Minister Gould reaffirms Canada’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at Together|Ensemble 2022 Conference

Building more inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies that leave no one behind is at the heart of Canada’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, opened Together|Ensemble 2022 in her role as Canada’s federal government lead on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Minister Gould announced that Canada’s SDG Funding Program has supported over 130 projects for approximately $22 million since its launch in 2018. This includes in the past year, $5 million in funding to support an additional 42 new projects since the launch of the National Strategy in February 2021.

Hosted by the University of Waterloo and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the three‑day national conference aims to deepen partnerships, advance a national dialogue and monitor progress towards the SDGs in Canada and abroad. Participants include key Canadian stakeholders and partners, youth advocates and SDG practitioners from across the country.

During the conference, the Minister will meet with youth and with SDG Funding Program recipients whose youth-driven and youth-led projects are contributing to and driving progress on multiple SDGs at the local level.

In her keynote address, Minister Gould shared important milestones since last year’s release of Moving Forward Together: Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan. Many of Canada’s domestic and international priorities, policies and programs support progress on the SDGs: reducing poverty, building sustainable economic growth, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

Minister Gould also highlighted that in the coming months, Canada will present its first whole‑of‑society 2030 Agenda annual report which will illustrate the progress made on the SDGs.

Ya’ara Saks, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development will also celebrate the winners of the first ever Canada SDG Youth Award. These exceptional young people are working to bring transformative change to their communities and prompting other young leaders to get involved in the global partnership to implement the 2030 Agenda and advance the SDGs in Canada.

By funding initiatives such as the Together|Ensemble conference, the Government of Canada is contributing to raising awareness and to sharing initiatives which are advancing progress on the SDGs at home and abroad, while building a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. 

Quotes

“Throughout the pandemic, Canada continues to deal with key priorities linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as poverty, supports for children and families, decent work and economic growth. The Sustainable Development Goals give us a meaningful way to think about the impact of our actions on each other and on the planet. The 2030 Agenda provides us with a clear blueprint for working together to build a world that leaves no one behind.”

– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould

“The actions and enthusiasm of young people to get involved in this global partnership to meet the 2030 Agenda are more critical than ever. Their inspiring initiatives as change-makers unite our efforts as we work to build a more sustainable future together.”

– Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ya’ara Saks

Quick facts

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a 15‑year global framework adopted by Canada and all other 192 United Nations Member States in 2015.
• Launched in February of 2021, Moving Forward Together: Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy represents an important milestone in continuing to implement the 2030 Agenda and in making progress on the SDGs in Canada and abroad. The Strategy promotes a whole‑of‑society approach to achieving the SDGs. It builds on the 30 actions and 5 core principles outlined in Towards Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy, and feedback from in‑person and online consultations and outreach across Canada. 
• The Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program is in place to advance progress on the 2030 Agenda. Through this program, Canada is investing up to $59.8 million over 13 years.
• To date, Canada’s SDG Funding Program has supported over 130 projects funded for approximately $22 million, including the Together|Ensemble 2022 conference, which is partially funded through a $100,000 grant from the Program.