I would like to welcome everyone to the city of Montréal for this meeting of women foreign ministers. I would like to begin by recognizing that we are on the traditional territory of the Kanien’keha:ka Nation and I would like to thank Elder Annie Konwaronhia:wi Deer, who we just heard, for welcoming us so beautifully and poetically here today. She said to me as we were getting ready to come in that a meeting of women leaders together must be very powerful. She was very keen to get us started and I think she did a wonderful job.
The Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification, will host meetings with Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, on September 26 and 27, 2018, in Montréal, Quebec.
Canada congratulates the Maldivian people, who turned out peacefully in such high numbers to cast their votes, reflecting their strong desire to exercise their democratic rights.
Together, Minister Freeland and the High Representative/Vice President Mogherini co-chaired the meeting of women foreign ministers in Montréal on September 21 and 22, 2018, to identify innovative ways to jointly address crucial foreign policy challenges and to enhance dialogue and cooperation in support of democracy, human rights and global peace and security.
I would like to start by pointing out that we are on the ancestral territory of the Mohawk nations. I would also like to take a moment to note that, while we have talked about different situations around the world, we have also recognized and discussed our relationship with Indigenous communities in Canada, and particularly with Indigenous women. We acknowledged the milestone achieved yesterday in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls as well as on criminal justice mechanisms.
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, today issued the following statement.
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development, and the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, today issued the following joint statement on Mali’s independence day.
The Government of Canada is taking action to implement the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda and will contribute more than $4 million to Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPs) projects, as well as more than $23.5 million to Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) Program initiatives.
When women’s rights are respected, their voices heard, and when they are free to exercise leadership, communities are more prosperous, peaceful, secure and united.
The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement or CETA came into force one year ago today, and Canadian consumers and businesses are already reaping its benefits. CETA is a landmark agreement that set new standards for how we build trade deals moving forward.