Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs announces C$1.8 million funding package to protect digital security of human rights activists

Yesterday, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, announced a C$1.8 million funding package to enhance digital security protections for human rights activists facing transnational repression. 

This announcement builds on Canada’s ongoing efforts to counter transnational repression, a concern that has been increasingly highlighted to the Government and Parliament of Canada by Hong Kong Watch. 

In November 2024, we released a report on digital transnational repression and held a roundtable in the Canadian Parliament, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated action to protect digital freedoms and combat foreign interference. The roundtable, co-chaired by our Patrons MP Garnett Genuis and Senator Leo Housakos, brought together parliamentarians to discuss digital transnational repression tactics used against Hong Kongers and other diaspora communities. 

The event highlighted our key policy recommendations, which were also raised with Global Affairs Canada, including:

  • Establishing a legal definition of transnational repression to guide enforcement and policy measures;

  • Implementing targeted sanctions against perpetrators of transnational repression;

  • Developing a comprehensive national strategy to counter foreign interference in Canada;

  • Providing training for government personnel to identify and mitigate transnational digital threats.

We welcome this funding package as an important step in developing a national strategy to combat digital transnational repression against Hong Kongers and other human rights activists in Canada.

In her announcement of the package, Minister Joly said:

“In many countries, human rights defenders are targeted for their human rights work in online spaces, including through state-sponsored harassment, threats, arrests and extra-judicial killings. Furthermore, the targeting of human rights defenders can happen transnationally through digital technology. Amid growing attacks on human rights defenders worldwide, Canada remains committed to supporting the digital safety and security of those who are doing this critical work.”

Senator Leo Housakos, a Patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“I welcome Minister Joly’s announcement and urge the swift implementation of protective measures to shield the Hong Kong community in Canada from digital transnational repression. However, as with the foreign agent registry, Ms Joly and her government have once again had to be pressured into taking this step, rather than acting proactively to defend democratic rights. Their failure to do more for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and to stand firmly against authoritarianism has been deeply disappointing. Canada must move beyond reluctant, reactive measures and take strong, decisive action to protect those who stand for democracy and fundamental freedoms worldwide.”

加拿大外交部長宣布撥款180萬加元資助保護人權運動人士數碼安全

昨天，加拿大外交部長趙美蘭（Mélanie Joly）宣布加拿大環球事務部會提供180萬加元資助，用以加強對受跨國鎮壓人權運動人士的數碼安全保護。

這項宣布建基在加拿大對抗跨國鎮壓的持續工作，而香港監察愈加向加拿大政府及國會強調跨國鎮壓問題。

2024年11月，香港監察發表數碼跨國鎮壓報告，並在加拿大國會舉辦圓桌討論會，強調迫切需要採取協調行動，保護數碼自由並打擊外國干預。討論會由兩位香港監察贊助人──國會議員Garnett Genuis MP和參議員Senator Leo Housakos共同主持，匯聚了多位國會議員，討論用來針對香港人及其他離散社群的數碼跨國鎮壓手段。

我們在活動中重點提出關鍵政策建議，亦有向加拿大環球事務部提出這些建議，包括：

  • 設立跨國鎮壓的法律定義，指引執法及政策措施；

  • 點名制裁施行跨國鎮壓者；

  • 制訂全面的國家策略，打擊加拿大境內外國干預；

  • 向政府人員提供培訓，識別並緩解跨國數碼威脅。

這項資助計劃是制訂國家策略，從而打擊數碼跨國鎮壓香港人及其他在加人權運動人士的重要一步，我們樂見其成。

加拿大參議員Senator Leo Housakos、香港監察贊助人表示：

「我歡迎趙美蘭部長的宣布，並促請迅速推行保護措施，保護加拿大港人社群免受數碼跨國鎮壓。不過，與外國代理人登記制度一樣，政府再次迫於壓力踏出這步，而不是主動採取行動捍衛民主權利。他們未能為香港民主運動做更多事，亦未能堅決對抗威權政體，令人深感失望。加拿大必須摒棄勉強被動的措施，而要採取強硬果斷的行動，保護在全世界捍衛民主和基本自由的人。」

NewsMegan KhooCanada