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Canada in the World Main Page
VI. INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
The Government had indicated that it would review International Assistance in the
context of its broader foreign policy review. The purposes of the program and the
manner of its delivery have been reassessed to ensure that it serves clear and
identifiable national objectives, and that, in an era of increasing fiscal constraints, the
scarce resources dedicated to it are managed with maximum efficiency. This
determination is in line with that expressed by Canadians.
As the earlier sections of this Statement indicate, International Assistance is a vital
instrument for the achievement of the three key objectives being pursued by the
Government. It is an investment in prosperity and employment. It connects the
Canadian economy to some of the world's fastest growing markets - the markets of the
developing world. And, in the long-run, development cooperation can help lift
developing countries out of poverty. This means that it contributes to a stronger global
economy in which Canadians, and other peoples, can grow and prosper. International
Assistance also contributes to global security by tackling many key threats to human
security, such as the abuse of human rights, disease, environmental degradation,
population growth and the widening gap between rich and poor. Finally, it is one of the
clearest international expressions of Canadian values and culture - of Canadians'
desire to help the less fortunate and of their strong sense of social justice - and an
effective means of sharing these values with the rest of the world.
Canada's Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program
An effective development assistance program begins with the recognition that
development is a complex process and that many conditions must be met before it
takes permanent root. Individuals must have equitable access to basic social services,
to productive assets and to employment opportunities. Women must be able to
participate fully and equally in development. Respect for human rights is essential, as
are a healthy civil society and political systems that inspire confidence and trust. The
basic infrastructure that underpins society must be in place, along with policies that
promote sustainable economic growth with equity. And, in today's interdependent
world, a society's long-term prosperity depends increasingly on access to international
markets and finance. Finally, development does not last if it is not environmentally
sustainable.
The growing diversity of the developing world adds to this complexity. Approaches to
development must take into account widely varying developing country needs and
capabilities. Several developing countries have achieved remarkable rates of
economic growth and are becoming important trading partners for Canada. Yet, even
in these countries, large numbers have not shared in this progress and continue to live
in poverty. Considerable challenges also remain in such areas as human rights and
the environment. Other developing countries, especially in Africa, have seen the hard-won
gains of previous decades slip away. And, increasingly, developing countries, like
all others, find their future being shaped by global trends and issues, which can only be
addressed successfully through international cooperation.
Given this complexity, an effective program of development cooperation - one that
promotes sustainable development - must address environmental, economic, political
and social issues in an integrated way, and must take cultural realities into account.
Development must be flexible, to allow Canada to work in a number of crucial areas
with the most appropriate mix of policies and programs. It must also be targetted to
those issues that have the most impact on development and where we can match our
strengths to developing country needs.
A sound development program must be people-centred, with a focus on human
development - on building capacity, which means helping women, men and children in
developing countries, their communities and institutions, to acquire the skills and
resources needed to sustain their own social and economic progress. An emphasis on
poverty is vital - one that recognizes that there is no single approach to poverty
reduction and that our efforts to help the poor must rely on an array of programs and
policies working together in an integrated fashion. Finally, an effective development
program must involve activities at the local, institutional and policy levels and must be
built on a wide range of partnerships, at home and abroad, to bring together the best
possible combination of expertise and skills. Canadian partners include NGOs, the
private sector, universities and colleges, youth, professional organizations and federal,
provincial and municipal governments, all of whom have long played a key role in
Canada's development program. Canada also works with a number of international
organizations and institutions and, most importantly, with the people and institutions of
the developing world.
Canada's ODA policies should also work together with other aspects of our broader
foreign and domestic policies to forge a consistent approach to developing countries
and to contribute to common goals. The broader global context must also be
considered. It is clear that development assistance is just one part of a larger effort -
one that involves the resources of developing countries themselves and other factors,
such as international trade and investment.
The following policy framework sets out four key commitments for Canada's ODA
program, which have been developed in keeping with the constraints on the
Government's resources. They are:
- a clear mandate and set of priorities;
- strengthened development partnerships;
- improved effectiveness; and
- better reporting of results to Canadians.
A clear mandate for Canadian ODA.
The purpose of Canada's ODA is to support sustainable development in developing
countries, in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable and
prosperous world.
To achieve this purpose, Canadian ODA will concentrate available resources on the
following six program priorities:
Basic human needs: to support efforts to provide primary health care, basic education,
family planning, nutrition, water and sanitation, and shelter. Canada will continue to
respond to emergencies with humanitarian assistance. Canada will commit
25% of its ODA to basic human needs as a means of enhancing its focus on
addressing the security of the individual.
Women in development: to support the full participation of women as equal partners in
the sustainable development of their societies.
Infrastructure services: to help developing countries to deliver environmentally-sound
infrastructure services, with an emphasis on poorer groups and on capacity building.
Human rights, democracy, good governance: to increase respect for human rights,
including children's rights; to promote democracy and better governance; and to
strengthen both civil society and the security of the individual.
Private sector development: to promote sustained and equitable economic growth by
supporting private sector development in developing countries.
The environment: to help developing countries to protect their environment and to
contribute to addressing global and regional environmental issues.
Canadian ODA will support the purpose and program priorities set out above in key
countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Within these programming priorities, ODA
will be expanded in sectors important to both Canada and the developing countries,
such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Recognizing the importance of ODA, the Government remains committed to improving
its effectiveness and to making progress towards the ODA target of 0.7% of GNP when
Canada's fiscal situation allows it.
Canada will continue to provide most of its ODA to low-income countries. Africa will
continue to receive the highest share of resources in keeping with the immense
challenges facing that continent. Programming there will be firmly rooted in individual
countries but support for regional initiatives will grow as they assume greater importance.
The assistance program will also reflect the growing importance to Canada of our
relations with our own hemisphere and will help countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean to achieve sustainable development. Similarly, programs in the Asia-Pacific
region will reinforce broader Canadian efforts to foster long-term relationships and help
countries address key developmental issues.
A commitment to strengthening partnerships
A wide range of development partners in Canada, along with a large number of
international organizations and, most importantly, the people and institutions of
developing countries, play a vital role in the development of policy and in the planning
and delivery of Canada's ODA. Their contribution is essential to providing the range of
expertise, knowledge and resources required to meet the many diverse challenges of
international development.
Canadian partners are a key source of the skills, know-how and technology that are
needed to promote sustainable development. International institutions and
organizations are crucial to the establishment of a rules-based global governance
system. Many of the most pressing challenges facing national governments - in
developed and developing countries - are global in scope and can be addressed
successfully only through concerted action in international fora and through groupings
of states and organizations. Partnerships with developing countries are vital; most of
the resources invested in development come from them.
Canadian youth can assist in building these partnerships, especially at the grassroots
level. The Government will encourage our young people to help out in the developing
world, both to enable them to gain rich experience through international cooperation,
and to assist those countries where the talent and energy of Canadian youth can make
a difference.
The Government is committed to strengthening these partnerships and, to do so,
undertakes the following commitments:
In consultation with Canadian partners the Government will:
- sharpen the development focus of private sector linkage programs, including the
Canadian International Development Agency - INC (ClDA-INC), while ensuring greater
coordination among DFAIT, CIDA, the EDC and other departments and agencies by
holding regular project-by-project consultations on CIDA-INC activities;
- develop a framework for a renewed relationship between CIDA and Canadian
voluntary organizations based on the principle of complementarity of action;
- expand the number and range of personnel exchanges between CIDA and its
Canadian partners, especially NGOs;
- seek ways to ensure the effective participation of Canada's academic and
professional communities in development assistance programs; and
- improve coordination among government departments at the federal, provincial
and municipal levels.
With international partners the Government will promote reform that helps to:
- better integrate objectives such as respect for human rights,
poverty reduction, social and gender equity, and environment into the work of
multilateral institutions;
- improve coordination among multilateral institutions;
- increase accountability and transparency; and
- improve developmental and cost effectiveness.
With developing country partners the Government will:
- work with developing countries and their people to help them participate more
fully in the international system and global economy; and
- establish new ways to build longer-term linkages between Canadians and
developing country partners to enhance their self reliance.
Improving effectiveness.
Canadians support international development; however, in a time of fiscal restraint,
they are concerned that their investment in development cooperation achieves the best
results possible and that Canada's ODA programs are as effective as they can be. To
meet these concerns, the Government will take a number of steps to improve CIDA's
operational efficiency. These steps, which will be part of CIDA's contribution to
Government cost-cutting, will include the continued streamlining of the Agency's project
approval and delivery process and measures to improve the cost-effectiveness of its
administrative services.
The Government will work to strengthen program coherence among the foreign policy
instruments pertaining to developing countries and to ensure that development
programs and policies within countries and regions work together in a complementary way.
The Government is committed to focussing our efforts on a limited number of countries,
while maintaining programs in other countries through low-cost, administratively-simple
delivery mechanisms. We will also seek to build the capacity of developing countries
to address a range of policy matters, such as human rights, including the rights of
children, the environment, democratization, and the status of women.
Guidelines for Effective Programming will be adopted. These guidelines, which are
based on the lessons of more than 40 years of development experience, will help to
ensure that programming is based on:
- Developing country needs and participation: by responding to the needs and
priorities of developing country partners and placing a strong emphasis on local
participation and ownership in all stages of programming.
- Knowledge of the context: by basing program design on a thorough knowledge
of local conditions and by drawing on the lessons learned, in order to inform policies
and ongoing programming.
- Promoting self-sustaining activities: by focussing on achieving results that will
continue to provide benefits to local citizens and sustain local support after Canadian
support ends;
- Coordination with others: by working with developing country governments and
institutions, international organizations and development agencies to coordinate efforts
more effectively.
- Drawing on Canadian capacity: by strengthening cooperation with Canadians to
ensure that Canadian know-how is put to work for the benefit of developing countries in
activities where Canada has a clear comparative advantage.
Support for Central and Eastern Europe.
Canada will also maintain an active program of assistance to Central and Eastern
Europe and to the former Soviet Union, while ensuring that the program is not funded at
the expense of ODA priorities.
There is much at stake for Canada in this region, which continues to undergo transition:
first and foremost, international security demands stability in an area that still contains
powerful nuclear arsenals while the social, economic and political structures essential
to peaceful transformation remain fragile. Moreover, the firm establishment of
prosperous market economies and their integration into the global economy will open
important trade and investment opportunities for Canada and the world.
The program will continue to respond to rapidly changing regional circumstances and
Canadian interests. For it to do so, the Government will continue to rely on partnerships
among the Canadian private sector, business and trade associations, NGOs,
academics, ethnic communities and all levels of government. Federal funds act as a
catalyst, leveraging significant project contributions from Canadian and recipient
country partners.
To maximize the program's effectiveness in changing conditions, a reorganization of
roles between DFAIT, which now administers it, and CIDA, will be undertaken. Policy
direction will remain with DFAIT while program delivery will be transferred to CIDA. This
new function for CIDA corresponds well with the activities it conducts elsewhere in the
world. There will be close coordination between the two organizations over the
continued development and execution of the program.
Demonstrating results.
Canadians want to be sure that their aid dollars are being used effectively, that their
help is making a difference in the lives of people benefitting from Canadian assistance
by increasing their self-reliance. The Government shares this concern and is
committed to improving the effectiveness of Canada's International Assistance and to
demonstrating its results to Canadians.
To do so, we will first ensure that results can be demonstrated by establishing clear
objectives for programs and projects and by specifying realistic results that are linked to
program priorities. We will improve the reporting of results to Parliament and to the
public, in part through revisions to the Main Estimates - submitted annually to
Parliament - to make them clearer and more results-based. The Government will also
share more widely the results of evaluations and lessons learned to better inform the
public, as well as Canadian, multilateral and bilateral partners, and to improve
development programming. We will strengthen consultations with bilateral partners
and continue support for programs which build development awareness and provide
Canadians with information on Canada's development activities.
International Assistance is a vital instrument of Canadian foreign policy. It promotes
prosperity and employment, protects global security and projects Canadian values and culture.
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