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.