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Canada
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

Rights-based development
Education defined as a human right?
Commitment to free and compulsory education
Non-discrimination (race, ethnicity, religion, minority, disability)
Gender
Trends in Canadian Aid
Aid for Education

Rights-based development

"Respect for human rights, democratization and good governance are important, in their own right, for the security of individual children, women and men and the development of societies in which they live. These issues are integral to CIDA’s purpose, to promote sustainable development in countries in order to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world…With respect to the development cooperation program administered by CIDA, the Government’s policy is to enhance the will and capacity of developing country societies to respect the rights of children, women and men, and to govern effectively and in a democratic manner"¹

"ODA program priorities [include]…human rights, democracy, and good governance, to increase respect for human rights, including children’s rights, to support democracy and responsible government, and to strengthen civil society."²

Education defined as a human right?

"Quality basic education is a fundamental human right."³

"Education is a human right- and the obligation of all governments"⁴

"every child in the world has the right to a quality basic education that meets his or her learning needs. As a member of the world community, CIDA is committed to meeting this challenge."⁵

Commitment to free and compulsory education

"Basic education must be affordable and inclusive…CIDA’s recognition of the need for diverse, alternative, flexible, and reasonably priced education programs is demonstrated …"⁶

Non-discrimination (race, ethnicity, religion, minority, disability)

" Our efforts will include a special emphasis on girls, the poorest, those from minority groups, working children, and children with special needs."⁷

"some teachers may not allow children from ethnic-minority groups to speak in their native language. Although they are receiving an education, these children’s right to their cultural identity is being violated."⁸

"CIDA will help to…improve access to quality education for children, adolescents, and youths who have been excluded from existing formal and non-formal educational opportunities…"⁹

Gender

"CIDA will…base its work on sound gender analysis, building on opportunities to empower women and men, promote respect for human rights, and help close gender gaps that block or slow human development."¹⁰

"The rights of women and girls are an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms."¹¹

"Progress towards gender equality and the empowerment of women will be supported by eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by the year 2005."¹²

Trends in Canadian Aid

Canada’s place among 22 DAC donors¹³

Net ODA volume:
-9^th in 1999 (US$1.70b)
-8^th in 2000 (US$1.72b)

ODA/GNP:
-12^th in 1999 (0.28%)
-17^th in 2000 (0.25%)

Breakdown of Canadian ODA (1999)

-Bilateral 69%
-Multilateral 31%¹⁴

In 1999, 70.4% of bilateral aid commitments were tied to goods and services from Canada.¹⁵

Canadian ODA for 2001/2002 is predicted to total approximately C$2.43 billion. This indicates a slight increase in aid, but still represents only .25% of Canadian GNP.¹⁶

There is no evidence of planned increases to reach .35% by 2005 (en route to the UN stated ODA/GNP goal of 0.7%).¹⁷

Canadian ODA has decreased in real terms by 34% from 1991/92 to 2000/2001.¹⁸

Aid for education

In September 2000, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) announced a significant fundamental shift in aid, laying out a five-year investment plan that includes four "Social Development Priority Areas": basic education, health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and child. Gender equality has been declared an integral part of all of these areas protection.¹⁹

In 1999, Canada committed 8.1% of bilateral ODA to Education, and 0.8% to basic education.²⁰

In 1997/98 Canada committed 6.0% of bilateral ODA to basic social services.²¹

Aid for "Basic Human Needs" represents about 30% of Canada’s total ODA.²²

CIDA disbursed Cdn$74.4m in 1998/1999 for basic education projects.²³

CIDA’s new Action Plan on Basic Education defines education as a human right, and states that funding for basic education will increase four-fold over the next five years. By year five (2005/6), 40% of CIDA’s annual budget will be devoted to these priority areas (from less than 20% in 1999/2000).²⁴

CIDA’s five year plan for basic education constitutes a total investment of US$555 million.²⁵

¹ Canadian International Development Agency. Government of Canada Policy for CIDA on Human Rights, Democratization and Good Governance. December, 1996, p.3.
² Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2001-2003, February, 2001, p.3.
³ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Social Development Priorities: A Framework for Action, September 2000, p.22.
⁴ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Draft Action Plan on Basic Education, January 2001, p.3.
⁵ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Draft Action Plan on Basic Education, p.19.
⁶ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Draft Action Plan on Basic Education, p.10.
⁷ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Draft Action Plan on Basic Education, p.3.
⁸ Canadian International Development Agency. Action Plan for Child Protection, June 2001, p.22.
⁹ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Draft Action Plan on Basic Education, p.3.
¹⁰ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Social Development Priorities: A Framework for Action, p.11.
¹¹ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA’s Policy on Gender Equality, March, 1999, p.4.
¹² Canadian International Development Agency. Action Plan for Child Protection, June 2001, p.3.
¹³ DAC/OECD. Development Co-operation Report, 2000.
¹⁴ DAC/OECD. Development Co-operation Report, 2000.
¹⁵ DAC/OECD. Development Co-operation Report, 2000.
¹⁶ Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC). Canadian ODA for Fiscal Year 2001/02 Estimates. Text at http://fly.web.net/ccic/devpolicy.htm.
¹⁷ Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC). Canadian ODA for Fiscal Year 2001/02 Estimates. Text at http://fly.web.net/ccic/devpolicy.htm.
¹⁸ Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC). Renewing Canadian Aid: A CCIC/in common Fact Sheet, October 2000.
¹⁹ Canadian International Development Agency. Government of Canada Policy for CIDA on Human Rights, Democratization and Good Governance, p.3.
²⁰ DAC/OECD. Development Co-operation Report, 2000.
²¹ DAC/OECD. Development Co-operation Report, 2000.
²² DAC/OECD. Development Co-operation Report, 2000.
²³ Canadian Council for International Cooperation estimate. From Reality of Aid: Canada. Text at http://www.devinit.org/realityofaid/joecd.htm.
²⁴ Tomlinson, Brian. Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC). Website "The Reality of Aid," Canada. Text at http://www.devinit.org/realityofaid/joecd.htm.
²⁵ Canadian International Development Agency. Social Development Priorities: A Framework for Action, p.15.

Updated: 17 December 2001