On November 27 and 28, 2023, Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant represented Canada at the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, where he reaffirmed Canada's commitment to collaborative approaches to addressing security challenges.
As part of Canada's commitment to supporting African-led solutions to peace and security challenges in the region, he announced $14.86 million in funding to enhance peace and security efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Project partner: The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention Funding announced: $1.25 million (2023 to 2025)
This funding will support efforts to improve stability, enhance social cohesion and strengthen resilience in South Sudan through an early warning system that connects communities and enables them to verify potential misinformation and disinformation. Project activities include enhancing and scaling up the existing early warning system; expanding networks to coordinate verification and localized early warning processes; and raising awareness of the effects of misinformation and disinformation on peace and security.
Tackling mis/disinformation through media to promote peacebuilding in South Sudan
Project partner: Journalists for Human Rights
Funding announced: $1.21 million (2023 to 2026)
This funding will support efforts to reduce conflict resulting from media-related misinformation and disinformation and hate speech in areas of South Sudan that are prone to electoral violence. In the build-up to national elections scheduled to take place in late 2024, this project will raise awareness and provide training to increase media literacy among civilians; strengthen the capacity of journalists and content creators-including those in the South Sudanese diaspora-to identify and debunk misinformation and disinformation; and improve government, media, and civil society relations.
Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Ethiopia
Project partner: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Funding announced: $2 million (2023 to 2024)
This funding will support the capacities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for human rights monitoring, reporting and advocacy work in Ethiopia. It will also strengthen the capacity of Ethiopian national institutions and civil society actors to respond to human rights violations. The OHCHR intends to implement this project in close partnership and coordination with national protection institutions, including the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the African Union, and various civil society organizations.
Increasing Resilience to Online and Offline Violence in Ethiopia
Project partner: Search for Common Ground
Funding announced: $1.5 million (2023 to 2026)
This funding will support a safer, more cohesive, and peaceful online and offline environment in Ethiopia. Search for Common Ground will work in partnership with Zeleman Production, a leading communications, advertising, and production company based in Addis Ababa, and Build Up, a non-profit organization working on peacebuilding and technology. Project activities include training and coaching for Ethiopian stakeholders to address misinformation and disinformation and hate speech in online and offline spaces; facilitating peer learning and networking to improve coordination among stakeholders; and funding campaigns and initiatives designed by stakeholders to promote safer online and offline spaces.
African Health-Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance and Epidemic Intelligence
Project partner: World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
Funding announced: $4.9 million (2023 to 2025)
This funding will support the establishment of an Africa-specific node of the World Health Organization Pandemic Hub, as well as efforts to reduce biological threats by strengthening health security capacities for early warning, detection of and response to disease. This project supports the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction's Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa.
Establishment of the Regional Centre of Excellence for Biosafety and Biosecurity in Southern Africa
Project partner: South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Funding announced: $4 million (2023 to 2025)
This funding will enable the establishment of the Regional Centre of Excellence for Biosafety and Biosecurity in Southern Africa. This project supports the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction's Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa and the implementation of the Africa Centres for Disease Control's Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiative 2021 to 2025 Strategic Plan.
