Since November 2015, the federal government has sent nearly $23.5 million to projects involving the World Economic Forum (WEF), documents obtained by The Epoch Times show.
Her question asked for an accounting of all “contracts, transfer payments, memoranda of understanding, letters of intent, charters, accords, projects and associations between the government and the WEF since November 4, 2015.”
The government’s response involved reports from over 30 departments and ministries on whether they had spent money on projects involving the WEF. Most did not, but five said they did directly, and two spent internally on WEF-related projects without sending any cash to the WEF.
The responses give some details about Canada’s participation in a WEF project centring on developing a digital ID used in travel, called the “Known Traveller Digital Identity,” or KTDI.
The Department of Transport and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) were both involved in the KTDI project.
According to the CBSA, the goal was to study “biometric identity management, pre-border submission of declarations” and other means to facilitate the smooth transition of people across borders, as well as improve security.
However, CBSA said the project, which included the Netherlands, was postponed indefinitely in March 2020 because of the pandemic. CBSA said it spent about $3.49 million internally on the project before it was mothballed, with no money sent to the WEF. The CBSA added the work could be used to “support Agency Modernization programs.”
For its part, Transport Canada spent $399,938 on salaries and $238,627 on other expenses for KTDI, again all internal spending.
It added that Canada told the WEF in April 2023 that it was officially ending its participation in KTDI.
The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) spent $53,756 to support the WEF’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. ISED said the contribution secured a fellowship with the centre—but because of the pandemic, the work was put on hold indefinitely.
The WEF says the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is being driven in part by technological breakthroughs, but adds that a more agile approach to rule-making will help new innovation “drive economic growth and address the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.”
But overall, most of the money Canada spent on the WEF—about $21.9 million—was spent on a variety of international development projects through Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
GAC spending included $6 million on the “Global Challenge on Food Security and Agriculture,” as well as “Grow Asia.” Disbursements were made in three payments of $2 million each.
The Food Security Challenge, said GAC, was to “facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships and mobilize investments that contribute to food security, nutrition and agricultural growth.”
It said the Grow Asia program involved “establishing a Grow Asia Secretariat; convening stakeholders and brokering four country-level platforms in Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma and the Philippines; [and] supporting innovation within each of the four country-level platforms.”
GAC spent $10 million on the “Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation,” described as a plan to “support sustainable economic growth and increase employment from the expedited movement, release and clearance of goods and the associated reduction in trade costs.”
And GAC spent another $5.933 million on the Global Plastic Action Partnership. The aim of the program is to “contribute to the diversion of plastic pollution in rivers, deltas and oceans at global and national levels.”
It included workshops with non-governmental organizations and academics, along with “organizing outreach events to ensure that plastics-related policies receive the endorsement of government agencies and NGOs focused on women’s issues in target countries.”
The Department of Finance paid $9,841 in travel expenses to send Jennifer Blanke to a WEF conference in Switzerland. She was on the now-disbanded Advisory Council on Economic Growth set up by former finance minister Bill Morneau. She was also a former chief economist with the WEF.
Environment and Climate Change Canada spent just under $494,000 on the “New Nature Economy Report.” The report’s goal was to establish a business case for safeguarding nature and was directed at senior decision-makers in governments and businesses.
Total WEF funding from Canada—just under $23.5 million—stretched from Nov. 4, 2015, to June 20, 2023.
The report noted that the first disbursement of the three $2 million payments for Grow Asia and the Global Challenge on Food Security and Agriculture was made before Nov. 4, 2015, when the Liberals first formed government.
