25 September 2013
New York, New York
Today in New York, Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Bill and Melinda Gates. Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie, also participated in the meeting.
The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to take stock of the productive partnership that exists between the Government of Canada and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as to discuss future collaboration.
Prime Minister Harper and Bill and Melinda Gates spoke specifically about collective efforts to support maternal and child health, including polio eradication, vaccines and nutrition. The importance of accountability and improved information for achieving results were underlined.
The Government of Canada and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have a long history of successful collaborations in support of international development, including in the context of the G-8 and G-20. In addition to working closely together on Canada’s 2010 G-8 Muskoka Initiative for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, the Government of Canada and the Foundation continue to collaborate on polio eradication, food security and agricultural development.