Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency Privileges and Immunities Order: SOR/2025-42

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 6

Registration
SOR/2025-42 February 26, 2025

FOREIGN MISSIONS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ACT

P.C. 2025-167 February 25, 2025

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs makes the annexed Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency Privileges and Immunities Order under paragraphs 5(1)(c)footnote a and (f)footnote b to (h) of the Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act footnote c.

Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency Privileges and Immunities Order

Definitions

Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in this Order.

Act
means the Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act. (Loi)
Convention
means the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations set out in Schedule III to the Act. (Convention)
G7 meetings
means
  • (a) all ministerial meetings that are part of Canada’s official program of its G7 Presidency, to be held in Canada during the relevant period; and
  • (b) the G7 Leaders’ Summit, to be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 16 to 17, 2025. (rencontres du G7)
relevant period
means the period beginning on the day on which this Order comes into force and ending on December 31, 2025. (période visée)

Privileges and Immunities

Representatives of foreign states

2 (1) During the relevant period, representatives of a foreign state that participate in the G7 meetings have, to the extent required for the exercise of their functions in relation to the G7 meetings, the privileges and immunities set out in sections 11, 12 and 14 to 16 of Article IV of the Convention.

Heads and senior officials of international organizations

(2) During the relevant period, heads of an international organization, as well as their alternates and other senior officials of an international organization, have, to the extent required for the exercise of their functions in relation to the G7 meetings, privileges and immunities comparable to the privileges and immunities accorded to diplomatic agents under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations set out in Schedule I to the Act.

Other officials

(3) During the relevant period, other officials of an international organization have, to the extent required for the exercise of their functions in relation to the G7 meetings, the privileges and immunities set out in section 18 of Article V of the Convention.

Experts

(4) During the relevant period, experts who perform missions for an international organization have, to the extent required for the exercise of their functions in relation to the G7 meetings, the privileges and immunities set out in Article VI of the Convention.

Coming into Force

Registration

3 This Order comes into force on the day on which it is registered.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Order.)

Issues

Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency Privileges and Immunities Order (the Order) is required to grant privileges and immunities to representatives of foreign states, heads of international organizations and other representatives of international organizations, and to experts on mission for international organizations, who will be attending meetings related to the Canadian G7 Presidency in order to facilitate their participation.

Background

The Group of 7 (G7) is an intergovernmental political and economic forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is a non-enumerated member of the G7, the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission represent the EU at G7 summits.

On January 1, 2025, Canada assumed the Presidency for the G7. As part of the G7 program, Canada will host ministerial meetings across Canada throughout the year. In addition, on June 16 to 17, 2025, the Prime Minister will welcome global leaders to the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta (Ministerial meetings and the G7 Leaders’ Summit are collectively referred to as “G7 meetings”).

Objective

To provide certain privileges and immunities to representatives of foreign states, officials and experts of international organizations, to facilitate attendance and participation in G7 meetings. The relevant period for privileges and immunities under the Order begins on the day of registration of the Order and ends on December 31, 2025.

Description

The Order grants the following privileges and immunities to the following participants:

Scope

Privileges and immunities will be provided for the following G7 meetings:

In each case, the privileges and immunities are only granted to the extent required for the exercise of the individual’s functions in relation to their travel and participation in a G7 meeting set out above. All privileges and immunities accorded under this Order will cease December 31, 2025, as per the time period indicated in the Order.

Regulatory development

Consultation

Consultations and prepublication were not conducted as this Order is routine in nature and facilitates the participation of high-level representatives of foreign states, senior officials and experts that have been invited by Canada to attend the G7 meetings.

The Order is not expected to have an impact on additional stakeholders and, therefore, no public consultations were necessary.

Modern treaty obligations and Indigenous engagement and consultation

At the time of drafting, the initial assessment of the geographic scope per the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Information System and has determined no overlap with any modern treaties or land claim. Given the subject matter of the regulatory initiative, no rationale for Indigenous engagement or duty to consult requirements have been identified.

Instrument choice

This Order is made pursuant to subsection 5(1) of the Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act (the FMIOA), which is the only instrument that is available to grant privileges and immunities for an international conference in which two or more states participate.

Regulatory analysis

Benefits and costs

The privileges and immunities are being provided to facilitate the attendance of, and participation in, the G7 meetings of representatives of foreign states, officials of international organizations and experts, as applicable.

The exemption from immigration restrictions can facilitate travel to Canada to the extent required for attendance at the G7 meetings. This does not replace the need for a visa, where one is required, but it can facilitate admission to Canada of an individual who may otherwise be inadmissible.

Nothing in this Order has the intention of providing duty or tax relief to any of the persons who would be covered by the privileges and immunities.

The Order has no incremental funding implications for Global Affairs Canada.

Small business lens

Analysis under the small business lens concluded that the Order will not impact Canadian small businesses.

One-for-one rule

The one-for-one rule does not apply, as there is no incremental change in the administrative burden on businesses.

Regulatory cooperation and alignment

This Order is not related to a work plan or commitment under a formal regulatory cooperation forum.

Effects on the environment

In accordance with the Cabinet Directive on Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment, this proposal has been exempted from the requirement to complete a Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment (SEEA) as this is a matter of routine or administrative procedure with a low likelihood of important environmental or economic effects.

Gender-based analysis plus

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) impacts have been considered in relation to the making of the Order and no differential impacts have been identified. To the extent the privileges and immunities provide, for example, an exemption from immigration restrictions, they are targeted, not broad. The privileges and immunities also only apply to the extent necessary for the individuals’ participation in the G7 meetings.

Implementation, compliance and enforcement, and service standards

Where an order is granted under the FMIOA for an intergovernmental meeting involving two or more states which will be attended by individuals who enjoy privileges and immunities pursuant to the order, paragraph 10.1(1) of FMIOA provides that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has the primary responsibility to ensure the security for the proper functioning of such intergovernmental meetings. This provision applies to the present Order.

In the context of the G7 meetings planning and delivery, Global Affairs Canada is coordinating a horizontal federal approach, including the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada.

The exemption from immigration restrictions can facilitate travel to Canada to the extent required for attendance at the G7 meetings. This does not replace the need for a visa, where one is required, but it can facilitate admission to Canada of an individual who may otherwise be inadmissible.

Contact

Sophie Bainbridge
Director General Program
Summits Management Office
Global Affairs Canada
200 Place du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec
Email: sophie.bainbridge@international.gc.ca