Are Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Canadian foreign service fit for purpose? This is the question that prompted the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to conduct the first substantive examination of the Canadian foreign service in more than 40 years. The global environment has changed dramatically since 1981 when the Royal Commission on Conditions of Foreign Service published its report, not least because of globalization, new geopolitical alignments, and technological advancements.

This changing global environment has led a growing list of countries to reassess the work and capacities of their foreign services and foreign ministries. These countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Germany – all of which have conducted, or are in the process of performing, diplomatic modernization exercises.

Join us for this event with Senator Peter Boehm, lead author of this new report, who offers 29 recommendations for modernizing Canadian diplomacy.