Foreign Affairs Committee on May 6th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

I'd like to call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 106 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Before we begin, I'd like to remind all members and witnesses in the room of the following important preventative measures.

To prevent disruptive and potentially harmful audio feedback incidents that can cause injuries, all in-person participants are reminded to keep their earpieces away from all microphones at all times.

As indicated in the communiqué from the Speaker to all members on Monday, April 29, the following measures have been taken to help prevent audio feedback incidents. Old earpieces have been replaced by a model that greatly reduces the probability of audio feedback. The new earpieces are black in colour, whereas the former earpieces were grey. By default, all unused earpieces will be unplugged at the start of a meeting. When you are not using your earpiece, please place it face down in the middle of the sticker for this purpose, which you will find affixed to your table. Please consult the cards on the table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents. The room layout has been adjusted, as you can see, to increase the distance between microphones and to reduce the chance of feedback from an ambient earpiece.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format.

I'd like to make a few comments for the benefit of the members as well as our distinguished witnesses.

Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. For members in the room, please raise your hand if you wish to speak. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The committee clerk and I will certainly do our best to maintain a consolidated speaking order.

In accordance with the committee's routine motion concerning the connection tests for witnesses, I am informed that all witnesses have completed the required connection tests in advance of our meeting.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee will commence consideration of the subject matter of supplementary estimates (C), 2023-2024, votes 1c, 5c, 10c and 15c under the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), the committee will commence consideration of the main estates 2024-2025, votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and L30 under Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development; vote 1 under International Development Research Centre, and vote 1 under International Joint Commission, referred to the committee on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

I'd now like to welcome the numerous individuals we have here with us today.

First and foremost, it is a great honour to have the honourable Minister of International Development, Minister Hussen, here with us today. Thank you so much for being with us.

The minister is joined by officials. The officials who are accompanying the minister are Christopher MacLennan, deputy minister of international development; Alexandre Lévêque, assistant deputy minister for Europe, Arctic, Middle East, and Maghreb; Peter MacDougall, assistant deputy minister of global issues and development; Cheryl Urban, assistant deputy minister, sub-Saharan Africa branch; and Shirley Carruthers, chief financial officer.

Minister, you will be provided five minutes for your opening remarks. Thank you for being with us. The floor is yours.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of International Development]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.

Today, I'm here to discuss Canada's role in providing international assistance to advance sustainable development around the world. It is, of course, critical that we do so in a way that keeps in mind the current global context and the results Canada has achieved over the past year, and that examines the challenges ahead.

It is no secret that the global development landscape is changing rapidly. We've seen the devastating impacts of the Israel-Hamas war, the violence and instability in Haiti, the brutal conflict in Sudan and the ongoing destruction by Russia in Ukraine. We've also seen how climate change is disproportionately affecting underdeveloped countries, with flooding in Pakistan, hurricanes in Honduras and drought in Somalia.

Canada is also operating in a context of weakened democracies worldwide and growing authoritarianism. In particular, we're seeing global backlash against gender equality and a rollback of hard-won human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights. This is very disturbing. In this context, Canada is steadfast in its commitment to advance gender equality and deliver a feminist approach to international assistance in pursuit of a more prosperous, safe and equitable world for all of us.

Allow me to share some results from just this last year.

In 2023, Canada's official development assistance increased by approximately 7% to $10.9 billion, resulting in Canada's highest official development assistance by gross national income level since 1995. As part of these investments, we're delivering on the global climate change commitments we've made as a country. We continue to work with partners to promote clean energy, phase out coal, invest in climate-resilient and smart agriculture, support environmental adaptation initiatives for the most vulnerable countries and, absolutely, protect biodiversity.

Through Canada's support for the Global Environment Facility, we're helping more than eight million people adapt to climate change and protect 100 million hectares of marine biodiversity.

We're also among the top donors supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The women's voice and leadership program is one example of this. We've supported over 1,100 women's rights organizations, feminist movements and LGBTQI+ organizations in more than 30 developing countries. We're delivering on our 10-year, $1.4-billion annual commitment to advance the health and rights of women and girls around the world.

From Peru to Bolivia, Zambia and Mozambique, I've seen the transformative impact of Canada's international assistance programming. I've heard directly from young men and women, from community leaders and from others about how our supports are literally changing lives and changing systems.

Other examples of how our aid is saving lives include Canada's contribution of over $930 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which has so far saved over 44 million lives.

However, despite this progress, the past year has been very challenging. I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge this, Mr. Chair.

The human cost of conflict is growing rapidly. According to recent United Nations estimates, over 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2024.

Canada provided $1.3 billion in humanitarian assistance in the 2022‑23 fiscal year to respond to the life-saving needs of the people affected by conflict and natural disasters around the world. Canada has also announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance funding to address the urgent needs of vulnerable civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and neighbouring countries.

Of course, as members will have seen in budget 2024, we are investing an additional $350 million to respond to humanitarian crises around the world, because the need is greater than ever before.

Now let's turn to the challenges that lie ahead of us.

We know that development assistance alone is not enough to meet the growing needs of developing countries, so we need to continue to work with other countries, development partners, multilateral development banks, financial institutions and the private sector to mobilize all the possible resources to enable development finance to support the progress towards sustainable development goals.

Through the grants and contributions transformation initiative, Global Affairs Canada is finding new ways of working that are faster, more transparent and more flexible. We need to continue to play a leadership role in shaping the international development landscape of the future in recognition of the fact that Canada and Canadians do not live in a bubble. What happens around the world affects us right here at home, and investing in international assistance to contribute to global peace and security and inclusive economic growth helps us build a more peaceful and prosperous world for all of us.

With that, I want to turn it back to you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you very much, Minister.

We will now proceed with questions from the members. As I understand it, MP Chong is first.

Mr. Chong, you have six minutes.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, in the statistical report on international assistance for the fiscal year 2022-23, the Government of Canada provided $730,000 in international assistance to Iran. Can you tell us what that was for?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Because of the detailed nature of the question, I'll turn to my officials for that particular project.

[Christopher MacLennan, Deputy Minister, International Development, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

When we do the report every single year, it includes two types of spending. It includes the spending that goes to multilateral organizations such as the United Nations agencies—the Global Fund, for example. It also includes our bilateral assistance directly to countries. Usually it's not to the country itself; it's through organizations that do development assistance work on the ground.

Any country that is eligible for official development assistance as dictated by the OECD will receive funding through these multilateral organizations.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Okay. I don't have a lot of time, and we're already almost a quarter of the way through my time.

Do you know what the $730,000 is—

[Christopher MacLennan]

It is an imputed percentage from Canada's contributions to multilateral organizations that have undertaken work in Iran.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Okay, thank you.

Minister, we don't agree with the resumption of funding for UNRWA. The government announced the suspension of funding at the end of January—I think January 26—and then reinstated it on March 8. Were there any planned transfers during that roughly five-week period? What were we suspending during that five-week period?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

As I said at the time in my numerous statements, we paused additional funding to UNRWA pending the examination of the allegations that came forward.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Was there any scheduled funding during that period that was suspended?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

We paused any additional funding to UNRWA. I can't be more clear than that, sir.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

The government announced on March 8 that funding would be reinstated, and I believe it's $25 million of the $100-million commitment that is to be transferred to UNRWA this fiscal year. Is that correct?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Can you rephrase your question? I don't know what you are asking. Are you asking me if we have stopped pausing funding to UNRWA, or are you asking me about a specific number?

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

No. My question is that $25 million is supposed to be transferred to UNRWA. Is that correct?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Yes, that's correct.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Has that money already been transferred to UNRWA?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Yes, it has.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Were any conditions put on the transfer of that funding?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

I want to address your question by going back to the relationship between Canada and UNRWA. It's a recognition of UNRWA's role in Gaza as well as in the region. UNRWA is responsible for the humanitarian response to two million Gazans and four million Palestinians in the region.

We stopped pausing funding in recognition of two things. One was the tangible and numerous steps that UNRWA itself and the UN had taken to build confidence and put in more oversight and accountability measures that built the confidence of donor countries like Canada. Second, we also stopped pausing funding in recognition of the dire humanitarian situation on the ground. When you combine those two things, we were confident to move forward.

The responsibility of UNRWA to continue to implement those oversight and accountability mechanisms and to meet its obligations towards neutrality and anti-terrorism are ongoing. They're not just stuck in that time.

We will continue to monitor that, but we are very confident in the number of significant steps taken both by UNRWA, the UN and the Secretary General.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

The UN's Colonna report made 50 recommendations, some of which were to allow UN bodies such as the UNHCR and the World Food Programme direct access to Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis there without having to go through UNRWA.

Have you put those kinds of conditions, tied to those recommendations in the report, on the transfer of the $25 million? If not, are you prepared to put conditions on the remaining $75 million that has yet to be transferred?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Number one, the World Food Programme is already in Gaza. They do—

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Yes, but the UN report's criticism of how the World Food Programme is operated in Gaza is that it's not operating under its own auspices there. It has to operate under UNRWA rather than under the World Food Programme. Their recommendation was that UN agencies be able to go directly into Gaza without having to seek intercession through UNRWA.

My question is, have you put conditions like that on the transfer of funding to UNRWA? If not, are you willing to do that in the future?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

You characterize that as intercession. What I would say is that we recognize UNRWA as being the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. That's not just the Canadian position; it's the position of many international trusted partners who deliver aid to Gaza. They rely on UNRWA and use their logistics and their networks to distribute that aid.

For example, that's what the World Food Programme does.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you.

We now go to MP Zuberi.

You have six minutes.