On World NGO Day, we honour the remarkable dedication and resilience of workers in international development and humanitarian assistance. These often-unsung heroes are committed to reaching vulnerable and marginalized people with responsive, inclusive and life-changing assistance.
Since the beginning of Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Canada and our international partners have imposed severe, wide-reaching sanctions on individuals and entities in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine who are complicit in Putin’s illegal war.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence; the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada; and the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued the following statement:
One year into Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale military invasion against Ukraine, Members of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies (Canada, Estonia, Georgia, Guatemala, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States), remain steadfast in their support for Ukraine and reaffirm their commitment to the democracy, sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.
On February 24 last year, Russia launched its illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, which is also an attack on the rule of law and the principles of the UN Charter. On the eve of the one-year mark, we reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine and unity in our condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression and the resulting tragic loss of life and destruction of property. We remain determined to foster international cooperation to uphold multilateralism and address the global economic hardships caused by Russia’s war and its weaponization of food and energy, which are disproportionately felt by low- and middle-income countries.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement on the latest missile launches by North Korea: “North Korea continues to violate United Nations Security Council resolutions. Its most recent missile launches, including the February 18, 2023, launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and the February 20 launch of two short-range ballistic missiles that landed in the East Sea, are acts of aggression that threaten regional and international peace and security.
The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, issued this statement today to mark the second annual International Day for Commemorating Air Crash Victims and their Families