The UN’s sustainable development goal 17 in Canada: foreign aid drivers, policies, and impact

Abstract

Bachelor's degree in Global Studies. Curs 2024-2025

Tutora: Mireia Trenchs Parera

This thesis examines Canada’s foreign aid policies and their role in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 17 (SDG 17), "Partnerships for the Goals." It provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding foreign aid, exploring the history of the term, concept, history, evolution, measurement, and current trends. Despite the global consensus on aid's importance, as demonstrated by the UN's target of 0.7% of GNI for Official Development Assistance (ODA), Canada consistently falls short, contributing 0.38% of its GNI in 2023. The thesis traces the evolution of Canada's foreign aid approach, from the establishment of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to its transition within Global Affairs Canada (GAC). It evaluates the significant shift towards Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), untied aid, and focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Moreover, it assesses the nation’s foreign aid drivers through political, geo-strategic, and philanthropic lenses. Furthermore, the thesis explores the future trajectory of Canada’s foreign aid policy, considering the impact of geopolitical shifts and the role of upcoming elections. Finally, practical recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of Canada’s foreign aid are presented, including restructuring GAC, improving accountability, increasing transparency, leveraging private sector engagement, adopting rigorous evaluation methods, prioritizing grants over loans, supporting small and medium organizations, and fostering innovation and global coordination. These strategies are aimed at maximizing the impact of Canada’s foreign aid and contributing more to SDG 17.