CECI is pleased to be part of the organizations selected to implement the VCP. CECI's VCP is entering its second year with the renewal of the Volunteer Cooperation Program (VCP) announced by the Minister of International Development and the Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, Harjit S. Sajjan.
Canada continues to support the Volunteer Cooperation Program (VCP) with a financial contribution of nearly $418 million over seven years, from 2020 to 2027.
Through this commitment, Canada will fund 13 volunteer-based development projects in partnership with 15 Canadian organizations, including CECI, and mobilize approximately 10,000 volunteers to work in solidarity with more than 700 organizations in approximately 47 countries. While the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions have had a major impact on the program in 2020 and 2021, innovative and flexible measures have helped partners adapt their project activities. Minister Sajjan is confident that the creativity and dedication of VCP partner organizations will lead to new results over the next 6 years of the program.
Projects funded through the VCP advance Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy, which includes Canadian priorities such as advancing the rights of women and girls, innovation, addressing climate change, diversity, and the inclusion and integration of marginalized groups such as Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ communities.
