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Canada's Commitment
Looking Ahead
Many pressing global problems, such as the spread of infectious disease, financial crises or climate change, are too large for any one country to tackle on its own. They affect the well-being, security and prosperity of all countries, and dealing with them calls for the joint resources and commitment of the world community.
Multilateral organizations play a wide range of roles in the world that can be summarized in three categories: normative, developmental and humanitarian. They help set the rules for the governance of the world economy and in areas such as health, agriculture, human rights, peace and security and humanitarian assistance. They influence the development agenda, set international objectives like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and help catalyze funding for humanitarian disasters and for global development challenges - for HIV-AIDS for example.
Multilateral organizations monitor progress on the ground and limit the number of "aid orphans" by playing a significant role in countries where bilateral donors do not want to engage. And they provide economies of scale and of scope, allowing individuals donors - like Canada - to help many more countries than they could effectively help on their own. They are termed "multilateral" organizations because they are supported by many countries, and they include:
- International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and regional development banks;
- UN Development Organizations such as the United Nations Development Program, UNICEF, and UNAIDS;
- Global Funds and Partnerships, particularly in health, like the Global Environment Facility, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations and environment with the Global Environment Fund;
- Humanitarian Assistance such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the World Food Program which is providing food aid;
- Commonwealth and La Francophonie
 Canada’s Commitment
Canada strongly values a multilateral approach to global problems, whether they relate to development, humanitarian issues, economic and financial matters or political disputes. This statement has been reinforced in Canada's International Policy Statement. Multilateral systems provide the best prospects for an inclusive process to set the "rules for international conduct" and a forum to promote values important to Canada, including democracy, human development and social justice.
We count on them to help influence the direction and pace of development by:
- setting goals such as the MDGs,
- shepherding processes such as the Poverty Reduction Strategies, aid coordination and donor harmonization, and
- financing economic development and social services through the UN system and the Multilateral Development Banks
Multilateral Programs Branch is CIDA’s window on the multilateral system and manages the development aspects of Canada’s relations with these organizations. It provides financial support for multilateral organizations and helps determine their policies and programs throughout the world. Foreign Affairs Canada manages the political relationship with the UN system, Finance Department manages the relationship with the IMF and shares with CIDA the management of the relationship with the World Bank. Health Canada, Environment Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and others are also involved in the management of Canada’s relationship with specialized UN Agencies. About one-third of Canada’s development assistance goes to multilateral organizations.
The objective of Multilateral Programs Branch is to strengthen the ability and effectiveness of multilateral organizations to reduce poverty and, in particular, to meet the MDGs in health, education, gender equality and environmental sustainability. A stable, effective multilateral system not only contributes to achieving these development results, it also helps create a secure and prosperous environment for Canadians at home and abroad.
Looking Ahead
The challenges that the multilateral system is facing are changing. First and foremost, the system, as with all donor agencies, is under increasing pressure to demonstrate results on the ground, i.e., to show that their policies and programs are helping to change people's lives for the better. They have all committed to work towards the achievement of the Aid effectiveness targets established by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris in March 2005. Another major challenge is the ongoing UN reform Agenda as set out in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document.
As well, countries have shown a growing interest in dealing with issues such as international justice, environmental sustainability and equitable trade relationships, which are increasingly seen as key to resolving the fundamental challenges of poverty alleviation and social development. There are new voices in the global arena: grassroots organizations, groups working for human rights and social justice, the private sector, and governments of many developing countries, that were not previously heard. In addition, as the strong links between what happens internationally and developments in our own country become increasingly clear, more and more Canadians, and Canadian organizations—from community groups and educational institutions to governments at all levels—are working in international development.
Multilateral Programs Branch is working to meet these challenges and to position Canada for a continuing active role in the 21st Century. The Branch is strengthening its ability to influence policy across the entire multilateral system. It is cooperating with its partners to:
- Improve the effectiveness of individual institutions and the multilateral system as a whole;
- Create and share knowledge about human development for better programming;
- Improve the response to humanitarian crises; and
- Promote Canadian values and engage Canadians in the multilateral system.
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