The Canadian government made an important promise in 2021.

That promise, if fulfilled, will help to effectively address urgent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and conflict that affect us all, nationally and globally.

In the 2021 Throne Speech, the government promised to increase Canada’s foreign assistance budget each year, and invest in sustainable, equitable, and feminist development that benefits the world’s most vulnerable and promotes gender equality.

For years KAIROS has joined hundreds of civil society organizations and countless Canadians in urging the government to increase its overseas development assistance to match the international standard of 0.7 percent of national wealth. That is less than one penny for every dollar.

It’s a smart investment, and integral to global recovery.