Canada supports peace and stability in Middle East, Africa and Central Asia

On September 30, 2024, the Government of Canada announced more than $38.3 million in funding for a total of 15 projects to support security, peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Through the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program and the Middle East Strategy, Canada is investing $16.6 million in 6 projects to support local peacebuilding, advocacy and accountability efforts in Syria; and to support local communities’ rebuilding efforts, demining and the restoration of essential services in Iraq. These projects put women and girls at the centre of Canada’s efforts to help ensure a more inclusive and gender-responsive approach to peace and stabilization in the region.

Through the Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program and the Middle East Strategy, Canada is investing more than $21.7 M million in 9 projects across the Middle East and Central Asia to support the global fight against terrorism and violent extremism. These projects align with the efforts of the Global Coalition against Daesh to address the enduring threat posed by Daesh throughout the Middle East and counter its expanding global reach.

Peace and Stabilization Operations Program

Iraq

Project: Integrated Clearance of Explosive Ordnance to Enhance the Security of Civilians Affected by Daesh
Partner: Mines Advisory Group (MAG)
Funding announced: $3 million (2022 to 2025)
Description: The project aims to enhance the security of civilians affected by Daesh-related violence in Iraq through the removal of explosive ordnance (EO) in priority areas and the deployment of community liaison teams to conduct explosive ordnance risk education, conduct due diligence for housing, land, and property, and collect data on the types of EO contamination and the impact of clearance activities on communities.

Project: Explosive Hazard Clearance in Liberated Areas of Iraq
Partner: United States Department of State
Funding announced: $5 million (2023 to 2025)}
Description:  This project supports the deployment of mine action personnel to survey and clear explosive hazards to enable stabilization efforts in liberated areas of Iraq. The project also works to develop a local capability for explosive hazard clearance by training local national mine action operators, and by delivering hazardous environment awareness training to the local population, including women and children residing and working near explosive hazard sites.

Syria

Project: Support to Independent Media
Partner: United States Department of State
Funding announced: $2 million (2024 to 2025)
Description: The project aims to counter disinformation and extremist narratives as well as promote accountability by citizens of all backgrounds access to reliable and truthful information.

Project: Improving Community Security
Partner: US Department of State
Funding announced: $2 million (2024 to 2025)
Description: This project aims to empower civilian security providers to deliver effective and equitable security services.

Project: Feminist Peace Initiative
Partner: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Funding announced: $2 million (2024 to 2026)
Description: This project aims to amplify Syrian women's voices in political and peace processes. This project will improve the capacity of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement to lead as peace mediators and to help enhance the organization’s operations as a democratic, feminist movement in the Syrian civic space. 

Project: Mine Action in Northwest Syria
Partner: Les Casques Blancs, Chemonics
Funding announced: $2.6 million (2022 to 2024)
Description: This project aims to reduce the vulnerability of targeted communities affected by conflict in ten districts of Northwest Syria through addressing mine action needs. In addition, this project has funded some search and rescue operations, provision of emergency medical services and assistance to women’s centres.

Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program

Middle East  

Project: CLAUDIUS – Support for the Jordanian Security Sector 
Partner: ARK Group DMCC
Funding announced: $2.9M / New Project 
Description: This project aims to deliver tailored capacity building support to several entities within Jordan’s security sector including the Public Safety Directorate (PSD), Anti-Narcotics Department (AND), and Special Operations Forces (JORSOF) to enhance their ability to counter threats to Jordan’s security and stability including terrorism and illicit narcotics trafficking.

Project: JORSOF Female Accommodation Building
Partner: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Funding announced: $4.7M / New Project
Description: This Project will see the CTCBP further support and expand the Jordanian Special Operations Forces' (JORSOF) efforts to integrate women soldiers into the organization through the designing and construction of a dedicated female accommodation building (FAB) at JORSOF’s HQ. The provision of this infrastructure will increase JORSOF’s ability to recruit, train, and retain a growing cadre of female soldiers capable of operating alongside male counterparts as JORSOF seeks to respond to and counter numerous threats to Jordan’s security including terrorism and illicit narcotics trafficking.

Project: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Special Reconnaissance Phase II Partner: Foxglove Consulting 
Funding announced: $3.9M / New Project
Description: Representing Phase II to the previous Canadian funded “LAF Special Reconnaissance Project”, this initiative seeks to further build the capacity of Lebanese Special Operation Force (SOF) to better plan and conduct operations, including with the participation of female personnel, to direct arresting forces onto terrorist, violent extremist, and criminal targets nationwide. 

Project: JAF Military Women’s Training Centre (MWTC) Expansion
Partner: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Funding announced: $1.8M / New Project
Description: The purpose of this Project is to expand the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) Military Women’s Training Centre (MWTC) so that it can deliver on-site training courses to an increasing number of female soldiers joining the JAF.

Project: Jordanian Armed Forces Female Accommodation Buildings  Partner: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Funding announced: $1.1M / Extension of Existing Project
Description: Canada is allocating an additional $1.1M in project funding to the International Organization for Migration, for a total of $7.1M, to expand its support to the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) efforts to promote the meaningful integration of female soldiers through the construction and renovation of dedicated female accommodation buildings. This additional funding will be allocated to support the construction of training facilities that compliment these efforts to ensure that female soldiers are holistically integrated within the JAF. 

Project: JAF Central Command Partner Integration Enterprise (CPIE) Partner: Jordanian Armed Forces
Funding announced: $150,483.27
Description: The intent of this Project is to provide financial support to the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) to cover travel, accommodation, meals, and installation costs for its analysts to be trained at the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Partner Integration Enterprise (CPIE) in Qatar.

Project: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Logistics Building S3 Warehouse Partner: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Funding announced: $3M / New Project
Description: This Project will renovate the logistics warehouse in Beirut, for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) so that they can effectively store, track and supply equipment and resources to all LAF units for security operations and training.

Project: Lebanese Armed Forces Mountain Warfare Ski School (MWSS) Maintenance Building
Partner: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Funding announced: $3.8M / New Project
Description: This Project will construct a new building at the Mountain Warfare Ski School (MWSS) in Bcharre to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to conduct specialized mountain and winter training for its Land Border Regiments (LBRs) and other units for security operations and training in remote regions.

Central Asia 

Project: Operational Support to Uzbekistan in Response to Emerging Cross –Border Threats  
Partner: INTERPOL (The International Criminal Police Organization) Funding announced: $582K / New Project
Description: This project will support Uzbekistan authorities in the short- and medium-term in strengthening their border management controls through coordinated engagement with the Tashkent National Central Bureau (NCB). This work will deploy INTERPOL’s international police cooperation and information exchange capabilities to support Uzbekistan in reinforcing their border management capabilities. This will include supporting training and procuring related equipment to enhance connectivity, as identified through baseline assessments, concluding in the facilitation of two integrated border operations.