Cooperation Canada took part in the 2024 G7 Summit in Italy as a member of the Civil 7 (C7). This moment enabled Cooperation Canada and the entire sector to better prepare to assume leadership of the C7 in 2025, coinciding with Canada’s presidency of the G7. Paul Farran, Director of Policy and Advocacy, and the Policy Team at Cooperation Canada, share their thoughts on the outcome of the 2024 G7 Summit. 

On Canada’s leadership of G7 in 2025 

As Canada takes the helm of the G7 on its 50th anniversary, we must lead by example in addressing the world’s critical challenges. From the urgent fight against climate change and the need for sustainable investments in Africa to the relentless pursuit of gender equality, Canada’s presidency must embody progressive and ambitious leadership. This is Canada’s moment to set a bold agenda, demonstrating that we are not just part of the G7 but a guiding force for global progress and equity.  

Cooperation Canada will take the helm of the C7 in 2025. We anticipate continued and inclusive engagement on the G7 this year and next with the Government of Canada.  

Learn more about Cooperation Canada’s participation in the 2024 Civil 7 Summit in Italy. 

On Canada’s position as a global player in international cooperation 

With fires burning in all regions of the world, Canada must step up in its role as a global player for greater international cooperation. This year, G7 leaders have used the moment to claim that democracies can deliver, riding on the agreements reached on Ukraine and Africa. And most Canadians expect Canada to play an important role as a convener and leader in advancing global solidarity. Compared with its peers, Canada is at the bottom of the pack in terms of the development assistance it provides. A situation which needs to be addressed. Civil Society in Canada stands ready to continue and further its engagement with the Canadian Government in advancing policies which build on past initiatives and set a bold agenda going forward. 

The 50th G7 in Canada in 2025 is a powerful moment for Canada to drive significant investment and attention to create a more just, safer and sustainable world, by meeting its obligations on climate change globally, and by continuing to lead with a focus on women’s rights and empowerment. 

On the relevance of the G7 and open engagement 

Forty years ago, G7 represented 50% of the global economy. This is down to 30% today. As its global influence shifts, so to must the way it operates. The Italians have set a precedent by inviting a number of regional powers and other partners to the Summit. Canada has an opportunity to build on this approach and to further engage civil society in setting a vision compatible not only with economic growth but more importantly with social justice and global solidarity. 

On the Africa focus at the Italian G7 

Partnership with Africa is not charity, it is an obligation to redress decades of global economic injustice and persistent colonial and predatory practices. What is also clear is that Canada needs Africa more than Africa needs Canada. G7 countries and others around the world are forging deep relationships on the African continent, including the Italian Mattei Plan and the American-sponsored PIGG plan. Canada risks falling behind without a clear and mutually beneficial vision. Unfortunately, African voices were limited in engaging in these discussions which directly impacted their continent during the G7. Canadian civil society expects more deliberate engagement with African leaders and civil society in driving forward such a vision. 

Canada has also made some interesting announcements, including through its development finance institution – FinDev. In taking this forward, Canada has a clear interest in putting forward a coherent vision for its relations with the continent, without which it risks falling behind. This vision must cast attention to the global structures which are holding back sustainable development and which are needed to shift power to Africans in driving their development. Civil society also anticipates Canada to continue working towards its ambition of committing 50% of its development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. 

On Israel and Palestine 

In the last 8 months, we have seen the Government of Canada demonstrate their ability to take effective positive action on several instances, including its vote in favour of a ceasefire on December 6th at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and the motion adopted on March 18th to stop arms transfers to Israel. Now again, as Parliament rises for the summer, is the time for Canada to take further decisive actions that match statements in support of international law. 

Civil society in Canada expects Canada to press all parties to accept and immediately implement the ceasefire resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on June 10, freeing all hostages and ensuring no new occupation or territorial modification of Gaza. It further expects the halt of all arms transfers to Israel as well as robust diplomatic measures to pressure Israel to abide by the International Court of Justice order to stop the obstruction of humanitarian assistance. 

Coming out of the G7 held last week, Canada and leaders of the G7 “deplored all losses of civilian lives equally and noted with great concern the unacceptable number of civilian casualties, especially women and children”. These words are meaningless unless concrete actions are taken to ensure the consistent respect of human life and international law by all parties. 

On artificial intelligence 

Institutions worldwide are struggling to keep pace with technological advancements. Most countries and organizations are reacting rather than proactively planning with regards to change being brought on by technological advancements and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Seeing AI’s potential to impact all aspects of human life, and possibly even more so for vulnerable and disempowered populations, it is critical for Governments, through multilateral institutions, to urgently agree to a cadre and systems which frame the development and use of AI. And in doing so, civil society in Canada and worldwide must have a seat at the table, a genuine and plural voice. 

The G7, with the power it holds economically, as well as in its control of technology, has a unique responsibility to work for immediate coordinated, multilateral, and multistakeholder engagement on framing AI development and use in a human centred manner. Civil society must be involved in decision-making processes to safeguard against misuse and to promote transparency and accountability in the implementation of these technologies. 

The digital divide has exacerbated global inequality. For instance, older adults are less connected than younger people, women have less access to the internet compared to men, and internet access is significantly lower in low-income countries. Within developed countries, significant disparities exist, such as only 24% of households in Indigenous communities in Canada having quality high-speed internet compared to 94% of the general population. Concrete measures are required to address these inequalities. 

On climate change 

There is an urgent need for G7 countries, which are amongst those who have historically been and continue to be the biggest polluters, to take serious action in terms of transitioning away from fossil fuels, as agreed in Dubai by the international community in 2023. This cannot wait till Canada takes the helm of the G7 in 2025. The C7 and Canadian civil society further urge G7 countries and other big polluters to set up climate finance mechanisms to support vulnerable populations who are bearing the brunt of unchecked development in higher-income countries. 

On sexual and reproductive rights and health

Women’s rights are under attack in too many countries right now. We need democratic actors, especially the G7, to stand for human rights, including sexual health and reproductive rights. Those basic rights must include safe and legal access to abortion. 

We are baffled that at this moment in time, the G7 does not stand up clearly and strongly to counter the anti-rights movement in ensuring that women maintain agency over their own bodies. 

Held at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome on May 14 and 15, the 2024 Civil 7 (C7) Summit was a space for representatives from civil society, government, and multilateral organizations to exchange ideas, concerns, and high-level solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges (agenda). The C7 is a Group of 7 (G7) engagement group with the aim of putting forward a set of coherent recommendations to influence G7 policies and the multilateral political processes. 

The recommendations were collected in a C7 Communiqué and authored via a set of working groups, consisting of civil society from G7 countries and the Global South. The contents of the C7 communiqué were crafted to resonate with G7 leaders and other high-level decision-makers. This document aims to raise accountability to commitments made by the G7 and to present global civil society’s relevant priorities. The specific working groups change every year depending on the agenda set by the host country, and the priorities of the civil society chair organization. In 2024, the working groups focused on: 

• Climate, energy transformation and environmental justice 
• Economic justice and transformation 
• Global health 
• Principled humanitarian assistance 
• Peace, common security and nuclear disarmament 
• Human mobility and migration 
• Food justice and food systems transformation 

This Communiqué was then presented to the personal representative of the Italian Prime Minister to the G7 – or Sherpa – at the C7 Summit. This momentous occasion was the culmination of months of work bringing together civil society to identify key issues and bring forth solutions to global challenges that are inclusive, just, and sustainable. Despite consensus being reached on most key issues, discussions around the responsibility for allocating the required resources to tackling these problems were not always fully conclusive.   

“We need to stop talking about ‘political will’ and start talking about ‘political responsibility’.” Anabella Rosenberg, C7 Climate Justice, Climate Action Network International. 

Darron Seller-Peritz, Policy Analyst and Program Officer at Cooperation Canada, provided the closing remarks, highlighting the importance of connecting globally across civil society. He also expressed Cooperation Canada’s enthusiasm to assume the C7 presidency in 2025 and, building on Italy’s work this year, to step into a leadership role for civil society around the world, including convening partners from the Global South in the context of the C7 in Canada.  

There are still some important milestones in the 2024 G7 process, including the Summit on June 13-15 and the ministerial meeting on development on October 24-25, and Cooperation Canada aims to keep its members well informed and involved for 2025. Whether that be on G7 and C7, political engagement and elections, or other thematic areas of importance, next year will be momentous for Canada and its global engagement. 

This story is part of Cooperation Canada’s triple nexus Spotlight Series   

Investing in women peacebuilders is not just a moral and effective thing to do, it’s a good financial investment we cannot afford to overlook. The returns are vital and invaluable for all of us and for the planet. 

A few years ago, Pélagie sought legal support and counselling from Héritiers de la Justice, a grassroots human rights organization in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This conflict-ridden region is one of the world’s most dangerous places to be a woman. 

Today, Pélagie is a human rights trainer and chair of the local grassroots network in her community. Through this network, which helps facilitate Héritiers de la Justice’s programs, she educates women and girls on how to advocate for themselves, including their rights to land and property inheritance, and organizes meetings on peacebuilding and reconciliation with community members and local authorities. 

Héritiers de la Justice is a partner in the KAIROS Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Program, which is funded by Global Affairs Canada and Canadian donors. The program is driven by women-led grassroots organizations that are well-trusted in their communities. They are highly attuned to the support needed in regions that are rapidly changing due to the climate crisis, conflict and growing income and food insecurities. 

Pélagie’s journey is unique but is also like thousands of other women who are impacted by war and conflict, and who empower themselves through programs such as this one to become effective peacebuilders in countries such as the DRC, Colombia, South Sudan, and the West Bank. 

In these contexts of protracted conflict, gender violence and social and economic insecurity, humanitarianism, peacebuilding, and development (HDP) are all needed, revealing the importance of triple nexus approaches where these dimensions are considered in unison. This is the daily reality faced by local women peacebuilders like Pelagie and organizations like Héritiers de le Justice and one they must address when they respond to the needs of the women and communities that they accompany. 

Triple Nexus: Perspectives from Women Peacebuilders 

I had the opportunity to meet with Pélagie during a recent exchange in Nairobi, Kenya, between KAIROS WPS partners from the DRC and South Sudan. A highlight of the exchange was hearing about Héritiers de la Justice’s economic empowerment projects for women peacebuilders. 

Pélagie outlined the details of an income-generating program that is inherently collective and feminist. Give a survivor and local peacebuilder one piglet and provide training on how to look after it, and she will breed five pigs, give four to other members of the grassroots network and keep one for sale or future breeding, thus expanding and sustaining the program. The resulting economic and food security will increase her individual capacity to participate in peacebuilding and defend human rights, while increasing the grassroots network’s capacity. She will also name her piglet something meaningful and inspiring like “Rhuciseze,” translated as “let’s walk courageously.” 

South Sudanese exchange participants connected immediately to this example. 

“I will carry this idea back home,” said one participant. “In South Sudan, we have been told by grassroots women and survivors of the conflict that they are committed to reconciliation, and that they want to build peace, but they cannot participate effectively and sustainably if they have nothing to eat or feed their families.” 

At KAIROS, we have heard the same message from WPS partners in Colombia and Palestine: humanitarian and human-rights-centered peacebuilding requires economic empowerment and food security. Here again, we hear a call from local partners for a triple nexus approach. 

Transforming Triple Nexus Ambitions into Funding Streams 

Thanks to Canada’s financial support – guided by its innovative Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) – we have witnessed a significant rise in the number of women who are actively strengthening laws, policies, and structures to recognize and protect their rights.  

Canada’s FIAP is a proven sound policy in its prioritisation of women and girls. And while it displays a concrete understanding of the interconnectivity between humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding work, and the critical role and agency of women in these programs, it does not utilize triple nexus language or recognize this rapidly emerging approach. Even less is its commitment to developing funding streams anchored in this approach, allowing organizations to mobilize financial resources with agility across HDP. For example, human rights and economic empowerment remain siloed funding streams with strict limitations on how moneys can be disbursed.  

Last spring, despite calls from civil society to increase funding, Canada reduced its overseas development assistance (ODA). Today, Canada’s percentage allocation of gross national income is less than half that of the international standard of 0.7 percent. As a first priority, Canada must increase its ODA to reach the international standard by 2030 and ensure that these resources are directed to grassroots women’s organizations to ensure alignment with FIAP.  

Reaching the international standard should be a baseline commitment that responds to increased ground level pressures where local partners are facing rising income inequality, and economic and food insecurity exacerbated by the pandemic, increased conflict, and the impacts of climate change. 

In a financial climate where civil society organisations are receiving fewer dollars from the Government of Canada, and being asked by the communities they serve to ‘do more with less,’ a second priority should be allowing for greater flexibility in resource mobilization across the HDP spectrum and work around climate change.  

Investing in women peacebuilders who engage in both humanitarian and development activities is not just a moral, human rights-based, equitable and effective thing to do, it is a sound financial investment, and one that Canada cannot afford to overlook. In today’s world, the returns are vital and invaluable for all of us and for the planet – equitable and sustainable peace with economic and climate justice. 

This piece is based in part on a previous publication in The Hill Times, and authored by Rachel Warden, Partnerships Manager at KAIROS Canada.