Message from the President

The greatest challenges of our time — inequalities and climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and now a food crisis, rampant inflation and an impending economic crisis — are unfolding at such a scale that we are compelled as a global community to substantially strengthen the role of research in and from the Global South.

Efforts to meet the magnitude of these challenges are constrained by the under-representation of voices from the Global South in research and knowledge ecosystems. We are working closely with partners worldwide to advocate for the value of Southern research and researchers at every stage of the research planning, funding and implementation processes.

IDRC’s Strategy 2030 identifies inequalities and climate change as the biggest hurdles to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Overcoming inequalities, especially those related to gender, are fundamental to a sustainable future. However, decades of progress are under threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence-based solutions, and the researchers who create them, are fundamental to overcoming the longstanding, systemic and deeply entrenched barriers that impede half the world’s population from reaching their full potential.

Researchers Hafsa Afailal and Muzna Dureid are inspiring examples of the dedicated and talented people working tirelessly to build and protect inclusive, democratic spaces. Their work on the digital security of women human rights defenders, activists and peacebuilders in Syria and Yemen was recognized through the IDRC’s Women, Peace and Security Research Awards, an award program that aligns with the Government of Canada’s commitment to the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

As for climate change, it increasingly and disproportionately affects the world’s most vulnerable people. There is a critical need for systems-level, action-oriented research to enable a more climate-resilient future. IDRC is proud to partner with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Initiative, also known as CLARE, which uses research to build resilience, address knowledge gaps and boost the climate crisis response across the Global South. For example, CLARE funding helped produce the strongest-ever Africa regional chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report by synthesizing and incorporating African evidence in the report. This helped overcome a longstanding challenge, whereby excellent evidence too often remains outside the world of peer-reviewed journals and is therefore not cited in influential spheres. The success and influence of this support send a clear message to donors about the significant and long-term impact they can achieve through similar investments.

The success of the first full year of Strategy 2030 implementation is a testimony to the tremendous commitment, resilience and innovation of IDRC employees who continue to adapt to the pandemic’s many and far-reaching effects on how we work. IDRC’s Board of Governors provides invaluable leadership and strategic guidance in support of IDRC’s mandate, annual priorities and Strategy 2030.

Launched amid a global pandemic, Strategy 2030 has risen to the occasion and proven to be a guiding light for IDRC. In many ways, that is a testament to the foresight and leadership of outgoing Chairperson Margaret Biggs. Her vision and dedication inspire IDRC’s global network of employees, partners and grantees and have positioned IDRC well for the road ahead.

Jean Lebel, PhD President