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Overview: The International Trade and Labour Grants and Contributions Program
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***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.

Program Goals


The International Trade and Labour Program (ITLP) is designed to help the Government of Canada meet its commitment to address the labour dimensions of international trade and economic integration. This commitment focuses on promoting good governance and the rule of law, respect for international labour standards, a more equitable distribution of the benefits of globalization, and participating in international efforts to improve respect for labour rights. As a result, activities eligible for ITLP funding will generally share one or more of these goals.

More specifically, eligible activities will usually be developed in support of one or more of the following key international institutions and agreements, through which Canada directs its main efforts to address globalization’s labour dimensions:
  • the Commission for Labour Cooperation established under the North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation (NAALC);
  • the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour, a forum through which the Labour Ministers of the 34 democratic countries in this hemisphere promote cooperation on labour and employment issues in general and the labour and employment dimension of globalization in particular;
  • the International Labour Organization, a United Nations Special Agency responsible for formulating international labour standards and for reviewing the social dimension of globalization; and
  • labour cooperation agreements, signed in parallel with each free trade agreement signed by Canada since 1993 in order to commit Canada’s trade partners to reflect international labour standards in their domestic labour legislation and to effectively enforce their labour laws.
The ITLP is also designed to assist Canada in keeping a second, related commitment to promote social dialogue. Social dialogue includes negotiation, consultation, or the exchange of information on international trade-related labour issues among representatives of governments and employer and worker organizations. Activities promoting social dialogue in Canada may also be eligible for ITLP funding.

Program Specifics


The ITLP comprises three funding streams, two for grants and one for contributions.

Grants for Technical Assistance and Foreign-Based Cooperative Activities


The first grants stream, Grants for Technical Assistance and Foreign-Based Cooperative Activities, will fund eligible activities that address the labour dimension of globalization in the following specific ways:
  • by supporting the capacity of partner governments to meet their obligations under labour cooperation agreements (LCAs),
  • by supporting foreign-based cooperative activities, usually under the LCAs but also independently of the LCAs, and
  • by supporting measures identified by global or regional consensus through the International Labour Organization or other international institutions as useful or important to addressing the social dimension of globalization.
The total funding available under this stream is $900,000 per year. With few exceptions, the activities funded will be carried out in an appropriate partner country, not in Canada.

Eligible activities under this grants stream include labour capacity-building projects in partner countries, training for key personnel in partner countries, the publication and dissemination in partner countries of information on labour legislation and other issues, workshops and conferences in partner countries on appropriate labour issues, and others. Eligible recipients will be identified from among credible international and domestic organizations providing technical assistance on labour issues.

For full details see Grants for Technical Assistance and Foreign-Based Cooperative Activities, including application forms and guidelines, as well as the relevant Terms and Conditions.

Grants for International Labour Institutions in which Canada Participates


The second grants stream, Grants for International Labour Institutions in which Canada Participates, is designed primarily to fund Canada’s participation in the North American Commission for Labour Cooperation, a tri-national secretariat under the North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation.

The total funding available under this stream is $1,000,000 per year. At present, this stream is reserved exclusively for the Commission and ITLP is not taking other applications.

For full details about Grants for International Labour Institutions in which Canada Participates, please see the relevant Terms and Conditions. Also available in (PDF format, 42kb)

Contributions for Consultation and Partnership-Building and Canadian-Based Cooperative Activities


The ITLP’s sole contribution stream will fund eligible activities that address the labour dimension of globalization in the following specific ways:
  • by facilitating dialogue and greater consensus-building on the issue among Canadian employer and worker organizations and the government;
  • by supporting Canadian-based cooperative activities, usually under the auspices of Canada’s labour cooperation agreements (LCAs);
  • by responding to the Minister of Labour’s agenda with respect to the Advisory Committee on International Affairs (ACILA), in matters pertaining to the federal government’s policies and initiatives on international labour affairs;
  • by providing support to the most representative associations of employers and workers to attend the International Labour Conference.
The total funding available under this stream is $300,000 per year.

Eligible activities under the contributions stream include those enabling the social partners, particularly participants of the Canada Advisory Committee on International Labour Affairs (ACILA), to conduct research and analysis into, develop policy on, and exchange information on international labour issues.

Conferences and seminars, particularly to help different social partners reach consensus on international trade and labour issues, may also be funded. Eligible recipients include Canadian worker and employer organizations, Canadian academics, appropriate non-governmental organizations, and others.

For full details see Contributions for Consultation and Partnership-Building and Canadian-Based Cooperative Activities, including application forms and guidelines, as well as the relevant Terms and Conditions.
     
   
Last modified :  2006-01-19 top Important Notices