Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, members. It's an honour to be here. I served on this committee before, so it's good to be back. I am pleased to join you to discuss my mandate and how our government's priorities for international development are evolving.
As you all know, we are operating in a challenging geopolitical landscape that is affecting every aspect of our work on the international stage. Multilateral organizations are under tremendous strain. Over the past five years, we have seen important development gains stalled or even reversed. Globally, progress in alleviating extreme poverty has been nearly stagnant. The global food crisis is worsening, and humanitarian needs remain worryingly high, particularly in Gaza, Haiti, Sudan and Ukraine.
Major aid donors are cutting their budgets and shifting their approaches to development assistance. At the same time, new donors are competing for influence, following approaches that may not be in line with Canada's values. Global south countries are calling for reforms to multilateral organizations to allow for more equitable representation systems, and Canada is supporting the ongoing reforms of the UN and the humanitarian system to make them more agile, efficient and effective.
I took on my new duties as the Secretary of State for International Development this spring. My mandate is to act on behalf of Canada to foster sustainable international development and poverty reduction in developing countries and provide humanitarian assistance during crises, but the conditions under which I must fulfill this mandate have changed dramatically over the year, and it is clear that Canada's development work and that of traditional international assistance donors need to adapt to meet this new reality.
In discussing these issues at the meeting of G7 development ministers I chaired this month, my counterparts and I agreed that this moment calls for urgent reforms. We agreed that it's imperative to rethink our approaches to tackling extreme poverty, promoting economic growth in developing countries and responding to humanitarian crises. For Canada, this will mean working to maximize the impact of our dollars, ensuring tangible results and better connecting what we do to strengthen Canada's economic security.
International development assistance can be an investment in shared prosperity and stability. Canada has a strong and proud history of doing just that. We are a leader in putting gender equality at the core of our work, because evidence shows this is not just the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do. Canadians expect that their taxpayer dollars advance sustainable results they can relate to, and I am making it my priority to achieve this.
As I work through what we need to change in our existing approaches to meet the new era, I will be particularly focused on the following elements.
First, I will work to better articulate how our international assistance concretely supports Canada's need to diversify its trade relationships. This will mean placing greater emphasis on supporting economic growth, trade readiness and private sector engagement to build prosperity and resilience in developing countries. It will mean continuing to build and strengthen enabling environments for growth while ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind.
My goal is ultimately to contribute to Canada's long-term, mutually beneficial relationships in developing countries and emerging markets. To achieve this, we will embrace new financing models, digital solutions and locally driven approaches that make good use of our development resources, increase our impact and deliver sustainable outcomes. This includes expanding our use of innovative finance tools such as blended finance to increase private sector investment to ensure that every taxpayer dollar goes even further.
Our government will ensure that FinDev Canada, our development finance institution, works to scale up more private sector investment in developing countries.
In short, we will establish a more integrated approach that connects our trade diversification and international development imperatives, so that we can strengthen enabling environments for trade, reduce private sector barriers, help create jobs and enhance supply chain resilience.
Second, I am acutely aware of my role in helping address risks such as climate change, infectious diseases and food insecurity. By addressing these, we help create the conditions for global stability and resilience, which is in Canada's benefit.
We will continue to work with partners to advance gender equality, respond to humanitarian crises, and protect the environment.
This is a tremendous opportunity to inject a new sense of focus and purpose into what we do and how we do it. It is an opportunity to use Canada's international assistance as a valuable resource that helps tackle global challenges, build strong partnerships and drive meaningful progress, all while ensuring that Canadians stay at the core of our work.
Thank you for your time.
