About the event

For the last several years, Cooperation Canada and Global Affairs Canada’s Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch have co-hosted an annual dialogue between the Department and Canadian civil society organizations. We have taken advantage of the extraordinary circumstances of this year pushing the event online to facilitate 5 dialogue sessions that week.

Canadian civil society organizations working in international assistance are invited to participate in a series of constructive and mutually beneficial conversations between civil society and GAC officials on key policy and programming issues. Sessions include:

Africa Dialogue
Asia-Pacific Dialogue
The Triple Nexus (humanitarian assistance, development and peace)
Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
Civil Society Policy Action Group (CPAG)

These dialogues are an opportunity to share information and knowledge, share progress on different files and foster resilient partnerships among CSOs and GAC.

Schedule

Day 1 February 22

Dialogue Kick-off ……………………………… 11-11:30 AM

Join us for opening remarks to help launch this year’s Cooperation Dialogues with Global Affairs Canada.
Speakers forthcoming.

Africa Dialogue ……………………………… 1-4 PM

Co-led by Cooperation Canada’s Africa-Canada Forum and the Pan-Africa Affairs Division at Global Affairs Canada, this session is grounded in the African region and its dialogues will focus on thematic challenges and future priorities for GAC and CSOs working on the African continent.

The Africa Dialogue will benefit all organisations working in the African continent.

Asia-Pacific Dialogue ……………………………… 1-4 PM

Members of Global Affairs Canada Asia branch join us to consult on CSO priorities in the vast region and potential for future cooperation between GAC and CSOs.

The Asia Pacific Dialogue will benefit all persons with current projects in the region, or interested in working in the region in the future.

Day 2 February 23

The Triple Nexus…………………………….. 1-4 PM

This session will discuss good practices of integrating the “triple nexus” approach in various aspects of Canada’s international assistance as well as operational barriers are how to address them. Our discussions will cast light on the ongoing process within Global Affairs Canada to address the often-elusive goal of the triple nexus, enable civil society actors to share good practices of nexus programming and share operational opportunities and challenges.

Day 3 February 24

PSEA Dialogue ……………………………… 1-4 PM

Digna, the Canadian centre of expertise on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), will be hosting a dialogue on February 24th with GAC’s PSEA unit and departmental focal points to facilitate a discussion on how GAC-funded organizations and projects can effectively incorporate the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Day 4 February 25

CPAG Dialogue……………………………… 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

In 2017, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) launched its policy for engaging with civil society organizations (CSOs). This policy is operationalized through the Civil Society Policy Action Group (CPAG) and the CSO Policy Implementation Plan that denotes joint commitments in support of each policy objective, aligned with each of the FIAP action areas. After a year dominated by the global pandemic, CPAG is re-launching, taking stock of the progress made, and discussing key steps towards a reinvigorated, diverse and inclusive membership. Click here to learn more about the group or the CSO Partnerships Policy.

Speaker/Moderator: TBD

Side Event

Day 4 February 25

CSO-LED DIALOGUE ON LOCALIZATION …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1:30-4PM

On the margins of the Cooperation Dialogues, a group of civil society actors is organizing a side-event focused on “the localization agenda.” As an elusive goal of many international frameworks calling for more locally driven international assistance, localization is a key issue that should be collectively addressed by the Canadian civil society. Localization calls for an examination of our sector’s key paradigms, shifting our institutional structures, processes and partnerships to more equitably redistribute decision-making power and resources to actors and communities the sector engages. This CSO-led session will help inform a collective approach to localization, share useful tools global networks have already developed and highlight avenues of action for Canadian INGOs. Learn more about localization prior to the session here.