Question Period Note: Canada's First Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security

Appointment of Canada's first Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security

• The appointment of Jacqueline O'Neill as Canada's first WPS Ambassador demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to the WPS agenda and brings a greater level of ambition to deliver on its National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security.

• Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Ms. O'Neill is a world leader in this field. Previously, she spent 15 years in civil society promoting WPS. She is a champion for gender equality in Canada and internationally.

• The Ambassador will be supported with a standalone office. The office will be funded through existing resources from Global Affairs Canada. The cost for the office annually will be approximately $1.5 million.

• The Ambassador and her team will complement and help encourage greater excellence and coordination in the work across the Government of Canada on implementing the Action Plan.

• The WPS ambassador will engage and consult with relevant stakeholders, make recommendations to Action Plan ministers, and represent the Minister of Foreign Affairs in domestic and international activities on matters related to her mandate.

The Government of Canada launched its second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security for 2017-2022 in November 2017, and tabled its first annual progress report in September 2018. Federal Action Plan partners are: Global Affairs Canada, National Defence, the RCMP, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Public Safety Canada, the Department for Women and Gender Equality, the Department of Justice Canada, and, since 2018, Crown Indigenous Relations and North Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). CIRNAC and ISC are developing an implementation plan to address discrimination and violence faced by Indigenous women and girls in Canada. To further its global leadership, Canada has launched, for example: the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, the G7 WPS Partnerships Initiative, the Women's Voice and Leadership initiative, and the Equality Fund. Canada will co-chair with Uruguay the global WPS Focal Points Network in 2020, the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325. The capacity of federal partners to implement the Action Plan have increased through the creation of senior level WPS Champions at Global Affairs Canada, National Defence and the RCMP, and a new Advisory Group co-chaired with civil society. While civil society has praised Canada's accomplishments since the launch of the Action Plan, it has also advocated for Action Plan partners to do more, including through the appointment of a high-level WPS “champion”. In December 2018, Parliament adopted Private Members' Business motion M-163, which calls on the government to appoint a WPS Ambassador. The Ambassador's mandate includes; advise the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of National Defence ; as directed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, provide recommendations to other Action Plan Ministers; consult with relevant stakeholders;encourage excellence among those advancing the Action Plan; and represent the Minister of Foreign Affairs in national and international activities. Similar positions globally include the UK's Special Envoy for Gender Equality, Sweden's Ambassador for Gender Equality, and the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for WPS.

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