Dozens of Canada's international aid agencies are asking Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to increase the country's foreign assistance contributions.
The request comes in a letter signed by 75 non-governmental organizations, including the Canadian chapters of groups such as Oxfam, Save the Children, Unicef and World Vision.They're asking Freeland to increase international aid funding from the $8.15 billion pledged in the last budget and to gradually ramp that figure up to $10 billion by 2025.
The Liberals have promised more money for international spending each year since taking office in 2015, but global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have changed the way that funding has been allocated. Higgins said investing in international assistance is the "smart thing to do and it's the right thing to do."
Higgins said Canada is currently supporting democracy in developing countries where rights are threatened, as well as protecting access to health and education for women and gender diverse people abroad. Elise Legault, Canada's director for the ONE campaign, a global initiative to end poverty, said it has never been more important for the federal government to increase funding for international assistance.
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