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Canada in the World Main Page
VII. THE PATH AHEAD
The Government is thus pledged to develop Canadian foreign policy based on its
commitment to promoting prosperity, protecting security and projecting our values in
the context of a rapidly evolving world, against the backdrop of tight resources.
The continued participation and support of Canadians will be critical to our success.
A more consultative foreign policy process.
Carrying forward this consultative approach to foreign policy formulation, we will create
and reinforce the instruments and institutions we need to ensure that the voice of
Canadians can be heard:
- The Government will conduct annually a National Forum on Canada's
International Relations. In the future, each Forum meeting will consider a specific issue
proposed by the Government in order to develop policy recommendations. The next
Forum will be convened in Toronto in the spring of 1995.
- Based on the model of its regular consultations with the business community
through the ITAC and SAGIT processes and with partners in the NGO/human rights
community, the Government will expand and institutionalize this process by
establishing a series of active consultations with other groups and individuals
interested in the international dimensions of economic relations, development and
political affairs.
- The Government has also decided to establish a new mechanism within DFAIT
for foreign policy consultation, research and outreach that will bring together
government practitioners, parliamentarians, experts and citizens.
A larger role for Parliament.
The work of the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee, culminating in its impressive
report of November 15, 1994, has proved an inspiration in reconfirming the central role
that the Government wishes to see Parliament play in foreign policy formulation.
- We recommend that informal consultations be held in the future on major foreign
policy issues between Ministers and the relevant Parliamentary Committees.
- As well, the Government will turn to the House of Commons Standing Committee
on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and to the Senate Committee on Foreign
Affairs to involve Canadians in providing the Government with advice on updating the
directions of our foreign policy.
- The Government intends to continue the practice we began of holding
parliamentary debates on major foreign policy issues.
The importance of broader partnerships.
- The Government also intends to work in close partnership with provincial and
other levels of government in formulating policy in areas of interest to them.
- The Government will draw on expert opinion in developing and adjusting foreign
policy to a much greater extent than ever before.
The Foreign Service will adapt to new objectives and constraints.
The Canadian Foreign Service is at the front lines in the management of our
international relations. It will respond with flexibility, at home and abroad, to shifting
priorities in line with our key objectives. It will have to make choices and deploy its
efforts where they are most needed, applying the three objectives established for
Canadian foreign policy in this Statement. The Foreign Service will engage in
continuous learning to increase our productivity and effectiveness.
Resource constraints now and for the foreseeable future require the Foreign Service to
function with greater economy in all of its operations. Scarce resources, human and
financial, will need to be allocated carefully. This will require constant reappraisal of
policy and operational priorities and improving skills of personnel.
- The Foreign Service will rely even more on new technologies in communications
and information processing. Through the application of such technologies, larger
missions are able to operate less expensively and mini-missions are feasible, making a
Canadian presence possible wherever it is required in the world.
- Similarly, streamlined administrative practices, compatible with high standards of
accountability, will allow smaller missions and offices abroad to function with reduced
administrative staff. Significant savings will be registered in foreign operations through
greater reliance on foreign nationals employed in positions previously occupied by
Canadian staff.
- As a further measure to reduce expense, and where it is possible to do so in a
manner that fully respects Canadian interests, co-location of our operations abroad
with the missions of like-minded countries will be encouraged. Co-location with
Australia has already begun at certain missions.
- The Service will place a high priority on continuous learning in order to
effectively master the skills and knowledge necessary in a rapidly changing environment.
- Global media coverage and computer data bases have changed the needs
served by political, economic and trade reporting from many missions abroad. Instead,
more time and effort is being devoted to securing access to decision-makers,
negotiating, representing varied Canadian interests, and pursuing new approaches to
promoting Canadian trade, investment and technology interests.
- Resources devoted to international business promotion will also be deployed
flexibly and focussed on markets where they are best used, as indicated earlier in this Statement.
The purpose of these and other changes will be to provide for more economical foreign
operations with the least adverse impact on effectiveness. That said, reduced
resources will inevitably bring a diminution in services. We will target our efforts on the
most important of those services that the Foreign Service provides.
Changes in both the domestic and international environments also demand that new
approaches be adopted to the management of key issues. The range of new
challenges to international stability and security demand more focussed attention.
- DFAIT will provide leadership in helping to ensure the greatest possible
coherence and synergy over the full range of the Government's international activities
in order to ensure that we are effective in pursuing our key objectives. To this end,
DFAIT and CIDA will establish a committee, chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs, to oversee systematic policy coordination between the two organizations. They
will work in a more integrated fashion to ensure greater coherence in policy,
operational and management terms. Where warranted, operations of the two will be
rationalized to provide common services in the interests of greater economy and coherence.
- In pursuit of that broad objective, the Department will also establish the Bureau
for Global Issues under an Assistant Deputy Minister who will also be responsible for
international cultural relations. This new office will be specifically designed to help
bring greater coherence to the Government's capacity to address internationally such
issues as the global environment, population growth, international migration (including
refugee issues), international crime, human rights, democratization, preventive
diplomacy and post-conflict peacebuilding.
Looking Ahead
We are entering a new phase in international relations and Canadian foreign policy.
We face many challenges, but we are building from a foundation of strength. We have
strong values, strong institutions, strong traditions and a committed and knowledgeable
public.
Canadians have every reason to be optimistic as to their future. The Government is
confident that Canada will continue to do its fair share for the world, and that the
community of nations will continue to look to Canada for our unique contribution to
global governance.
Canada in the World Main Page
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