End-of-Year Reflections from Our CEO

As we look back on 2025, I am filled with pride for how our community stepped into leadership during a year marked by geopolitical tension, humanitarian crises and growing threats to civic space. Rather than stepping back in the face of complexity, Cooperation Canada and our members convened, advocated and offered clear, principled leadership on the global challenges that matter most.

Responding to Global Crises 

This year demanded urgent and sustained engagement as humanitarian crises deepened in many parts of the world. We spoke out as the situations in Gaza and Sudan became increasingly devastating, calling for immediate ceasefires, unimpeded humanitarian access, and strengthened international action to protect civilians. 

At the same time, reductions in global assistance, including major cuts from the United States placed additional pressure on an already overstretched humanitarian system. Throughout these crises, our message remained clear and consistent: global instability requires greater collective resolve, not less. Retreating from international cooperation only compounds risk and suffering, for communities abroad and for Canadians at home. 

Watch our CEO Kate Higgins discuss USAID cuts on The National. 

Pushing for Sustained Global Leadership During the Federal Election 

The 2025 federal election provided a critical opportunity to emphasize Canada’s global responsibilities. We worked hard to ensure that international cooperation remained part of the national conversation, engaging political leaders, partners and the public to underline the importance of strong Canadian leadership in the world. Member engagement and mobilization was critical to this collective action. 

Read our joint statement following the 2025 Federal Election. 

Late in the year, we were we were deeply disappointed by the proposed $2.7 billion reduction to international assistance in the 2025 federal budget. These cuts come at a moment of growing global need and will have serious consequences for the communities and partnerships Canadians care about. In response, we coordinated a joint statement signed by more than 100 organizations, calling on the government to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to principled global engagement, including international assistance. 

Learn more about our budget reaction in The Globe and Mail. 

Bringing Civil Society Perspectives to Canada’s G7 Presidency 

Cooperation Canada carried the responsibility of leading the Civil 7, giving voice to civil society around the world during Canada’s G7 presidency. Our Civil 7 Summit in Ottawa brought together civil society leaders from across eleven countries to articulate a shared agenda on climate action, humanitarian response, sustainable development, economic justice and the protection of civic space and present this to Canada’s G7 Sherpa, senior government officials, and senior representatives from the diplomatic community. We worked hard to ensure Canadian and global civil society representation at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Alberta. 

Look back on our 2025 Civil7 Summit and our reaction to the G7 Leaders’ Summit. 

Convening in Canada and Across the World 

Bringing people together for reflection, learning and collective action remained a core part of our work. In Canada, our Leaders’ Forum created space for senior and emerging leaders to think boldly about the future of Canadian international cooperation, at a time when old assumptions are being tested and new approaches are urgently needed.  

Globally, we ensured that Canadian civil society was present and influential at major international gatherings, including the United Nations General Assembly and the High-Level Political Forum in New York, International Civil Society Week in Thailand, the Civil Society Days in Paris, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington DC. These platforms allowed us to elevate the perspectives of our members and ensure that Canadian civil society remains a vital contributor to global conversations on development, humanitarian response, civic space and global governance. 

Look back at our 2025 Leaders’ Forum. 

Shifting Power, Defending Civic Space and Looking Ahead 

At the heart of our work this year was a renewed commitment to shifting power in international cooperation. Through training, learning spaces, engagement opportunities, and new tools, we supported organizations in strengthening four core areas essential to more equitable and accountable practice: anti-racism, Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation, preventing sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH), and locally led development. These priorities guided efforts to transform policies, partnerships, and ways of working in line with justice, accountability, and community leadership.  As an organization, alongside our efforts on PSEAH and anti-racism, we continued our journey on reconciliation and advanced the implementation of our Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice Strategy.  

Take a look at our statement on the renewed Leaders’ Pledge on Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct and the Collective Commitment report tracking progress on advancing anti-racism in international cooperation. 

As a coalition of civil society organizations, defending and expanding civic space remained central to us at Cooperation Canada. Alongside partners, we countered global trends of repression and shrinking freedoms by supporting activist-led initiatives, facilitating shared learning and advocating for stronger protections for civil society worldwide. We are thrilled to be partnering with Resilient Societies to host on the inaugural Ottawa Civic Space Summit, which will take place in April 2026. 

Learn more about the Ottawa Civic Space Summit. 

As we close the year, I am profoundly grateful to our members and partners whose leadership, courage and determination shape our collective work every day. In a world marked by uncertainty, our shared commitment to principled global engagement is our greatest strength. In 2026, we will need that leadership more than ever — to speak out, to work together with purpose and to help shape the choices Canada makes on the global stage as we work toward a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.  

I also want to acknowledge the extraordinary work of the Cooperation Canada team and Board of Directors. Throughout a demanding year, they brought clarity, integrity and persistence to complex challenges, often behind the scenes and always in service of our shared mission. Their care and commitment are the foundation that makes our collective leadership possible, and I am deeply grateful for all they have contributed this year.