Canada & The World

1. Canada provides humanitarian assistance funding in response to Nagorno-Karabakh crisis

   Canada is deeply concerned by the rapid increase in humanitarian needs arising from the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh that has forced more than 70,000 people to flee to Armenia since last week, a number that is increasing daily.

2. Canada announces funding to help Afghan refugees and host communities impacted by last year’s flooding in Pakistan

   Pakistan continues to recover from the devastating floods of 2022 that took more than 1,700 lives and affected some 33 million people. Homes, roads, schools, health facilities and other critical infrastructure were destroyed while livelihoods, livestock and crops were also severely affected.

3. Joint Statement on the Partners in the Blue Pacific Foreign Ministers Meeting

   The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan, Germany, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom on the occasion of the Partners in the Blue Pacific Foreign Ministers Meeting September 22, 2023.

4. Minister Hussen to hold press conference to announce funding to help Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan

   September 26, 2023 - The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, will hold a press conference to announce development flood recovery funding to help Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan.

5. Announcement of new diplomatic appointments

   The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the following diplomatic appointments:

6. Biographical notes

   Maryse Guilbeault (BA Hons [German], McGill University, 1986) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1993.

7. Statement on International Day of Peace

   Statement on International Day of Peace

8. Canada imposes additional sanctions against members of Haitian economic elite

   The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations in response to acts of significant corruption, which are fueling the current security, political and humanitarian crisis in the country.

9. Joint statement on the principles of the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations

   Today, endorsers of the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations are gathered during High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly’s 78th session to reaffirm our pledge to enhance international cooperation and end the practice of arbitrary arrest, detention or sentencing aimed at exercising leverage over foreign governments.

10. Joint Statement by Canada and the Netherlands on the launch of the Global Declaration on Information Integrity Online

    Information integrity is essential to help ensure the strength of democratic processes and to protect fundamental rights. The erosion of information integrity, including the propagation of disinformation, weakens the strength of democratic engagement because it hinders open public debate on important issues that affect all of us. Countries are coming together as a concrete step towards the development of international norms for addressing information integrity online that is rooted in democratic values.

11. Canada calls for cessation of hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement

12. Canada appoints new ambassador to Haiti

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the appointment of André François Giroux as Ambassador of Canada to Haiti. He replaces Sébastien Carrière.

13. Biographical note

    André François Giroux (LLB [Civil Law], University of Montréal, 1992; LLM [International Business Law], McGill University, 1994; LLM [European Community Law], College of Europe, 1995; MBA, University of Montréal, 2001) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1995.

14. Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant to attend 78th session of United Nations General Assembly

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced today that the Honourable Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be in New York City, New York, on September 17 and 18, 2023, to attend the 78th session of United Nations General Assembly.

15. Minister Joly welcomes Brunei Darussalam’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs to Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that she will welcome Dato Erywan Yusof, Brunei Darussalam’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, to Canada on September 18, 2023.

16. Minister Joly to welcome Swiss counterpart to Ottawa

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will welcome Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, on September 18.

17. Canada announces humanitarian assistance in response to flooding in Libya

    The flooding in Libya caused by Storm Daniel has resulted in significant loss of life and devastated infrastructure, creating a crisis for the displaced people now dealing with the aftermath.

18. Statement on International Day of Democracy

    “The International Day of Democracy is a timely opportunity to renew our commitment to democratic principles and values at this pivotal juncture for all countries. No system of government is perfect, but democratic governance is the surest route to lasting peace, sustainable prosperity, and the respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights for all. Unfortunately, democracy today faces unprecedented challenges worldwide. Threats to freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, and the undermining of information integrity are all contributing to the erosion of civic space. We are also seeing too many countries with electoral processes that are disrupted or targeted by malicious attempts to misinform. These attempts interfere with people’s capacity to access transparent, factual and independent information, to freely participate in elections, and to exercise their right to vote.

19. On first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, Canada announces additional sanctions against Iranian regime

    A year has passed since Mahsa Amini died due to the actions of Iran’s so-called Morality Police. Since then, Canada has led international efforts to respond to the Iranian regime’s actions by imposing sanctions on 31 entities and 129 individuals for gross and systematic violations of human rights and grave threats to international peace and security.

20. Minister Joly to co-host dialogue on the Initiative against arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations with Costa Rica, Malawi, and the United States at UN General Assembly High Level Week

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as part of Canada’s delegation to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

21. Minister Joly speaks with Niue’s Premier and Foreign Affairs Minister

    Yesterday, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke with Niue’s Premier and Foreign Affairs Minister, the Honourable Dalton Tagelagi, to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and Niue.

22. Canada announces humanitarian assistance and launches matching fund in response to earthquake in Morocco

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced a matching fund with the Canadian Red Cross to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of disaster-affected populations in Morocco. Every donation made by individuals to the Canadian Red Cross from September 8 to 28, 2023, will be matched up to a maximum of $3 million.

23. G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the “elections” in regions of Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia

    We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, unequivocally condemn the staging of sham “elections” held by Russia on sovereign Ukrainian territory in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea.

24. Minister Hussen announces support for climate action and sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls in Africa

    Canada remains a steadfast partner in international efforts to fight climate change and promote gender equality. Last week, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced $24.75 million in funding as he concluded his visit to Africa. This funding will help support nature-based climate solutions and conservation interventions in Africa, as well as continue Canada’s commitment to improving and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls.

25. Backgrounder - Canada announces $24.75 million in development funding for projects in Africa

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced $24.75 million in Canadian funding for development programming as he concluded his trip to Kenya and Zambia. Details of the program funding follow.

26. Announcement of new diplomatic appointment

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the following diplomatic appointment: Carmen Sorger

27. Biographical note

    Carmen Sorger (BA Hons [Journalism], Carleton University, 1989; MA [Comparative and International Politics], McGill University, 1996) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1996 in the Global Issues Branch, where she worked on peacebuilding and human security, with a focus on children and armed conflict and women, peace and security.

28. Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant to visit Tallinn, Estonia

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced today that the Honourable Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will visit Tallinn, Estonia, from September 5 to 7, 2023.

29. Minister Hussen to travel to Kenya and Zambia

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, today announced that he will visit Kenya and Zambia from September 4 to 9, 2023.

30. Announcement of new diplomatic appointment

    Ping Kitnikone becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. Ms. Kitnikone replaces Sarah Taylor.

31. Biographical note

    Ping Kitnikone (BA [Pacific Studies and Economics], University of Victoria, 1991; MPA [Public Administration], University of Victoria, 1994) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1994. She served as consul general in Mumbai from 2003 to 2005 and ambassador to Vietnam from 2016 to 2018.

32. Minister Hussen concludes trip to Colombia that marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and Colombia

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, today concluded a 4-day trip to Colombia, during which he reaffirmed Canada’s role as a key ally in supporting Colombia’s development, humanitarian, peace and security objectives.

33. Minister Hussen concludes trip to Colombia and announces development assistance funding

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen announced nearly $22.5 million in funding for development programming while visiting Colombia, from August 28 to 31, 2023. Details of the programming follow.

34. Minister Ng underscores importance of collaboration at G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting

    Over the weekend, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, concluded her participation at the Group of Twenty Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting in Jaipur, India.

35. Negotiations launched for Canada - Ukraine bilateral security commitments

    Today, Government of Canada officials met with their Ukrainian counterparts to discuss long-term security commitments between our two countries. During the meeting, Canadian officials reiterated Canada’s commitment to using all tools at our disposal to support Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

36. Announcement of new diplomatic appointment

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the following diplomatic appointment:

37. Biographical notes

    Emily McLaughlin (BA [Anthropology], University of Victoria, 1998) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2001. Her early assignments were as a policy adviser in the Mexico and the European Union divisions and as a departmental adviser in the Office of the Secretary of State for Africa, Latin America and La Francophonie, where she also worked as a legislative assistant. She has worked as a trade commissioner in the Calgary regional office and was a departmental adviser in the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021. She has served abroad at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, the High Commission in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in London and the Consulate General in Hong Kong. Most recently, she was the director of the Inter-American Affairs division.

38. Minister Hussen to travel to Colombia

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, today announced that he will visit Colombia, specifically Bogotá and communities along the Venezuelan border.

39. Minister Joly to travel to Slovenia, North Macedonia and Albania

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will be travelling to Slovenia, North Macedonia and Albania from August 27 to September 2, 2023, to reaffirm Canada’s support for and solidarity with the countries that are directly affected by Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine. This is in line with the commitment made by Canada and its Allies during the most recent NATO summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania, to present a united front against autocracy and authoritarianism, and to combat misinformation at every opportunity.

40. Canada announces contribution to Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to protect world’s nature

    At home and on the world stage, Canada is taking action to protect nature and keep our planet healthy for generations to come.

41. G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement On the Launch Using Ballistic Missile Technology by North Korea

    We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms North Korea’s launch using ballistic missile technology conducted on August 24, 2023. This launch is a clear, flagrant violation of multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) and poses a grave threat to regional and international peace and stability.

42. Biographical notes

    Natalka Cmoc (BA [Physical Anthropology], University of Toronto, 1993; MSc [Forensic Anthropology], University of Toronto, 1995) completed field research in Ukraine and Russia, including implementing Canadian technical assistance projects in Ukraine in the 1990s.

43. Canada appoints new ambassador to Ukraine

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the appointment of Natalka Cmoc as Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine. She replaces Larisa Galadza.

44. Statement on Ukraine’s Independence Day

    Today, Canada extends its best wishes to the people of Ukraine and to those in Ukrainian communities worldwide on the 32nd anniversary of their country’s independence.

45. Ministers Hussen and Guilbeault to hold a press conference at the Seventh Assembly of the Global Environment Facility

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will hold a press conference on August 24 in Vancouver.

46. Canada announces additional sanctions against Russia’s military and nuclear sectors

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions against 4 individuals and 29 entities that have direct ties to Russia’s military-industrial complex, as well as to its financial and nuclear sectors. These sanctions are part of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations and target those who are complicit in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

47. Parliamentary Secretary Sidhu to travel to Chicago

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced today that Maninder Sidhu, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will travel to Chicago, Illinois, on August 23-24, 2023, to promote Canadian priorities related to economic collaboration and job creation on both sides of the border.

48. Canada welcomes international leaders to Seventh Assembly of the Global Environment Facility 

    As the world experiences the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Canada is once again bringing leaders together to take action and build a healthy future for people everywhere.

49. Statement on tenth anniversary of chemical weapons attack in Ghouta district of Damascus, Syria

    “Today, Canada remembers the victims of the chemical weapons attack launched by the Assad regime in the Ghouta district of Damascus, Syria. More than 1,000 people were killed, many of them children, as a result of Syria’s use of the lethal nerve agent sarin.

50. Statement on World Humanitarian Day

    The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, today issued the following statement: “On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, Canada expresses our gratitude and deep respect for those involved in the delivery of life-saving assistance around the world.