Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant to travel to Africa to advance peace and security efforts

From: Global Affairs Canada

News release

November 27, 2023 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will represent Canada at the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, from November 27 and 28, 2023.

The Parliamentary Secretary will address the second plenary session on the integrated approaches for a resilient and democratic Africa and reaffirm Canada’s commitment to supporting Africa-led solutions to peace and security challenges in the region.

He will also participate in a side event on advancing the meaningful participation of women in peace operations, where he will engage with partners of the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations to learn about the significant activities Senegal’s Armed Forces have undertaken to advance gender equality in the military. He will have the opportunity to hear the testimonies of Senegalese women in uniform.

During his visit, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant will meet with international partners and representatives of civil society in the respective regions to discuss cooperation on key global and regional security issues, including a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Sudan and the protection of democracy and the rule of law in the Sahel region, and to reaffirm Canada’s enduring support for Ukraine.

Quotes

“We are at a pivotal time in addressing the world’s increasingly complex security challenges, and we know that no one country has all the answers. I look forward to meeting with our partners in West Africa to collaborate on efforts that support a peaceful, more secure, and sustainable world.”

 - Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

  • In 2018, Canada and Senegal announced a bilateral partnership focused on Senegal’s Department of the Armed Forces, specifically its Directorate of Control, Study and Legislation, to support the implementation of the Senegalese Armed Forces’ Gender Sector Strategy.

  • Senegal’s Police Force and Gendarmerie were among the first beneficiaries of the Elsie Initiative Fund, to which Canada contributed $17.5 million to eliminate barriers for women within the structures they served in and to facilitate their participation in peace operations.

  • The side event on advancing the meaningful participation of women in peace operations, supported by Canada, is organized by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, the Women’s Peace and Security Network in the Economic Community of West African States (WPSNECOWAS) and the Centre des Hautes Études de Défense et de Sécurité du Sénégal [Senegalese centre for advanced defence and security studies] (CHEDS), in collaboration with Senegal’s Department of the Armed Forces.

Associated links

Contacts

Isabella Orozco-­Madison
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Isabella.OrozcoMadison@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
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