Address by Parliamentary Secretary Gould to 2016 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

Speech

July 18, 2016 – New York City, New York

Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the Government of Canada’s official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with its communications policy.

Good evening, Mr. Vice-President, your excellencies, honourable ministers, distinguished guests.

I am proud to add Canada’s voice to the chorus of support at this multi-stakeholder High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and welcome the role of the UN in supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Canada is fully committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda—both at home and abroad.

For example, at home we are:

• reducing inequalities by growing the middle class;
• creating a clean and strong environment, and addressing climate change;
• investing $120 billion in infrastructure over the next decade;
• renewing our nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples; and
• investing in children and youth.

Internationally, Canada is re-focusing its international assistance on the poorest and most vulnerable people, who are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda.

For Canada, this means that we will invest particular effort in addressing the challenges faced by women, children, youth, Indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, LGBTI persons and people with disabilities—not as victims, but as equal participants in the development of a viable plan to ensure sustainable development in our country and in the world.

We have, for example:

• committed $2.65 billion over five years to help developing countries tackle climate change;
• provided over $1.1 billion over three years in development and humanitarian assistance to address the needs of people affected by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East; and
• increased our contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by 20 percent, to $785 million, from 2017 to 2019.

In September, Canada will host the Fifth Global Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Montréal. I invite you all to support this critical global health initiative.

The comprehensive and integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda demands that we do development differently. This means re-examining what we do, where we do it, and who we do it with.

That is why Canada is currently conducting a public review of its international assistance. Public and expert views are an important element of this review. We are seeking input not only from Canadians, but from a wide range of partners around the world.

It’s too early to say what our new international assistance approach will look like, but one thing is clear: advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls will be at the heart of Canada’s efforts.

Women and girls can be transformative agents of change, if given the right tools and opportunities. It’s 2016, and high time that they harness their full potential in order to contribute to and benefit from development progress.

The 2030 Agenda is the defining global framework of our time. The international community can count on Canada to do its part and to support efforts to ensure that no one is left behind.

Thank you.

Contacts

Bernard Boutin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-5977
bernard.boutin@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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