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TORONTO – The secretary general of the United Nations is calling on Canada to boost its overall foreign aid budget to meet an ambitious international target.
Ban Ki-moon urged Canada and all G7 countries to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP on overseas development spending, significantly more than the 0.3 per cent threshold Canada currently meets.
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Harper says Canada targets its foreign aid spending at programs that produce results.
On Thursday, the prime minister committed $3.5 billion in additional spending on child and maternal health over the next five years.
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Ban says he is grateful for that contribution, and for Canada’s continuing support in humanitarian crises such as the civil war in Syria.
But he says he nonetheless believes it is within Canada’s grasp to match the spending threshold.
“This overall agreed target should be met,” Ban said. “I sincerely hope that the countries of the OECD and particularly G7 should lead by example.”
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