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CIDA 2008-2009 Reports on Plans and Priorities

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SECTION I: AGENCY OVERVIEW

1.1 Raison d'être

Canadians recognize that their future is intertwined with that of people around the world, and that the failure to achieve significant political, economic, social and environmental progress in the developing world will have an impact on Canada in terms of long-term security and prosperity.

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is the Government's principal organization responsible for development and humanitarian policy and programming. Its aim is to reduce poverty, promote human rights, and support sustainable development, in a manner consistent with Canadian foreign policy.

Canada's development assistance program promotes Canadian values: compassion for the less fortunate, democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law. It also promotes the interests of Canadians: contributing to Canada's voice on the world stage, building long-term relationships with emerging economies, and supporting global peace and security.

1.2 CIDA's Operating Environment

1.2.1 Challenging Canada's aid program

In partnership with recipient countries, other donors, international and multilateral organizations, and Canadians, CIDA is contributing to the achievement of notable results.

A snapshot of results in 2006-07

- Food aid to approximately five million people worldwide through the World Food Program and the Foodgrains Bank.

- Approximately 2,500 Canadian volunteers, including youths, working in developing countries.

- Small loan and savings services for more than 280,000 Afghan women, who are rebuilding their lives and supporting their families.

- Elimination of female genital mutilation in 68 villages in Mali, protecting about 47,000 women and girls of reproductive age.

- In Sudan, food aid to 250,000 people, access to clean water to 570,000 people and routine vaccinations to 100,000 children.

- In Haiti, establishment of 9,209 voting centres and registration of 3.5 million voters for the 2006 elections, contributing to the highest voter participation rates in its history - more than 3 million young people voted for the first time.

- In Indonesia, emergency shelter and essential items such as soap and towels, kitchen utensils, and clothing to 2,000 households.

- The Primary Education Development Program in Tanzania and Kenya has helped to increase net primary enrolment by 3.8 million children who would not otherwise have been in school.

Recipient countries are increasingly taking charge of their own development, strengthening democratic governance, enhancing skills in government and civil society, and sharpening competitiveness in their business sectors.

Over the past decades, however, questions with respect to the effectiveness of aid investments remain based on the persistence of intractable poverty throughout the developing world. This has given rise to rethinking the approach to development.

With Canadians questioning the effectiveness and results of their aid program, a number of studies and reviews have made recommendations on ways to improve international assistance that the Government has duly taken into consideration. These are informing CIDA's plans and priorities.

On October 10, 2007, the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) tabled its review of Canada's aid program. It recognized Canada's progress in areas such as its whole-of government approach to working with fragile states (e.g., Afghanistan and Haiti), humanitarian action in Africa, and increases in the aid budget. The review also identified the following main challenges: continuing to increase aid to meet Canada's commitments made at Monterrey; focusing its aid on fewer partner countries to generate stronger impact; and galvanizing the implementation of the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

The OECD also released its Overview Report of the 2006 Survey on Monitoring of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. It notes that CIDA programming is well aligned with country priorities and increasingly coordinated with other donors, but that further progress is required by all donors to ease the administrative burden on recipient countries. Areas for improvement for CIDA include increasing the proportion of coordinated missions and shared analytical work with other donors, untied aid, and harmonization of practices and procedures.

With urgent basic needs unmet for hundreds of millions, an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, and a climate that affects the world's poorest regions, development is a risky endeavor. Delivering assistance in areas of conflict and political instability such as the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan and the West Bank and Gaza territories represents significant challenges for program delivery and staff security. Such risks are mitigated by focusing support to address humanitarian needs and by working with government and NGO partners with experience in working in similar environments.