Minister Sidhu announced a package of new international assistance initiatives:  

Project: Improving Access to Justice in Ecuador  
Partner: United Nations Development Programme  
Funding: $5 million over 5 years 

This project aims to improve access to judicial services, combat corruption, counter impunity and increase citizen confidence in the Ecuadorian justice system.  

Project: PROGRESAR+  
Partner: Développement international Desjardins  
Funding: $16.7 million over 5 years 

This project aims to enhance climate resilience and economic well-being of women and young agri-entrepreneurs in the Andean-Amazonian regions of Colombia and Ecuador by targeting climate adaptation solutions.   

Project: Technical Assistance Partnership – Indigenous justice initiative in Ecuador  
Partner: Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada
Funding: $200,000 over 1 year 

This sub-project of the Technical Assistance Partnership builds on the successes of the 2024 to 2025 collaboration with the National Court of Justice of Ecuador by supporting efforts to strengthen the role of Indigenous justice within the broader legal framework.

Project: Indigenous Clean Energy Renewable Energy Solidarity
Partner: Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise  
Funding: $320,000 over 2 years

This project aims to deliver specialized renewable energy capacity building to Indigenous communities in Ecuador and Colombia to empower them to address their needs, drive sustainable change and participate in the clean energy transition. The project seeks to support community-led approaches for adopting clean energy and energy-efficient solutions for Indigenous Peoples to actualize climate change mitigation in Ecuador and Colombia.

Project: DISRUPT    
Partner: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Ecuador  
Funding: $4 million over 4 years 

This project will strengthen Ecuador’s capacity to prevent and combat organized crime, with a particular focus on strengthening institutional integrity in the port system and financial sectors. These focus areas have been identified as critical to Ecuador’s safety and security and to preventing the spillover of organized crime into other jurisdictions.