Program directory · Global Affairs Canada
International Law
- Department
- Global Affairs Canada
- Program code
- BVB04 (EA)
- Core responsibility
- International Advocacy and Diplomacy
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2024-25 · Appeared and later dropped
What it does
This program provides the Government’s principal source of advice on international law, leads the development of international legal policy, and administers related programs, such as economic sanctions. It supports the Minister’s obligation to “foster the development of international law and its application in Canada’s external relations” by providing timely and strategic legal advice on a wide range of international law and foreign policy law matters, including economic sanctions; human rights; Canada’s rights over its territory, including oceans and airspace; environmental law; consular and diplomatic law, including the protection of immunities; and international criminal law. It provides services to the public and to other institutions, including Parliament, through the publication and tabling of treaties; authentication of documents for use abroad; transmittal of foreign legal documents for service in Canada; and responding to requests from the public for sanctions permits.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Law | This program | 2018-19 – 2026-27 | $167M |
| International Platform | Later program (name match, low confidence) | 2025-26 – 2027-28 | — |
| International Security | Later program (name match, low confidence) | 2025-26 – 2027-28 | — |
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Indicators added: Number of actions that are led or supported by Canada which support strengthened adherence to international law | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Indicators dropped: Degree to which Canadian positions on international legal issues are reflected in the outcome of discussions and negotiations, such as agreements, arrangements and resolutions. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators added: Degree to which Canadian positions on international legal issues are reflected in the outcome of discussions and negotiations, such as agreements, arrangements and resolutions. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators dropped: Degree to which actions that are led or supported by Canada support strengthened adherence to international law. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2025-26 | Appears to be split across: International Platform; International Security | Canada Spends name match across plans (an inference) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Obtain baseline information. | 2020 | 84% New target has been determined for the 2020-21 reporting period. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | 85% | 2021 | 85% | No result reported |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 85% | 2023 | 85% | Met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 85% | 2024 | 85% | Met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 85% | 2025 | 85% | Met |
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 19,450 | 2022 | 21386 | Met |
| 2022-23 | 20935 | 2023 | 31064 | Met |
| 2023-24 | 21440 | 2024 | 30,770 | No result reported |
| 2024-25 | 11400 | 2025 | 26,299 | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | — | 2020 | 84% New target has been determined for the 2020-21 reporting period. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 85% | 2021 | 85% | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 85% | 2022 | 85% | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
No indicators in the 2026-27 plan.
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $20.2M | $20.6M |
| 2019-20 | $21M | $20.4M |
| 2020-21 | $19.7M | $21.6M |
| 2021-22 | $22M | $22.1M |
| 2022-23 | $23M | $24.7M |
| 2023-24 | $21.9M | $28.9M |
| 2024-25 | $26.3M | $28.6M |
| 2025-26 | $26.5M* | — |
| 2026-27 | $26.5M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 60 | 60 |
| 2019-20 | 68 | 65 |
| 2020-21 | 65 | 68 |
| 2021-22 | 67 | 66 |
| 2022-23 | 75 | 68 |
| 2023-24 | 77 | 77 |
| 2024-25 | 80 | 76 |
| 2025-26 | 85* | — |
| 2026-27 | 85* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $20,159,057 | $20,051,239 | $20,051,882 | ||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $21,020,985 | $21,008,087 | $21,060,383 | ||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $19,701,591 | $19,843,569 | $19,864,320 | ||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $21,992,615 | $22,013,624 | $22,019,808 | ||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $23,029,659 | $23,038,512 | $23,039,791 | ||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $21,857,521 | $21,853,918 | $21,863,560 | ||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $26,280,767 | $26,456,289 | $26,493,517 | ||||||
| Actual | $20,632,126 | $20,370,466 | $21,566,840 | $22,096,580 | $24,690,937 | $28,887,152 | $28,613,419 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
