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Self Report 2018

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 1A
    Demonstrate timely, coherent and decisive political leadership

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada promotes compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law as a matter of priority in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolutions on “Strengthening of coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance” and "Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of UN personnel," which it customarily co-sponsors. This year, Canada focused its advocacy efforts on bolstering references to full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout both resolutions.

    Additionally, Canada was a member of the Core Group of countries leading on the Third Committee resolution on the Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, which was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2017, calling for, inter alia, humanitarian access, and compliance and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.

    Canada responded to country-specific issues of concern – such as in Syria, Myanmar, Ukraine, Mali, Iraq, Venezuela, and others – by  providing diplomatic leadership, issuing statements calling for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access; condemning incidents where humanitarian personnel and facilities have been attacked; recalling legal and democratic obligations; and, demanding accountability for atrocities and gross violations of human rights. Canada also actively participated, at the ambassadorial level, in the May 2017 Security Council Open Debate: Protection of Civilians and Health Care in Armed Conflict, and took the opportunity to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to lead efforts to enhance the protection of civilians.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is tracking progress through Global Affairs Canada annual reporting processes, as appropriate, as well as the reporting required by the terms and conditions of various programs.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to call for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and speak out strongly against violations of international humanitarian law. Canada has also joined the UN Group of Friends of Mediation and participated in several intergovernmental and civil society forums where conflict and atrocity prevention objectives were pursued.

    Canada will also continue to actively seek opportunities to publicly profile key issues of concern at various multilateral fora.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The United Nations and its Member States should continue to explore how to move from a culture of reacting to conflict to one of conflict prevention and sustaining peace, particularly on the ground.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Canada developed new partnerships with domestic and international stakeholders on key issues, including the protection of healthcare in armed conflict.

     

    Keywords

    Humanitarian principles, IHL compliance and accountability

  • 1B
    Act early

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to act early upon potential conflict situations based on early warning findings and shared conflict analysis, in accordance with international law.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to make successful conflict prevention visible by capturing, consolidating and sharing good practices and lessons learnt.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada’s Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPs), launched in August 2016, continued its activities throughout 2017. With a budget of CAD $450 million over three years, PSOPs has three core responsibilities: lead stabilization and fragile states policy; coordinate whole-of-government responses to conflicts and crises around the world; and support targeted stabilization programming in, and deployments to, fragile and conflict-affected states.

    In this regard, PSOPs works to strengthen the United Nations (UN) system in collaboration with key government partners. For example, in FY 2017-2018, through PSOPs, Canada is providing CAD $45.2 million  to support early warning/conflict prevention, peacebuilding and mediation activities in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

    Canada is also providing $15M to the UN Peacebuilding Fund which provides critical programming in the immediate aftermath of conflict as well as to support conflict prevention measures in 31 fragile and conflict affected states. 

    To ensure rapid mediation capabilities are available to mitigate conflict and/or support emerging peace processes, Canada is supporting both UN Department of Political Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue’s surge capacities.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is tracking progress through Global Affairs Canada annual reporting processes, as appropriate, as well as the reporting required by the terms and conditions of various programs.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Conflict prevention requires a multi-pronged approach; international leadership is needed to act early to stop potential conflict situations from deteriorating.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The increasingly complex nature of crises poses significant challenges to undertaking early warning and conflict prevention initiatives.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to support a range of conflict prevention-related projects in 2017. Canada will engage with partner countries and organizations in order to identify opportunities where Canada could contribute positively to the prevention or resolution of conflict.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Interventions in preventing, managing, or resolving violent conflict should be integrated to the extent possible. While it is important to address immediate causes and drivers of conflict, deeper factors contributing to conflict must also be considered.

  • 1C
    Remain engaged and invest in stability

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to improve prevention and peaceful resolution capacities at the national, regional and international level improving the ability to work on multiple crises simultaneously.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to sustain political leadership and engagement through all stages of a crisis to prevent the emergence or relapse into conflict.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to address root causes of conflict and work to reduce fragility by investing in the development of inclusive, peaceful societies.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In November 2017, Canada hosted the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial (UNPKDM) as a means of promoting effectiveness in UN peacekeeping operations. At the UNPKDM, Canada demonstrated leadership by pledging the following:

    • Launching the Women in Peacekeeping Operations Pilot – “The Elsie initiative”
    • Launching the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers
    • Innovative Training:
      • Training activities to meet systemic UN needs
      • Canadian Training and Advisory Team
    • Contribution of police and up to 600 military personnel over a five-year period:
      • Tactical Airlift Support
      • Aviation Task Force
      • Quick Reaction Force
      • New Police missions being examined

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is tracking progress through Global Affairs Canada annual reporting processes, as appropriate, as well as the reporting required by the terms and conditions of various programs.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: The increasingly complex nature of crises poses significant challenges to undertaking investments in stability to drive peace initiatives forward.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Canada recognizes that crises are becoming increasingly complex. Increased investments in stability need to be accompanied by political will and leadership to drive peace initiatives forward. This is especially true in inherently multilateral endeavours, such as the Elsie Initiative and Vancouver Principles.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada is developing the Elsie Initiative and moving ahead on implementation of the Vancouver Principles. 

    Some of Canada’s other peacekeeping contributions have been entered into the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, while others are being readied.

    Canadian contributions will reflect the UN’s “smart pledges” approach of coordination, and will take place, depending on UN requirements, over the course of five years. 

    Canada recently committed to deploy an Aviation Task Force to the MINUSMA for 12 months.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Interventions in preventing, managing, or resolving violent conflict should be integrated to the extent possible. While it is important to address immediate causes and drivers of conflict, deeper factors contributing to conflict must also be considered.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Through its Peace and Stabilization Operations Program, Canada supports UN peace and security activities. Canada supports innovative training in a variety of languages, on-line, in classrooms and in situ, to ensure peacekeepers are equipped with knowledge on IHL, protection of civilians, women, peace and security, and human rights. 

  • 1D
    Develop solutions with and for people

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada will renew its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada advocates for its Women, Peace and Security (WPS) implementing partners to make concrete efforts to include vulnerable populations - especially women and girls - in program design and implementation. Much of Canada’s funding is unearmarked or loosely earmarked (e.g. at the regional level), allowing organizations the flexibility to adapt specific program activities as needed based on consultations with beneficiaries.

    The second Nation Action Plan is more ambitious than the first plan, and involves four additional federal partners which will enable the government to address the full breadth of the WPS agenda. Global Affairs Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces continue to serve as the lead partners while Status of Women Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Public Safety Canada, and the Department of Justice will serve as supporting partners. The renewed Plan is also more transparent as detailed implementation plans are publicly available and will form the basis for annual progress reporting as well as yardsticks to help drive progress forward.

    The Government has specifically committed to targeting or integrating gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in 95% of its bilateral international development investments, of which 15% will specifically target gender equality. The Peace and Stabilization Operations Program has similarly committed to integrating gender equality/WPS into at least 95% of projects, of which 15% will target WPS specifically.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The renewed National Action Plan provides detailed, publicly available implementation plans and establishes an Advisory Group comprised of civil society and government experts to guide the implementation of the Plan. The first progress report on the implementation of the second Action Plan will be published in September 2018.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Accountability for violations of international humanitarian law remains a significant challenge for the international community.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Humanitarian and development actors must make increased and concerted efforts to ensure that the needs of those affected by crises, including women and girls, are fully represented during all stages of program design and implementation.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Through participation in executive boards and as part of the Grand Bargain Gender Working Group, Canada will champion inclusiveness and advance efforts to better include beneficiary populations, especially women and girls, in program design and implementation.

    Canada also will ensure that the engagement and participation of beneficiaries, in particular women and girls, is fully integrated into the projects that Canada supports, and is revising its Humanitarian non-governmental organization
    (NGO) Funding Guidelines to take this into account.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Countries, international organizations and NGOs need to develop specific Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security to promote gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and protect their human rights in order to transform decision-making processes toward full inclusiveness.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Canada’s National WPS Action Plan provides a framework for a cohesive whole-of-government approach and ensures that our activities in fragile and conflict-affected states align with our broader commitments such as gender equality, empowerment of women and girls, respect for women’s and girls’ human rights, and respect for diversity.

    Keywords

    Gender, People-centred approach

  • 2A
    Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities

    Individual Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada commits to contributing to the collection of military best practice and policy to enhance the protection of civilians.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Canada is committed to enhancing child protection and has provided CAD $1 million in support to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict.
    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Canada is committed to enhancing child protection and has provided CAD $1 million to support the Child Protection Working Group.
    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Canada will adhere to and promote the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians in the context of peacekeeping operations.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada supports measures to tangibly enhance the protection of civilians, including through the financial commitments noted above, as well as through its work on the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations where Canada continues to strive to emphasise the importance of protection of civilians in United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Operations.

    Since endorsing the Kigali Principles in May 2016,  Canada delivered a speech to the UN Security Council on the protection of civilians in UN peacekeeping operations, highlighting the implementation of the Kigali Principles as an important measure for Member States to undertake. Canada has also participated in high-level meetings of parties to expand endorsement and improve implementation of the Kigali Principles.

    Canada has contributed staff planning, technical expertise, and lessons learned in support of UN bodies and NATO committees to develop military best practice and policy to enhance the protection of civilians. In addition, in 2017, Canada recently signed on to the Safe Schools Declaration, and has participated in discussions about the use of explosive weapons in populated areas to strengthen compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) through education and accountability.

    In November 2017, Canada launched the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers.  This initiative, which has been endorsed by over 60 Member States, is a complement to the Kigali Principles.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada submits annual compliance and transparency reports as mandated by many of its disarmament agreements (e.g. reports for Articles 7 of Cluster Munitions and Ottawa Convention, and Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons). Canada participated in the review of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' (OCHA's) compilation of military practice and policy.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: The protection of civilians is a whole of mission task requiring an integrated approach among military, police and civilian components.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    New mission mandates should be clear and include robust provisions concerning the protection of civilians where appropriate. They must be matched with the resources to carry them out effectively, recognizing that this is a whole of mission task that requires an integrated approach among military, police and civilian components.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada is supporting regional peacekeeping training centres to provide training to troop- and police-contributing countries which will include elements on protection of civilians. Canadian personnel will also continue to receive training on protection of civilians, IHL and the law of armed conflict. Any Canadian military personnel deployed will do so with appropriate training, capabilities and rules of engagement. Canada is also working to implement the Vancouver Principles which will help to reinforce the Kigali Principles.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The protection of civilians is key to most UN peacekeeping operations mandates. Contributing states should be upfront about any limitations on their personnel’s ability to carry out mandates as directed by the UN Security Council and under the leadership of Force and Police Commanders, as this will assist the mission to adapt operations as the security environment changes.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    In November 2017, Canada launched the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers. This initiative, which has been endorsed by over 60 Member States, is a complement to the Kigali Principles.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability, Protection

  • 2B
    Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada co-sponsored and supported UN Security Council resolution 2286 on Healthcare in Armed Conflict and will continue to advocate on this issue.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Canada is committed to promoting principled humanitarian action. It convenes dialogues with humanitarian civil society organizations on a regular basis and encourages concerted efforts to speak out and address the challenges faced by humanitarians in complex environments.
    • Partnership
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Canada is committed to providing timely and effective humanitarian assistance that respects the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to ensure all populations in need receive rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to promote and enhance efforts to respect and protect medical personnel, transports and facilities, as well as humanitarian relief personnel and assets against attacks, threats or other violent acts.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Since co-sponsoring UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2286 in May 2016 on the protection of medical personnel and facilities in armed conflict, Canada has undertaken a number of measures to advance its implementation.

    Canada continues to co-lead, with Switzerland, an Informal Group on UNSCR 2286 based in Geneva. This group brings States together to mobilize international leadership for protecting medical missions. 

    Over the past year, Canada prioritized high level advocacy events to raise awareness of the protection of medical missions in multilateral fora (UN General Assembly (UNGA), the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment, World Health Assembly) whenever possible, including as an issue of concern for the health sector.

    For example, Canada co-hosted (together with the Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and the Lancet and American University in Beirut), a side event during UNGA72 to share information on attacks on health care workers and to explore policy options for addressing this issue. 

    As a follow-up, Canada's Minister of Health has co-authored an article highlighting further recommendations for Member States and UN agencies on steps they could take to reduce the number of attacks and ensure accountability for those responsible.

    Canada also participated, at the ambassadorial level, in the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on the protection of civilians and health care in armed conflict.

    In October 2017, Canada joined members of the Security Council in endorsing a joint declaration on “Protection of humanitarian and medical personnel in conflict,” led by France. The declaration, inter alia, reaffirms IHL principles concerning the protection of medical personnel/facilities and medical transport.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is closely tracking international progress in implementing UN Security Council resolution 2286, including through reporting to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In addition, Canada regularly engages in internal discussions, meetings with other States, and meetings with humanitarian partners and civil society.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    • Other: Accountability for attacks against medical and humanitarian personnel remains a serious challenge for the international community.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Lack of accountability for violations of international humanitarian law is a significant barrier to consistent and even implementation of UNSCR 2286.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to participate in the Informal Group on UN Security Council resolution 2286 based in Geneva, and seek opportunities to raise awareness and maintain momentum on the issue in multilateral fora (for example in meetings and resolutions of the UN General Assembly, in open debates of the Security Council, and the World Health Assembly). Canada remains fully committed to advocating on this issue through appropriate channels.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    States and non-state actors who are parties to armed conflict must acknowledge and take responsibility to act on their legal obligations. Supporting capacity training and ensuring accountability for those who violate IHL, including among State and non-State actors, are prerequisites to ensuring full access to, and protection of humanitarian and medical missions.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Mobilize the international community through appropriate channels to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law. For example, Canada has been actively engaged in building international momentum urging compliance with international humanitarian law at various multilateral fora, and through our Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability, Protection

  • 2C
    Speak out on violations

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    As a staunch supporter of the international human rights system, Canada works diligently to contribute to its effectiveness, including through multilateral and bilateral engagement, and financial support for projects that advance human rights. Canada was proud to be among the top ten donors to the important work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2017, including through CAD $15 million over three years in unearmarked institutional support.

    Through OHCHR, Canada supports the implementation of the Human Rights up Front Action Plan which outlines the efforts and obligations to engage more pro-actively, strategically and creatively with Member States and other stakeholders in situations at risk or subject to serious violations of IHL and IHRL. It also ensures that UN Country Teams effectively respond to the human rights context and regularly share an analysis of protection concerns.

    Canada is engaged in advancing Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and atrocity prevention at the international level and, in addition to its membership in the UN-based Group of Friends on the Responsibility to Protect, has designated an R2P Focal Point to take part in the R2P Focal Points Network. In country-specific situations, Canada has also issued statements that publicly condemned serious violations of IHL and IHRL, recalled the perpetrator’s legal obligations and called for accountability for violations and abuses of international law.

    Canada also supports projects aimed at ensuring accountability for violations of international criminal and humanitarian law.  In the context of Syria and Iraq, Canada is funding evidence collection, analysis and documentation efforts to support the future prosecution of Daesh.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is persistent in condemning serious violations of IHL and serious violations and abuses of IHRL, urging accountability for violations. How to do so consistently and through the most appropriate channels is the subject of regular internal discussions and meetings with humanitarian partners and civil society.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Accountability for violations of international humanitarian law remains a significant challenge for the international community, and strong and consistent efforts are needed to ensure respect for, and compliance with, international humanitarian law. Efforts need to be focused on achieving greater compliance with the existing legal framework.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to promote compliance with international law as well as to call for accountability for alleged perpetrators. Canada will continue to call for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and speak out strongly against violations of international humanitarian law in a variety of multilateral fora and in bilateral engagements as appropriate.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    States and non-state actors who are parties to armed conflict must acknowledge and take responsibility to act on their legal obligations. The establishment of an effective international mechanism aimed at improving compliance with IHL would advance this issue.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Mobilize the international community through appropriate channels to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law and speak out on violations. Canada has been actively engaged in building international momentum urging compliance with international humanitarian law at various multilateral fora, and through our Permanent Missions to the United Nations.

    Keywords

    Humanitarian principles, IHL compliance and accountability, Protection

  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Joint Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the "UN Member States' Affirmation of the Importance of and Adherence to International Humanitarian Law".


    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Partners: USA, others

    • Canada is committed to becoming a State Party to the Arms Trade Treaty.



    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Partners: USA

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Canada announced renewed funding to support the ICRC's Special Appeal on Strengthening Response to Sexual Violence with a contribution of CAD $3 million (2016).
    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • As part of its revised commitments to the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Emergencies, Canada commits to provide dedicated multi-year funding toward GBV prevention and response in humanitarian contexts from 2017-2020, taking into account its importance at each phase of an emergency, from preparedness and onset through the transition to development. It also commits to strengthen and update existing guidance and tools -internal and external - on gender equality and GBV in humanitarian response. It will advocate for gender equality considerations and prevention and response to gender-based violence in international forum relevant to humanitarian contexts.
    • Financial
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Implement a coordinated global approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis contexts, including through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability

    Canada promotes compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law as a matter of priority in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolutions on “Strengthening of coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance” and "Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of UN personnel," which it customarily co-sponsors.

    This year, Canada focused its advocacy efforts on bolstering references to full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout both resolutions. Canada was also member of the Core Group of countries leading on the Third Committee resolution on the Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, which was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2017.  The resolution called for, inter alia, humanitarian access and compliance and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.

    Gender-based violence prevention and response

    As part of its ‘Her Voice Her Choice’ Initiative, Canada committed CAD $50 million to sexual and reproductive health and right ( SRHR) in humanitarian and fragile settings, which includes for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

    Canada is also supporting Justice Rapid Response and UN Women to rapidly deploy gender experts to effectively investigate, document and prosecute SGBV crimes.

    Canada’s gender-based violence (GBV) funding to the the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Syria and the region (CAD $8.3 million) supported over 81 women and girls safe spaces and helped to reach nearly 270,000 survivors and those at-risk of GBV with prevention and response services.

    Canada supported improved global coordination on GBV, by taking on the role of co-Chair of the States/Donors Working Group of the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies.

    Canada advocated for strengthened prevention and response to GBV in emergencies in its statements at UN executive boards as well as at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) events and in the development process for the Global Compact on Refugees.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Promoting and enhancing respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law are longstanding priorities for the Government of Canada. In addition to assessing progress and reporting through PACT, progress will be integrated into reports by Global Affairs Canada and its partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as appropriate.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Accountability for violations of international humanitarian law remains a significant challenge for the international community, and strong and consistent efforts are needed to ensure compliance with, international humanitarian law. Efforts need to be focused on achieving greater compliance within the existing legal framework.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to promote respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law as a matter of priority. The Government is committed to ensuring that Canada accedes to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and is taking the necessary legal and regulatory steps that will allow Canada to meet all ATT obligations.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The needs of women, men, boys and girls are not being met by humanitarian assistance on a consistent and systemic basis and institutional gender equality policies are not resulting in changes in field operations.

    To achieve system-level change and improve humanitarian outcomes, a gender-responsive approach is needed to support measures that strengthen the humanitarian system, such as by ensuring that women and girls are able to participate in making decisions on issues that affect them.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Mobilize the international community through appropriate channels to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law. For example, Canada has been actively engaged in building international momentum urging compliance with international humanitarian law at various multilateral fora, and through our Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

    Keywords

    Gender, IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2E
    Uphold the rules: a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • As part of a joint commitment initiated by Austria and Chile, Canada pledges to continue to promote ratification of and accession to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention by States. It remains gravely concerned about the continued use of anti-personnel mines and strongly condemns any such use by any actor. It further pledges to uphold its commitment to meet the humanitarian goal of the Convention - a world free from the use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, and to put an end to the suffering caused by anti-personnel mines through their complete eradication.


    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Partners: Austria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Luxemburg, Germany, Guatemala, Serbia, Slovenia, Thailand, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, Ukraine and Chile.

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada advocates for universalization of the Ottawa Convention at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and in all Convention multilateral meetings. Canada also continues to coordinate an informal group looking at how to advance the Ottawa Convention’s aspirational goal of a mine free world by 2025.

    At the 2017 Ottawa Convention Meeting of States Parties, Canada co-hosted a side-event on Women’s Empowerment through Mine Action with the Gender and Mine Action Programme, and joined Australia and Ireland in supporting the Women in Disarmament Youth Leaders Forum. Furthermore, at the National Mine Action Directors Meeting, Canada moderated a plenary panel on gender and mine action.

    Since signing the Treaty, Canada has funded mine action in 60 countries. Over the past decade, Canada has contributed CAD $178 million to mine action, including mine clearance (of anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions, explosive remnants of war and unexploded ordnance), stockpile destruction, advocacy, victims' assistance and mine risk education.

    In 2017-18, Canada committed CAD $13 million to mine action projects in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Colombia, Iraq, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Syria and Ukraine.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Other: Ottawa Convention, Convention on Cluster Munitions, and Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, including Amended Protocol II and Protocol V.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada reports on its mine action financial support to affected states as part of its annual compliance and transparency reports to the Ottawa Convention, Convention on Cluster Munitions, and Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, including Amended Protocol II and Protocol V.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Canada remains concerned by allegations involving use of antipersonnel mines by States Parties to the Convention.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Canada is concerned by the new use of antipersonnel mines by some States not party to the Convention, and by non-State armed groups. Canada condemns any use of anti-personnel mines and call on any States that are using them to cease and to join the Ottawa Convention without delay.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada is chairing the Convention’s Committee on Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance which supports mine-affected states to attract and coordinate partners to provide financial and technical assistance for mine action.

    Canada will continue to advocate for the universalization of the Ottawa Convention in multilateral fora and bilaterally. Canada will continue to chair the Committee on Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance and help support the development of better stakeholder coordination and information sharing mechanisms

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Canada is particularly alarmed by the reported increase in global mine casualties for the second consecutive year. These facts underline the importance of support for mine action and cooperating where possible.

    Increased transparency, accountability, and stakeholder coordination can build stronger, longer-term stakeholder relationships in order to support our work towards a mine free world.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Mobilize the international community through appropriate channels to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law. For example, Canada has been actively engaged in building international momentum urging compliance with international humanitarian law at various multilateral fora, and through its Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Over the next three years, Canada commits to provide CAD $1.1 billion to help people affected by conflict in the Middle East and to build capacity in the communities and countries hosting large numbers of refugees, such as Lebanon and Jordan ($840 million and $270 million in humanitarian and development funding, respectively, 2016-2018).



    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada commits to resettle more refugees. Its target for 2016 is to resettle 44,800 refugees from around the world. This is triple the number of refugees Canada has settled in recent years.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Noting the progress achieved by the Protection Agenda of the Nansen Initiative, Canada commits to continue to address the protection needs of people displaced across borders in the context of disasters and climate change at relevant levels through our active engagement within the new Platform on Disaster Displacement.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new approach to addressing forced displacement that not only meets immediate humanitarian needs but reduces vulnerability and improves the resilience, self-reliance and protection of refugees and IDPs. Commit to implementing this new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement. Commit to take the necessary political, policy, legal and financial steps required to address these challenges for the specific context.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Acknowledge the global public good provided by countries and communities which are hosting large numbers of refugees. Commit to providing communities with large numbers of displaced population or receiving large numbers of returnees with the necessary political, policy and financial, support to address the humanitarian and socio-economic impact. To this end, commit to strengthen multilateral financing instruments. Commit to foster host communities' self-reliance and resilience, as part of the comprehensive and integrated approach outlined in core commitment 1.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to collectively work towards a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees to safeguard the rights of refugees, while also effectively and predictably supporting States affected by such movements.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to actively work to uphold the institution of asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. Commit to support further accession to and strengthened implementation of national, regional and international laws and policy frameworks that ensure and improve the protection of refugees and IDPs, such as the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol or the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala convention) or the Guiding Principles on internal displacement.
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Refugees

    Canada continues to improve humanitarian and development complementarity in delivering our multi-year response to the Syria and Iraq crises which focuses on supporting refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities.

    Canada works closely with international partners to offer refugee protection to those most in need. Canada provided CAD$ 108.1 million in funding support to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to respond to the urgent needs of refugees and other persons of concern.

    Canada exceeded its planned target to resettle 25,000 refugees, including over 9,000 government-supported refugees, and over 16,000 privately-sponsored refugees from all over the world. Remaining space in any given year will be used to resettle refugees from anywhere in the world based on need as identified by UNHCR.

    Canada actively engaged in the process to develop the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) with a particular focus on the incorporation of a gender-responsive approach. Canada also hosted an expert-level meeting on gender-focused recommendations for the GCR.

    IDPs (due to conflict, violence, and disaster)

    Canada continues to support a coordinated interagency approach to IDP protection and assistance. This includes working with other donors and humanitarian actors to protect and provide for the basic needs of IDPs.

    In addition to funding provided to UNHCR to address the issue, Canada supported many NGO responses to displacement crises.

    For instance, in 2017, with GAC's support, World Vision Canada provided emergency health, water, sanitation, hygiene and protection services to up to 287,407 conflict-affected people in South Darfur, including significant numbers of IDPs.

    In early 2017, the Government of Canada committed to resettling up to 1,200 Survivors of Daesh and their family members by December 31, 2017. Individuals being resettled under this initiative are continuing to arrive in early 2018 and total admissions will exceed the original commitment of 1,200. The majority of those resettled under this initiative were internally displaced persons from Northern Iraq.

    Cross-border, disaster and climate related displacement

    In 2017, the Government of Canada provided over CAD $2.2 million in support of those affected and displaced by natural disasters, through the Canadian Humanitarian Assistance Fund (CHAF). The CHAF allows Humanitarian Coalition NGO members to respond to smaller-scale, rapid-onset crises where there are unmet humanitarian needs. Over the course of 2017, support was provided to Mozambique, Madagascar, Peru, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Cuba and Vietnam.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Change towards transformation cannot be achieved by Canada alone. Rather, it requires a collective effort. As such, it is only through multi-stakeholder processes such as the Global Compact on Refugees that transformative change can be assessed.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding amounts
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Global forced displacement remains at record levels. Canada engages with its partners to encourage the implementation of a more comprehensive approach to forced displacement. Canada works with its humanitarian and development partners to increase their focus and use of data to inform responses to forced displacement situations.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada is assessing lessons learned from its integrated response to the Syria/Iraq crises.

    Canada is planning to admit 27,000 resettled refugees in 2018, with planned growth of 17% by 2020. In its 2018 budget, Canada announced new funding for an additional 1,000 spaces for refugee women and girls.

    Canada is an active advocate for a gender-sensitive Global Compact on Refugees that includes measures to raise the level of international cooperation for comprehensive refugee responses.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    More comprehensive refugee responses and the development of a Global Compact on Refugees are needed to enhance solidarity to respond to the needs of both forced displacement and host communities. States need to work towards increasing refugee resettlement and promoting complementary pathways.

    Canada has worked to promote the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative to enhance international responsibility-sharing by expanding global resettlement spaces through private sponsorship as a pathway for refugees in need of protection.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    As a founding partner of the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative, Canada has been involved in capacity building activities with a number of countries, including the UK, Argentina, New Zealand, and Ireland. Through this initiative, Canada is contributing to global refugee protection and is sharing its refugee resettlement experience widely.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Humanitarian-development nexus

  • 3B
    Address the vulnerabilities of migrants and provide more regular and lawful opportunities for migration

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In 2017, Canada continued to contribute to the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action on Promoting International Protection in North America in which Canada is working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United States and Mexico on efforts to strengthen asylum systems across the Latin American region.

    Canada is providing CAD $15.2 million from 2016-2020 in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Mexico for the “Prevention of irregular child migration in Central America” project.  Implemented through the Christian Children Fund of Canada, the project targets the underlying root causes of violence, unemployment and lack of education in deprived urban and rural communities, leading to the dangerous migration of children out of the Americas region.

    Under its Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program Canada is providing CAD $ 405,000 from 2016-2018 to strengthen the capacity of Mexican immigration and law enforcement authorities to counter the growing phenomenon of migrant smuggling by sea along Mexico’s borders.

    In addition, Canada provides significant support to humanitarian partners, notably UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to help address the humanitarian needs of refugees and migrants worldwide.

    Canada is actively engaged in the negotiations for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Canada is also providing diplomatic and financial support to the office of the Special Representative for International Migration (SRSG), Louise Arbour.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Change towards transformation cannot be achieved by Canada alone. Rather, it requires a collective effort. As such, it is only through multi-stakeholder processes such as the Global Compact on Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration (GCM) that transformative change can be assessed.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The GCM could help improve how the international community responds to international migration, including through: Data/Analysis: strengthen data collection/analysis in order to strengthen evidence base for well-informed policy and decision making; Multi-stakeholder Coordination: forum for multi-stakeholder coordination on migration; Strengthening National/Local Systems: promote the value of more comprehensive, planned migration systems.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to play an active role in the development of a Global Compact on Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration, as well as explore options for scaling up programming in this area.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The development of a Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is an important step in improving how the international community responds to the challenges and opportunities of international migration. This Compact advances collective progress by promoting the value of more comprehensive, planned migration systems, including developing more temporary and permanent regular pathways to provide alternatives to irregular migration; and by promoting greater gender equality and empowerment of migrant women and girls.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration

    Keywords

    Displacement, Migrants, Protection

  • 3C
    End statelessness in the next decade

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada is a signatory to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and complies with its obligation to prevent and reduce future cases of statelessness. Canada continues to support the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in drawing attention to, and seeking to resolve, situations of statelessness, including its campaign to end statelessness by 2024. To this end, Canada is a member of the Friends of the #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness and has participated in the ongoing development of the Global Compact on Refugees, which is anticipated to encourage States to consider actions that would prevent or resolve cases of statelessness. 

    Canada also provides a number of protections for stateless persons in Canada. Any stateless person in Canada requiring refugee protection has access to the refugee determination system. Individuals not requiring refugee protection can apply to remain on humanitarian and compassionate grounds or through other immigration programs.

    In 2017, Canada updated its administrative guidelines on Humanitarian & Compassionate decisions to include statelessness as a relevant factor for consideration. In addition, the discretionary grant of citizenship allows for consideration of statelessness under the Citizenship Act.

    Canada provides significant funding to UNHCR, which includes the eradication of statelessness in its Global Strategic Priorities, as part of ensuring a favourable protection environment.

    Canada is actively engaging in the process to develop the Global Compact on Refugees and is supportive of the focus within this process on efforts to prevent, reduce, and ultimately end statelessness.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Change towards transformation cannot be achieved by Canada alone. Rather, it requires a collective effort. As such, it is only through multi-stakeholder processes such as the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact on Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration that transformative change can be assessed.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada has safeguards in both its citizenship and immigration legislation to generally address the situation of stateless persons in Canada, and will continue to monitor recent legislative and administrative changes. 

    Canada will also continue to support UNHCR in its efforts to lead Member States in the development of the Global Compact on Refugees, to be completed by 2018.

    Canada is providing multi-year funding (CAD$ 37.8 million, 2017-2019) to support UNHCR's core activities.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Canada is strongly supportive of international efforts to reform existing legal frameworks and promote nationality laws that are non-discriminatory based on gender or minority status. Canada encourages further efforts in this regard.

    The international community should promote greater international solidarity and responsibility-sharing to advance this issue, and continue to undertake concrete measures to reduce statelessness, including through the development of a Global Compact on Refugees by 2018.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Migrants

  • 3D
    Empower and protect women and girls

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada will improve capacity of Global Affairs Canada and its partners on gender equality mainstreaming and gender based violence (GBV) programming in humanitarian response through strengthened guidance and tools, to ensure all humanitarian programming is gender-responsive, and includes effective gender analysis, and monitoring and reporting on gender equality results.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Canada commits to advocating for the successful implementation of the Global Strategy on Women's, Children's and Adolescent's Health (2016-2030). Canada will particularly encourage the scale up of international efforts to end preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents, including in crisis settings.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Empower Women and Girls as change agents and leaders, including by increasing support for local women's groups to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome documents of their review conferences for all women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure that humanitarian programming is gender responsive.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In 2017, Canada adopted a Feminist International Assistance Policy that seeks to reduce extreme poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. The policy recognizes that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls, including in humanitarian settings, is the most effective approach to achieving this goal.

    Under this policy and through multilateral engagement, diplomacy and programming, Canada has worked to advance the human rights and empowerment of girls in humanitarian settings as well as in key areas including education, sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices and health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.

    Since January 2017, Canada has taken on the role of co-chair of the States/Donors Working Group of the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies. Through this role, Canada has promoted joint donor advocacy on gender and GBV as well as joint work planning and increased information sharing between donors. 

    In June 2017, Canada was a member of the core group of countries that developed the text and advocated for support for the resolution on child, early and forced marriage in humanitarian settings which was adopted by consensus at the Human Rights Council with over 80 co-sponsors from across regions.

    In November 2017, Canada launched its second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2017-2022). The Action Plan guides the government in advancing gender equality and protecting and promoting the human rights of women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected states.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Change towards transformation cannot be achieved by Canada alone. Rather, it requires a collective effort. As such, it is only through multi-stakeholder processes such as the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies, that transformative change can be assessed.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Gender and/or vulnerable group inclusion
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Dedicated space for exchange and coordination on gender equality in humanitarian response would support stronger accountability at all levels to enable the empowerment and protection of women and girls.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Throughout 2018, Canada will continue to co-chair the States/Donors Working Group of the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies and promote joint donor advocacy on gender and GBV as well as joint work planning and increased information sharing between donors.

    In its 2018 budget, the Government of Canada also announced new funding for an additional 1,000 spaces for refugee women and girls.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Humanitarian and development actors should scale up efforts to systematically integrate the specific needs of women and girls into the design, implementation and follow-up phases of all policies and programs. These efforts should be supported with relevant staffing, training, and participatory methods as well as accountability measures.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Development of tailored guidance and tools on integrating gender equality considerations in humanitarian program and policy responses.

    Close collaboration with other donors on GBV and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in emergencies, including joint advocacy.

    Keywords

    Gender

  • 3E
    Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada registered as a supporter of the Education Platform.
    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Access to quality education for girls, adolescent women, and refugees, and providing multi-year humanitarian assistance financing to minimize gaps in education in emergencies remain priorities for Canada. Canada adopted a Feminist International Assistance Policy that seeks to reduce extreme poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. The Policy commits Canada to work to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable have access to quality education, with a focus on women and girls.

    Canada pledged CAD $20 million (2016-2017) to the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Fund to ensure the right to education for emergency-affected children around the world.  ECW started to implement its programs and is currently working to promote access to quality education for 3.4 million children – of which 1.5 million girls – and support 19,000 teachers in Syria, Yemen, Chad, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Peru, Somalia and Ukraine.

    Canada also supports the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF’s) No Lost Generation (NLG), a multi-stakeholder initiative that provides education and protection services for children and youth affected by the Syria and Iraq crises. In 2017, NLG activities have supported national systems to reach over 773,000 children with psychosocial support, and helped over 3.2 million children to enroll in formal education in Syria and in Syrian refugee host countries.

    Canada convened an expert-level meeting to encourage efforts to implement education-focused commitments from the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees and to inform the focus on education within the process to develop the Global Compact on Refugees.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Education Cannot Wait’s strategic plan, which will include a results framework, will be used to track progress.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Canada is working closely with its partners to address any challenges that arise in implementing its Education Cannot Wait commitments.
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will support Education Cannot Wait to ensure the right to education for emergency-affected children and youth around the world, including addressing the specific needs of girls and young women.  Canada will continue to support ECW as it continues to develop new education interventions where crises are the most severe, needs are the largest, and funding and coping capacity is limited.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    In times of conflict or crisis, access to quality education must be prioritized along with meeting other basic needs.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Education, Gender, Protection

  • 3F
    Enable adolescents and young people to be agents of positive transformation

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In 2017, Canada has continued to be active in the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children which focuses on addressing the prevention of violence against children facing conflict and crisis, as part as one of its three priority areas. Canada is represented at the ministerial level on the Partnership Board and is member of its Fund Steering Committee and Executive Committee.

    In 2017, Canada adopted a Feminist International Assistance Policy that recognizes that women and girls are powerful agents of change to reduce extreme poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Change towards transformation cannot be achieved by Canada alone. Rather, it requires a collective effort. As such, it is only through multi-stakeholder processes that transformative change can be assessed.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In addition to ongoing implementation of the initiatives noted above, Canada will continue to look for ways to further advance this commitment.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Enabling adolescents and young people to be agents of positive transformation is key to crisis recovery.

    Keywords

    Gender, Protection

  • 3G
    Address other groups or minorities in crisis settings

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In 2017, Canada committed to resettling up to 1,200 Survivors of Daesh and their family members by December 31, 2017. Individuals being resettled under this initiative are continuing to arrive in early 2018 and total admissions will exceed the original commitment of 1,200. Over 80% of individuals that have been resettled under this initiative so far have been Yazidi, a religious minority that has faced extreme persecution by Daesh.

    Canada exceeded a multi-year commitment to resettle 2,500 Congolese refugees between 2015 and 2017, and continues to make progress towards the commitment to resettle 4,000 Eritrean refugees between 2014 and 2018.

    Canada endorsed the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action in June 2017 and has worked closely with expert civil society to ensure that Global Affairs Canada humanitarian officers have the necessary training and resources to consider the specific needs of persons with disabilities in humanitarian responses.

    Under Canada’s multi-year response to the Syria/Iraq crises, Canada is providing CAD $9 million over 3 years to Humanity & Inclusion (HI) to improve the accessibility of physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support services and community awareness of environmental risks for vulnerable conflict-affected people in Iraq. HI is also working with local and international aid organizations to ensure that services provided to refugees and IDPs living in camps and communities are accessible to people with disabilities, particularly those with reduced mobility. Canadian funding enabled the delivery of direct physical and functional rehabilitation services to 1,899 individuals in Iraq.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Change towards transformation cannot be achieved by Canada alone. Rather, it requires a collective effort. As such, it is only through multi-stakeholder processes that transformative change can be assessed.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Gender and/or vulnerable group inclusion
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to work towards meeting its commitment to resettle 4,000 Eritrean refugees from 2014 to 2018.

    The Government of Canada has also established two new regional multi-year commitments to resettle 10,000 refugees out of Africa, and 10,000 out of the Middle East over three years, beginning in 2018. Remaining space in any given year will be used to resettle refugees from anywhere in the world based on need as identified by t​he Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Meaningfully addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, including minorities, is necessary to ensuring an effective and inclusive response. Societies that harness their diversity to design and implement inclusive policies and programs create the conditions for greater respect for human rights and a pathway to peace, security, and prosperity.

    Keywords

    Disability, Displacement

  • 4A
    Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (6)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to reinforce national and local leadership and capacities in managing disaster and climate-related risks through strengthened preparedness and predictable response and recovery arrangements.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase investment in building community resilience as a critical first line of response, with the full and effective participation of women.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to ensure regional and global humanitarian assistance for natural disasters complements national and local efforts.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Cash-based programming

    Canada increased its support for cash programming in Iraq and Somalia. Canada’s support enabled the Cash Consortium for Iraq to provide emergency cash assistance to 2,300 vulnerable, conflict-affected households. In Somalia, Canada's support to the Cash Learning Partnership (CALP) enabled them to improve: knowledge on the use of cash transfer programs; documentation and learning about the use of cash transfer programs; and the coordination of cash transfer program preparedness and response.

    Canada continues to advocate for the routine use of cash and has consistently encouraged its partners to consider cash assistance when and where appropriate.

    Canada revised its guidance for non-governmental organization (NGO) partners to encourage the use of multi-purpose cash assistance by requiring that proposals with multi-purpose cash activities include: a market analysis, a vulnerability assessment; cash programming experience; participation in a cash/voucher coordination mechanism; a gender analysis of the proposed cash activities; and details on the chosen modality.

    Strengthening national/local leadership and systems

    Under its Strategic Partnership with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC), Canada is providing CAD $19.8 million from 2014-2019 in support of two initiatives to strengthen the capacity of targeted Red Cross national societies in the Americas and Africa. These initiatives are owned and led by each national society, with the guidance and support of the CRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Canada is also continuing to support the IFRC's Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund.

    In 2017, Canada provided direct funding to BRAC (CAD $2 million), a Bangladesh-based NGO, for the Rohingya Crisis response.

    Canada also supported country-based pooled funds in seven countries, as part of its increased efforts to provide support to local humanitarian actors.

    Canada also committed CAD $125 million (2016-2020) for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank that manages a draw-down fund to provide food assistance. The majority of funding and programming flows to, and is being implemented by, local actors.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is an active member of the Grand Bargain localisation working group.  The guiding documents produced by the workstream will help stakeholders collect the necessary data and better measure progress towards this transformation.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Local actors continue to face barriers in accessing international support. In some cases, risk continues to be downloaded to local partners without adequate support.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue its overall support for country-based pooled funds, including through active participation in the Pooled Fund Working Group, and is exploring options to better support local humanitarian action. Canada is actively engaging partners to identify opportunities to deepen collaboration with local actors and remove barriers to partnership.   

    Canada will support efforts to build the evidence base surrounding cash.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Better understanding the barriers that local actors face in accessing international support will be key in increasing the share of financing available to them.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    In 2016 and 2017, Canada supported a consortium of international Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to provide emergency multi-purpose cash assistance in Iraq. The partnership provided Canada with the opportunity to support an innovative mechanism, assess the benefit of consortium-based cash transfer programming, and learn lessons about cash transfer programming more broadly.

    Keywords

    Cash, Country-based pooled funds, Local action

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to improve the understanding, anticipation and preparedness for disaster and climate-related risks by investing in data, analysis and early warning, and developing evidence-based decision-making processes that result in early action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada is supporting a multi-year Resilience Initiative, providing CAD $50 million over five years (2016-2020). Through a complementary mix of interventions, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) meet immediate food needs, while also addressing longer-term challenges to build resilience of vulnerable populations in Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Niger.

    Canada provided additional funding for Care Canada in Afghanistan to support the pre-positioning of Non-Food Items (NFIs) and shelter items in order to enable a rapid response to households affected by natural and conflict-induced disasters, in coordination with national disaster authorities.

    Canada is supporting a two-year Médecins du Monde initiative in Haiti to help reduce the morbidity and mortality related to cholera through a systemic response at the community-level, in close collaboration with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) actors. This includes the deployment of resources to ensure the implementation of a “cordon sanitaire”, decontamination, awareness raising, distribution of kits and screening to refer affected individuals to treatment centers.

    Canada ratified the Paris Agreement in October 2016. To implement the Agreement, Canada has committed to deliver CAD $2.65 billion in climate finance to support developing countries to address climate change. Canada is implementing this commitment in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Canada also hosted the Fifth Regional Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the Americas (March 2017). The main outcome documents, the high-level Montreal Declaration and the multi-stakeholder Regional Action Plan on disaster risk reduction in the Americas, set out clear expressions of commitment and a plan of how to implement DRR in the region.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    In many contexts, humanitarian and development actors continue to operate in 'silos,' and must make increased and concerted efforts to better prepare for crises, and identify areas for joint collaboration.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In addition to ongoing implementation of the initiatives noted above, Canada will continue to look for ways to further advance this commitment, including as part of the Grand Bargain workstreams and the New Way of Working Initiative. 

    Canada is developing policy guidance on its humanitarian action that will consider the critical role of preparedness in gender-responsive humanitarian action.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The international community must work collectively, and across mandates, to effectively reduce vulnerability.

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction, Local action

  • 4C
    Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Canada will contribute CAD $125 million over five years (2016-2020) to the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) in Ethiopia.
    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • Canada has provided CAD $331.5 million toward the 2016 humanitarian appeals.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis and planning towards collective outcomes

    Canada’s multi-year response to the Syria and Iraq crises focuses on supporting refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities concurrently, and Canada’s humanitarian and development programs are coordinating to improve complementarity in delivering on its commitment to provide CAD $ 840 million in humanitarian assistance, and CAD $270 million in development assistance, over three years. Opportunities to transition the humanitarian response to long term development oriented objectives are being explored.

    Other-4C

    Canada engaged with its partners to encourage stronger engagement on bridging the humanitarian-development nexus.

    In 2017, Canada closely followed and supported the application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, advocating in particular for greater synergies between humanitarian and development actors in these processes.

    Canada is providing CAD $125 million (2016-2020) to the Productive Safety Net Programme in Ethiopia to enable the rural poor facing chronic food insecurity to resist shocks, create assets and become food self-sufficient. Canada is also supporting an innovative resilience initiative (CAD $50M over five years 2016-2020), to address food insecurity and build resilience of vulnerable populations in Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Niger. 

    In Afghanistan, through a project with the Danish Refugee Council, Canada has launched programming which covers some of the immediate, short term and longer term needs of undocumented Afghan returnees from Pakistan which aids in the transition from humanitarian crisis to longer-term development.  

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is closely following the efforts of the New Way of Working and the Grand Bargain Humanitarian-Development Nexus workstream.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The international community must work together towards more comprehensive approaches that bring together diplomatic, political, development, peacebuilding as well as humanitarian efforts, while respecting mandates, to achieve long term solutions for people affected by crises.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In implementing its Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada will examine opportunities to further improve collaboration between different programs, including joint planning.  

    In response to protracted crises, including in South Sudan, Ukraine and Syria and Iraq, Canada is exploring opportunities for complementary humanitarian and development support, including through joint analysis and planning. Similarly, Canada is assessing the possibilities for supporting additional Comprehensive Solutions programming.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Humanitarian assistance is only one element of the response. More comprehensive approaches that bring together diplomatic, political, development, peacebuilding as well as humanitarian efforts are needed to achieve long term solutions for people affected by crises and ultimately achieve a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous world.

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Displacement, Humanitarian-development nexus

  • 5A
    Invest in local capacities

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Included in Canada's CAD $331.5 million commitment, Canada has supported local humanitarian action through country-based pooled funds in Yemen (CAD $5 million), South Sudan (CAD $1 million) and the Central African Republic (CAD $500,000).
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Direct funding to national/local actors

    In 2017, Canada provided direct funding to BRAC (CAD $2 million), a non-governmental organization based in Bangladesh, for the Rohingya Crisis response. BRAC’s unique coverage in Cox’s Bazar enables them to meet acute life-saving needs through a response that spans all camps and settlements as well as host communities.  

    Country-based pooled funds

    Recognising the value of country-based pooled funds as a critical mechanism to support timely, coordinated and principled assistance by the best-placed responders, notably local and national responders, Canada increased overall support for country-based pooled funds. Canada continued support to funds in Yemen, South Sudan, Iraq and Central African Republic (CAR), and began providing funding to three additional country-based pooled funds in 2017: Nigeria, Myanmar and Somalia.

    Other-5A

    Under its Strategic Partnership with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC), Canada is providing CAD $19.8 million from 2014-2019 in support of two initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity of targeted Red Cross national societies in the Americas and Africa. These initiatives have been designed to be owned and led by each national society, with the guidance and support of the CRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Canada is supporting the IFRC's Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund.

    Canada revised its guidance for implementing non-governmental organization (NGO) partners to be able to collect and report on the percentage of funding that is transferred to local and national implementing partners. Through its engagement in Executive Boards and Donor Support Groups, Canada encouraged its multilateral partners to increase the timeliness and duration of flow-through contracts to local and national responders, and has encouraged them to provide stronger support to strengthen local and national response capacity.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is an active member of the Grand Bargain localisation working group. The guiding documents produced by the workstream will help stakeholders collect the necessary data and better measure progress towards this transformation.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Local actors continue to face barriers in accessing international support. In some cases, risk continues to be downloaded to local partners without adequate support.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue its overall support for country-based pooled funds and is exploring options to better support local humanitarian action. Canada is actively engaging with civil society organizations and partners to identify opportunities to deepen collaboration with local actors and remove barriers to partnership.

    Canada will support efforts to build the evidence base surrounding cash and its impacts on women and girls, and with regards to protection.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Better understanding the barriers that local actors face in accessing international support will be key in increasing the share of financing available to them. For example, a strengthened engagement by UN agencies to maximize the benefits of flexible funding for their implementing partners will lead to greater efficiency gains from flexible funding provided to UN agencies.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Canada recognizes the flexibility provided at the country level through its support for country-based pooled funds.

    The guiding documents produced by the Grand Bargain workstream on defining localization will help Canada collect the necessary data and better measure its progress towards this transformation.

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Local action, People-centred approach

  • 5B
    Invest according to risk

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to invest in risk management, preparedness and crisis prevention capacity to build the resilience of vulnerable and affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada ratified the Paris Agreement in October 2016 and is working with international partners to ensure the effective implementation of the Agreement. As part of Canada’s global climate change action, Canada is delivering CAD $2.65 billion in climate finance by 2020/21 to support developing countries to address climate change and its impacts.

    Canada’s climate finance is closely aligned with its overall development priorities with a focus on the empowerment of women and girls and gender equality. This includes providing CAD $2 million in funding to the National Adaptation Plans Global Network (2017-18) to enhance developing countries efforts to build resilience and develop capacity to plan, prepare and respond to climate change risks.  

    In November 2017, at the Caribbean Community - United Nations (UN) High Level Pledging Conference in New York, Canada pledged CAD $100 million to support reconstruction and climate resilience efforts in the Caribbean region over the next five years.

    Canada’s contribution will help the most vulnerable people, including women and children, to rebuild more resilient communities so they can be better prepared for natural disasters. Particular attention will be given in the coming months to specific projects aimed at reconstructing essential services, improving disaster risk management and emergency preparedness practices, supporting the role of women as leaders in reconstruction and adopting climate-adaptation measures at the community level.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada’s progress on Sendai is tracked through its input to the Sendai reporting mechanism and, as appropriate, through other relevant commitments such as the “Regional Action Plan for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 – 2030 in the Americas.”

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Closer collaboration between humanitarian and development actors is needed to reduce vulnerability and build resilience.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    An increased focus on joint planning and analysis is required to drive this transformation forward.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In addition to ongoing implementation of the approaches and initiatives noted above, Canada will continue to work to further advance this commitment, including through the Grand Bargain worksteams. In particular, Canada will look for opportunities to deepen its engagement with the World Bank and the New Way of Working Initiative.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The international community must work collectively, and across mandates, to effectively reduce vulnerability.

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction

  • 5C
    Invest in stability

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada has announced its commitment to increase support for UN peace operations and its mediation, conflict-prevention, and post-conflict stabilization efforts.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In November 2017, Canada hosted the United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial (UNPKDM) as a means of promoting effectiveness in UN peacekeeping operations.  At the UNPKDM, Canada demonstrated leadership by pledging the following:

    • Launching the Women in Peacekeeping Operations Pilot – “The Elsie initiative”.
    • Launching the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers.
    • Innovative Training
      • Training activities to meet systemic UN needs
      • Canadian Training and Advisory Team
    • Contribution of police and up to 600 military personnel over a five-year period
      • Tactical Airlift Support
      • Aviation Task Force
      • Quick Reaction Force
      • New Police missions being examined

    Through its Peace and Stabilization Operations Program, Canada is providing CAD $95 million to the support the UN activities in peace and security from 2016-2019.  This support includes enhancing peacekeeping operations, peace processes, conflict prevention and peace building activities world-wide.

    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada is tracking progress through Global Affairs Canada annual reporting processes, as appropriate, as well as the reporting required by the terms and conditions of various programs.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: The increasingly complex nature of crises poses significant challenges to undertaking investments in stability to drive peace initiatives forward.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Increased investments in stability need to be accompanied by political will and leadership to drive peace initiatives forward. This is especially true in inherently multilateral endeavours, such as the Elsie Initiative and Vancouver Principles.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada is developing the Elsie Initiative and moving ahead on implementation of the Vancouver Principles. Canadian contributions will reflect the UN’s “smart pledges” approach of coordination with the UN and other partners, and will take place, depending on UN requirements, over the course of five years. Canada recently committed to deploy an Aviation Task Force to the MINUSMA for 12 months.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Interventions in preventing, managing, or resolving violent conflict should be integrated to the extent possible. While it is important to address immediate causes and drivers of conflict, deeper factors contributing to conflict must also be considered.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Through its Peace and Stabilization Operations Program, Canada supports UN peace and security activities. Canada supports innovative training in a variety of languages, on-line, in classrooms and in situ, to ensure peacekeepers are equipped with knowledge on IHL, protection of civilians, women, peace and security, and human rights. 

    Keywords

    Gender

  • 5D
    Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Canada has provided CAD $331.5 million toward the 2016 humanitarian appeals.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to enable coherent financing that avoids fragmentation by supporting collective outcomes over multiple years, supporting those with demonstrated comparative advantage to deliver in context.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to broaden and adapt the global instruments and approaches to meet urgent needs, reduce risk and vulnerability and increase resilience, without adverse impact on humanitarian principles and overall action (as also proposed in Round Table on "Changing Lives").
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Canada is actively providing coherent financing and promoting collective outcomes. Canada’s response to the Syria and Iraq crises, for example, focuses on supporting refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities concurrently, and Canada’s humanitarian and development teams have been working closely together to ensure complementarity in planning and delivering on our commitment to provide CAD $840 million in humanitarian assistance, and CAD $270 million in development assistance over three years.

    Canada continues to fulfil its unearmarked, multi-year funding agreements, including: the World Food Programme (CAD $125M, 2016-2020), the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CAD $125M, 2016-2020), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA (CAD $6M, 2016-2018), International Committee of the Red Cross (CAD $16.2M, 2017-2019) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CAD $147M, 2016-2020), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (CAD $37.8M, 2017-2019). In addition, Canada’s funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) core Programme Budget is unearmarked (CAD $20M, 2016-2017; CAD $20M, 2017-2018). 

    In 2017, Canada provided approximately 55% of its total humanitarian funding through multi-year agreements. Approximately 27% of this multi-year funding in unearmarked or softly earmarked, allowing organizations the flexibility to adapt specific program activities as needed.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Canada co-convenes the Grand Bargain Workstream on Multi-year programming and funding with UNICEF, working closely with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and OCHA. Canada is also closely following the work of the Earmarking Grand Bargain workstream.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The international community needs to better understand and recognize the barriers to effectively increasing multi-year programing and funding as well on unearmarking to be able to make the needed changes to address these.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to support multi-year programming and engage with its partners to improve the pass-through of the benefits of multi-year funding. Canada is also seeking to better understand and evidence the benefits of its own multi-year funding. 

    Canada is analyzing its earmarking trends and exploring options to increase flexible funding for 2018 and beyond. Canada is actively exploring options to increase its use of rapid financing mechanisms, such as new (and revised) draw-down funds.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The international community needs to better understand and recognize the barriers to effectively increasing multi-year programing and funding as well on unearmarking to be able to make the needed changes to address these.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    In 2017, Canada and UNICEF co-hosted a workshop, in collaboration with OCHA and NRC, with diverse stakeholders (donors, NGOs, UN Agencies, ICRC/IFRC and Humanitarian Country Teams) which enabled a productive discussion on the gaps and barriers to advancing multi-year planning and funding and the identification of steps forward.

  • 5E
    Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Canada will provide CAD $147 million for the Central Emergency Response Fund over 5 years (2016-2020).
    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Invest in Humanity

    • Canada aligns itself with the Political Communiqué for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 21 May 2016.


    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Canada supports and aligns itself with the Grand Bargain commitments.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Working closely with OCHA and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Canada and UNICEF are the co-convenors of the Grand Bargain multi-year planning and funding workstream.

    In 2017, the workstream focussed on building the evidence base for and promoting mutual learning on humanitarian multi-year planning and funding, and on improving the quality and impact of humanitarian action through increased collaborative humanitarian multi-year planning and funding.

    Notably, in September 2017, the workstream organised a workshop in Geneva, co-hosted by Canada and UNICEF in collaboration with OCHA and NRC, with a broad representation of stakeholders to identify gaps and barriers to progress in advancing multi-year planning and funding.

    Similarly, Canada has taken on the co-lead of the multi-year planning and funding workstream with the European Union (EU) in the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) group.

    Through both of these efforts, Canada has focused on sharing information and best practices by hosting events, conference calls, and disseminating relevant evaluations and studies on multi-year planning and funding to Grand Bargain Signatories and the GHD membership.

    As part of Canada's multi-year commitment to the CERF, Canada provided CAD $29.4 million for the CERF in 2017 and continues to be an active member of its advisory group.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Grand Bargain annual reports provide a comprehensive view of progress being made towards this transformation.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The international community needs to better understand and recognize the barriers to effectively increasing multi-year programing and funding as well on unearmarking to be able to make the needed changes to address these.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Canada will continue to support multi-year programming and engage with its partners to improve the pass-through of the benefits of multi-year funding. Canada is also seeking to better understand and evidence the benefits of its own multi-year funding.

    Canada is also developing policy guidance on its humanitarian action that will consider the role of innovation in the financing and delivery of gender-responsive humanitarian action.

    Canada will also continue to fulfill its commitment to the CERF.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The international community needs to better understand and recognize the barriers to effectively increasing multi-year programing and funding as well on unearmarking to be able to make the needed changes to address these.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    After one year of three-year funding, NGOs found that Canada’s funding in response to the Syria/Iraq crises: allowed for better quality services; built greater trust with local communities and humanitarian access; allowed better assessments and increased understanding about gender inequalities; enabled organizations to reallocate resources responding quickly to shifting needs.

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