Ahead of today’s budget release from the Government of Canada for 2022-2023, Results Canada called for new and additional funding in the international assistance envelope (IAE) above 2020-21 in Budget 2022-23. The budget tabled well-prepares Canada to address today’s most pressing global health challenges, especially in responding directly to COVID-19 and preparing for future pandemic threats. It also assists in mitigating the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Ukraine and other parts of the world.
The health issues and needs in the world are great and, with the new budget, Canada has shown our leaders understand that tackling them will create stability in the world and reduce the loss of lives and dollars that current crises are creating. We are very pleased to find that today Canada has stepped up to increase the aid budget in response to global challenges that require global solutions.
We must also look beyond the immediate crisis of the day. COVID-19, climate change, and the war in Ukraine are having devastating ripple effects in lower-income countries that are last in line to get access to scarce and over-priced medical products, food supplies, seeds, fertilizer, and energy. For Canada to be able to play its part in preventing further backsliding on hard-won global health and development gains, more sustainable financing will be needed in the future.
Ultimately, the funding allocated to the IAE in 2022-23 is a welcomed sight for the many voices – including Results Canada volunteers and parliamentarians on the Finance Committee – who have been advocating for increased IAE resources for years. This is an encouraging step towards the government’s commitment, made in last year’s Speech from the Throne and reiterated in the Minister of International Development’s mandate letter, to increase Canada’s international development assistance budget each year. Increases in subsequent years will support sustainable, equitable, and feminist international cooperation in line with our commitments to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Click-to-tweet about how Canada stepped up with the 2022-2023 budget to meet the needs of today’s global challenges: