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A Better World

Canada and Mexico are not only partners and neighbours in North America. We also share many values that we promote together bilaterally, with our shared neighbour, the United States, and in international forums such as the G20, the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Organization of American States, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, and the World Trade Organization, among others. Moreover, our governments meet regularly to discuss topics of mutual interest.

We are united in our desire to advance gender equality, promote development among marginalized communities, defend human rights, combat climate change, respond to the root causes of migration, and build economies that work for everyone.

Defending Human Rights

Human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. The promotion of human rights is an integral part of Canada’s constructive engagement in the world and our government is committed to do more.

In Mexico, the Embassy of Canada collaborates regularly with the Mexican government through an annual dialogue to discuss human rights issues in both countries and to share best practices. The Embassy is also in continuous contact with civil society and supports civil society organizations to promote the advancement of public policies, as well as the defense of and promotion of respect for human rights in Mexico.

We particularly focus our efforts on responding to threats to human rights defenders and journalists; eliminating violence against women, especially femicide; increasing respect for diversity and for the LGBTQI community; and guaranteeing the rights of Indigenous peoples and migrants.

The Canada Fund For Local Initiatives

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) has been present in Mexico for over 35 years. The program is designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries that align with Global Affairs Canada’s thematic priority areas for engagement. The program is directed at projects conceived and designed predominantly by local partners. The CFLI also serves to support positive bilateral relations between Canada and recipient countries and their civil societies, by deepening contacts and supporting local endeavours.

The fund is managed by the Embassy of Canada in Mexico and supports projects that align with the following priorities:

  • Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls
  • Inclusive governance, including:
    • Diversity – with a focus on the indigenous population, LGBT persons and migrants/refugees
    • Human rights – with a focus on forced displacements, human rights defenders, forced disappearances, journalists and freedom of expression
    • Democracy and the rule of law – with a focus on transparency and anti-corruption
  • Peace and security, with a focus on conflict prevention, including youths and crime, crime reduction and the professionalization of police forces
  • Growth that works for everyone, including women’s economic rights, decent jobs and entrepreneurship, investing in the poorest and most vulnerable, and safeguarding economic gains
  • Human dignity, covering health, education and nutrition
  • Environment and climate action focusing on adaptation and mitigation, as well as on water management

Projects are reviewed through a gender-based analysis (GBA+) lens to enhance gender equality outcomes in accordance to Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, which was adopted in 2017.

Environmental Protection and Climate Change

Canada is deeply committed with its climate plan, which includes ambitious actions to reduce emissions and promote clean technologies. The Canadian Government is taking action to meet its ambitions under the Paris Agreement and reach zero net emissions by 2050, working together with our partners in North America and other countries to increase the scale and speed of our actions to respond to the climate crisis.

Canada and Mexico have strong bilateral environmental cooperation, both directly and as a cross-cutting priority, through several of our Working Groups under the Canada-Mexico Partnership, including Environment, Energy, Forestry, and Trade, Investment and Innovation. We also cooperate on the conservation of national parks and protected areas.

Canada is eager to continue sharing technical expertise and best practices, from better monitoring and reduction of harmful emissions, such as methane, to indigenous consultations. We look forward to working together to build back better after the Covid-19 pandemic, choosing green solutions and opportunities not only to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, but also to create good paying jobs, advance innovative technologies, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Canada has come to learn that diversity is a source of creativity, resilience and strength. Canada’s diversity makes us richer in every sense. Inclusion is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do, but it is not always the easy thing to do. Only when governments and citizens choose inclusion can its economic, social, cultural and democratic benefits be fully realized.

Canada works to promote inclusion and respect for diversity as a proven path to peace, prosperity and respect for human rights.

Building greater inclusion is challenging. It requires fresh solutions. No one has all the answers. There is no perfect model to copy. Canada is keen to learn from others and willing to collaborate with Mexico and those in all regions who are working to promote inclusion and respect for diversity.

Through dialogue with Mexico, Canada is committed to promoting the inclusion and amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples in both countries, based on the recognition of their rights, respect, cooperation and association.

Amplifying the Voices of Young People

To increase collaboration between Mexican and Canadian youth and allow young voices to be heard across the full range of priority topics, the Embassy of Canada in Mexico and the Embassy of Mexico in Canada have implemented the first Can-Mex Youth Lab, bringing together young people from Canada and Mexico with diverse backgrounds to foster discussions on topics such as youth challenges during COVID; the future of work and higher education; diversity, equality, inclusion and generational fairness; youth leadership in international affairs, multilateralism and negotiation; and climate change, sustainable growth and global connectivity.

Health

Canada and Mexico agree that access to health should be universal. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, Canada and Mexico support the quick, fair and equal access to safe, effective and high-quality vaccines.

Canada is one of the main contributors to the COVAX facility, for the development, production and equitable distribution of affordable COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to lower and lower-middle income countries.