The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, today issued the following statement:
"This year the International Day of Democracy comes at a watershed moment for democracy globally, with about half of the world's population eligible to vote in elections in 2024. This calls upon us to reaffirm our support for democracy and our belief that democratic governance, while imperfect, remains the system best able to provide what matters most to people, including peace, prosperity, human rights and freedoms. This moment also demands that we renew our efforts to ensure democracy's benefits can be shared and enjoyed by all.
"Despite the billions of people taking part in elections, democracies today face significant challenges in maintaining electoral integrity. These include disinformation, foreign interference, politically biased election observation and violence. Canada is standing firm against such threats and supporting free, fair and inclusive electoral processes. We are providing technical expertise, building capacity, and offering election observation support. Canada will continue to work with partners to build resilient electoral processes globally.
"Canada is also working at the multilateral level to strengthen democratic norms. We are an active participant in the Open Government Partnership, the Community of Democracies, the Media Freedom Coalition, the Freedom Online Coalition and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, all of which reinforce democratic principles. Furthermore, through our Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada is empowering women in developing countries to get involved in civil society and other grassroots democratic initiatives.
"For example, working with UN Women, we have helped over 1,000 women in Kenya participate in elections as voters, candidates, electoral administrators and party supporters. And in Ukraine, Canada and our partners are working to strengthen the political participation of women and minority groups, which has declined since Russia's full-scale invasion. These efforts are reinforcing electoral processes and democratic institutions, as well as building societal resilience in the face of threats to democracy.
"The threats to democracy are real, but so is the yearning of people worldwide to live in democratic societies. Canada pledges to continue to work with a broad range of partners, new and old, to protect and enhance democratic rights and principles."
