Posts Tagged 'ODA Accountability Act'

HomeTag: ODA Accountability Act

PARLIAMENT’S BLURRY REPORT ON ‘FOCUS’

PARLIAMENT’S BLURRY REPORT ON ‘FOCUS’

McLeod Group Blog, December 13, 2016

In early November, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development issued a report titled ‘Development Cooperation for a More Stable, Inclusive and Prosperous World: A Collective Ambition.’  Unfortunately, the contents don’t quite live up to the title. The committee has missed an opportunity to make an important contribution to the process of preparing a new international assistance strategy for Canada, a process which is expected to produce a policy ...

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THE ODA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT: WHAT HAPPENED?

THE ODA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT: WHAT HAPPENED?

McLeod Group Blog by Ian Smillie, July 26, 2016

When Canada’s Official Development Assistance Accountability Act became law during the first minority government of Stephen Harper, there was hearty applause from the international development community. Introduced as a private member’s bill by Liberal MP John McKay, Bill C-293 won the support of all parties and received Royal Assent at the end of May 2008. According to Global Affairs Canada (GAC), ‘Its purpose is to ensure that all Canadian official ...

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CANADA AND FRAGILE STATES

CANADA AND FRAGILE STATES

A McLeod Group Blog by Carolyn McAskie, July 8, 2016

In its review of International Assistance, currently underway, Global Affairs Canada asks what role Canada should play in addressing ‘fragile states.’

Fragile states are among the poorest countries—often either conflict-ridden or emerging from conflict. They are unable or unwilling to provide the core functions of a state (governance, safety and security, management of resources) or to deliver basic services to their citizens (health, education, agricultural inputs, economic security). The concept captures both poverty ...

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The One We Would Write: A Mandate Letter for Canada’s Next Development Minister

The One We Would Write: A Mandate Letter for Canada’s Next Development Minister

McLeod Group Blog, June 16, 2015

You will serve as Minister of International Development Cooperation, with full cabinet membership, reporting directly to me as Prime Minister. As Minister you will:

Policy

  •  Rebuild Canada’s capacity to be a strong global development actor after a decade of institutional neglect and distorted priorities.
  • Develop programs within a broad made-in-Canada framework that does not rely on norms and precedents of G7 and OECD member states. Engaging the South is critical to Canada’s future well-being, its economic, political and ...
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Guile, Ambiguity and the Cult of Mediocrity

Guile, Ambiguity and the Cult of Mediocrity

January 21, 2014

On December 5, 2013, Canada’s International Development Minister (yes, there still is one) Christian Paradis spoke to the Montreal Board of Trade about the Harper Government’s approach to foreign aid. The speech was chock-full of myth, urban legend, half-truths and what can only be described as a bunch of whoppers.

Mr. Paradis began by saying, “I want us to be recognized as a world leader in poverty reduction and humanitarian assistance.” That may be what he wants, but ...

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How Can The Private Sector Deliver Sustainable Poverty Reduction?

December 4, 2012

The recent Foreign Affairs’ Parliamentary Committee report entitled ‘Driving Inclusive Economic Growth’ presents an often confused mix of the old and new: poor regulation, weak transparency (and associated corruption), micro-finance, the innovative role of the cellphone in banking, etc. Much is interesting, some is worryingly ambiguous, but little is innovative.

The Committee should have focused on how Canadian support for the private sector can foster stronger, pro-poor, inclusive growth in CIDA’s low-income priority countries.

But their final text focused on ...

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Aid Transparency: It’s About Time

January 6, 2012

On November 28, CIDA announced that Canada was joining the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). This is a welcome move.

In recent years there has been a growing demand for greater transparency in foreign aid: how much is being spent, where, on what and for whom. And of course, taxpayers want to know what effect it is having. The problem is that while governments do publish annual statistics on aid-giving, data is often general, incomplete, out of date ...

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Foreign Aid: Telling Parliament

November 22, 2010

The Second Report to Parliament on Canada’s Official Development Assistance 2009-2010

Lost amidst the welter of recent government announcements about the wonderful things Canada is planning to do with its aid budget was the tabling in the House of Commons of the second Report to Parliament on the Government of Canada’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), 2009-2010. You would think that a government which places great store in action and principles – if we are to believe the Prime Minister’s explanation ...

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