Canada Announces Another $25M for Projects in Africa
Yet again declaring itself a “steadfast partner in international efforts to fight climate change and promote gender equality,” Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is forking out another $25 million to several organizations claiming to support such causes in Africa.
The announcement was made this week by Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, who recently led Canada’s delegation to the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, where he highlighted Canada’s “commitment to climate action across Africa,” according to GAC.
“Our government recognizes the urgency of addressing climate change and promoting gender equality in all four corners of the world,” said Hussen, noting that his participation in the summit was “a great opportunity” to highlight Canada’s interest in supporting not just “green economic growth,” but also “women’s empowerment” in Africa.
“During my time in Kenya and Zambia, I also had the chance to see firsthand the crucial work of our partners who are working to ensure no one is left behind,” he said.
The new funding goes as follows:
$4.75 million to the Global Center on Adaptation’s “Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program.” The program’s leaders say its mandate is to increase climate adaptation actions across the entire African continent. Some of the organization’s partners include the African Development Bank Group, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund – all of which received nearly a billion dollars from Global Affairs in 2021-2022.
$3 million to OXFAM’s “Her Future, Her Choice” program, which claims it will improve and promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Global Affairs gave OXFAM more than $41 million in 2021-2022.
$17 million to the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s “Climate Adaptation and Protected Areas.” The department says the initiative aims to increase climate change resilience of “ecosystems and people of all genders and social groups” in Zambia, Uganda, Fiji, Belize, Namibia, Angola, and Zimbabwe. GAC provided the institute with $5.6 million in 2021-2022.
Published earlier this year, a report from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada determined that Global Affairs doesn’t know whether one of its major funding initiatives – aimed at promoting gender equality abroad – is actually improving the lives of women and girls.
Tabled in Parliament in March, the report concluded Global Affairs does not effectively track the annual $3.5 billion in bilateral aid it provides, noting flaws in its information management practices.
“This resulted in incomplete or missing project files, making it impossible for the department to accurately track and report the overall outcomes of funded projects against the goals stated in the policy,” said the office in a statement.
“In addition, annual reports to Parliament on international assistance captured results for about half of funded projects and did not reflect long-term outcomes.”
Auditor General Karen Hogan said it is imperative that Global Affairs “act immediately” to improve its information management practices.
The office told Coastal Front that Global Affairs committed to providing quarterly updates on its progress regarding the improvement of its information management, but didn’t provide further details.
Global Affairs’ taxpayer-funded media representatives have ignored Coastal Front’s inquiries for more than three weeks.
Image courtesy CBC
