Recommendation 1

The Government of Canada should produce a detailed and concrete action plan with measurable objectives, timelines and dedicated resources to ensure the effective and coherent implementation of Canada’s Africa Strategy. To ensure transparency and accountability, the Government of Canada should also produce a report on the status and outcomes associated with Canada’s Africa Strategy on an annual basis.

Recommendation 2

The Government of Canada should hold regular High-Level Dialogues with the African Union Commission and should consider hosting a summit with African heads of government.

Recommendation 3

The Government of Canada should engage with its G7 and G20 partners to build support and harness resources for African priorities, including Agenda 2063.

Recommendation 4

The Government of Canada should continue to provide financial and technical assistance towards the implementation and operationalization of the
African Continental Free Trade Area.

Recommendation 5

The Government of Canada should strengthen Canada’s presence at, support for, and engagement with, the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities of Africa.

Recommendation 6

Global Affairs Canada should ensure that all Canada-based staff have access to geographic and/or functional training courses related to Africa and should support employees who wish to seek successive overseas postings in African countries.

Recommendation 7

The Government of Canada should clearly define the roles and priorities of the Special Envoy for Africa and the Special Envoy for the Sahel and should provide both special envoys with the resources necessary to fulfil their mandates.

Recommendation 8

The Government of Canada should make the Sahel a focus of its security programming in Africa and should look for opportunities to play a convening role in bringing together international partners to support dialogue and peace in the region.

Recommendation 9

The Government of Canada should support the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 and should build international support for
African-led peace operations.

Recommendation 10

The Government of Canada should prioritize pluralist and inclusive peacebuilding processes in Africa, including by supporting programs that promote the role of African women and youth at all stages of peace processes and conflict prevention initiatives.

Recommendation 11

The Government of Canada should clarify the status of the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise and should provide that office – or a new complaints and enforcement mechanism – with the authority and resources necessary to investigate complaints against Canadian companies operating in Africa in a timely and effective manner.

Recommendation 12

The Government of Canada should prioritize support for education at all levels in Africa and should support efforts to enhance knowledge of and expertise about Africa in Canadian public institutions.

Recommendation 13

The Government of Canada should foster and help facilitate partnerships and other links between Canadian and African universities and research centres.

Recommendation 14

The Government of Canada should identify funding gaps in the development landscape in Africa where Canada possesses a comparative advantage and should commit to deploying resources, over the long-term, to address those gaps.

Recommendation 15

Within the framework of its Africa Strategy, the Government of Canada should make additional capital available to FinDev Canada for its African operations.
FinDev Canada should ensure that its activities in Africa are visible, targeted, and aligned with African continental priorities articulated in Agenda 2063.

Recommendation 16

The Government of Canada should designate Africa as a strategic priority within its trade diversification agenda and should explore opportunities to advance free trade agreement discussions with African countries.

Recommendation 17

The Government of Canada should strengthen the Trade Commissioner Service and other tools and mechanisms designed to support Canadian companies wishing to invest in or trade with African countries.

Recommendation 18

The Government of Canada should pursue new foreign investment promotion and protection agreements with African countries to enhance investor protection and encourage greater two-way investment.

Recommendation 19

The Government of Canada should strengthen support for Export Development Canada and other instruments designed to de-risk and deepen Canadian commercial engagement in Africa.

Recommendation 20

The Government of Canada should ensure that the diaspora engagement mechanism allows for regular and meaningful interaction with the African diaspora in Canada, as well as the Canadian diaspora in Africa. Among other objectives, the Government of Canada should leverage the diaspora engagement mechanism to develop new people-to-people initiatives, including academic exchanges, between Canada and African countries. Going forward, the Government of Canada should also consider establishing a more formal advisory body to consult with the African diaspora in Canada.

Recommendation 21

The Government of Canada should review its visa processing systems and structures with respect to the issuance of visas for individuals wishing to travel to Canada from African countries to ensure that the timelines and service standards are fair and reasonable.