Message from the Ministers

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As Ministers of Human Resources and Skills Development, Social Development and Labour, we are pleased to present Human Resources Development Canada's Sustainable Development Strategy 2004-2006.

On December 12, 2003, the Prime Minister announced a new federal cabinet structure in which a department of Social Development and a department of Human Resources and Skills Development were created from the former department of Human Resources Development Canada. The new structure reflects the desire to facilitate better policy results and improved administration.

The department of Human Resources and Skills Development is responsible for enabling lifelong learning, supporting labour market development, strengthening communities, and combating homelessness, as well as committing to investing in human development-a key responsibility of the new department.

The department of Social Development is responsible for matters pertaining to families with children, seniors, persons with disabilities, and improving social benefits delivery to Canadians.

Our newly created departments will proceed with tabling and implementing Human Resources Development Canada's Sustainable Development Strategy, in expectation of tabling individual departmental strategies in 2006.

Our departments were created to help Canadians at key stages in their lives through various employment, income security, human resource investment and labour programs and services. Sustainability has and continues to be an integral design element of the programs and services implemented by our departments. These programs and services allow us to continue to play a central role in developing social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Our new departments will continue to build upon both the successes and lessons learned from the previous two Sustainable Development Strategies. A solid foundation has been built and an exciting opportunity awaits us with respect to sustainable development within the sphere of our departments' social mandate. As the fundamental steps have been taken to ensure a concrete and relevant Strategy, we commit ourselves to implementing these goals in a manner that demonstrates that we, even though we are now separate departments, will invest our time and effort into achieving progress in the area of sustainable development.

Our departments operate within an environment of constant change, as economic and social trends and conditions evolve globally, domestically and locally. Consequently, the policies, programs and services we deliver must continue to provide leadership to enable us to respond to the ongoing and evolving needs of Canadians. The departments of Social Development, Human Resources and Skills Development and Labour remain committed to advancing the Government's sustainable development agenda to create a prosperous country inclusive of all.