November 5, 2025

“Now is not the time to walk away or back down:” Our response to Budget 2025

Photo: Marie Meloche

The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada is deeply concerned by the Canadian government’s intention to reduce its international assistance by $2.7 billion over the next four years, as announced in the annual budget tabled yesterday.

Dr. Jane often spoke about how “we are all interconnected.” That has never been more true than it is today. In the world in which we live, global challenges – from fighting climate change, to protecting biodiversity, to reducing zoonotic disease outbreaks – don’t stop at borders. To address these issues, all of us must do our part.

“We know that investing in international development and assistance makes our world more stable, prosperous, and humane for everyone – including Canadians. Now is not the time to walk away or back down from this responsibility,” said Bella Lam, our Chief Executive Officer.

The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada believes in doing our part. Together with more than 100 other organizations in the sector, we signed on to Cooperation Canada and the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health statement regarding the federal budget.

We are amplifying our collective concern, in solidarity with our conservation partners and local communities where we work in Africa, and urging the Canadian government to take on a leadership role. We must not turn away from our partners in the Global South, but instead continue to invest in our shared future to ensure prosperity – for everyone, and for the natural world we all share.

Read the statement here:

A coalition of over 100 NGOs, led by Cooperation Canada and the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health, express their concern over the government’s decision to reduce Canada’s International Assistance Envelope in Budget 2025 tabled today. This marks a retreat from our global commitments, and breaks a promise made by Prime Minister Carney during the election campaign.

We are facing increased global instability. Authoritarian regimes have gained momentum, human rights are increasingly under threat, climate impacts are deepening global inequities, and humanitarian needs are at an all-time high. In this context, the government has chosen to reduce Canada’s international assistance by $2.7 billion over four years, including decreased development funding for global health.

Government leaders are navigating an exceptionally difficult moment. We recognize the precarious economic situation faced by Canadians, and international assistance is part of increasing prosperity at home. Evidence shows that these investments are cost effective and have real returns in terms of strengthening Canadian security, and expanding our global relationships and economic resilience.

“It is clear that any savings resulting from cutting the international assistance budget will be short-lived. Cuts erode Canada’s credibility with our global partners and blunt our capacity to shape outcomes that affect Canadians at home. Cooperation Canada and our members will continue to engage constructively with the government to reinforce that Canada’s global leadership cannot be taken for granted and that our commitments must be met,” said Kate Higgins, Chief Executive Officer for Cooperation Canada.

The government’s intention to return Canada’s international assistance envelope to a pre-pandemic level will have far reaching consequences and will undermine hard-won gains. At a time of decreasing global investments in international assistance, Canada had promised not to turn away from the world’s most vulnerable. Instead, this budget further deepens the gap left by other major donors, undermining both global partnerships and Canada’s own strategic interests.

“Any reductions to Canada’s global health investments will have devastating consequences for women and children around the world, while threatening the health, security and prosperity of Canadians,” said Charmaine Crockett, Interim Chief Executive Officer for CanWaCH. “Canada’s decades of leadership in global health have always been about investing in a safer, more equitable world, because we know that when we turn our back on the world’s most marginalized people, we all suffer.”