March 7, 2025 – Washington, D.C. – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, are pleased to announce that today, Canada signed the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women (Belém do Pará Convention).

Through signature, Canada reiterates its long-standing commitment to human rights, gender equality and the prevention and eradication of gender-based violence.

Through the convention, Canada will continue its efforts to eliminate gender-based violence and prevent gender-related homicides at home and internationally. Amid increased attacks on human rights defenders and growing global uncertainty, Canadian leadership in promoting and protecting human rights as a core element of Canada’s feminist foreign policy is more important than ever.

The Belém do Pará Convention is instrumental in advancing women’s rights and in providing a framework for states parties to address and eradicate violence against women, one of the most pervasive and deeply rooted human rights violations and abuses of our time.

With its signature on the convention, Canada shows its alignment with several existing federal, provincial and territorial efforts. This includes the 10-year National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, launched in 2022 to ensure a truly national approach and to better coordinate federal, provincial and territorial actions in this regard.