Flag of Canada
Government of Canada Government of Canada
 
Français Contact Us Help Search Canada Site
About SDC Services Where You Live Policies & Programs A-Z Index Home
   
Services for you

Capacity-Building Projects and the International Trade and Labour Program

   Our Ministers
 What's New
 Media Room
 Publications
 Forms
 E-Services
 Frequently Asked Questions
 Our Partner Sites
 Accessibility Features

  Services for: Individuals Business Organizations Services Where You Live
 
***ANNOUNCEMENT***

The November 15, 2005 application deadline for the ITLP funding stream titled Contributions for Consultation and Partnership-Building and Canadian-Based Cooperative Activities has been extended to March 15, 2006. Applications received prior to the original deadline will still be assessed. Meanwhile, eligible Canadian organizations/parties are encouraged to apply. For information on applicant and project eligibility, application guidelines, and an application form, please visit http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/lp/ila/Contributions_consultation/index.shtml.

Over the 10 years that Canada has been negotiating Labour Cooperation Agreements, the Labour Program has faced increasing requests for technical assistance from its partners in developing countries. Most common are requests for capacity-building projects, such as training workshops or subject-specific seminars aimed at helping the requesting country to modernize its labour policy and administration, with a view to better respecting internationally-recognized core labour standards. 

Canada recognizes that meeting requests for capacity-building assistance is important. Since our partners in Labour Cooperation Agreements are required to effectively enforce their domestic labour legislation, and because this legislation should reflect core labour standards, providing technical assistance is a cooperative means of enabling our partners to meet their Agreement obligations. This in turn makes our Agreements more effective. Furthermore, because research indicates that the most successful economies are those that respect core labour standards, capacity-building assistance to this end is key to helping our partners improve their long-term economic performance and social stability.

One way that Canada responds to labour-related capacity-building assistance priorities in partner countries is to include a program of cooperative activities inside Labour Cooperation Agreements. In past years, these programs focused mainly on information exchange between Canada and the partner country, but more recently they have started to include an active capacity-building dimension. Return to the Cooperative Activities section of the pages on the North America Agreement on Labour Cooperation (NAALC), the Canada-Chile Agreement on Labour Cooperation, and the Canada-Costa Rica Agreement on Labour Cooperation to learn more.

A second means of responding to technical assistance requests is through inter-departmental cooperation. For example, the Labour Program is currently partnering with the Canadian International Development Agency to develop a labour capacity-building project that will benefit the Caribbean Community. The details of this project, due to begin in 2006, are still being finalized. Please visit this page again for updates.

A third way by which Canada plans to respond to partner countries’ labour needs is through a new grants and contributions program—the International Trade and Labour Program (ITLP). The ITLP provides eligible delivery agents with funds to carry out labour-related capacity-building projects in countries in the Americas. These are usually connected to a specific Labour Cooperation Agreement, but other projects can be considered. A modest funding stream is also earmarked for Canada-based projects, mainly with respect to advancing social dialogue among government, business, and labour. Please ENTER the ITLP page for a full overview of the ITLP, including how to apply for a ITLP grant or contribution and to see a list of current ITLP projects.
     
   
Last modified :  2006-01-19 top Important Notices