Summary
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was a federal Canadian organization that administered foreign aid programs in developing countries. The agency was merged into the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2013 by the federal government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
History edit
CIDA was formed in 1968 by the Canadian government under Lester B. Pearson. CIDA reported to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister for International Cooperation. Its mandate was to "support sustainable development in developing countries in order to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world."[1] CIDA had its headquarters at 200 Promenade du Portage in Gatineau, Quebec.[2]
CIDA funding was the subject of intense debate, and the Conservative government made major revisions to the funding process, including reductions to NGOs described as supporting "left-leaning causes", such as Montreal-based Alternatives.[3]
Demise edit
In March 2013, the Conservative government announced that CIDA would be folded into the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the organizations renamed as the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development,[4] later renamed as Global Affairs Canada.[5] Critics said the merger would give insufficient attention to fighting poverty, but the Conservative government, and later the Liberal government that also kept CIDA programs under the same department, said the merger would lead to a more coherent international agenda.[6][7] An internal report by the agency said that it would take up to 10 years for ex-CIDA employees to get used to the merger.[6]
Mandate edit
- Social development
- Economic well-being
- Promoted and funded Microfinance and Education for sustainable development programs.
- Environmental sustainability
- With a focus upon issues such as climate change, land degradation, and water supply, CIDA sought to help developing nations maintain healthy ecosystems.[8] CIDA was a partner in the Canada Iraq Marshlands Initiative.[9] For example, CIDA was a major donor to the International LUBILOSA Programme: which developed a biological pesticide for locust control, in support of small-holder farmers in the Sahel.
- Governance
- CIDA strove for human rights, democracy, and good governance. The agency also supported gender equality.
See also edit
- Canada commits $127.4 million to fighting tuberculosis
- Canada Corps
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
- Millennium Development Goals
- Robert Greenhill
- Local Enterprise Investment Centre a centre funded by Canadian Government through Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and managed by IDLC of Bangladesh Ltd. (IDLC) to develop Bangladeshi SMEs
- United States foreign aid
Notes edit
- ^ Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA in Brief Archived November 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Canadian International Development Agency. Minister of International Cooperation. Archived October 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ivison, John (December 5, 2009). "Funding for leftist group to be cut". National Post.
- ^ Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (March 21, 2013). Federal budget folds CIDA into Foreign Affairs. CBC News.
- ^ Privy Council Office (November 4, 2015). Machinery of Government Changes Archived 2018-01-17 at the Wayback Machine. Privy Council Office.
- ^ a b Blanchfield, Mike (2016-09-10). "Ex-CIDA staffers need 10 years to adapt to department merger: report". Canadian Press. Retrieved 2016-09-12 – via CTV News.
- ^ MacKrael, Kim (27 June 2013). "Ottawa's elimination of CIDA brand signals end of a foreign-aid era". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
- ^ Canadian International Development Agency. Environmental Sustainability. Archived October 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ University of Victoria "Reseeding a way of life in Iraq’s marshlands." The Ring (January, 2008).
External links edit
- Between Policy and Practice: Navigating CIDA's Democracy Agenda - Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy, by Geoffrey Cameron Archived February 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- Local Enterprise Investment Centre (LEIC) a centre funded by Canadian Government through Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Archived June 10, 2004, at the Wayback Machine