Address by Minister Duclos to the United Nations HQ, New York City

Social and Solidarity Economy: A key Sector for  Sustainable Urban Development

September 20, 2016   -   United Nations HQ, New York City

Good evening. I would like to start by thanking President François Hollande and the French government for inviting me to take part in this discussion. This meeting couldn’t be timelier, as we approach the United Nations Habitat III Global Summit next month in Quito, Ecuador.

With over half of the world’s population now living in cities, it is no surprise that issues like exclusion, inequality and poverty are magnified in urban centres with high population densities. And Canada is no exception.

We are still facing deeply entrenched social challenges that no single group, or government, can solve on its own.

That means we all have a role to play to make our cities more inclusive, safer, more sustainable and economically and socially prosperous for all our families.

More specifically, national governments must play an important role in mobilizing different levels of government, the social sector and the private sector in order to build a better society together. 

In Canada, we recognize that social finance and social innovation are important tools for addressing our challenges in economic, inclusive and sustainable development.

That is why we are committed to developing a Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy, co-created (in a partnership spirit) by a steering group composed of leaders, practitioners and government representatives.

In this endeavor, we are inspired by the positive impacts of similar initiatives in other countries and wish to be part of an ambitious social agenda at the global level.

Another central aspect of our collaborative agenda is engaging Canadians on our priorities, such as developing strategies and implementing initiatives to improve housing, employment, private and public infrastructure and fight poverty and climate change.

One of the key priorities is strengthening the middle class and helping those working hard to join it. I believe this is an area where countries can work together to help build and grow the middle class in order to encourage social and economic prosperity not only in our own countries, but also across the globe.

We have committed to a renewed relationship between Canada and our Indigenous peoples, one based on the recognition of rights, respect, trust, co-operation and partnership.

This relationship between our government and Indigenous peoples is the most important of all those we hope to build together.

An inclusive community is more than just a group of houses that provide people with shelter.

The inclusive communities we strive for feed on the goods and services that matter to our families, such as access to health care, transit, clean water, as well as environmentally friendly and energy‑efficient public and private spaces.

Inclusivity also means respecting diversity and protecting the needs of vulnerable groups.

Canada has fought hard to have groups like youth, women, children, immigrants, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and members of the LGBTQ community officially recognized in the New Urban Agenda.

I’m proud to say that most are.

Unfortunately, the LGBTQ community has been partly left out, until now.

We will continue to advocate for the rights of that community, both at home and abroad, in a respectful but determined manner.

For example, in May, Canada introduced legislation that will recognize and reduce the vulnerability of trans and other gender-diverse persons to discrimination, hate propaganda and hate crimes, and affirms their equal status in Canadian society.

As our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said:

“We need societies that recognize diversity as a source of strength, not a source of weakness.”

We believe that this is one of Canada’s greatest assets and will be putting an emphasis on this in Quito next month.

I simply cannot overstate the importance of Canada’s commitment to the UN and to the guiding principles set for the Habitat III Summit.

These types of events are an important part of bringing Canada’s voice back to the international conversation and global community.

Finally, I am eager to share areas and ideas through which Canada is showing leadership and innovation in addressing complex social problems.

I am also eager to hear and learn from other countries that are grappling with issues similar to our own.

Together, we can transform our national visions into a global vision, and make that vision a reality for the good of all our families.

Thank you again for your warm welcome. I assure you that Canada will always be a strong, proud and loyal ally of the United Nations and of a world and economy in solidarity.

Thank you.