|

When the Global Partnership was launched in 2002, there were those who questioned whether it could meet its ambitious funding target of $20 billion over 10 years, and who doubted that it would be able to take meaningful actions to prevent terrorists and those that harbor them from acquiring weapons and materials of mass destruction. Two decades later, we can say with confidence that the skeptics have been proven wrong. The Global Partnership community, which has now grown to include 30 countries and the European Union, has delivered more than $25 billion in concrete and measurable programming to mitigate – and in some cases eliminate altogether – a wide array of WMD threats.

As the Global Partnership was born in Canada, the Government of Canada has always felt a special responsibility to shepherd and uphold this unique and proven effective international security mechanism. That ongoing commitment has enabled the Weapons Threat Reduction Program at Global Affairs Canada, which implements Canada’s GP obligations, to deliver more than $1.7 billion to date in tangible WMD threat reduction programming.  I was formerly responsible for overseeing programing delivered by the WTRP. In that capacity I witnessed firsthand and developed a strong appreciation for the nature, variety and impact of threat reduction contributions delivered by the Global Partnership community.  GP partners have an effective and results-oriented approach of working together to identify, assess and act to mitigate all manner of WMD threats, in every corner of the world.

While the Global Partnership’s successes are many, the 31-member community recognizes that the job is not done. WMD threats persist and are evolving. In this regard, unified efforts and coordinated threat reduction action are no less important today than they were two decades ago, when the Global Partnership was launched.

At a time when WMD threats are once again making headlines, and when prospects for major breakthroughs in strengthening the CBRN non-proliferation architecture are limited, it is encouraging to know that the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction is hard at work. The Government of Canada is firmly committed to ongoing collaboration with G7-partners and all members of the GP community to ensure that the Global Partnership remains as nimble, impactful and effective in the next decade as it has been for the past two.

It is rare that we have the opportunity to celebrate success related to countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).  Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons are an ever-present and evolving threat to national and international security, and the development and threat of use of such weapons remains an all-too-real and present reality.  In this context, it is a pleasure to have this opportunity to recognize and commend the efforts of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, which today marks its 20th anniversary.

Born of the tragedy of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, the G7-led Global Partnership (GP) has never wavered from the mandate it was first given by Leaders at the 2002 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada: to prevent terrorists, or those that harbour them, from acquiring or developing CBRN weapons and related materials, equipment and technology.