September 26, 2026 – New York City, New York – Global Affairs Canada

Against the backdrop of growing global uncertainty, international cooperation is increasingly important. Canada is deepening partnerships, broadening networks and diversifying connections to collaboratively tackle global crises while creating lasting solutions for Canadians and communities around the world.

From September 23 to 25, the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development), attended the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to foster new opportunities, strengthen key partnerships and help scale up development financing for a more equitable and inclusive global future.

At UNGA, Secretary of State Sarai announced more than $398 million in international assistance funding to support education, health, including combatting the Ebola outbreak, and humanitarian assistance including:

• $300 million for the replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and $60 million for the replenishment of Education Cannot Wait (ECW).
  • Together, these complementary investments reinforce Canada’s commitment to education as a foundation for economic growth, global security and stability; they support countries in strengthening their education systems through GPE, while helping ensure that children and youth affected by crisis have expanded access to safe, quality education through ECW
• $2.5 million for increased support to the International NGO Safety Organisation to protect humanitarian personnel, announced during the ministerial-level meeting on the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel
• $36 million to support the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries, announced at the High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response
  • Funding delivered through health and humanitarian partners will support the public health and humanitarian response to the outbreak, advance equitable access to care, including for women and girls, and accelerate research and development of medical countermeasures

At the Ministerial Meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, Secretary of State Sarai highlighted more than $25 million in funding to support security, governance and community resilience in Haiti. Canada remains committed to supporting vulnerable Haitians who are living amongst instability and ongoing violence.

During his time at UNGA, Secretary of State Sarai participated in several events and forums to advance Canada’s international assistance priorities, including:

• Protecting Progress and Sustaining Global Resolve to End Child, Early and Forced Marriage, an event co-hosted by Canada and Zambia where Secretary of State Sarai reaffirmed Canada’s role as a global champion in the fight to end child, early and forced marriage and its violation of human rights
• The Next Generation of Global Health Innovation Partnerships: Building on Canada’s leadership to take proven solutions to scale, an event during which Secretary of State Sarai highlighted the importance of leadership in health innovation, emphasizing Canada’s role as a global leader in advancing health innovation to improve health outcomes
• Banking on Development: Mobilizing Finance, Delivering Impact, Shaping the Future, an event convened by Qatar and co-hosted by Canada and Norway, during which Secretary of State Sarai underscored the importance of collaboration to support  vulnerable people and to bridge gaps in development financing
• One Investment, Multiple Returns: Strengthening Child Health Through Polio Eradication—a Global Polio Eradication Initiative event—where the Secretary of State participated in a panel where he highlighted Canada’s long-standing commitment to polio eradication and reiterated the importance of a collaborative, integrated approach to elimination and controlling infectious disease to protect populations and strengthen health systems
• The High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, where Secretary of State Sarai underscored Canada’s commitment to working with international partners to collectively strengthen preparedness for future global health security crises
• The G7 Development Ministerial Meeting, where Secretary of State Sarai joined G7 counterparts and partner countries to advance the implementation of commitments agreed to at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Évian, France, and discuss how to strengthen mutually beneficial international development partnerships
• The High-level Ministerial of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the UNRWA Ministerial Meeting, and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee Ministerial Meeting on Palestine where Secretary of State Sarai reaffirmed Canada’s ongoing efforts to enable the two-state solution address urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, support Palestinian-led recovery, reconstruction and governance, and sustain conditions for long-term peace, including through the reform of the Palestinian Authority and its institutions. Secretary Sarai highlighted the recent announcement of $100 Million for Palestine made by Prime Minister Carney earlier in the week.

Secretary of State also held bilateral meetings with several key counterparts, senior government officials, UN representatives, NGOs and private sector partners, to strengthen coalitions and mutual goals, as well as collaboratively in support sustainable development.

Secretary of State Sarai’s attendance at UNGA 81st session reinforces Canada’s unwavering commitment to fostering stability, strengthening international relationships and addressing shared global challenges to build a more resilient future for all.