Canada supports peace and stability in Middle East, Africa and Central Asia

On June 9, 2023, the Government of Canada announced more than $69.5 million in funding for a total of 26 projects to support security, peace and stability in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

On June 9, 2023, the Government of Canada announced more than $69.5 million in funding for a total of 26 projects to support security, peace and stability in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

Through the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program and the Middle East Strategy, Canada is investing $39.6 million in 6 projects to support local peacebuilding, advocacy and accountability efforts in Syria and 7 projects to support local communities’ rebuilding efforts, demining and the restoration of essential services in Iraq. These projects put women and girls at the centre of Canada’s efforts to help ensure a more inclusive and gender-responsive approach to peace and stabilization in the region.

Through the Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program and the Middle East Strategy, Canada is investing more than $30.3 million in 13 projects across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia to support the global fight against terrorism and violent extremism. These projects align with the Global Coalition against Daesh’s efforts to adapt to the evolving threat posed by Daesh and to help address the underlying conditions for radicalization and violence in these regions.  

Peace and Stabilization Operations Program

Syria

Project: Conflict Resolution in Syria
Partner: DT Institute
Funding announced: $2.3 million (2021 to 2024)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $2.3 million to the Development Transformation Institute, for a total of $4.9 million, to continue supporting efforts to reduce violence resulting from the absence of justice and dispute resolution mechanisms in Syria. This project empowers communities in Syria to break cycles of violence, restore social cohesion and strengthen resilience against Daesh. Project activities include research, media and communications outreach, and conflict resolution.

Project: Deir ez Zor Immediate Stabilization Support
Partner: People Demand Change
Funding announced: $1.48 million (2020 to 2023)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $1.48 million in project funding to People Demand Change, for a total of $3.5 million, to continue supporting the stabilization of communities in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, building their resilience to violence and countering the resurgence of Daesh. This project empowers the Deir ez-Zor Civil Council in providing effective reconciliation services, increases the ability of civil society organizations to engage in governance and improves water and agricultural infrastructure for better access to sustainable water sources and livelihoods.

Project: Innovative Accountability for Syria
Partner: Syrian Legal Development Programme
Funding announced: $460,000 (2021 to 2024)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $460,000 in project funding to the Syrian Legal Development Programme, for a total of $709,000, to continue supporting Syrian civil society organizations to better understand and navigate the judicial system and public institutions to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.

Project: Mine Action in Northwest Syria
Partner: Chemonics International
Funding announced: $2 million (2022 to 2023)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $2 million in project funding to Chemonics International, for a total of $3 million, to continue to equip, train and support the Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets). This project seeks to reduce the impact of explosive ordnance contamination on communities, including displaced persons, which are causing a significant barrier to stabilization efforts in northwest Syria. In addition, this project funds some search and rescue operations, provision of emergency medical services and assistance to women’s centres.

Project: Peacebuilding through an Inclusive Social Action Model in Syria
Partner: Mercy Corps
Funding announced: $1.75 million (2023 to 2025)
Description: Canada’s funding will support the strengthening of peacebuilding efforts in northeast Syria, led by young women and men who are impacted by the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Project: Support to the Syrian Women’s Political Movement
Partner: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Funding announced: 3.3$ million (2018 to 2024)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $3.3 million in funding to the   Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, for a total of $4.9 million, to continue to support the Syrian Women’s Political Movement to build a just and democratic country for all its citizens and promote Syrian women’s participation in all policy discussions on Syria, while working to mainstream gender and women’s roles into the general narrative of the conflict.

Iraq

Project: Clearance of Explosive Hazards in Ninewah and Anbar
Partner: United States Department of State and Tetra Tech
Funding announced: $10 million (2022 to 2023)
Description: This project aims to enable the safe return of displaced persons by restoring safe access to land that is essential to infrastructure. Project activities include leading mine action clearance activities to remove explosive hazards from liberated areas in Ninewah, Anbar, and Kirkuk governorates.

Project: Women Voices First in Iraq
Partner: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom and Cordaid
Funding announced: $1 million (2023 to 2024)
Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of grassroots, women-led, feminist, and women’s rights organizations across Iraq, to implement programs addressing Women, Peace, and Security-priorities.
 
Project: Integrated Clearance of Explosive Ordnance to Enhance the Security of Civilians Affected by Daesh-related Violence
Partner: Mines Advisory Group
Funding announced: $6 million (2022 to 2024)
Description: This project aims to enhance the security of civilians in regions affected by violence related to Daesh. Project activities include carrying and removing explosive ordnance (EO) and clearing land in prioritized areas. The project will also facilitate the deployment of community liaison teams to conduct non-technical surveys, provide explosive ordnance risk education, conduct housing, land, and property due diligence and collect data on the types of EO contamination and the impact of clearance activities on communities.

Project: Building Forensic Capacity in Iraq to Document, Preserve and Analyze Evidence of Torture and Sexual Violence
Partner: Physicians for Human Rights
Funding announced: $2.4 million (2023 to 2025)
Description: This project aims to improve national efforts to document and investigate sexual violence committed against the Yazidi population in northern Iraq, survivors of torture in detention facilities and victims of sexual and gender-based violence in domestic settings. Canada’s funding will help Iraqi medical, legal and law enforcement professionals to conduct their work, and will support institutions in their documentation of incidents of sexual and gender-based violence for evidentiary purposes and to adhere to international processes, standards, and best practices.

Project: Women and Youth-Led Peace and Reconciliation in Iraq
Partner: Mercy Corps
Funding announced: $2.5 million (2023 to 2024)
Description: This project aims to strengthen social cohesion in diverse communities of Ninewah governorate by enabling inclusive and gender-responsive peace and reconciliation processes through research, capacity building and dialogue sessions for key stakeholders, that include women and youth in particular.

Project: Strengthening inclusive peace and security in Daesh-affected areas of Ninewah:
Partner: Nonviolent Peaceforce
Funding announced: $4 million (2022 to 2024)
Description: This project contributes to the stabilization of areas previously occupied by Daesh (specifically Zummar, Tel Afar District and South Mosul) by training people for conflict prevention as well as establishing and facilitating a community-based peace mechanism to promote gender equality for inclusive peacebuilding.

Project: Diyala Youth as Leaders for Peace
Partner: Danish Refugee Council
Funding announced: $2.5 million (2022 to 2025)
Description: This project aims to improve social and economic resilience for young women and men affected by conflict in Iraq's Diyala Governorate. Project activities include employing an integrated approach to peacebuilding by training and supporting youth to actively engage in conflict prevention and the promotion of social cohesion, as well as investing in livelihood opportunities that enable youth to participate in the socio-economic recovery of their communities.

Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program

Middle East and North Africa  

Project: Supporting Iraqi National Efforts for an Enhanced Implementation of the National Strategies on the Prevention of Violent Extremism
Partner: International Organization for Migration
Funding announced: $2.6 million (2023 to 2024)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $2.6 million in project funding to the International Organization for Migration, for a total of $5.1 million, to continue supporting the Iraqi government and civil society actors in responding to factors related to violent extremism in communities vulnerable to recruitment. A limited component of the project assists Government of Iraq officials in conceptualizing and planning the return of Iraqi nationals from northeast Syria.

Project: Counter-terrorism Project for the Middle East and North Africa (Phase 2)
Partner: International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
Funding announced: $3.9 million (2023 to 2026)
Description: Phase 2 of this project aims to provide technical assistance in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia to disrupt foreign terrorist fighter mobility and further enhance counter-terrorism capacities as part of an ongoing effort to address the transnational threat posed by Daesh in the Middle East and North Africa. Law enforcement professionals will receive modernized equipment and training to strengthen inclusive and gender-responsive strategies in preventing, detecting and combatting terrorism in this region.

Project: National Peace Education Curriculum Initiative in Tunisia – Phase 2
Partner: Search for Common Ground
Funding announced:  $ 1.4 million (2023 to 2025)
Description: Phase 2 of this project aims to further increase resilience and positive normative values of Tunisian youth toward their local and national environments. Search for Common Ground will also support Tunisia’s Ministry of Education in institutionalizing the peace education curriculum across Tunisia’s primary education system, while supporting the Ifrikya Center for Common Ground, as well as Peace Clubs to promote civic values on human rights, gender equality and digital peacebuilding.

Project: Supporting Women Civil Society Organizations in the Prevention of Violent Extremism
Partner: Global Center on Cooperative Security
Funding announced:  $894,000 (2023 to 2025)
Description: This project aims to strengthen the Israr Coalition for Equality— an umbrella association of 30 women-led civil society organizations (CSOs) in Morocco— by supporting efforts to prevent, rehabilitate, and reintegrate women involved in or impacted by violent extremism, terrorism, and other forms of conflict. Gender-focussed training delivered by the Global Center on Cooperative Security will target up to 120 frontline staff members of CSOs and volunteers in 4 regions of Morocco.

Project: Airport Communication Project: Detection and Interdiction of Illicit Trafficking and High-Risk Passengers at International Airports in North Africa
Partner: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Funding announced: $1.15 million (2023 to 2024)
Description:  Canada is allocating an additional $1.15 million in project funding to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, for a total of $2.65 million, to provide training and modernised equipment to enhance the capacity of airport security, customs, civil aviation, police and intelligence officers to better identify and intercept weapons, illicit drugs and suspicious passengers, including foreign terrorist fighters. This project is in partnership with International Criminal Policy Organization (INTERPOL) and the World Customs Organization in Algeria, Egypt and Morocco.

Project: Airport Communication Project: Detection and Interdiction of Illicit Trafficking and High-Risk Passengers at International Airports in the Middle East 
Partner: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Funding announced:  $2 million (2023 to 2024)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $2 million in project funding to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, for a total of $4.5 million, to increase the ability of law enforcement agents in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon to undertake risk assessments, as well as the targeting of high-risk passengers transiting through their international airports.

Project: Strengthening Border Management and Security Practices at Points of Entry in Aqaba Governorate
Partner: International Organization for Migration
Funding announced: $1.2 million (2023 to 2024)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $1.2 million in project funding to the International Organization for Migration, for a total of over $2.6 million, to strengthen border security by improving the infrastructure at the Al-Durra border crossing between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, located next to the Port of Aqaba, Jordan. In addition, the organization is supporting the training of 100 border officers operating across Jordan to help them detect and intercept criminal and terrorist activity, in a gender sensitive and human rights compliant manner.

Project: United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Iraq Human Rights and Counter Terrorism Support
Partner: United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism
Funding announced: $2.5 million (2023 to 2025)
Description: This project will support the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in engaging with the Government of Iraq, in particular the Ministry of Interior, to strengthen the integration of international human rights norms and standards in efforts aimed at preventing and countering terrorism in a gender-responsive manner.

Project: Lebanese Armed Forces Vehicle Support
Partner: United Nations Office for Project Services
Funding announced: $4.2 million (2023 to 2023)
Description: In cooperation with the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces in support of Operation IMPACT, this project will procure and deliver 60 light over snow vehicles, 7 mobile repair vehicles and accessories to the Lebanese Armed Forces’ Land Border Regiments to improve their ability to effectively and sustainably monitor, observe and protect the mountainous border between Lebanon and Syria.   

Project: Jordanian Armed Forces Joint Terminal Attack Controller Support
Partner: United Nations Office for Project Services     
Funding announced:  $4.2 million (2023 to 2023)
Description: In cooperation with the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces in support of Operation IMPACT, this project will allow the United Nations Office for Project Services to procure and deliver a mobile Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) Simulator and accompanying accessories to the Jordanian Armed Forces’ JTAC School. The JTAC Simulator will enhance the school’s capacity to train and accredit JTAC operators according to NATO standards. 

Project: Jordanian Armed Forces Female Military Transport Vehicles
Partner: United Nations Office for Project Services     
Funding announced:  $730,000 (2023-2023)
Description: In cooperation with the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces in support of Operation IMPACT, this project will allow the United Nations Office for Project Services to procure and deliver military transport busses for the Jordanian Armed Forces’ (JAF) Northern and Central regional commands, Military Women’s Training Centre and Special Forces Female Platoon. The procurement of these vehicles will complement ongoing efforts to remove systemic barriers and increase female participation, integration and retention throughout the Jordanian Armed Forces.

Central Asia

Project: Addressing the Terrorism-Arms-Crime Nexus: Preventing and Combatting the Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons and Their Illicit Supply to Terrorists in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)
Partner: United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism
Funding announced: $3.7 million (2023 to 2025)
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $3.7 million in project funding to the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, for a total of over $5.5 million, to expand Canada’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of Central Asian states to counter the risk of trafficking of illicit firearms in the region, prevent their illegal access by terrorists and contain the potential outbreaks from neighbouring Afghanistan. By building the capacity of border control, customs and criminal justice officials and legislators, this project aims to increase recipient countries’ capacity to monitor, prevent and counter the potential risks of illicit flows of firearms in the region. This project will also foster more effective international and regional cooperation.

Project: Strengthening Airport Security in Pakistan to Counter Threats of Terrorism  
Partner: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime—Pakistan
Funding announced: $1.9 million (2023 to 2025)
Description: This project will enhance the operational capacities of airport security and in-flight security personnel to counter threats of terrorism and transnational organized crime. Strengthening technical and operational capacity is necessary to efficiently investigate, prevent and interdict the flow of illicit goods or terrorism into, through, or out of Pakistan. By enhancing the technical, operational and legal capacities of the Airports Security Force, airports, flights and passengers in Pakistan will be better protected.