Bolivia
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Canada's Commitment
Results
Country Profile
Canada's Commitment
Bolivia has been an important recipient of Canadian aid since Canada's development assistance began in 1967. Today, Bolivia is one of Canada's 25 development partner countries, and a country where the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is increasing its aid in priority sectors. In 2003–2004, Canadian assistance to Bolivia was nearly $26 million.
The overall goal of CIDA's bilateral (country-to-country) program is to reduce poverty and raise the living standards and quality of life of poor Bolivians by:
- meeting their basic human needs through improved access to essential health and related services such as safe water and sanitation; and
- improving governance by focussing on democracy and human rights, public sector reforms, and better regulations for strategic economic sectors.
Some basic human needs of Bolivians
are being met thanks to the CIDA-funded
Hueko Water Tank Project.
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The Bolivia program also promotes gender equality in all sectors and through specific gender programming.
Instead of funding a large number of small, isolated projects as it has in the past, CIDA is rationalizing its investments in both the health and governance sectors. The Agency works very closely with the Government of Bolivia and other donors to identify the initiatives that would best support these sectors. Programming in Bolivia, as identified in the Country Development Programming Framework (2003-2007), is closely aligned with the principles of Bolivia's poverty reduction strategy.
CIDA also supports Bolivia's development through its multilateral programs, which works with the United Nations and other international organizations, and its partnership programs, which funds the projects of Canadian non-governmental organizations in Bolivia.
 Results
Canada is making a difference in Bolivia in a number of ways. For example, CIDA projects have:
- promoted fair and free elections through voter registration and electoral monitoring;
- lowered infant mortality by improving access to health care, vaccinations, and clean water;
- provided technical assistance in the natural gas sector that generated more resources for social spending; and
- defended the human rights of the country's poor majority.
A case in point is CIDA's flagship human rights project in Bolivia that together with seven other donors, supports the Defender of the People (National Ombudsman's Office). In 2004-2005, this project helped the Ombudsman handle thousands of citizen complaints, mediate in 70 social conflicts, make positive interventions in family violence legislation, and provide ongoing human rights training to military and police forces.
Country Profile
Children are cared for and fed at a
CIDA-funded daycare centre in
Cochabamba, Bolivia.
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Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. Nearly two-thirds of its people live in poverty, including one-third who live in conditions of extreme poverty. While these figures are very high, Bolivia has lowered the poverty rate from levels that were even higher than they are today. Even so, the gap between the rich and the poor is getting worse and remains second only to Brazil in the southern hemisphere. Widespread discontent with the slow pace of change has fuelled massive protests and destabilized the political system.
At the same time, the Bolivian government's economic and social reforms have advanced over the last decade. These reforms are designed to meet the poorest people's basic needs, consolidate democracy, improve social programs, tackle corruption, and strengthen public institutions.
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