Canada-Togo relations
On this page
- Bilateral relations
- Trade relations
- Development assistance
- Peace and security
- Partnerships and organizations
Bilateral relations
Canada and Togo established diplomatic relations in 1960. Canada has been represented in Togo since 1962 through the High Commission of Canada to Ghana, in Accra. Since 1978, Togo has been represented in Canada by the High Commission of Togo in Canada. Since the accession of Togo to the Commonwealth on November 9, 2022, the Embassy of the Togolese Republic in Canada is henceforth be called "High Commission of Togo in Canada".
Togolese students in Canada
In 2021, 335 students from Togo had a valid permit to study in Canada.
Trade relations
In 2021, two-way merchandise trade was valued at nearly $65.2 million dollars, with exports to Togo worth $51.4 million and imports from Togo worth $13.8 million. Main Canadian exports include cereals, vehicles and machinery. The main import from Togo is mainly plant products such as oil seeds and edible vegetables. In 2013, Canada and Togo concluded negotiations on a code-sharing Air Transport Agreement. This type of agreement promotes connectivity between all Canadian regions and the world.
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Development assistance
Canada supports the programs of Canadian and multilateral partners seeking to reduce poverty and inequalities, particularly for the most vulnerable segments of the Togolese population, especially women and girls. In fiscal year 2020 to 2021, Togo received $16.86 million in Canadian official development assistance.
Togo benefits from Canadian partners’ initiatives that support gender equality, inclusive governance, and improved health outcomes particularly through enhanced sexual and reproductive health and rights, and family planning services. The Volunteer Cooperation Program focuses on capacity building of local organizations and institutions, while a partnership with Colleges and Institutes Canada enhances social and economic development for women and men through a combination of access to graduate scholarships, tailored professional training, as well as technical and professional training opportunities.
Canada is also a major donor to several global initiatives that benefit Togo. This includes support in the fight against HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and polio, to provide vaccines, to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and to respond to food security and nutrition needs across the country.
Through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, support is provided to local Togolese organizations and initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive participation in democratic processes, increasing women’s participation in supporting sustainable peace and security, and combatting sexual and gender-based violence.
Peace and security
Global Affairs Canada’s Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (ACCBP) and Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program (CTCBP) provide assistance to partner countries to help strengthen their capacity to effectively deal with the threats of transnational crime and terrorism. The CTCBP is currently funding a project implemented by INTERPOL in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing in West Africa, including Togo.
Togo has also benefited from past regional efforts implemented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Institute for Security Studies that delivered technical training covering airport security, information collection and analysis, and criminal justice. The ACCBP also provides assistance to Togo as part of Canada’s efforts to counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling in West Africa, through a project on international maritime security, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Canadian Coast Guard. Through this project, Togo received technical assistance to participate in the largest multinational maritime safety and security exercise in West Africa (Obangame Express), as well as training on maritime domain awareness, small boat operations and search and rescue to support the response to migrant smuggling operations.
Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Togo work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
- Commonwealth
- La Francophonie
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
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