Canadian Foreign Policy

Canada’s Lessons in Afghanistan Not Recorded and Not Learned: Part 2 0
- Analysis
- October 29, 2018
In terms of Afghanistan, Canada has clearly been afflicted with attention deficit disorder; in less than a decade, it changed program focus three times (as noted by a summative evaluation of Canada’s development program in 2015). The lessons that could …
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“China Clause” in USMCA is American Posturing, Not a Veto 0
- Analysis
- October 18, 2018
There is a strong narrative developing around the non-market economy article 32.10 in the proposed United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). Various commentaries have gone as far as saying that the clause is in effect a choice between the United States or …
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Development Partnership Part 1: The Way of the Future 0
- Analysis
- October 10, 2018
A key goal for Canada is to be BACK as a credible development partner. A significant driver is the ambition of taking a UN Security Council (SC) seat in 2020. Recent signals, however, suggest some uncertainty about Canada winning …
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Development Partnership Part 2: A Canadian Action Agenda 0
- Analysis
- October 10, 2018
This blog continues from Part 1, The Way of the Future.

A solid agenda exists of desirable institutional changes in Global Affairs Canada (GAC, and other public entities) over the next few years. We need to start building new …
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Beyond Aid Budgets: What Canada Can Do to Promote International Development 0
- Analysis
- October 10, 2018
Of late, many commentators, from humble bloggers to the more august Toronto Star and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), have lamented Canada’s relative lack of generosity in foreign aid and called on the Canadian government to increase the …
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What Do Canada’s Peers Say about Canadian Development Co-operation?0
- Analysis
- September 19, 2018
by Hunter McGill and Stephen Brown

Every five years or so, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducts a “peer review” of the countries that belong to its Development Assistance Committee (DAC). This year was Canada’s turn and …
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Decisive Action is Overdue to Protect the Rohingyas 0
- Analysis
- September 15, 2018
By John Packer

Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa and Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution

Finally, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar has stated the obvious: the Rohingya …
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Canada’s Feminist International Assistance: Can Bad Policy be Well Implemented? (Part 1)0
- Analysis
- September 13, 2018
Last summer, the government of Canada launched its “feminist international assistance policy,” a radical rebranding to a “truly feminist approach that supports the economic, political and social empowerment of women and girls, and makes gender equality a priority, …
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Canada’s Feminist International Assistance: Can Bad Policy be Well Implemented? (Part 2)0
- Analysis
- September 13, 2018
In Part 1 of this blog post, I ranted about discussed why Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy is likely to fail. However, even a bad policy can be implemented in ways that make failure less likely and create opportunities …
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The ODA Accountability Act at Ten: Time for an Update 0
- Analysis
- September 5, 2018
by Stephen Brown and Hunter McGill

Ten years ago, the Canadian parliament unanimously passed the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, following years of intensive lobbying by Canadian civil society organizations. Prior to 2008, Canada had not had any legislation …
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Tangible Evidence or Wishful Thinking?0
- Analysis
- August 20, 2018
“Women’s participation in the peacebuilding process increases by 35% the probability that a peace agreement will last for at least 15 years.” Or does it?

“If you want to make peace sustainable, include women in the peacebuilding process.” Over the …
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Harnessing Disruption: Working with China on Global Trade 0
- Analysis
- August 3, 2018
Patrick Leblond and Pascale Massot

Ottawa provided welcome news with its recent announcement of a fall meeting with multiple nations to discuss the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

It confirmed that the Trudeau government is not shifting its …
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