October 25, 2013
MONTRÉAL — The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie, met here today with Canadian private sector representatives to explore opportunities for further partnerships to reduce poverty and create economic growth in the developing world.
"Sustainable private sector growth and poverty alleviation are two sides of the same coin," said Minister Paradis. "Canada's private sector has the know-how and resources that can contribute to greater global prosperity and help lift the world's poorest and most vulnerable people out of poverty. Our government is open to new and innovative approaches to development, including leveraging private sector investment, innovation, and partnerships to maximize results."
Minister Paradis has been holding round tables on topics across the development spectrum such as food security and humanitarian assistance to explore new and innovative ways for Canada to deliver concrete results for those in need. Participants in the round table included a broad cross-section of representatives from the business and academic communities, and civil society organizations.
"Canada has a great deal to offer in terms of agribusiness, information technology, and extractive resources," said Minister Paradis. "We are global leaders in the mining, oil, and gas industries, and we are also key players in the areas of biotechnology, fertilizers, crop breeding, and livestock genetics—all sectors that can make contributions to global food security. The bold ideas put forward today will help us pursue new partnerships to promote sustainable economic growth and break the cycle of poverty and dependence."
Canada's strong commitment to work with the private sector to advance development priorities was further emphasized in the 2013 Speech from the Throne: Creating Jobs and Opportunities. Canada's efforts to broaden and deepen the engagement of the private sector in development also reflect the government's priority of promoting prosperity and economic growth both at home and abroad.
To this end, on October 18, 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada and the European Union have reached an agreement in principle on a comprehensive economic and trade agreement that will significantly boost commercial ties between the two partners and create jobs and long-term economic growth and prosperity.
For more information on Canada's development work, visit Private Sector and Development.
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