EVENT

EVENT 2025.02.24

Video recording available - C7 Summit 2025

The C7 Summit will be convened as a space for global civil society to discuss important priorities, as well as to present the C7 Communiqué to the G7. Please follow the link below for the Summit program and links to watch the sessions livestreamed.

Livestreams:
2025 Civil 7 Summit – Opening Remarks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gqaMgPHLLM

2025 Civil 7 Summit – Reclaiming Civic Space: Strategies for Resistance & Renewal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm3MvMg5DXo&t=3412s

2025 Civil 7 Summit – Bridging Movements to Strengthen the C7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdTuVAyKljg&t=2152s

2025 Civil 7 Summit – Financing for Development in Crisis: Debt and the Future of Aid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOGdYIGrGfI&t=4081s

2025 Civil 7 Summit – Gender Justice in 2025 : Progress, Challenges and the Road Ahead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgYJ20KLTN0&t=7s

Programs:

https://app.glueup.com/event/2025-civil-7-summit-130864/program.html

Monday, April 14, 2025 08:30 to 19:00

08:30 – 09:00

Registration & Light Breakfast

09:00 – 10:00

Opening Remarks
Paul Farran•Darron Seller-Peritz•Vince Kicknosway

(Livestream available)
https://www.youtube.com/live/kee9zRTnwZ4?si=E4ml8nzfPSpH18Qb

Paul Farran
Director of Policy & Advocacy at Cooperation Canada
Darron Seller-Peritz
Policy Analyst and Program Officer at Cooperation Canada
VK

Vince Kicknosway
Indigenous elder

10:00 – 11:15

Session 1: Reclaiming Civic Space – Strategies for Resistance & Renewal
Hadi Marifat•Oluseyi Babatunde Oyebisi•Nina Potarska•Maiwand Rahyab•Kim Vance-Mubanga

(Livestream available) https://www.youtube.com/live/Vm3MvMg5DXo?si=oUcvn4AMy3mOxRM9

As civic space continues to shrink under increasing pressure from authoritarian regimes, illiberal democracies, and non-state actors, this session will explore concrete strategies for building resilience to repression in the civic space protection ecosystem. Panelists will discuss legal, digital, and grassroots tools that have effectively safeguarded fundamental freedoms. The session will also highlight insights and lessons for global advocacy and policy responses based on experiences from countries where civil society has successfully resisted backsliding.

With the G7’s role in upholding democratic values and human rights, this discussion will offer key insights into how international actors can support resilience and renewal in the civic space ecosystem.

HM

Hadi Marifat
Executive Director of AHRDO
Oluseyi Babatunde Oyebisi
CEO of Nigeria Network of NGOs
Nina Potarska
Director of Center for Social and Labour Reseach, Ukraine
Maiwand Rahyab
CEO of Resilient Societies
KV

Kim Vance-Mubanga
Director, Programs and Partnerships of Egale Canada

11:15 – 11:30

Break

11:30 – 12:45

Session 2: Bridging Movements to Strengthen the C7
Kate Gillis•Aoi Horiuchi•Arjun Karki•Riccardo Moro

(Livestream available) https://www.youtube.com/live/RdTuVAyKljg?si=xInRELoE1sZ_qBtz

This session will take a high-level view of the C7 Communiqué while exploring the connections between diverse civil society priorities, ensuring a cohesive message to the G7 and beyond. Setting the stage for the afternoon sessions and for the recommendations being presented to government on day two of the Summit, it will examine how the C7’s key thematic areas—Sustainable Development, Humanitarian Action & Peace, Climate, Energy & the Environment, and Economic Justice—intersect and interact, highlighting shared drivers, disruptors, and enablers across all four areas, as well as the cross-cutting issues of Gender Equality, Civic Space and Democracy, and Evolving Technology.

Kate Gillis
Senior Policy Advisor International Relations at Metis National Council
AH

Aoi Horiuchi
Senior Advocacy Officer at Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation
Arjun Karki
Executive President at Rural Reconstruction Nepal
Riccardo Moro
Board member – former C7 Chair (2024) at Gcap Italy

12:45 – 14:00

Lunch

14:00 – 15:15

Session 3: Putting the Recommendations in Motion
Patricia Miranda•Kate Munro•Oluseyi Babatunde Oyebisi•Harjeet Singh

This session will focus on actionable strategies for implementing the C7 Communiqué recommendations. In a highly interactive breakout groups format, participants will engage in dynamic discussions that will further deepen our collective understanding, especially around the one or two topics most pertinent in 2025.

Parallel Working Group Sessions

1. Climate, Energy & Environment

2. Economic Justice

3. Humanitarian Action and Peace

4. Sustainable Development

Patricia Miranda
Global Advocacy Director of LatinDadd
Kate Munro
Head of Advocacy at Action Against Hunger
Oluseyi Babatunde Oyebisi
CEO of Nigeria Network of NGOs
Harjeet Singh
CEO of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation

15:15 – 15:30

Break

15:30 – 16:45

Session 4: Advocacy Lessons – How can civil society best leverage its position in influencing the G7
Elisa Bernelli•Gabriel Karasz-Perriau•Tina Lines•Kate Munro•Andy Ouedraogo•Arjun Karki

This session will explore key lessons in advocacy, focusing on how civil society can effectively influence decision-makers, including governments and multilateral forums like the G7. Participants will discuss strategies for sustained engagement beyond the summit, leveraging key international moments to maximize impact. The session will also contribute to a participatory advocacy initiative highlighting the tangible benefits of investing in global cooperation. Outputs will include clear, action-oriented messaging and creative advocacy materials to support broader outreach efforts.

Elisa Bernelli
Advocacy Officer at Global Health Italian Network
Gabriel Karasz-Perriau
Senior Communications Manager at Cooperation Canada
Tina Lines
Advocacy and Policy Officer at Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (CNNTD)
Kate Munro
Head of Advocacy at Action Against Hunger
Andy Ouedraogo
Research and Program Officer at Cooperation Canada
Arjun Karki
Executive President at Rural Reconstruction Nepal

16:45 – 17:00

Concluding Remarks

17:00 – 19:00

Evening Social

Participants are invited to join us for a relaxed gathering after day 1 of the Summit at Beyond the Pale Byward Taproom.
This offers a relaxed atmosphere to mingle with fellow attendees. We look forward to seeing you there!
21 George St, Ottawa , ON

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 08:45 to 19:00

08:45 – 09:15

Arrival and Registration

09:15 – 10:30

Session 5: Financing for Development in Crisis: Debt and the Future of Aid
Chinelo Agom-Eze•Patricia Miranda•Oluseyi Babatunde Oyebisi•Zia Rehman•Harjeet Singh

(Livestream available) https://www.youtube.com/live/lOGdYIGrGfI?si=YaRtrVHEoo60iKmS

This session will allow civil society actors to explore how we respond to major shifts in global development finance: the deepening debt crisis and the dramatically changed landscape of official development assistance (ODA). As debt levels reach unsustainable heights across the Global South and reform of the global financial architecture stalls, civil society is grappling with how to push for systemic change while supporting immediate relief. At the same time, many governments, including those of the G7, are cutting aid budgets or redirecting funds toward domestic priorities, raising critical questions about the future of aid, power imbalances in financing, and how to uphold principles of equity and solidarity. 

The session will feature a panel and facilitated discussion focused on identifying changes civil society must make in this evolving context, including for international development, humanitarian action and climate justice. What narratives, tactics, and alliances do we need to shift? How do we advocate for justice-based financing solutions while navigating donor withdrawal? The session will therefore aim to surface concrete recommendations for the C7 ecosystem as well as broader advocacy toward the G7 and international groupings and financial institutions.

Chinelo Agom-Eze
Senior Policy Advisor, Humanitarian and Nexus at Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Patricia Miranda
Global Advocacy Director of LatinDadd
Oluseyi Babatunde Oyebisi
CEO of Nigeria Network of NGOs
Zia Rehman
Director / Secretary General of Asia Development Alliance
Harjeet Singh
CEO of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation

10:30 – 10:45

Break

10:45 – 12:00

Session 6: Gender Justice in 2025 • Progress, Challenges and the Road Ahead
Claire House•Kara Louttit•Patricia Miranda•Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah•Beth Woroniuk

(Livestream available) https://www.youtube.com/live/vgYJ20KLTN0?si=hKWLw5CuIrO1m-Vo

In 2025, the global ambitions to achieve gender justice stand at a critical juncture as persistent challenges and emerging geo-political complexities shape the way forward. As we approach the midpoint of the Sustainable Development Goals timeline and reflect on the commitments made during the Generation Equality Forum, it is crucial to examine the current state of gender justice around the world, celebrate hard-won gains and reassess our strategies to chart a course for the years ahead. Join us as we delve into the multifaceted landscape of gender justice in 2025, and identify the synergies for working together to envision and create a future where gender justice is not just an aspiration, but a lived reality for all.

CH

Claire House
Director of Programmes, Partnerships, and Learning at Dignity Network Canada
KL

Kara Louttit
Senior Policy Analyst at National Association of Friendship Centres
Patricia Miranda
Global Advocacy Director of LatinDadd
DO

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah
Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
Beth Woroniuk
Senior Fellow at FFP Collaborative

12:00 – 13:30

Lunch

13:30 – 14:00

Arrival and Registration

14:00 – 14:15

Welcome and land honouring

14:15 – 15:45

High-Level Panel Discussion: International Cooperation in a Changing World Order
Kate Gillis•Kate Higgins•Senator Peter M. Boehm•His Excellency Rieaz Shaik•His Excellency Rob Tinline

The world is undergoing profound transformations driven by geopolitical shifts, conflicts, climate change, economic considerations, and technological innovation. While these changes present challenges, they also create opportunities to strengthen international cooperation, build more inclusive global governance, and foster collective action for a more just and sustainable world. The G7, G20, and other multilateral forums have a unique role in shaping this future, ensuring that collaboration remains effective, responsive, and inclusive.
This high-level panel will bring together senior diplomats from G7 and G20 countries, a senior level government participant and civil society to explore how international cooperation can adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape. Moderated by Kate Higgins, Cooperation Canada’s CEO, the discussion will highlight ways to reinforce multilateralism, promote inclusive decision-making, and unlock new solutions for shared global challenges.

Kate Gillis
Senior Policy Advisor International Relations at Metis National Council
Kate Higgins
CEO of Cooperation Canada
SB

Senator Peter M. Boehm
Canadian Senator and former Deputy Minister for the G7 Summit
HS

His Excellency Rieaz Shaik
South African High Commissioner-designate to Canada
HT

His Excellency Rob Tinline
British High Commissioner to Canada

15:45 – 16:00

Break

16:00 – 16:45

Presentation of the Communiqué to the G7 Sherpa
Elisa Bernelli•Paul Farran•Patricia Miranda•Kate Munro•Harjeet Singh

Elisa Bernelli
Advocacy Officer at Global Health Italian Network
Paul Farran
Director of Policy & Advocacy at Cooperation Canada
Patricia Miranda
Global Advocacy Director of LatinDadd
Kate Munro
Head of Advocacy at Action Against Hunger
Harjeet Singh
CEO of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation

C7-2025-Communiqué-Global-Justice-Together-WEB.pdf

C7-2025-Communiqué-Global-Justice-Together-FR-WEB.pdf

16:45 – 17:00

Concluding Remarks

17:00 – 19:00

Reception

The Summit will close with a Reception, where you can enjoy a cash bar and small bites, mingle with fellow attendees, and celebrate the event’s highlights!