Canada Depends on Global Rules. It Should Help Fix Them

As leaders recently gathered in Evian, France, the G7 spoke the language of a changing world: economic sovereignty, resilience and mutually beneficial partnerships.

The group also reaffirmed the importance of international assistance for those facing the greatest need.

In today’s uncertain climate, this is all welcome.

I heard the same urgency in Paris, where I participated in the Civil 7 Summit ahead of the G7 alongside civil society leaders from around the world. The message was clear: if governments want more resilient partnerships and greater self-reliance, they must address the rules and financing structures that continue to limit countries’ choices.

But language alone is not leadership.

If the G7 wants a world with greater self-reliance, it must lead in changing the rules that make it so difficult.

As conflict, climate shocks and pandemics increasingly affect the world, and Canadians, the test is whether Canada will turn these statements into a foreign policy that builds a fairer international system. Otherwise, we risk reproducing dependency under a new label.

Canada’s prosperity and security depend on a world where rules matter.

Countries with few financing options are more vulnerable to instability, coercion and dependency. This fuels crises that disrupt supply chains, increase humanitarian need, drive displacement and create security risks that do not stop at borders.

Economic sovereignty means the ability of countries to make real choices about their own development. That is not possible when revenue is pulled away by debt, tax abuse and unfair borrowing costs.

The G7 rightly acknowledged that development cooperation has not always reduced dependency or led to durable growth. But the answer cannot be to shift responsibility onto partner countries while leaving those constraints intact.

That starts with debt and tax reform. Canada and its G7 partners must support urgent debt cancellation where it is unsustainable. They should champion international tax cooperation and tackle illicit financial flows. Without action on these issues, calls for countries to fund their own development remain hollow.

Private finance has a role, but it cannot replace objectives best served by public institutions. It will not go where needs are greatest. It will not finance public services or support communities facing the deepest exclusion.

That is why the G7 must protect and rebuild international assistance for development and humanitarian action. G7 countries, including Canada, account for 95 per cent of cuts to international assistance in 2025. That is not leadership. International assistance is one of the few civilian tools we have to prevent crises and support a more stable world before emergencies spiral out of control. International Monetary Fund research shows that conflict prevention is 100 times more cost-effective than crisis response.

A G7 shaped by wars and mass civilian suffering, but silent on those most fundamental laws meant to protect human dignity, is incomplete.

Canada and its partners must be explicit: humanitarian assistance must be principled, access must be protected and civilians must be spared.

The G7’s commitment of USD 1 billion in response to the Ebola crisis is welcome. This support is urgently needed and can help save lives. But it also underscores a wider failure to invest early enough in prevention. Cuts to global health in recent years may also have amplified this crisis. World Bank and World Health Organization studies showthat the return on investment in pandemic prevention is 14 to 1.

As the G7 highlights, partnerships can and should be mutually beneficial. But this can only be the case when benefits and decision-making are shared fairly.

These must support environmental and human rights standards, women’s rights and leadership, and the ability of countries to set their own priorities. They must not reproduce extractive models under a new label. This is the same logic we as Canadians expect of any foreign investment in this country.

Trade can be an outcome of successful development, but it is not a substitute for it.

Canada’s influence has never depended on scale alone. It depends on credibility, coalition-building and principled leadership. If Canada wants a more stable and resilient world, it should use the G7 to champion reforms for genuinely mutually beneficial partnerships.

We depend on rules – we should help fix them.