December 1996

Policy coherence
Promote dialogue
Additional programming
Address negative impacts
Respond to extreme situations

Types of interventions
Program partners
Canadian program partners

Information
Consultation
Analysis
New tools
Integration into CIDA systems
Communications
Internal practice

Human rights
Democratization
Civill society
Good governance

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The Government regards respect for human rights not only as a fundamental value, but also as a crucial element in the development of stable, democratic and prosperous societies at peace with each other. (page 34)

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• the role and capacity of civil society in developing countries in order to increase popular participation in decision making;
• democratic institutions in order to develop and sustain responsible government;
• the competence of the public sector in order to promote the effective, honest and accountable exercise of power;
• the capacity of organizations that protect and promote human rights in order to enhance each society's ability to address rights concerns and strengthen the security of the individual; and
• the will of leaders to respect rights, rule democratically and govern effectively.

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• seeking coherence with the broad international consensus on rights, democracy and governance issues reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights treaties, and declarations adopted at recent UN conferences on environment and development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), human rights (Vienna, 1993), population and development (Cairo, 1994), and women (Beijing, 1995); and at the children's summit (New York, 1990) and the social summit (Copenhagen, 1995);
• ensuring effective policy coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
• ensuring proper interdepartmental consultation with such departments as Defence, Finance and Environment; and
• working with provincial governments and other agencies in the public sector, including the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, the International Development Research Centre and the Export Development Corporation, to share information and program insights.

• encouraging Canadian and developing country organizations in civil society to engage in dialogue amongst themselves, with their societies, governments, donor agencies and multilateral institutions;
• engaging, as an Agency, in dialogue with partner organizations to reinforce the mutual understanding and priority placed on these issues in policy and programs;
• working with international financial institutions and other multilateral organizations to integrate the objectives of this policy into their work, through Canada's participation in their governing bodies, in international meetings, and through ongoing dialogue; and
• working in concert with other governments to build understanding, identify issues, share concerns and discuss policy options, including with developing country governments through regular contacts as well as with other donor agencies.

• analyzing the context of developing countries, the needs of partners, opportunities for action, and the capacity of Canadian partners to intervene effectively;
• developing explicit objectives for rights, democracy and governance programming, particularly within the scope of regional/country development policy framework documents and institutional support strategies; and
• continuing to increase programming that directly address rights, democracy and governance objectives.

• consulting with partners and other development agencies to share information and identify promising approaches for the assessment of human rights impacts of programs and policies; and
• investigating and consulting with affected groups and concerned organizations with a view to resolving problems.

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• strengthen the advocacy role of organizations in civil society, including building the capacity for independent social, economic and political analysis, through training, technical assistance, participation in conferences and international networking;
• build the service role of organizations in civil society through funding for institutional development and program initiatives addressing particular needs, for example, the legal rights of street children, humanitarian and legal support for political prisoners and their families, human rights concerns of indigenous peoples, and human rights education;
• build the participation in civil society and the political process more generally of women and other marginalized groups in society, through support for education and outreach programs, and policy development;
• build the role of an independent, responsible media through training, technical assistance and linkages between journalists;
• improve the functioning of the legal system, for example, through the training of judges and practitioners, provision of equipment and facilities, and the provision and dissemination of statutes and law reports;
• assist in the creation and strengthening of national human rights institutions such as human rights commissions and ombuds offices;
• support commissions of investigation, truth commissions and international human rights monitors;
• support the reform of police and security forces, the creation of new police forces as part of peace processes, and the training of staff;
• support law reform, for example, in relation to gender equality, land rights, family law, the media and conditions of work, through technical assistance and study tours;
• widen access to the law through public outreach, legal education, pamphlets on legal issues, training of paralegal workers, and provision of paralegal services;
• support improvements in the functioning of democratic institutions such as legislatures, legislative committees, research branches, offices of the Speaker, through training, provision of equipment and facilities, study tours to Canada and linkages to Canadian institutions;
• support the development of electoral processes, including voter education campaigns, strengthening electoral institutions, providing Canadian observers, supporting domestic observer groups, providing materials and equipment and assisting with electoral mapping;
• develop post-secondary education programs that build knowledge and skills in such areas as human rights law, law reform and policy development;
• support conflict resolution and dialogue initiatives through sponsoring fora, mediation initiatives, networking and linkages to concerned Canadian organizations;
• support governments undergoing democratic transitions, for example, by providing technical assistance on such issues as public service reform, law reform, regulatory reform and policy development, and by upgrading the knowledge and skills of the new leadership;
• assist demobilization of ex-combatants in support of peace/reconciliation initiatives, for example, by providing humanitarian assistance, supporting land registration and transfer programs, and assisting the development of cooperatives;
• support initiatives to remove anti-personnel mines;
• assist governments in developing procedures for financial accountability, such as technical assistance and networking to build the capacity of audit institutions and public accounts committees;
• work with other donor agencies to share information and program insights, and coordinate program interventions and policy approaches; and
• encourage international financial institutions and regional development banks to increase the priority placed on rights, democracy and good governance in their policies and programs.

• departments and agencies of government, including:
  
  
  • departments responsible for justice, prisons, police, internal security, primary and post-secondary education, foreign affairs;
  • central agencies responsible for check and balance mechanisms and public sector reform, such as auditors general, public service commissions, and treasury boards;
  • agencies responsible for the conduct of elections, such as electoral commissions:
  • legislatures and legislative institutions such as the Speaker, legislative committees dealing with justice and public accounts, and the research bureau/ branch;
  • national institutions responsible for human rights protection, including ombuds, human rights commissions, police complaint boards;
  • the court system, including magistrates courts, courts of appeal, supreme courts;
  • law reform commissions; and
  • educational institutions, including universities, colleges, management training institutes.
  
  
• organizations in civil society, including:
  
  
  • grassroots non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working at the community level, focused on particular issues, or based in particular sectors of society; for example: women's rights, health, social welfare, children's issues, education, popular theatre, legal advice, refugee support, people with disabilities, consumers rights;
  • national NGOs that address such issues, and umbrella organizations;
  • churches and church-based organizations;
  • cooperatives and cooperative federations;
  • media;
  • indigenous communities, and community organizations;
  • trade unions, and trade union federations;
  • professional associations, including lawyers, doctors, nurses, auditors, public administrators;
  • business associations, such as chambers of commerce; and
  • regional and international NGOs and networks, and regional and international trade unions and labour organizations.
  
  
• regional and international inter-governmental organizations, including:

• human rights commissions and courts;
• units of regional organizations such as the Commonwealth, la Franco-phonie, and the Organization of American States created to address human rights, law, gender equality, and the status of children.

• departments and agencies of the federal and provincial governments, including justice departments, auditors general, public service commissions, human rights commissions and ombuds;
• professional associations, including associations of lawyers, journalists and public administrator;
• development NGOs;
• church-based organizations;
• labour unions and labour solidarity funds;
• indigenous peoples' organizations;
• educational institutions, such as universities and community colleges, and their associations; and
• Canadian-based international NGOs.

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• consult concerned Canadians, including non-governmental organizations, institutions, private sector organizations and individuals, before actions are taken;
• coordinate development assistance measures with other foreign policy measures as part of an overall Government strategy;
• implement measures in concert with other donor countries to the extent possible;
• base its actions on a broad development analysis that incorporates rights, democracy and governance; CIDA's actions will not be based on an assessment of a recipient government's rights, democracy and governance performance alone;
• build an approach consisting of constructive initiatives, such as support for human rights organizations and other non-governmental organizations, wherever possible, in addition to punitive measures;
• target measures appropriately, for maximum effectiveness;
• minimize the extent to which measures impose a double penalty on those already victimized by abusive governments;
• specify desired results and place emphasis on realistic, achievable objectives;
• establish realistic time-frames for the achievement of results;
• inform Parliament and the Canadian public of the details of all measures taken; and
• closely monitor the implementation of all measures and assess their impact in terms of the objectives of the Government's policy for CIDA on human rights, democratization and good governance.

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• participate actively in the preparation and review of the Department of Foreign Affairs' regular rights, democracy and governance assessments for those countries receiving Canadian development assistance;
• gather additional relevant information from non-governmental organizations, the private sector, international organizations, other governments, academics and others on an ongoing basis;
• through CIDA`s International Development Information Centre, inform staff of, and ensure they have access to, relevant academic and professional literature; and
• support non-governmental organizations' efforts to gather and direct information to the attention of public officials.

• include rights, democracy and governance in regular consultations with partner organizations and recipient governments, and in specially organized consultations dealing with particular issues, countries or regions; and
• consult informally with individuals and organizations on an ongoing basis.

• development needs and constraints with respect to rights, democracy and governance, program opportunities and implementation capacity in developing countries and in Canada.

• the continuation of efforts to identify best practices and results of Agency initiatives with respect to rights, democracy and governance, and to develop indicators of performance;
• the development and application of guidelines in key areas and with respect to particular disadvantaged or vulnerable groups;
• the identification and exploration of niches within which Canadian interventions can be particularly effective, drawing on Canadian expertise and programming capacity;
• the preparation of tools, including studies of Canadian and local capacity to implement programming, frameworks for analysis, needs assessments, identification of potential negative impacts, project level indicators, and evaluation approaches;
• the systematic identification of lessons learned through monitoring, evaluation and dialogue with partners, and their application to policies and programs; and
• the development of staff and managers' skills to analyze, plan, implement and evaluate programs, including through training courses.

• guidelines for the preparation of regional/country development policy frameworks;
• frameworks for program and project funding of non-governmental organizations;
• guidelines for Canadian missions abroad on the use of Canada Funds;
• evaluation systems; and
• project information tracking.

• develop a comprehensive rights, democracy and governance communications strategy for the Agency, and incorporate these issues into branch communications strategies;
• produce and disseminate regular reports on Agency rights, democracy and governance initiatives; and
• disseminate reports on the implementation of this policy.

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• Economic, social and cultural rights, including:

• the right to an adequate standard of living including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.
• the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
• the right to education, including free primary education which shall be compulsory, and to accessible secondary, technical and professional, and higher education.
• the right to work, to receive equal pay for work of equal value, and to protection against unemployment.
• the right of minorities to enjoy their own culture, religion and language.
• the right to participate in the cultural life of one's community.


• Civil and political rights, including:
  
  
  • the right to life, liberty and security of the person.
  • the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
  • the right to a nationality and to reside in one's country.
  • the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
  • the right to vote and be elected in periodic and genuine elections held by secret ballot.
  • the right to be free from arbitrary interference with one's privacy, family, home or correspondence.
  • the right to own property.
  • legal rights such as the rights to due process of law, equal protection of the law, to not be subject to cruel or inhuman punishment, or torture, to be free from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile, and to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
  • such freedoms as the freedom of movement and lawful residence within the borders of a state, of thought, conscience and religion, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association.

• the development and implementation of sound economic and social policies;
• strong management in the public sector, with a professional administrative cadre and an effective public service;
• the existence of a sound, predictable legal framework with a reliable and independent judiciary;
• very low levels of corruption in public life and the existence of effective mechanisms to deal with corruption when it is identified;
• financial probity and accountability, with structures to ensure financial accountability and transparency; and
• appropriate levels of military expenditure, and appropriate roles for the military in civilian life.

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