Bill C-293

1st Session, 39th Parliament,

55-56 Elizabeth II, 2006-2007

house of commons of canada

BILL C-293

An Act respecting the provision of official development assistance abroad

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act.

PURPOSE

2. (1) The purpose of this Act is to ensure that all Canadian official development assist- ance abroad is provided with a central focus on poverty reduction and in a manner that is consistent with Canadian values, Canadian foreign policy, sustainable development and democracy promotion and that promotes international human rights standards.

(2) Canadian official development assistance abroad shall be defined exclusively with regard to these values.

INTERPRETATION

3. The following definitions apply in this Act.

“Canadian values” means, amongst others, values of global citizenship, equity and envi- ronmental sustainability.

“civil society organization” means a not-for-profit or charitable organization whose governing structure is independent of government direction, and includes, but is not limited to, registered charities, non-governmental development organizations, community groups, wom- en’s organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions, human rights organizations and advocacy groups.

“competent minister” means any minister des­ignated by the Governor in Council to provide official development assistance in relation to this Act.

“democracy” includes, but is not limited to, political and civil rights as defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“international agency” means any organization whose objectives include global poverty reduction or international human­itarian assistance.

“international assistance” means funding provided by government for international development, international financial institutions, global peace and security, crises overseas and international development research.

“international human rights standards” means standards that are based on international human rights conventions and on international customary law.

“Minister” means the Minister of International Cooperation or any other minister designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act.

“official development assistance” means international assistance

(a) that is administered with the principal objective of promoting the economic development and welfare of developing countries, that is concessional in character, that conveys a grant element of at least 25%, and that meets the requirements set out in section 4; or

(b) that is provided for the purpose of alleviating the effects of a natural or artificial disaster or other emergency occurring outside Canada.

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

4. (1) Official development assistance may be provided only if the competent minister is of the opinion that it

(a) contributes to poverty reduction;

(b) takes into account the perspectives of the poor; and

(c) is consistent with international human rights standards.

(1.1) Notwithstanding subsection (1), official development assistance may be provided for the purposes of alleviating the effects of a natural or artificial disaster or other emergency occurring outside Canada.

(2) In arriving at the opinion described in subsection (1), the competent minister shall consult with governments, international agencies and Canadian civil society organizations.

(3) In calculating Canada’s official development assistance contribution in Government of Canada publications, the competent minister or the Governor in Council shall consider only official development assistance as defined by this Act that meets the criteria in subsections (1) and (1.1).

(4) Nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to limit the funding or restrict the activities of the International Development Research Centre.

REPORTS

5. (1) The Minister or the competent minister shall cause to be submitted to each House of Parliament, within six months after the termination of each fiscal year or, if that House is not then sitting, on any of the first five days next thereafter that the House is sitting, a report containing

(a) the total amount spent by the Government of Canada on official development assistance in the previous fiscal year;

(b) a summary of any activity or initiative taken under this Act;

(c) a summary of the annual report submitted under the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act;

(d) a summary of any representation made by Canadian representatives with respect to priorities and policies of the Bretton Woods Institutions; and

(e) a summary of the Departmental Perform­ance Report of the Canadian International Development Agency.

(2) The Minister shall issue a statistical report on the disbursement of official development assistance within one year after the end of each fiscal year.

(3) The Minister of Finance shall, in addition to preparing the report required under section 13 of the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act, contribute the following to the report submitted to Parliament under subsection (1):

(a) the position taken by Canada on any resolution that is adopted by the Board of Governors of the Bretton Woods Institutions; and

(b) a summary of the manner in which Canada's activities under the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act have contributed to carrying out the purpose of this Act.

COMING INTO FORCE

6. This Act comes into force 30 days after the day on which it receives royal assent.