What Canada Stands For in an Uncertain World
As Canada charts a new path in an increasingly uncertain world, our leaders are examining national strategies for defence, trade and economic security. Alongside these debates sits an important question: what distinguishes Canada on the world stage?
From the outside looking in, the world sees Canada as a leader. A new survey by Rockefeller Foundation shows 60% of respondents across 34 countries expressed confidence and comfort in Canada taking a leading role in world affairs, placing us at the top of the list and ahead of the United States, Australia and United Kingdom.
This moment presents a unique opportunity to strengthen Canadian identity by pulling on all levers of leadership available to us: defence, diplomacy and trade, yes, but also international development.
From the inside looking out, Canadians see this too. New polling by the Environics Institute for Survey Research and UNICEF Canada found that 82% believe Canada should do at least as much as, if not more than, other countries to reduce hunger, disease and poverty among children in the world's lowest-income countries.
Helping children abroad is also woven into how Canadians see themselves. Nearly two-thirds say they feel proud to be Canadian when our government helps children in the world’s lowest-income countries. The commitment is especially strong among younger Canadians: 68% of those aged 18 to 29 say Canada can afford to do more.
This sentiment has deep roots. Eighty years ago, Canada was among the first countries to help fund and create UNICEF.
Through wars, famines, displacement, disaster and political change, Canada has built a strong track record by showing up for children in the moments they need us most. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada was a leading financial supporter of efforts to deliver vaccines to people in hard-to-reach communities. We continue to be a leader in tackling child malnutrition globally and have supported advances in immunization, health care and clean water that have saved millions of young lives.
Foreign aid reflects more than our values or commitment to children. It’s also aligned with Canada’s national interests.
International assistance strengthens global partnerships and helps build the health, education and child-protection systems on which stable societies depend. When children and their families have food, health care, protection and an education, communities have a stronger foundation for peace and prosperity.
Canadians recognize that connection. 63% per cent agree that foreign aid addressing hunger and disease among children makes the world safer for everyone, including Canadians. 59% per cent believe greater defence spending should not mean sending less aid to help those who need it most.
As governments reassess spending priorities, the stakes extend far beyond our borders. A study published in The Lancet found that recent global aid cuts could lead to 5.4 million additional preventable deaths among children under five by 2030, marking the first time this century that child mortality might increase.
We can’t afford to see these hard-earned gains lost.
Over the last generation alone, the mortality rate for children under five has been cut by over half. Over two billion people have gained access to safe drinking water. Polio has almost been eliminated from the planet.
Cuts to Canada’s foreign aid announced in last year's budget signalled a retreat from global leadership. With the 2026 federal budget coming up, Canada now faces a choice.
Strong middle powers like Canada -- a country defined more by diplomacy than domination -- will increasingly be shaped by how we use our influence to build a more stable, prosperous and secure world.
For generations, Canada’s commitment to foreign aid for children has been one of the clearest and most consistent expressions of our values. As a part of our country's foreign strategy, it has helped to strengthen our influence abroad and how we see ourselves at home.
As we navigate a changing world, that’s not a legacy to retreat from. Rather, it's one to stand on and lead from.