Government of Canadas International Policy Statement on Development - Term Paper Example

Government of Canada’s International Policy ment on Development (2005) By Candi s FACULTY OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES Canada presents a long history of extending official development assistance (ODA) to those who are less fortunate, and the promotion of human security has been an important pillar of Canada’s foreign policy in the post-cold war era. Thus, it is impossible to define Canada’s interest in development cooperation exclusively as self-interest. However, the establishment of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1968 was a landmark event because a government agency now existed to cater for Canada’s increasingly complex and varied ODA activities. Canada provides ODA to more than 155 countries around the world, and CIDA enhanced the coherence of Canadian ODA activities while operating under the guidance of a federal minister. This agency presented Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) as part of its efforts to codify and give direction to Canada’s ODA efforts. This policy document continues to present useful insights into Canadian ODA activities and policy emphasis, despite lacking in formal adoption, in a rapidly evolving world that has witnessed a profound change. This research paper presents a critical examination of Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) in an era in which even the rich and developed nations must confront worrying news on the global economy. Contents Introduction 1 The Foreign Aid Policy Emphasis in Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) 3 Conclusion 14 Bibliography / References 16 (This page intentionally left blank) Introduction It is possible to make a case for rich nations providing poorer nations with development aid (The World Bank, 2002). Ethics demands that human beings maintain adherence to a basic responsibility for preventing the needless deaths of other human beings and the alleviation of suffering. Bringing people together and helping to alleviate deprivation is likely to help create a better world that will pass on to future generations in which all will be happier. In addition, as national borders and geographic barriers become increasingly porous, it is now increasingly likely that the effects of hopelessness of extreme deprivation, including crime, terrorism, illegal drugs, and communicable diseases will pass on to the more affluent nations unless something is done to provide hope to the less fortunate. Thus, international development assistance serves as preventive maintenance for richer societies. In view of the objectives for providing aid, all major industrialised countries of the world, including Canada, have established institutional frameworks and relationships for providing development assistance to poorer countries. The Cold War and decolonisation of Asia prompted Canada to offer capital and technical assistance to the newly decolonised nations under the Colombo Plan in the 1950s and since then Canada has disbursed more than US$ 50 billion in official development assistance (ODA) (Morrison, 1998). It is important to note that official development assistance is in addition to any other assistance provided by NGOs from Canada. Establishment of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1968 was a landmark in Canada’s ODA activities because a specialised government agency with a mission for dealing with matters related to development assistance now existed to carry out its mandate under the guidance of an International Cooperation Minister (Morrison, 1968). Efforts directed to produce formal codification of policy for Canadian ODA resulted in, among other policy statements, the Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) (Canadian International Development Agency, 2011). Although the Canadian International Development Agency never formally adopted this policy document, it serves to illustrate the thinking about ODA in Canada. This policy document presents government of Canada’s views on progress and challenges for ODA in a world in transition, the way forward, strategic focus for Canadian ODA, Canada’s cooperation with multilateral agencies and the way in which Canada should engage in ODA. However, Canadian ODA, like ODA from other nations, attempts to balance Canadian national interests with a need to respond to suffering, promotion of human rights and other issues that impinge on creation of a better world. Thus, although Canada wants to reassert itself on the world stage to speak with a persuasive voice for equality, human rights and a fairer globalization, it is impossible for Canada alone to provide for every need in the world. This research paper presents an attempt to examine critically the Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) and to compare the ideas and thinking presented in this document with other approaches to ODA from other nations, development assistance agencies and international organisations. In addition to views of interest to ODA providers, it is only fair that views of ODA recipients impinge on the discussion. The Foreign Aid Policy Emphasis in Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) Canada’s development cooperation policies are expected to emphasise global citizenship, equity and environmental sustainability, as well as Canadian interests regarding security, prosperity and governance to deliver visible and durable impact on world’s key development challenges as defined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Canadian International Development Agency, 2011). The MDGs aspire to halve extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality, reduce infant mortality and the spread of diseases that include HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, etc. In addition, environmental sustainability and the development of a global partnership for development are emphasised. However, it is important to understand that building communities that are self – sustaining without a dependency on development assistance ought to be an important emphasis because growing populations that depend on charitable giving are a never-ending burden that grows ever heavier as the number of aid-dependent communities around the world grows. With an emphasis on providing medical care, nourishment and reduction of infant mortality without attempts directed towards providing sustainable livelihoods, a danger exists that the number of those in need of care for very prolonged periods will increase substantially. An increase in the number of those living in extreme poverty in Africa in the 1990s, from 164 million to 314 million, in an era in which most of the rest of the world grew richer illustrates this point. Thus, it makes sense to emphasise family planning, sustainable livelihood, enhancing education and awareness about a need for becoming self-sustaining and for managing numbers when providing ODA. After all, if man is the cream of God’s creation and deserves more attention, then surely man must reason and behave responsibly to create a future through honest effort rather than depending on others to provide while sinking below the level of an animal. It makes more sense to give to animals than to those who have an evil mind and are habitually dependent on begging or taking from others because helping to increase such populations will be the end of civilisation. After all, ethics and the commandments of God demand that man shall care for all living things, including animals, on earth. An ethical duty to care for fellow humans must take into consideration the ethical values of those who want to benefit from ODA, the nature of their own effort and their level of sincerity for improving and sustaining themselves. It does not make sense to try to protect and to enrich a swarm of mosquitos who will multiply to wreck evil on earth despite the fact that these are God’s creation. Haider (2008) suggests that foreign aid by itself is not a sufficient condition for development unless the recipients judiciously utilise this aid and put in the effort to improve their own situation. Although Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) emphasises a need for Canada to extend ODA to those in need, Canada must give a stronger foundation to its development assistance programme through legislation or other means (OECD, 2007). At present, a number of federal statutes that do not give a strong legal status Canada’s ODA programme present a legal foundation for Canadian ODA. In addition, CIDA has a weak mandate despite the fact that this agency is responsible for policy and implementation of a major portion of Canadian ODA. CIDA’s reporting to the Canadian parliament does not emphasise a results orientation for Canada’s ODA and changing political circumstances imping strongly on CIDA. Reduction of poverty is an important goal that is emphasised in the Canada International Policy Statement on Development (2005), but a need exists to handle this issue judiciously. Poverty reduction is only possible if ODA recipients are able to utilise aid to help produce value-added products or services that sell in the international market, or are able to market effectively their produce. It is not possible to reduce poverty by giving financial gifts to people because this will mean that they will return for more. Thus, a mix of family planning, education, awareness for taking responsibility for doing more to maintain sustainability and efforts directed towards improving quality of life of a population with a maintainable growth rate is more likely to present the desired results. However, poverty reduction efforts in communities with a promise for becoming self-sustaining are worthwhile. The key to poverty reduction is to device ways and means for linking communities to local, regional and global markets while emphasising responsible family planning, fair and equitable labour laws, stability and an end to exploitation of the poor. It is interesting to note that in the 1980s the so called like-minded donor countries, including Canada and those from Scandinavia in various ways tried to influence the government of Bangladesh to pursue policies that focused on the needs of the poor (Folke, 2006). However, a North-South Institute study revealed that neither the government of Bangladesh, nor the donors did a great deal to cater to the needs of the poor. A need exists to emphasise efforts directed towards maintaining gender equality and empowerment of women in societies (Canadian International Development Agency, 2011). However, even though in many societies, women play a vital role in maintaining the household by indulging in subsistence farming or other pursuits, it is not possible to change culture and tradition quickly, despite the fact that educated, cultured and responsible women add to the beauty of their sex and to the society in which they live. Thus, empowerment of women is only possible through a process of long-term engagement, which involves changing the way in which people think, educating them and by exposing them to other cultural norms of people who they have never met. Clearly, empowerment of women follows efforts directed towards poverty reduction and family planning for achieving sustainable growth rates. Thus, although the OECD Development Assessment Committee Peer Review for Canada praises Canadian efforts directed towards bringing about empowerment of women in societies, it is important to understand that gender quality is only possible through long-term engagement with aid recipients because it is important to meet other priorities for development first. Emphasising empowerment of women in cultures that maintain women as subservient to men is likely to result in a backlash that is counterproductive, but Canadians and other ODA providers must question if it is worth providing ODA to those nations and communities that continue to take while emphasising the superiority of their culture and tradition with little desire for change. Despite the willingness of rich nations to provide ODA, many are in need and the resources are limited. Profound changes have occurred in thinking about ODA within the relative recent past (Hoebink, 2010). Now a wide variety of new players, including new member states of the European Union, a wide variety of new international organisations, like the Global Fund, non-governmental organisations and new emerging donors, like China and India have now entered the ODA arena. Some of these new actors have considerable funds at their disposal, but because there are many and varied needs around the world, volumes of aid from any single donor are often small. Thus, ODA recipients confront high transaction costs because they have to deal with a large number of donors for small amounts of aid, and it is unlikely that Canada alone can accede to have a large number of bilateral development partners. It is important to remember that Canada now maintains diplomatic relations with a very large number of nations around the world, and its interests span the world, often covering large regions that are backward and in need of extended periods of ODA, like in Africa. Thus, although Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) encourages Canada to identify a core group of countries to be its main bilateral development partners, from among the poorest developing countries, even this goal is difficult. In addition, Canada, like other donor nations, now feels increasingly compelled to coordinate its ODA with other donor nations under the Paris Declaration (2005) and this means that having core bilateral development partners is difficult. A new global compact that aims to focus on eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with 18 targets and 48 indicators with a requirement for donors to cooperate, coordinate and harmonise the efforts needed to achieve these goals now exists (Hoebink, 2010). Thus, Canada must now coordinate as a donor with other nations and agencies, while remaining committed to multilateral aid, something that places a certain restriction on its freedom to disburse ODA as it wishes. Thus, the Paris Declaration has now changed the way in which donors cooperate among themselves and with partner countries. Political relations between donor countries and recipients are now changing with ODA recipient nations exerting more muscle and an emphasis now exists towards trying to incorporate new aid instruments, including Multi-Donor Budget Support (MDBS) and Sector-Wide Approaches (SWAps) that better address a recipient’s needs while emphasising ‘country ownership’. According to Welsh (2007), donor nations and agencies that provide ODA have always emphasised ‘Good Governance’ when providing ODA. Good governance refers to the aid-recipient countries having the right economic policies that will prove useful for ensuring utilisation and effectiveness of aid. However, for development economists, good governance has not meant democracy because good governance refers to the rule of law, the protection of property rights, competent bureaucracies, and effective restraints on corruption. Democracy has never guaranteed a capacity for good governance. Many aid-recipients do not possess attributes for good governance, yet they still receive ODA because of a need for addressing humanitarian situations. Thus, Canada and other nations must balance humanitarian considerations with a capacity for good governance to benefit effectively from ODA when deciding about donor funding despite the fact that the results of providing funds to those that are lacking lead only to a minimal improvement for those that are suffering. Although the emphasis in Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) remains focused on trying to do more for poor nations and communities that want to grow, it is important to understand that the resources available for ODA fall short of the critical mass required for a measurable impact even if Canada focused on bilateral partners (Welsh, 2007). Apart from the need for coordinating resources with other donor nations and organisations, increased ODA will require expensive staff presence on the ground and a higher level of authority for those involved with delivering ODA. Even Canadians are likely to want accountability and performance reports with ever-increasing allocation of resources to other nations without any positive impact. With a constant and increasing need for ODA in all regions of the world and deteriorating economic conditions at home, it is unlikely that Canadians will understand if those in power ignore Canadians at home to provide huge funds for ODA to those that remain hostile to Canadian values, ethics or even decency. Yet, often nations will want to devise grand plans to acquire ODA from one country or the other to play powers against powers because they are habitually dependant on ODA and are incapable of doing anything to improve their own lot. Thus, a former advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper lamented, “when it comes to aid policy, the Canadian taxpayer has become a kind of cash cow funding overarching goals and objectives that are set outside of the government and the country” and many other Canadians concurred. Steeves (2007) examines the field reality for an African country that receives Canadian ODA without presenting satisfactory benefits, and this field reality demonstrates that Canada and other ODA providers must now take a tougher stance on countries that lack a capacity for good governance, even if this compromises an emphasis on humanitarian considerations. Nations around the world present a substantial need for ODA, and this means that those that are capable of utilising ODA effectively must receive preference because ODA cannot become a source of funding for the largess of corrupt and incompetent governments that have little or no regard for those that they govern. Success for a people depends on their own initiative, ingenuity and a capacity for establishing sound governance on highest levels of ethics, and it makes no sense to encourage corrupt and evil governments or people. Perhaps it makes better sense to try to assist corrupt and evil nations by emphasising on export of good governance rather than on endless flows for so-called humanitarian considerations because the aim ODA is to assist peoples to stand on their own feet as proud members of global community. Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) mentions creating a Canada Corps to work with Canadian organisations to help with poverty reduction efforts (Canadian International Development Agency, 2011). However, it is important to note that often a need exists for expert skills to link domestic economies with the global economy to bring about meaningful poverty reduction in communities without risking a dependency on ODA. This means that it is likely that a vast majority of Canadians are unlikely to be of significant help to communities located far away from Canada with a poverty problem. A vital need exists for expert assessment, funds and resources for implementing projects that will add to a community’s capacity for earning and implementation of these projects by those with a capacity for understanding the situation and problems in the ODA recipient country for poverty reduction programmes. In addition, although a Canada corps may assist with fund-raising activities or supervising the more mundane matters in ODA recipient countries, it is important to understand that Canadian nationals will be at risk of losing their experience and getting out of touch with their careers if deployed in overseas countries. Thus, by posting Canada corps members who are not well-experienced ODA people in overseas countries Canada is likely to put at risk its own nationals and disrupt their career development. Imagine a Canada Corps member becoming romantically involved with a local girl in culture that is very different from Canada, like that in Afghanistan or even in regions in Pakistan that border Afghanistan, to present a mortal danger for the pair and a threat of total disruption to the Canadian assistance programme. Are countries that continue to present hatred for Canadian and Western values worth aiding? In addition, after serving in a distant land for several years, away from building a career in Canada, a Canada Corps member is likely to find that their experience is of no relevance to employers in Canada. In the year 2003 -4, Canada provided ODA to 155 countries spread around the world and out of these 155 countries, 54 countries received less than $ 1 million with only 18 countries received more than $ 10 million (Welsh, 2007). Clearly, this level of ODA is unlikely to solve any single nation’s poverty problems and even if other nations were to provide similar levels of assistance to each of the 155 nations, nothing more than $ 20 million will be available annually for each ODA recipient. Thus, it is clear that although hopes of receiving ODA will keep other national governments engaged with a donor nation, only nudging national governments to do that which will make a difference through hard work is likely to make a sustainable and lasting impact. It takes generations for people to build a future and even Canada worked for generations to reach its exalted status among nations. It makes no sense aiding people who remain crooked, corrupt, bent on their evil ways and incapable of working ethically to achieve (Barratt, 2008). As mentioned previously, what sense does it make to aid mosquitoes? After all, although humans are the cream of God’s creation, they have to act according to ethical standards, in a responsible manner with justice and good to claim their rightful place in the universe, without which they are inferior to animals and spawn of the demons that are better dead according to God’s scheme of things. Clearly, it makes sense to provide ODA to help those that work hard and do good works, but it makes no sense to encourage those who have nothing but crooked ways and corruption for everyone, including their own. Conclusion In the final analysis, it will appear that Canadas International Policy Statement on Development (2005) is akin to the thinking of an innocent child with spirit, but weak flesh. This Canadian International Policy Statement tries very hard to convert Canadians to give generously and to do good to help without emphasising the fact that it is impossible for ODA to solve all the problems of 155 nations in the world aided by Canada. Even the combined ODA of all nations will not be able to reduce poverty and hunger in this world. Thus, it is best to extend ODA to those that persist quietly to improve their lot and do good works despite the hardship that they face instead of demanding without care for the hardship of others, thinking that the world owes them a living. Perhaps, it is best to extend ODA quietly in a manner that will make a lasting difference to improve sustainably the lot of communities around the world. Clearly, sustainability and improving communities to become self-sustaining is the answer. (This page intentionally left blank) Bibliography/ References Barratt, Bethany. (2008). Human Rights and Foreign Aid: For love or money? Routledge Bearce, David H. & Tirone, Daniel C. (2010). 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