SECURING CANADA'S PLACE IN THE WORLD

Keeping Canada Strong, Secure, And Engaged

In an unpredictable and changing world Canada needs to stay strong, be secure, and continue to engage on the things that matter most. From the help we give to others to the way we defend our own interests, the kind of world our children and grandchildren will grow up in depends on it.

A Positive Contribution to International Peace and Security

We will renew Canada’s commitment to peacekeeping efforts, and use the expertise of our Armed Forces to help others prepare for climate-related disasters.

Peace operations around the world give help and hope to millions of people affected by conflicts – and they serve Canada’s interests, too. A more peaceful world is a safer and more prosperous place for everyone.

To ensure that Canada continues to make a positive contribution to international peace and security, we will move forward with new investments to support United Nations peacekeeping efforts – with more help to advance the women, peace, and security agenda; support conflict prevention and peacebuilding; and respond to grave human rights abuses.

We will also expand our cooperation and training assistance – drawing on the expertise of the Canadian Armed Forces in responding to natural disasters and humanitarian crises – to help other countries at greater risk of disasters due to climate change.

A Responsible Approach to Security

We will continue to support our Canadian Armed Forces members and defend Canada’s interests with stronger oversight and responsible investments. Canada’s Armed Forces help keep Canada – and the world – safe and secure.

To build on the important contributions our Armed Forces members have made to critical missions around the world, we will move forward with expanding Canada’s role in multilateral organizations – like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations – and will make sure that our Armed Forces have everything they need to continue to do their job well.

In Canada’s north, we will continue to move forward toward a future where northern and Arctic people are thriving, strong, and safe. We will work closely with our partners through the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework to make this a reality, and to protect Canada’s rights and sovereignty in the Arctic, and to strengthen continental defence, we will move forward with better-developed surveillance and rapid-response capabilities. We will also provide international leadership on the rules governing the use and navigation of Arctic waters.

Canada’s security also rests on the good use of defence intelligence – the information that informs and supports military operations.

To ensure that this information is handled responsibly, we will move forward with a new framework governing how Canada gathers, manages, and uses defence intelligence, as recommended by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.

And to ensure that Canada’s biggest and most complex defence procurement projects are delivered on time and with greater transparency to Parliament, we will move forward with the creation of Defence Procurement Canada.

Leading With Our Values

Canada has earned its place in the world, anchored by a reputation for defending democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. We find ways to work with others while staying true to our own values. For all the challenges we’ve faced as a country, Canadians remain open, accepting, and generous – and the world is better for it.

A Principled Approach to Foreign Policy

We will lead by example and help make the world a safe, just, prosperous, and sustainable place. For more than 150 years, Canada and Canadians have made their mark on the world – showing courage and honour in the face of war, working hard to build lasting peace and prosperity for millions of people, and leading the way in fighting climate change. That didn’t happen by accident, and it won’t continue without effort.

We will build on these accomplishments and continue to move forward with a principled approach that puts democracy, human rights, international law, and environmental protection at the heart of foreign policy. We will:

  • establish the Canadian Centre for Peace, Order, and Good Government, which will lend expertise and help to people seeking to build peace, advance justice, promote human rights and democracy, and deliver good governance;

  • provide international institutions like the International Criminal Court, the World Trade Organization, and others, with additional resources to better enforce international law;

  • introduce a permanent, dedicated refugee stream to provide safe haven for human rights advocates, journalists, and humanitarian workers at risk, with a target of helping resettle as many as 250 people a year;

  • take a leadership role in ensuring the ethical use of new technology, by developing and supporting international protocols to ban the development and use of fully autonomous weapons systems; and

  • build on the Magnitsky sanctions regime we have put in place, by developing a framework to transfer seized assets from those who commit grave human rights abuses to their victims, with appropriate judicial oversight

Help for the world’s most vulnerable people

We will continue to focus our international development assistance on helping the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

In the last four years, Canada has become a true global leader in helping the poorest and most vulnerable people around the world, especially women and girls, with a feminist international assistance policy and strong advocacy for sexual and reproductive health rights. They are counting on our help, and we can’t afford to turn back the clock.

To help those in the greatest need, including millions of child refugees who are not able to attend school, we will move forward with strong and principled leadership, including:

  • continuing to increase Canada’s international development assistance every year towards 2030, reflecting our commitment to realizing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals;

  • improving the way that we manage and deliver international development assistance, to ensure greater effectiveness, transparency, and accountability;

  • spending no less than 10 per cent of our international development assistance budget on education; and

  • leading an international campaign to ensure that all children living in refugee or displacement camps can get the good education they need and deserve.

Supporting Diversity and Growing our Communities

Canada’s story is the story of immigrants – of people who came here seeking a better life for themselves and their families – and of the people who welcomed them. Together, we have helped to grow our economy, build strong communities, create good jobs, and make Canada the best place in the world to call home.

Strengthened Immigration to Grow the Economy

We will continue to welcome more people to Canada, with a focus on attracting highly skilled workers. Immigration helps to make Canada more diverse – and more successful. In communities across the country, new Canadians work hard – teaching our children, caring for us when we’re sick, starting new businesses, and creating good jobs.

These contributions are needed now more than ever before. As people in Canada grow older and family sizes grow smaller, many businesses and communities struggle to find enough workers, putting the services people rely on – and Canada’s strong economy – at risk.

To keep our economy strong and growing, we will move forward with modest and responsible increases to immigration, with a focus on welcoming highly skilled people who can help build a stronger Canada.

We will also continue to work with the government of the United States to modernize the Safe Third Country Agreement.

More Help for Communities

We will make it easier for communities to welcome the workers they need most.

While immigration benefits Canada as a whole, not every community – including those experiencing serious labour shortages – is able to make the most of the contributions new Canadians can bring.

To make sure that communities of all sizes are better able to attract and support new Canadians, we will more forward with a Municipal Nominee Program. This program will allow local communities, chambers of commerce, and local labour councils to directly sponsor permanent immigrants.

To continue to support greater immigration and economic growth across Atlantic Canada, we will move forward with making the Atlantic Immigration Pilot permanent.

A minimum of 5,000 of the new spaces will be dedicated to each of the Municipal Nominee Program and the Atlantic immigration stream.

A More Affordable Path to Citizenship

We will make applying for Canadian citizenship free for permanent residents.

With the right supports, immigrants are able to get to work, help build up our communities, and grow our local economies in short order. But arriving in Canada is just the first step on a long journey to citizenship.

Becoming a citizen allows new immigrants to fully participate in Canadian society, and the process of granting citizenship is a government service, not something that should be paid for with a user fee. To make citizenship more affordable, we will make the application process free for those who have fulfilled the requirements needed to obtain it.

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