanitarian assistance in the form of emergency health services, water, food, shelter, protection and education provided in emergency situations to the most vulnerable people affected by crises. That funding also includes support for countries hosting refugees.

During my travels in Jordan and Lebanon, I was able to see the generosity of the communities that are hosting large numbers of refugees. The massive influx of refugees is exceeding their ability to provide adequate services. The number of Syrian refugees in Jordan represents about 10% of its population. Lebanon has taken in more than one million Syrian refugees, and 450,000 Palestinian refugees are registered. Refugees represent over 30% of the Lebanese population.

So we are helping to strengthen the resilience of the communities in those countries. The situation in the Middle East speaks to the need for a government-wide approach to improve security and stability, to provide humanitarian assistance and to help partners to provide social services through long-term development initiatives.

I would also like to briefly talk about Canada’s priorities within La Francophonie.

It is a fact that many French-speaking countries are among the poorest in the world. Those priorities also align well with our international assistance goals. Our government will continue to promote peaceful pluralism, democracy, human rights and inclusive and accountable governance in francophone countries. Those are the values underlying all our actions, as are the protection and empowerment of women and girls.

We are working to consolidate the economic mandate of La Francophonie in order to reduce poverty and support inclusive and sustainable growth.

We look forward to working with all our partners to ensure the success of the Sommet de la Francophonie in Madagascar in November. Our participation in this event will allow us to deepen our cooperation and partnership with France.

Let me also reiterate our government’s commitment to focus on effectiveness, transparency and excellent results in development, as well as on engaging Canadians, especially youth, in renewing our international assistance policy and funding framework. I am convinced that we will be working with the committee on an ongoing basis and we will maintain a close and positive relationship with you.

In closing, ladies and gentlemen, let me stress my desire to work with you on those issues. Rest assured that my decisions will be based on facts.

Developing innovative solutions to encourage new partners to contribute to development and humanitarian assistance is something that we share with other donor countries. To that end, we must ensure greater policy coherence in allocating aid, and ensure that the results from innovative solutions can be replicated on a larger scale to benefit as many people as possible.

The members of this committee have tremendous experience, knowledge and insight. My team and I are open to dialogue. I am sure that we will successfully engage with you in the coming weeks and months, through this committee, or on a more individual basis.

When it comes to helping vulnerable populations and fragile states, we can all make a contribution.

Mr. Chair, I would be pleased to answer any questions members of the committee may have.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Nault]

Thank you very much, Minister, for a very impressive presentation.

I'm going to start with the first round, and I understand that Mr. Obhrai is going to begin.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, welcome to the committee for the first time.

I welcome myself to the committee as I'm not a regular member of the committee.

Madam, it was very interesting to hear you comment most specifically about your travelling overseas and getting results from the high esteem in which Canada is held in international development.

I'm very happy that you were able to see all the work that was done over the last 10 years, specifically on what you talked about, child and maternal health, which is very important, as well as early and forced marriages, which the government came out against and which, on many occasions we were forced to lead on. I'm glad that your government is carrying on with that.

You mentioned Vietnam and you mentioned Burma. In both cases, I was there on those programs. I was with the Governor General on a state visit to Vietnam, and I led an all-party delegation to Burma to build their democratic institutions.

I have one important question for you. During the last Parliament, the two Parliaments before, one of your Liberal members came out very strongly in directing the aid specifically as per the will of the Parliament, and according to that, there was a law passed, the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act. This act drives how international development will be handled by everybody. Therefore, the question is, is the mandate letter that you got from the Prime Minister complying with this act or not? If it is not complying with this act, then that is wrong and that is going against the law of this country, because this act was passed in 2008. It was proposed by a Liberal member of Parliament. After committee hearings and everything, this act was passed, and this is the official law on how international development will work.

Let me ask you another way. Did you actually read this act to know exactly what is in it? Did you ask your officials, who were there at the time, about this act? In that mandate letter, are we diversifying away from this law of Parliament?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Yes. Actually, I read the law the day after I learned that I was going to be the Minister of International Development, but I didn't learn it by heart.

As far as I understand, yes, it complies, but I will ask my colleague to talk more about it, and eventually, maybe I can even get back to you directly.

[Vincent Rigby, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Maybe I could say just a couple of things.

I don't think there are any inconsistencies between the mandate letter and the act as it's currently laid out.

As you know, sir, there are three key elements to the act: taking into account the perspectives of the poor, respecting human rights, and of course ensuring that development assistance is focused on poverty reduction. I think if you look at the mandate letter commitments, they're very consistent in that regard.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

You're sure of that, are you? All right.

I don't want to go very deep here, because what you have said is what we have been consistently doing. Governments change, but the policies don't change, and our reputation internationally is fine. May I wish you the best of luck as you continue doing this work.

I will now let my colleague go ahead.

Thank you.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

I would like to bid you welcome.

My congratulations again for your appointment in the new government.

I have a question about an interview.

It was on the Everything is Political show. The reporting of it was around the middle of February. You talked about how it was difficult to ensure that Canadian humanitarian aid would not go to enemy combatants, that is to say, terrorist organizations. At the time there was quite a bit of controversy over that.

I think most Canadians would be surprised, if we were unconcerned about Canadian developmental aid going to enemy combatants. I'm wondering whether you've been in a position, since the middle of February, to assure members of this committee, and through us Parliament, that aid paid for by the taxpayers is not going to enemy combatants, such as the Islamic State or other terrorist organizations.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

A number of you have a lot of political experience, enough to know that the headlines do not always reflect the content of a meeting. Your considerable experience in international development means that you know what Canada has always done in terms of international assistance, and we have not changed the policy in that regard.

We are working with major organizations with a lot of experience. We act with all due diligence before making funds available to them. Our various teams monitor projects in the field and we validate the results when they are over.

Getting emergency international assistance to communities and villages under siege in Syria, for example, is no simple matter. The major international organizations are doing everything possible to reach civilians in the besieged villages. There is no intention to provide food aid to terrorist groups in any way.

Major humanitarian principles come into play. That is what I was trying to explain to the reporter, the importance of neutrality, impartiality and humanity. It is still difficult to explain that clearly, but I would say that is very important for all the parties in a conflict to recognize the neutrality of those major humanitarian organizations, so that they can reach the civilians in order to feed and care for them safely and to avoid situations that are happening too often at the moment, when hospitals or schools are targeted.

That is what I was trying to explain. For the humanitarian organizations, it is extremely difficult to get to the villages. Clearly, all the efforts and resources put at the disposal of those organizations are in order to reach civilians and the besieged villages.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Nault]

Thank you, Mr. Clement.

I'll go to Mr. Miller now.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Welcome, Madam Minister.

In your presentation, you mentioned that you are going to conduct a review of Canada's priorities in international assistance. The members of this committee are anxious to find out how that goes.

Could you tell us a little more about what you anticipate in the coming months? Could you focus on the parts about the elimination of extreme poverty as well as on Canada's objective and contribution in that regard? That is an important subject for Canadians and I would like to hear you talk about it a little more.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

The most important aspect of my department's mandate letter is to refocus international assistance on helping the poorest and most vulnerable, and supporting fragile states. That is at the centre of all our reflection.

As I was saying earlier, with my colleague the parliamentary secretary, I have already undertaken a process of consultation. It has already allowed us to establish five priorities that will guide further consultations.

We already know that women and girls will be at the heart of our concerns. I believe profoundly that the key to success in a country's development is to protect and educate its girls. They must also be provided with employment possibilities and the ability to contribute to the economic growth of their community so that they in turn can provide their children with a good education.

So, whether we are talking about health, human rights, economic growth or humanitarian assistance, women and girls, who for me are the most vulnerable, will really be at the heart of our priorities.

There is also the matter of young people in general. It is important to encourage the education and empowerment of young people in general, not only girls but also boys. When boys can be sent to school, there is less chance that they will be recruited by extremist groups. We also know that, in those countries that we are targeting, especially those in Africa, the percentage of the population under 30 years of age is extremely high. Those young people must therefore be offered the possibility of a fulfilling life, in order to avoid them being led astray by harmful forces.

That is as true of humanitarian assistance as it is of development assistance. The people suffering from extreme poverty are often those living in countries in conflict. We have to find the right balance between our involvement in humanitarian assistance in those developing countries and in fragile states.

So the consultation that we are conducting at the moment is intended to find out how we can balance Canada's international assistance to these vulnerable client populations.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Thank you.

I'll turn things over to my colleagues, who are eager to ask you questions.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Minister, it's always a pleasure to see you.

Thank you very much for your opening comments. I also want to thank your two colleagues.

Mr. Rigby, I think this is the third time you've been here, so you're an honorary member of this committee, it looks like.

Minister, as someone with a background in science, I'm always interested in metrics and how we measure the success of our programs. I wonder if you could elaborate on how you ensure our programs achieve the results that we expect from them, specifically the types of data we use to establish those benchmarks of success.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Indeed, it's very important for our government to make decisions based on facts, on conscience. We also have the challenge of developing an entire framework of deliverology to ensure we meet the objectives that we will set within the respective mandates of the various departments. So our teams are looking at these issues quite actively.

We are also concerned with finding results indicators that are based not only on the financial assistance we give, but really on the results. It isn't necessarily the size of the cheque that influences outcomes the most. So we are studying that issue.

I have two interesting examples to give.

Canada provided $16 million to establish a centre of excellence for vital statistics registration systems at the International Development Research Centre, or IDRC, which is an extremely important organization that we want to promote because there are opportunities for work, knowledge and skills here, in Canada, but also in the countries we are working with. That's why we are acting quickly to give the board of governors and every IDRC organization the governance means to operate at its full potential. We are currently recruiting governors and a new president for the IDRC. It's an organization we really believe in.

I'd like to give you another example.

I'm referring to Grand Challenges Canada. We believe that it's a great initiative and we intend to pursue this collaboration. It encourages researchers to create products, services and technological solutions to maternal, newborn, and child health challenges. It is another great example of a project based on facts and science.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Nault]

Thank you, Mr. Minister.

We'll now go to Monsieur Aubin.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome, Madam Minister. Thank you for being here.

Since time is tight, let's get right into it.

The Prime Minister gave you a mandate of supporting the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. I was pleased to hear a few references to this in your opening remarks. Unless I'm mistaken—and feel free to correct me if I am—I didn't see anything in the budget about the 2030 objectives.

Also, I heard you say in an interview that the UN target for developed countries to set aside 0.7% of their gross national income to public development assistance was too ambitious for Canada.

First, I'd like to know if the objectives of agenda 2030 are also too ambitious for Canada.

If not, and that's the answer I hope to hear, I'd like to know what you intend to do to increase the portion of Canada's budget set aside for these two objectives.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

We believe in agenda 2030 and we support it.

I'll start by telling you about the government's approach.

The Prime Minister asked me to provide leadership within cabinet so that all ministers keep the agenda 2030 objectives in mind. If you read our election platform, or the one that is currently guiding our actions, you will see that they are very close to agenda 2030. We are targeting several of its objectives, and I will make sure I encourage my colleagues in that regard. The discussion has only just started.

In terms of international development, the five priorities that I mentioned earlier are very well aligned with the sustainable development objectives, some more directly than others. There are 17 objectives that we are always keeping in mind. When we develop outcome indicators, we do so in line with the agenda 2030 outcome indicators.

As for the objective of 0.7% of the GNI, we'd need some $10 billion more a year to attain it. This is indeed too ambitious in the current financial context. However, the federal budget does make it possible to increase the development assistance budget. So by reviewing the policies and financial framework, I intend to set an objective that is both ambitious and realistic.

As I said earlier, it isn't the amount of the cheque that counts; it's the results on the ground that matter. So we need to be creative, innovative and find new financial partners, new funding mechanisms, to be more effective. That's a challenge.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Thank you.

You have also been given the mandate to promote inclusive and responsible governance in developing countries.

You weren't with us in the previous government, but at the time, we at the NDP tabled Bill C-584, which I'm sure you've heard about. It was about creating an independent ombudsman for corporate social responsibility. Your colleague from Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, who was a member of the opposition, said the following about the Conservative government:

One way that it might demonstrate good faith and show that Canada is taking this issue seriously is to... With regard to the bill itself, let me reiterate again that it is a very well-intended piece of legislation. Liberals recognize that, and we are supportive of it.

Where are we at with this ombudsman position? It seems to me that there's a little back-pedalling going on.