PRESS RELEASE

Is it Time to Reshape Canada’s Foreign Policy?

Ottawa, ON. November 18, 2019 — In a world that seems at once increasingly divided and evermore interconnected, what is Canada’s role as a global leader?

As interests and institutions that became increasingly universal over the last 75 years – economic liberalism, state sovereignty, human rights, collective security and multilateral organizations – no longer unify global actors, how should Canada engage with the international system?

Those are some of the questions the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) and partners will address during a two-day Summit on Canada’s Global Leadership, featuring leaders from all sectors of Canada’s foreign policy, including defence, diplomacy, security, climate change and international aid sectors. The Summit will take place on November 27 and 28, in Ottawa.

To engage with Canadian foreign policy thought leaders in advance of the Summit, organizers are releasing a vision statement titled: “Canada Engaged: An Initial Vision Statement for Canada’s International Policy”. This document will serve as a starting position and reflection piece to stimulate policy discussion and development. This initial vision statement has been developed and endorsed by an advisory committee composed of 11 leaders representing perspectives and experiences across the range of foreign policy and international affairs.

“We want to create a cross-cutting dialogue that will support an ambitious strategic commitment to Canada’s global cooperation and leadership based on comparative advantages,” says Nicolas Moyer, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation. “In order to achieve the most effective and impactful outcomes in Canada’s foreign policy, all parts of Canadian society need to be engaged – and that’s what this Summit seeks to do.”

On November 27 and 28, leaders and thinkers from across Canada and internationally will discuss how Canada can use its foreign policy to achieve high impact in support of an inclusive and equitable world order – by addressing climate change and other global challenges through a whole-of-society approach, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, and setting an example at home.

Media are invited to attend portions of the Summit. A schedule of opportunities to interview many of the presenters and speakers throughout the event will be available shortly.

Keynote speakers include:

• General Jonathan Vance, Chief of Defence Staff
• Jacqueline O’Neill, Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security
• Bob Rae, former minister and Ontario Premier
• Richard Fadden, former National Security advisor
• Stephen Cornish, CEO David Suzuki Foundation
• Peggy Mason, President of the Rideau Institute and former Ambassador to the UN

The Summit is presented by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC), the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID), the Canadian Partnership for Women and Health (CanWaCH), and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI).

For a complete list of speakers and agenda, visit globalleadershipsummit.ca. Included in this package is the vision statement developed to help guide participants at the Summit.

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For more information about the Summit or to arrange interviews with speakers, contact:

Thida Ith
Media and Communications Officer/ Agente des médias et des communications
Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC)
39 rue McArthur Ave., Ottawa, ON, K1L 8L7
tith@ccic.ca
(613) 241-7007 ext. 343
cell : (437) 779-0883