This week’s G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting take place as warning signs are flashing red. Economic woes are deepening and shocks are overwhelming countries throughout the world.   Those with the least capacity to weather shocks are feeling this most acutely: they are trading off heating for eating or struggling through yet another hunger crisis.   Yet, leadership and a coherent response plan are missing in action.   We have the tools to respond and mitigate the worst of these overlapping crises,...
This weekend the world’s most powerful global leaders will convene in Germany for yet another meeting of the G7, facing a convergence of crises that have only worsened over the last year and are putting hundreds of millions of lives at risk.    And last Friday, ONE Canada was in front of Parliament Hill to tell Prime Minister Trudeau that we want him to go to the G7 Summit with a real plan to tackle these converging crises. Getting out of...
Why Canada should channel its SDRs to developing countries Imagine you and your sister are both going through the same economic crisis, but with very different means. You both lost your jobs, but you already paid off your mortgage and have savings in the bank. Your sister is a single mom with three kids and unpaid student debt. The bank is willing to give you a loan, but not your sister because she is less wealthy and her finances are...
After 36 days of campaigning and 16 million votes, the Government of Canada looks essentially identical to the previous one. Now, it is time to get back to work. The world is still facing a significant crisis: the global pandemic. Despite parliament not changing from when it was dissolved a little over a month ago, we lost five weeks of government action in one critical area: putting an end to the global Covid-19 pandemic. But there is a key moment tomorrow,...
We have more than enough vaccines, others don’t. Africa is facing a COVID-19 crisis, cases are surging and the continent is heading towards a global catastrophe. Over the last month deaths from COVID in Africa have increased 80%. Only roughly 3% of Africans have received the first shot, and the continent is not on track to vaccinate 10% of its population by the end of the year. The WHO’s Bruce Aylward said this should be “a scar on all of...
Let’s put aside the political spin and find out what the world leaders accomplished (or more accurately, failed to accomplish) at the G7. “In the face of a once in a generation pandemic that’s raging across the world, this G7 will collectively be remembered in just one word: underwhelming.” These are the words of ONE’s Acting CEO Tom Hart following yet another Summit that did not live up to the moment. The world is in a global crisis, and...
Monday was Federal Budget Day in Canada, and as always was an important day for Canadians who care about ending extreme poverty around the world. The big question: is Canada investing our fair share on the global stage? This year, in the middle of the greatest global crisis in our lifetime, this question mattered more than ever. So how did the Budget respond to these global challenges? In short: the Government did the bare minimum beyond our borders, and is still...
Are the actions of world leaders and pharmaceutical companies resulting in rich countries hoarding possible vaccines? Or are rich countries making sure that those who need a vaccine most (front-line workers and medical personnel), get a vaccine first? These questions are what ONE’s Vaccine Access Test is all about. By asking these questions, we can make sure countries like Canada follow best practices and evidence-based medical research. Fair global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will end the pandemic faster for everyone,...
We need to invest 1% of our Covid-19 response to fight the global pandemic and #EndCovidEverywhere In May, the Prime Minister was clear. The world needed to collaborate and work together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. “None of us is immune to the effects of COVID-19, and none of us can beat the virus alone. Only by protecting each other can we protect ourselves. Canada is ready to help lead a coordinated global response which will contribute to overcoming the pandemic.”...
This pandemic is a stark reminder of just how interconnected our world has become. To keep our citizens safe and healthy, we must defeat COVID-19 wherever it is found. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, May 28, 2020. It’s good to hear Prime Minister Trudeau speak this truth. As much as we want to focus on the effects of this crisis on people at home, a pandemic is global by nature. No one will be safe until everyone is safe. So how...