Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Members of the committee, it is an honour to appear before you today on behalf of the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, or CECI.

CECI has been a player in Canada-Africa co-operation for over 65 years. It is active in 10 countries in West Africa and Central Africa. It is also a partner of Global Affairs Canada, which, through its portfolio of approximately $250 million in Africa, supports women's entrepreneurship, the rights of women and girls, and climate resilience.

Personally, before joining CECI, I worked for almost 20 years at the World Bank, including as regional director in Dar es Salaam, East Africa, and for five years at General Electric in Nairobi.

As you know, Africa is going to become more and more important as a market. It's said that the consuming middle class will include more than 700 million people by 2030. Africa will also become a key producer of strategic mineral resources, a major pool for biodiversity at risk and a significant geopolitical player. Several of the 54 African countries are diversifying their international partnerships, including those with China and Russia. Based on projections, there will be 2.5 billion people in Africa by 2050 and nearly 4 billion by the end of the century, which will represent 40% of humanity.

As Africa grows, more and more of its countries have unstable governance, are affected by conflict, violent extremism and the climate crisis, and are experiencing increasing levels of extreme poverty. We're also seeing a deterioration of conditions for women as we observe an increase in gender-based violence in those countries in particular, as well as a rise in intolerance. It's also projected that by 2050, African cities large and small will be home to nearly a billion more people. In urban centres, 74% of women work in the informal sector with little to no social protection.

With that as a backdrop, I'd like to share with you our three recommendations for the committee's consideration.

The first recommendation is to stay the course on gender equality and climate resilience. CECI applauds the fact that Canada has positioned itself as a leader in gender equality in Africa. We also think that Canada's efforts on climate finance are commendable, and we recommend that these targeted actions be further strengthened. We believe this will contribute to a more prosperous and inclusive world in a sustainable way.

The second recommendation is to support the populations of the central Sahel countries, namely Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad. As you know, Africa itself and these countries want to break free from the colonial legacy. In West Africa, tensions are high with the French government, which is often perceived by many as complicit in a corrupt political elite and exploiting its former colonies. As a number of countries distance themselves from France, it's important that Russia or China not be the only alternative for the Central Sahel countries. There must be a third option. Canada is one country that has the potential to influence over the medium term, and that has to be considered. As a bilingual country and member of the francophonie, Canada has a relatively positive image among those populations, and it has the potential to help them emerge from the crisis. So it's really important to maintain humanitarian and development assistance for the communities in the Central Sahel countries. We believe that a complete withdrawal of Canadian aid would limit Canada's potential to influence over the medium term.

The third recommendation is to have a stronger Canadian identity in the bilateral geographic programs with each country Canada supports. We support Canada's key contributions to multilateral institutions through Global Affairs Canada's multilateral aid section. These institutions play critical roles. However, we're concerned that Global Affairs Canada's bilateral geographic programs make excessive use of these multilateral agencies. We advocate for greater use of Canadian organizations in the delivery of bilateral aid, which we believe would carry several benefits. First, it would provide greater value for every dollar invested and, most importantly, it would ensure greater visibility for Canada. When Global Affairs Canada funds the United Nations Development Programme, for example, no one sees the Canadian contribution. When Global Affairs Canada funds a Canadian organization, Canadian visibility is assured. Funding for UN agencies is done relatively easily and quickly by Global Affairs Canada, as there are few accountability requirements. Conversely, funding Canadian organizations requires slow and cumbersome processes, which often lead Global Affairs Canada to favour the simplest option rather than basing it on an analysis of the value of the money invested and considering the benefits for Canada's visibility. We therefore recommend that consideration be given to simplifying the processes for funding Canadian organizations in Africa, particularly for organizations that have demonstrated low fiduciary risk and successful program delivery.

In closing, we believe that Canada should anticipate Africa's key role in the world of the future and leverage the sympathy it garners from a number of countries. We must focus on connections with the people of Africa and between Canadian and African companies, not just on institutional government support. Canadian organizations directly carry the Canadian flag and often work more effectively and efficiently than multilateral agencies.

I want to emphasize that these recommendations are above all intended to foster a better reputation for Canada with African countries and enhance Canada's ability to influence them.

Thank you.