Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is signalling a shift away from humanitarian aid toward funding infrastructure projects in developing countries.
"A lot of it is less around humanitarian development, in my conversations with the Global South, and much more about, well, how can you create investments in renewable energies that's going to last the next 20 years?" Trudeau said last week in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press.
The Liberals had earmarked an annual $6.6 billion in aid before the COVID-19 pandemic. They boosted that target beyond $8 billion, largely for programs related to fighting the impacts of COVID-19 and then this year, also to help Ukraine and its neighbours. Belanger said aid from Canada and its partners has helped countries nearly reach the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and Belanger say those nearly filled gaps now risk cratering.
In June, G7 countries pledged to invest US$600 billion in the Global South, with a focus on climate-resilient infrastructure, health systems and digital economies. The pledge was widely seen as a counterbalance to programs like China's Belt and Road Initiative, which has seen Beijing become a major player in Africa.
He noted that developing countries took the spotlight at numerous summits, such as the Organization of American States meeting in October, to the Commonwealth meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, this past June. "The prime minister is focused on making sure that we look at the long-term capacity-building, within those nations."
In any case, Genuis said a deeper focus on FinDev Canada would be better than having Ottawa keep contributing to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is controlled by China.
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