Several aspects of the Conservative party platform address matters raised in your inquiry, including the ‘Support for Developing Countries and for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health’ section on page 43. Please feel free to circulate our platform to your members, including the p.43 section which reads as follows:

SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND FOR MATERNAL, NEWBORN, AND CHILD HEALTH

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada won the support of our fellow G-8 countries in following through on two of the most important commitments of the Millennium Development Goals – to improve maternal and child health in the world’s poorest countries.

Through the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Canada, its G-8 partners, and leading charitable foundations are providing unprecedented resources to save the lives of countless women and children.

In recognition of Canada’s leadership, Prime Minister Harper has been named co-chair of the UN Commission established to ensure accountability and results in meeting this most urgent challenge.

In addition to leading this historic breakthrough, we have:

• followed through on Canada’s commitment to double overall international assistance from 2001-2002 levels;
• doubled our aid to Africa from 2003-2004 levels, making Canada the first G-8 country to deliver on this promise;
• ensured greater focus, efficiency and accountability in the use of Canada’s foreign aid dollars, and “untied” funding to make it more effective;
• forgiven more than $1 billion in debt owed by the world’s poorest countries;
• provided immediate and substantial assistance to Haiti in the aftermath of its devastating earthquake; and
• provided substantial development and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, and laid out a post-combat role for Canada in Afghanistan beginning this year.

We will continue to rally world leaders to follow through on our commitments to improve the health of women and children in developing countries.

We will also focus our post-combat efforts in Afghanistan on investing in the education and health of children and youth; advancing security, the rule of law, and human rights; promoting regional diplomacy; and delivering humanitarian assistance.”