McLeod Group guest blog by Val Percival, June 30, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged that Canada was “prepared to lead and to shape a more stable and prosperous world”. Yet Canada, like other rich countries, has been silent in the face of the deepening crises in low-income and conflict-affected contexts.
Concerned by this silence, the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University held a series of focus group consultations to discuss Canada’s past, current and future approaches to contexts of conflict and development. The report that emerged from these consultations outlines a realistic, focused, and ambitious framework to guide Canada’s development, humanitarian, and conflict prevention policy.
A quarter of the world’s population lives in contexts of poverty and fragility. Many countries with high rates of poverty face economic stagnation and high levels of indebtedness, political polarization, rising authoritarianism, impacts of climate change, and record levels of migration and displacement. Violent conflict is at the highest level in decades, while the erosion of respect for international humanitarian law undermines protections for civilians living in these conflict zones.
Under President Donald Trump’s aggressive pursuit of an America First agenda, the US global role has shifted from the guarantor of the liberal order to its wrecking ball. America’s elimination of its international development agency, USAID, withdrawal from some multilateral institutions, and its reform demands and dramatic funding cuts for others, have weakened global collective action when it is most needed. While the rapid shift in US policies has world-wide impacts, low-income and fragile countries are particularly hard hit.
Trump’s 2026 budget proposes even further aid reductions. The US has signalled its intention to walk back American commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The abandonment of preferential trade for developing countries means that low-income countries face upwards of 25% US tariffs, which will handicap emerging economies and undercut opportunities for economic growth through trade. The proposed tax on remittances from migrants in the US would impact a critical source of revenue for many low-income countries. And cuts to US research funding threaten innovation and knowledge production throughout the Global South. All of these measures reverse hard-won gains in economic development, health and education.
In his first weeks in office, Carney undertook decisive actions on the economy, trade and defence. But he has yet to elaborate an approach for fragile and developing countries beyond an election pledge to maintain current levels of official development assistance. Canada’s G7 agenda did not address debt in low-income contexts, the dramatic decline in development assistance, the collapse of global health aid or the precarious state of multilateral institutions. Yet Canada cannot isolate itself from the multiple crises in low-income, fragile and conflict-affected states. Given the interconnectivity of global systems, economic, social and political shocks reverberate around the world. And while Canada cannot solve any crisis alone, improvements in one or more systems can cascade across borders. Through effective diplomacy, efficient use of resources, international cooperation, and partnerships with other countries, Canada can “move the needle” to improve development, humanitarian and peacebuilding outcomes.
To ensure Canada stays true to its values in a self-interested world, the NPSIA report outlines key principles and goals to guide its engagement. Canada should ensure the protection of civilians in war and the promotion of human rights, dignity and well-being. By focusing on poverty reduction, strengthening human capital, promoting gender equality and climate resilience, Canada could help boost the economic potential of the Global South. Countries should be in the driver’s seat of their own development, though, with Canada supporting good governance through engagement with public and civil society institutions.
To be more effective in a resource-constrained environment, the report recommends Canada improve how it achieves these goals. Global Affairs Canada and other departments need to change their mechanisms of engagement by becoming more nimble, with streamlined and devolved authorities. Expertise and experience that “get it done” should be recognized and rewarded. Both at home and abroad, Canadian institutions could work more effectively together with a “Team Canada” approach.
Within fragile and low-income countries, working through diverse and locally driven partnerships and consortiums could maximize Canada’s impact. Strengthened expert deployment mechanisms could ensure a diplomatic or technical surge capacity to support Canadian engagement in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. And the government should step up efforts to show Canadians how humanitarian and development engagement is effective and in Canada’s self-interest.
To bolster global cooperation, Canada could lead the discussions on multilateral reform efforts. The report recommends that Canada use its convening power as President of the G7 to announce a G7 “Working Group on International Responses to Conflict, Fragility and Development” to examine how to strengthen multilateral institutions and issue a report at the United Nations General Assembly.
The report also suggests several thematic priorities. Given the importance of human capital and healthy populations for social and economic well-being, Canada’s health and education programming should be sustained. Protecting civilian well-being in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and support to mediation and peace processes would further our historical legacy in human security. As a signature initiative, Canada could support the protection of health care in conflict. To promote inclusive economic growth, Canada could build “ecosystem for development” hubs that bring together public institutions, the private sector and civil society to identify opportunities for innovation and collaboration. To send a clear message about Canada’s support for global trade, existing trade and development initiatives could be deepened and expanded.
What does this proposed framework mean for Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy? Given the strong relationship between women’s empowerment and more peaceful and prosperous societies, continued support for gender equality remains critical. Canada’s development framework should incorporate gender equality as a clear goal within Canada’s development and humanitarian assistance.
Canada has an opportunity – and an obligation to step up its engagement and galvanize international cooperation to address these challenges in conflict-affected and low-income contexts. In the short term, a refocused engagement would save lives and enhance Canada’s diplomatic reach and credibility as a middle power. In the long term, investing in socio-economic development and support for peace processes would enable people to live in dignity and escape the harmful cycles of violence and poverty.
Val Percival is an Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. Image: Save the Children.