As an independent international health organization working in nearly 80 countries and present in Canada since 1996, Doctors of the World welcomes the adoption of such a humanitarian exemption.
Doctors of the World recognized the need for an amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code to explicitly guarantee the protection of humanitarian activities carried out legitimately by Canadian international aid organizations.
However, Doctors of the World, like many other organizations, was concerned that the initial version of the bill, as tabled by the Canadian government on March 9, 2023, compromised the effective delivery of humanitarian aid. Doctors of the World is among the organizations that therefore requested the introduction of a clear and general humanitarian exemption in the Canadian Criminal Code.
By adopting such an exemption, the Canadian government aligns itself with the practices of several partner countries, in compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2664 and its obligations under international humanitarian law.
This exemption will allow organizations like Doctors of the World to continue working effectively and in accordance with the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. It will also enable our organization to continue providing adequate protection to its teams and partners in particularly sensitive contexts, in compliance with its internal due diligence policies.
Doctors of the World will remain attentive to the implementation of Bill C-41 and reiterates the need for governments to find a reasonable balance between, on the one hand, counter-terrorism and security considerations and, on the other, the necessity and principles of humanitarian action.
Photo © Arnaud Finistre