News Archives

Cooperation Canada’s Half-Year in Review

by Cooperation Canada | Jul 8, 2025 | Global Leadership, Membership, News, Shifting Power

Catch up on what we’ve been up to this year! Pivotal moments for the sector, past events, missed opportunities and what’s on our radar for the rest of the year. Have a great summer!

Cooperation Canada at the G7: Leading Civil Society, Advancing Global Solutions

In leading this year’s Civil 7 (C7), Cooperation Canada has played a central role in mobilizing civil society to influence global decision-making. In April, we hosted the C7 Summit in Ottawa, bringing together over 130 participants. The resulting C7 Communiqué called for urgent action on interconnected global crises emphasizing that real security and progress depend on global cooperation.

At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in June, we released our official G7 Response, recognizing some positive signals on human rights and civic space, while underscoring key gaps. Our CEO Kate Higgins noted that the Summit “failed to deliver the collective ambition needed to address escalating humanitarian crises, deepening inequality, conflict and threats to human rights.” We highlighted the imbalance between military spending and the lack of bold commitments to aid, climate and debt relief.

Throughout Canada’s ongoing G7 Presidency, Cooperation Canada has ensured civil society voices were heard by advocating for policies rooted in justice, solidarity and inclusion. Canada’s leadership of the G7 is not done, and you can be sure that Cooperation Canada will continue pressing for meaningful action and accountability in the months ahead.

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Pushing for Bold Global Leadership During the Federal Election

During the last federal election, Cooperation Canada led a sector-wide push to keep conversations around foreign policy and international cooperation on the national agenda. In the face of growing global challenges, we called on political leaders to resist the temptation to turn inward and instead invest in Canada’s role on the world stage.

Through an open letter to party leaders, targeted engagement with sector working groups, and a joint statement endorsed by dozens of organizations, we delivered a clear message: “Investing in a strong, engaged Canada on the world stage is not just the right thing to do—it’s also in our interest”. Our global engagement is vital to our economic resilience, our security and our international credibility.

Cooperation Canada remains committed to championing a forward-looking, robust and coherent foreign policy that leverages development as a key pillar of global engagement, alongside diplomacy, defence and trade.

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Cooperation Canada in the News

As we reflect on the first half of 2025, Cooperation Canada has been featured in numerous media stories, raising our voice on critical issues shaping global cooperation. Here are a few standout moments from our media coverage so far this year!

Our CEO Kate Higgins spoke to The Canadian Press about the ripple effects of the USAID office closures, underscoring the urgent need for Canada to reinforce its development commitments. Kate also appeared on CBC’s The National, where she called for renewed leadership in the face of a shrinking global aid landscape.

In The Globe and Mail, Kate stressed that with a new federal mandate in place, now is the time for Canada to reverse the erosion of aid and step up its role in addressing growing global challenges.

As G7 leaders met in Kananaskis, Alberta, Cooperation Canada urged Canada to advocate for a more inclusive agenda. In The Globe and Mail and Radio-Canada, Kate emphasized the importance that “as other G7 countries turn inward, Canada — this year’s G7 president — has a critical opportunity to lead.”

Cooperation Canada will continue to push for an ambitious, principled vision of Canada’s role in the world. More to come as we carry this momentum into the second half of the year!

Catch up on Missed Opportunities!

2025 has been a busy year for Cooperation Canada! Take a look back on our past events and read our recently released reports.

International Development Week 2025

As part of International Development Week this February, Cooperation Canada hosted a reception and film screening of The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Justice & Empowerment Initiatives Inc. The event also included an unveiling of The Light, the painting by Métis artist Colleen Gray, a presentation from the IDRC team about their work on global democracy and a conversation with Temitope Ogungbamila, one of the film’s directors, who provided the local context and highlighted the important issues explored in the film, such as forced displacement and housing rights.

On February 6, 2025, we celebrated individuals and organizations making impacts in the sector at the Cooperation Canada Awards Ceremony. Congratulation to Katrina Leclerc, this year’s recipient of the Karen Takacs Award, along with both Roopan Gill and Développement International Desjardins, the individual and organizational winners of the Innovation and Impact Award with WUSC, in collaboration with the Trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award!

Reports

Earlier this year, we published our first progress report on the Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice (AEDIJ) Strategy and Action Plan (2023–2026). Rooted in solidarity, social justice and continuous learning, the report shares key milestones, ongoing challenges and our commitment to embedding AEDIJ principles across every aspect of our work.

In an effort to continuously evolve and take accountability, we have taken members’ considerations and concerns into our new and improved Code of Ethics.

The 2024 Canadian Aid Trends report, authored by Brian Tomlinson as a partnership between AidWatch Canada and Cooperation Canada, dives into four key areas: overall trends, changing priorities, tackling poverty and channels for delivering Canadian ODA.

Sector Events

Last month, Cooperation Canada hosted the PSEAH Dialogue with Global Affairs Canada, featuring PSEAH activists, government officials and civil society voices for an insightful conversation and a discussion on the future of the Leaders Pledge.

On June 5, 2025, humanitarian leaders from across the country gathered in Ottawa for the annual Head of Agencies Meeting—a high-level convening organized by the Humanitarian Response Network (HRN) and Cooperation Canada. Held against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts, displacement and climate-related emergencies, the meeting provided a crucial forum for strategic dialogue on Canada’s humanitarian engagement.

This February, in celebration of Black History Month, we featured Black Changemakers, Innovators and Disruptors shaping International Cooperation in a series of inspiring interviews. We also hosted the virtual event Redefining Global Development: Black Leadership in International Cooperation, with a dynamic panel that highlighted the contributions, challenges and leadership of Black professionals driving change on the global stage.

Call for Nominations for the  Cooperation  Canada Board of Directors - Nominate by August 15, 2025

by Cooperation Canada | Jul 2, 2025 | News

Cooperation Canada members will be called upon to elect the Board in the lead up to the Cooperation Canada Annual General Meeting on September 22, 2025.

Our Board of Directors is a dynamic and diverse group of leaders who champion international cooperation and value collaboration. If you are passionate about shaping a fairer, safer and more sustainable world at a time of disruption and transformation for the world, we invite you to stand for nomination!

Cooperation Canada’s Board is composed of up to 14 Directors, elected to represent the diversity and priorities of our membership. Of these 14 Directors, ten are nominated and elected by members, and four are nominees of provincial and regional councils, one of which shall be from Quebec. Terms on the Board are for two years, and Board members can sit on the Board for a maximum of three terms, or six years.

This year:

Three Board members are coming to the end of their terms and will stand again for election to the Board (Katharine Im-Jenkins – Equality Fund, Usama Khan – Islamic Relief and Dorothy Nyambi – MEDA).
Five Board members are coming to the end of their terms and cannot or will not stand again (Eileen Alma – Coady Institute, Christine Bui – Equality Fund, Tanjina Mirza – Plan International Canada and Tracey Wallace – Northern Council for Global Cooperation; note Zehra Rizvi – Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation, recently stepped down due to moving on from the organization).
Six Board members are not up for re-election and will remain on the Board (Michèle Asselin – Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI), Anne-Catherine Bajard – British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCIC), Julie Francoeur – Fair Trade Canada, Ferrada Jacob Lightening – VIDEA, Musu Taylor-Lewis – Food for the Hungry Canada and Béatrice Vaugrante – Oxfam-Québec).

This means at the Annual General Meeting, the Membership will be asked to:

Ratify six Board members (noting three current Board members are standing for re-election for another term).
Ratify two Board members from provincial and regional councils.

The call for nominations is now open and members are invited to apply by August 15, 2025.

Please note that to be eligible, Director nominees must be affiliated to a Cooperation Canada member organization. Individuals affiliated with Cooperation Canada member organizations can self-nominate.

Board Composition Priorities

Cooperation Canada is a signatory to Canada’s 50-30 Challenge, which aims for gender parity (50%) and significant representation (30%) of equity-deserving groups within boards and senior management across Canada. In addition, Cooperation Canada has a Board Diversity Policy.

Importantly, following the resignation of an Indigenous Board member prior to the 2024 Annual General Meeting, the Cooperation Canada Board has been engaging in a process of reflection and learning on Indigenous leadership and governance, and seeking to take concrete steps to strengthen commitments to enhance onboarding and support for new Directors and build an inclusive, productive and supportive Board space that is welcoming of Cooperation Canada’s diverse membership and diverse perspectives. This remains a priority for the Board.

To ensure the Board represents a broad cross-section of the diversity of our membership and of people in Canada, and supports the organization’s strategic and evolving needs, this year the Cooperation Canada Board is encouraging nominations from candidates who bring the following experience and perspectives:

Skills/organizational characteristics

People with executive strategic leadership experience, including from larger organizations, who can represent and support Cooperation Canada to build strong and productive relationships with the federal government, federal political parties and/or Canadian philanthropy.
People with strategic leadership experience working with organizations that focus on issues central to international cooperation but beyond traditional humanitarian and international assistance programming and government funding models (e.g. multi-sector partnerships, diverse and/or innovative finance and funding models, trade/economic development).

Individual characteristics

Individuals who reflect Canada’s racial, linguistic, cultural, and regional diversity, especially Indigenous People, Racialized, Black, and/or People of Colour, People with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities) and 2SLGBTQ+ and/or gender and sexually diverse individuals.

These characteristics are provided as a guide and are not prerequisites for nomination.

All nominees can meet with existing Board members prior to or following the submission of their nomination. This can support candidates to discuss the work of the Board and assess their alignment with Cooperation Canada’s values and goals.

For questions, or to discuss the implications of Board participation, please contact  Shannon Kindornay.

Updates to Cooperation Canada’s Board Nominations Process

Cooperation Canada is making changes to the Board of Directors nominations and election process to enhance transparency, efficiency, and member engagement.

This year, voting will take place electronically prior to the Cooperation Canada AGM on September 22, 2025. As usual, each Cooperation Canada member will have one vote. Results of the election will be shared with the membership prior to the AGM, when members will be asked to ratify the slate of candidates presented. No nominations will be received from the floor.

Key Dates

Nominations launched: June 26, 2025
Nomination deadline: August 15, 2025
Voting period prior to AGM: Members will have from September 2 to 12, 2025 to review materials and cast their votes online.
AGM Ratification: September 22, 2025

Submission

Candidates are asked to make their submission by August 15, 2025. We ask that candidates make a written submission by completing the submission form. This year, candidates may also submit a short video introducing themselves to the membership. This information will be shared with the Cooperation Canada membership when the voting period is launched. Learn more about adding a video to your submission.

Board of Directors Nomination

Video Requirements

Maximum length: 3 minutes.
Format: No editing by Cooperation Canada; videos must be submitted ready for use.
Support: Our team can provide technical support for video recording if needed. Please contact us.
Consistency: All candidates will follow the same guidelines to ensure fairness.

Note: Submitting a video is optional but encouraged to help members get to know the candidates.

Candidate Video Support Checklist

If you choose to submit a video introducing yourself to the membership, please follow these simple guidelines to ensure a smooth process.

Before Recording

✅ Review the maximum time limit: 3 minutes or less.
✅ Prepare a brief outline of key points you want to cover (e.g., your background, relevant experience, motivation for joining the Board).
✅ Choose a quiet, well-lit location with minimal background noise.
✅ Set up your device (phone, laptop, or webcam) at eye level.
✅ Ensure you have a neutral background (plain wall or simple backdrop).
✅ Avoid editing — record your video in one take if possible.

Submitting Your Video

✅ Confirm your video is under 3 minutes.
✅ Save your file as one of the following formats: .mp4, .mov, or .avi.
✅ Label your file clearly with your full name (e.g., Firstname_Lastname.mp4).
✅ Submit your final video file by August 15, 2025.
✅ Remember: Your video will be shared exactly as submitted — no edits will be made.

Need Help?

Cooperation Canada’s team is available to provide technical support (e.g., tips for recording, setting up Zoom to record yourself, troubleshooting basic issues).
If you need assistance, please contact us.

Igniting Hope: Ottawa to Host Inaugural Global Summit to Defend, Reclaim and Reimagine Civic Space

by Cooperation Canada | Jun 27, 2025 | Civic Space, News, Press Release, Resilient Societies

Ottawa, Canada – June 27, 2025 — Resilient Societies, in collaboration with Cooperation Canada, is pleased to announce the inaugural Ottawa Civic Space Summit, taking place from April 21 to 23, 2026, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

Set against the backdrop of intensifying global repression of civic space, the Summit will bring together civic actors, human rights defenders, government, donors, journalists, and policymakers from around the world to confront this crisis—and to ignite hope in an age of repression.

The Summit will serve as a platform to examine the increasing closure of civic space—from legal restrictions and digital surveillance to violence, harassment, and transnational repression—and to chart collaborative strategies that defend civic freedoms, empower communities, and strengthen democratic resilience. It will serve as a moment of global reflection and renewal, anchored in Canadian values and international solidarity.

“Civic space is the heartbeat of democracy—and it is under attack around the world. This summit is about resisting that repression, rebuilding solidarity, and reigniting hope,” said Maiwand Rahyab, Founder and CEO of Resilient Societies and Lead Organizer of the Summit.

“At a time when civic actors are being silenced across borders, this summit is a chance for Canada to stand in solidarity with defenders of rights, civil society and democracy. It’s about amplifying voices, building alliances, and strengthening the global architecture for civic engagement,” said Kate Higgins, CEO of Cooperation Canada.

Key goals of the Summit include:

Defending civic space as essential to democracy, rights, justice, and sustainable development.
Reclaiming space, agency and solidarity across movements, sectors, and borders.
Reimagining civic futures that are inclusive, vibrant, and resilient.

The Summit will bring people together for bold conversations, strategic exchanges, and moments of shared reflection—spotlighting diverse and courageous voices, from communities navigating closing civic space to Indigenous leaders, youth-led movements, and exiled human rights defenders.

Notes to Editors

Resilient Societies is a Canadian organization that works to protect civic space and support human rights defenders, civil society, and democratic actors, especially those operating under repression or in exile. With programs in Canada and globally, Resilient Societies builds resilience to repression, polarization and authoritarianism.
Cooperation Canada is the national voice for Canadian international development and humanitarian organizations. Representing over 100 organizations, we convene, coordinate and advocate for effective, inclusive and accountable international cooperation that contributes to a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.

Media Contact

Maiwand Rahyab, Founder & CEO, Resilient Societies
[email protected]
rsocieties.org

Gabriel Karasz-Perriau, Senior Communications Manager
[email protected]
(514) 945-0309

Call for Big Ideas: Shaping the Future of International Cooperation

by Cooperation Canada | Jun 26, 2025 | Membership, News

Cooperation Canada is inviting bold, forward-looking ideas to shape strategic discussions at the 2025 Leaders’ Forum.

We’re looking for big, catalytic concepts that reimagine the future of Canadian international cooperation — whether through new narratives, funding models, organizational approaches, or ways of working. This is your opportunity to influence high-level conversations among sector leaders and contribute to meaningful change.

What We’re Looking For

We welcome submissions on a wide range of themes, including (but not limited to):

Public engagement and narrative change.
Innovations in the delivery of Canadian aid.
New funding models and philanthropic partnerships.
Reinventing the Canadian Non-governmental Organization.
Power-shifting and innovative partnership models.
Strengthening civic space.

Submit a short letter of interest including:

A concept summary (maximum 150 words) outlining your big idea.
A brief description of your experience (lived, professional, academic, etc.) and/or your organization’s relevance to the idea (maximum 1 page).

We strongly encourage submissions from diverse voices. At least two of the five selected proposals will be allocated to youth (under 35). Please indicate if you are a youth in your letter of interest, should this apply to you.

What Happens Next

Up to five selected proposals will receive a $2,000 honorarium to expand their idea into a short concept paper (maximum 1500 words).
These concepts will be professionally designed, translated, and published on Cooperation Canada’s website by October 20, 2025.
They will directly inform workshop discussions at the 2025 Leaders’ Forum, with top ideas spotlighted during the event.
Big ideas invited for discussion at the Leaders’ Forum will be issued shortly after final versions are received.

Assessment Criteria

Proposals will be assessed based on:

Clarity and boldness of the idea.
Relevance to current challenges and opportunities in Canadian international cooperation.
Potential for influence and practical application.
Diversity of voice and perspective.
Feasibility and originality of the proposed concept.

How to Submit

Please send us your letter of interest (including your concept summary and experience description). Submissions must be received by July 31, 2025.

Timeline – 2025

Deadline to submit letter of interest: July 31
Notification of selected proposals: August 8
First draft due: September 2
Feedback returned: September 10
Final version due: September 22
Publication: October 20
Leaders Forum: October 29-30 (Ottawa, ON)

Advancing Global Goals in a Fractured World: A reaction to the Ninth Progressing SDG Implementation Report

by Cooperation Canada | Jun 26, 2025 | News, SDGs

As we pass the halfway mark toward 2030, the 2024 Progressing National SDG Implementation Report lands as both a temperature check and a mirror, reflecting the uneven, often fragile architecture of sustainable development across the globe. It outlines efforts by 35 countries to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), revealing both policy-level commitment and deep-seated implementation challenges. For those who have read Cooperation Canada’s The Post-2030 Lanscape report, the patterns in this year’s Progressing Report feel familiar. They echo the structural shifts and asymmetries we explored through scenario building: decentralization without devolution, participation without power and progress that’s uneven by design.

The Progressing SDG Implementation Report is produced annually by the civil society platform Action for Sustainable Development, in partnership with other civil society organizations including BOND, Cooperation Canada, FORUS, the International Institute for Sustainable Development and Save The Children, Sightsavers. The 9th edition was authored by Wangu Mwangi.

The Good News?

Many governments are taking the SDGs seriously: over 90% have included them in national development plans. Some, like Costa Rica, are linking these goals directly to budgeting and public investment decisions. Others, such as Brazil, have reactivated national coordination platforms, brought civil society back into planning processes, and gathered input from over 1.5 million people in their latest planning cycle.

The Harder Truth?

Much of this integration remains surface-level. Only 26% of countries involved stakeholders in defining SDG priorities. Civil society engagement is often limited to the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process, with little influence on long-term development planning or budgeting. While 91% of countries report having formal SDG governance structures, only 63% include non-state actors—and even fewer ensure these actors have continuity or influence in decision-making.

This participation paradox echoes one of the key risks outlined in the Global Cooperation Futures Initiative: the threat of symbolic ‘multi-stakeholderism’ under the Transactional Cooperation scenario. Where cooperation becomes transactional, participation is more about optics than substance, and decisions are driven by short-term interests rather than inclusive, long-term planning.

Yet some signals point to more hopeful pathways. Uganda’s Parish Development Model stands out as a promising example of embedding SDG planning into local government structures. It provides a framework for addressing development at the household level, tailored to community needs and realities. Similarly, Kenya has supported 17 of its 47 counties to independently review and report on SDG progress, backed by national coordination and training. These types of initiatives reflect what our Multistakeholder Cooperation scenario envisions: governance that is distributed, inclusive and adaptive. But as the report suggests, they remain under-resourced and fragile, needing stronger political and financial support to grow.

Austria, meanwhile, offers a glimpse of what meaningful monitoring can look like. While most countries continue to struggle with data quality and coverage, especially disaggregated data, Austria stands out as the only country in the 2024 review to report complete indicator coverage for the SDGs under review. Its approach combines national statistical systems with university-led research networks and civil society partnerships to create a more transparent and participatory data environment.

These kinds of practices, when sustained and scaled, may offer the foundation for a more resilient, legitimate form of cooperation. As outlined in our 2020 policy brief on Effective Multi-Stakeholder Engagement, real progress depends on involving civil society not just as observers or implementers, but as full partners. The brief lays out clear, practical principles—early involvement, transparency, resourcing, and feedback loops—that can help turn participation into shared decision-making.

The 9th Progressing SDG Implementation Report doesn’t just measure distance from 2030. It reflects deeper tensions between global ambition and local ownership, between formal inclusion and real influence, that will shape what cooperation looks like in the coming years. It also leaves us with a bigger question: are we still trying to implement the SDGs as they were first imagined, or are we ready to evolve them for the world we’re actually living in?

Read the country spotlight reports here.

Andy Ouédraogo

Government Engagement and Civic Space Lead

OECD DAC Civil Society Days

by Cooperation Canada | Jun 25, 2025 | Civic Space, Civil Society, News

In June 2025, Cooperation Canada joined civil society and government actors in Paris for the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Civil Society Days. As the primary body through which donor countries coordinate development assistance policies, the DAC plays a critical role in shaping how international cooperation supports democracy, rights, and civic engagement globally.

The context could not be more urgent. Around the world, civil society organizations are operating in increasingly hostile environments. Criminalization of advocacy, digital repression through cybercrime laws, internet shutdowns, and the securitization of protest are no longer isolated phenomena. They are becoming systemic features of governance in too many places.

And yet, it is important to acknowledge a critical point raised during discussions: for many communities, civic space has never truly been open. While we often speak of “closing space,” some civil society actors, particularly those representing historically marginalized groups, have always operated on the margins of visibility, legitimacy, and safety. That reality must shape how we design and deliver development cooperation.

In politically constrained environments, donor engagement remains complex. Speakers emphasized the importance of staying present, not disengaging, while adopting flexible, context-sensitive approaches. The forthcoming OECD toolkit on coordinated action for civic space was welcomed as a practical step in that direction.

A key shift in thinking emerged around Locally Led Development (LLD). There was a clear call to move beyond the notion of “capacity building” which too often implies a deficit model, and toward capacity sharing, which values the experience and leadership of local actors. This framing challenges long-standing hierarchies in development and demands a more equitable approach to partnership.

This shift is also linked to how we understand and manage risk. Development actors must reconsider risk not only as a question of fiduciary control or institutional reputation, but as something already deeply embedded in the daily work of civil society, particularly in repressive environments. True solidarity requires donors to take on part of that risk, rather than outsourcing it through overly rigid accountability frameworks.

The session on climate governance brought this to the fore. While adaptation finance has surged since the Paris Agreement, outcomes for the most climate-vulnerable communities remain disappointingly narrow and technocratic. Without meaningful civil society engagement and public trust, adaptation efforts will continue to miss the mark.

Finally, as the DAC prepares to release its five-year implementation report on the 2021 Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society, participants reaffirmed the need to translate donor commitments into consistent, coherent support for civil society. That means funding that is flexible and long-term, mechanisms for accountability that are participatory, and policies that protect, not just tolerate, independent civic actors.

At Cooperation Canada, we continue to champion these principles. Civic space is not a development add-on; it is the very ground on which democratic, inclusive, and accountable development stands.