VZCZCXRO0305
OO RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0376 1411816
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211816Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9442
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O.: 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID PGOV CA
SUBJECT: CANADA REFOCUSES MULTILATERAL AID 
 
REF:  A.  OTTAWA 134 
-     B.  OTTAWA 249 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Canadian International Development Agency 
plans to narrow its foreign aid priorities to focus primarily on 
increasing food security, stimulating sustainable economic growth, 
and securing the future of children and youth.  The new strategy 
complements a February announcement (ref a) of a focus on 20 key aid 
recipients.  Canada has met its G8 commitment of doubling aid to 
Africa and is on track to double its international assistance by 
2010-2011.  The announcement of the revised priorities did not come 
with any new money, and is unlikely to change the way Canada 
delivers assistance to Afghanistan and Haiti.  End Summary. 
 
FOCUS ON THREE PRIORITY THEMES 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U)  In a speech in Toronto on May 20, Minister of International 
Cooperation Bev Oda announced a restructuring of Canada's 
multilateral foreign aid program.  The Canadian International 
Development Agency (CIDA) will now focus its multilateral aid -- 
spent mostly through NGOs and accounting for C$1.2 billion of its 
approximately C$4 billion total annual aid budget -- on three 
priority themes: 
 
-- increasing food security; 
 
-- stimulating sustainable economic growth (including skills 
training and microcredit); and, 
 
-- securing the future of children and youth. 
 
¶3. (U) Minister Oda described three key operating principles: 
greater efficiency (including untying all aid grants by 2012-13, 
with food aid already fully untied since April 2008); better focus; 
and, more accountability.   She reiterated the government's decision 
since February to invest 80 pct of bilateral resources in 20 target 
recipients, and revealed that any change to this list would require 
Cabinet approval, reflecting the "long-lasting and strategic" nature 
of these priorities.  She insisted that Canada had already met its 
G8 commitment of doubling aid to Africa (C$2.1 billion in 2009) and 
is on track to double its international assistance (to C$5 billion) 
by 2010-2011.  She promised to transfer 15 pct of CIDA's 
headquarters staff to the field. 
 
¶4.  (u)  Minister Oda also highlighted Canadian contributions of 
over C$105 million to the Initiative to Save a Million Lives 
(children's health), of over C$700 million to the Global Fund to 
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and C$200 million to the Stop 
Tuberculosis Partnership, as well as its pledge to eradicate polio 
in Afghanistan by the end of 2009 through a vigorous nationwide 
vaccination program. 
 
"WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT" FOCUS ON OTHER ISSUES 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U)  Minister Oda promised that the "Government as a whole" would 
continue to focus on "complementary themes" of promoting democracy 
and ensuring security and stability, notably in Afghanistan, Haiti, 
and "key countries in Africa and the Americas."  She reiterated the 
government's commitment to create a "Democracy Promotion Agency" 
(ref b), without providing details.  (Septel will describe the 
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's separate 
plans for democracy promotion, especially in the Americas.)   She 
insisted that Canada's commitment to governance, the environment, 
and to equality between men and women remained firm, but underlined 
that that these goals will henceforth be "integrated" into programs 
rather than "hived off into silos of their own."  She also confirmed 
that Canada would continue its efforts to promote freedom, human 
rights, and the rule of law, again without providing details. 
 
¶6. (U) Comment:  the announcement of the revised priorities did not 
come with any new money, and is unlikely to change the way Canada 
Qcome with any new money, and is unlikely to change the way Canada 
delivers assistance to Afghanistan and Haiti, which receive the bulk 
of Canada's foreign aid and where major programs are already in line 
with the new priority themes. 
BREESE