CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE TO END POVERTY AND INJUSTICE:
A CANADIAN 10-POINT AGENDA

The Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) gratefully acknowledges the financial
support provided for this document by the Canadian Partnerships Program of the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Thanks are due to all the CCIC members and staff who contributed so much time, expertise and
enthusiasm to the development of this 10-Point Agenda. The Council is also grateful for the important
contributions made by a number of outside experts and consultants. CCIC remains responsible for any
errors.

All or part of this document may be reproduced and used for nonprofit purposes, provided that CCIC is
credited as the source. Use of any part of this document for commercial purposes is forbidden without prior
written permission from CCIC.

For additional information, contact:

Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC)
1 Nicholas Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7
613-241-7007 info@ccic.ca www.ccic.ca

ISBN: 978-1-896622-52-1

The Global Challenge to End Poverty and Injustice: A Canadian 10-Point Agenda also published in French
as: Le dfi mondial dliminer la pauvret et linjustice : un programme canadien en 10 points.

All rights reserved.
Canadian Council for International Co-operation 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I nt roduct ion: Keepi ng Promi ses, Af f i rmi ng Ri ght s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Povert y and Ri ght s i n t he 10-Point Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Current Gl obal Cont ext . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A Cal l t o Act i on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A Canadian 10-Point Agenda at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Point 1: Promot e Womens Ri ght s and Equal i t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Point 2: Promot e Heal t h and Educat i on f or Al l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Point 3: Promot e t he Ri ght t o Food and Sust ai nabl e
Li vel i hoods f or Food Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Point 4: Bui l d Gl obal Economi c Just i ce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Point 5: Ensure Corporat e Account abi l i t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Point 6: Promot e Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Point 7: Promot e Gl obal Envi ronment al Just i ce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Point 8: Support Democrat i c Governance and Gl obal Ci t i zenshi p . . . . 82
Point 9: Bui l d a Democrat i c and Ef f ect i ve Mul t i l at eral Syst em . . . . . . 90
Point 10: Achi eve More and Bet t er Ai d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Endnot es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR
INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE TO END POVERTY AND INJUSTICE:
A CANADIAN 10-POINT AGENDA
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For more t han 40 years, Canadi an Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons
(CSOs) have w orked w i t h count erpart s i n Lat i n Ameri ca,
Asi a and Af ri ca t o end povert y and i nj ust i ce. These act i ons
of sol i dari t y and support have f ormed part of a w i der ri ppl e
of act i on around t he w orl d by ci t i zens of many count ri es
w orki ng w i t hi n and across borders, seeki ng a w orl d f ree of
want , i nsecuri t y and f ear. Canadi an ef f ort s are w oven i nt o
t he t apest ry of gl obal st ruggl es f or a f ai rer w orl d f rom
accompani ment of earl y pol i t i cal l i berat i on st ruggl es i n
Sout h America and Africa, t o support for sust ainable agricult ure
and w omens savi ngs cooperat i ves i n Asi a; f rom campai gns
against debt , unfair t rade and corporat e misconduct , t o support
f or t he l andmi nes t reat y, t he Int ernat i onal Cri mi nal Court ,
and Uni t ed Nat i ons (UN) agendas f or decent w ork and f or
w omens equal i t y.
The Canadi an Counci l f or Int ernat i onal Co-operat i on (CCIC)
i s no st ranger t o povert y i ssues. Founded i n 1968, t he Counci l
now bri ngs t oget her cl ose t o 100 Canadi an CSOs t hat w ork
on t he f ront l i nes of povert y eradi cat i on, i n Canada and
around t he worl d. The Counci l s exi st ence has al ways ref l ect ed
t he det ermi nat i on of i t s members t o w ork col l aborat i vel y f or
changes t o t he pol i ci es i n t he i nt ernat i onal syst em t hat
cause povert y and i nequal i t y and degrade t he pl anet . Our
primary ent ry point in t his syst em is ourselves: our government ,
our corporat ions, and our own organizat ions. What can we do?
Thi s 10-Point Agenda for Global Action to End Poverty
and Injustice l ays out a Canadi an ci vi l soci et y vi si on of how
Canada can pl ay a deci si ve rol e i n hel pi ng t o end gl obal
povert y and i nj ust i ce. Thi s i s t he second edi t i on of t he
Agenda, w hi ch was f i rst l aunched i n 1997. It ref l ect s current
t rends and chal l enges f rom a Canadi an perspect i ve and l ays
out priorit ies f or changes in policy and pract ice f or government
and CSOs i n 10 key areas.
The 10-Point Agenda i s more t han t he sum of i t s part s.
It ref l ect s CCIC members hol i st i c underst andi ng of t he
chal l enges of gl obal povert y. And i t underscores t hat our
desi re f or soci al change spri ngs not merel y f rom chari t y or
good i nt ent i ons, but f rom a commi t ment t o j ust i ce and
human ri ght s.
KEEPING PROMISES, AFFIRMING RIGHTS
A Message From The President and Chief Executive Officer
Overcomi ng povert y i s not a gest ure of chari t y. It i s an act of j ust i ce. It i s t he prot ect i on of f undament al
human ri ght s. Everyone everyw here has t he ri ght t o l i ve w i t h di gni t y; f ree f rom f ear and oppressi on, f ree
f rom hunger and t hi rst , and f ree t o express t hemsel ves and associ at e at wi l l . Yet i n t hi s new cent ury, mi l l i ons
of peopl e remai n i mpri soned, ensl aved, and i n chai ns... Whi l e povert y persi st s, t here i s no t rue f reedom.
Nel son Mandel a, Amnest y Int ernat i onal Ambassador of Consci ence 2006
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Povert y and Ri ght s i n t he 10-Point Agenda
For CCIC, t he uni versal human st ruggl e t o escape povert y
and pursue a l i f e of di gni t y is t he st ruggl e t o cl ai m human
ri ght s ri ght t o f ood, t o w ork, t o heal t h and t o educat i on,
and ri ght s t o organi ze, t o vot e and t o f reel y assembl e
w i t hout f ear.
In t he l ast 60 years, t he w orl ds government s have adopt ed
a seri es of decl arat i ons t hat est abl i sh t he ri ght s of w omen,
men, boys and gi rl s everyw here, and enshri ne t hem as st at e
obl i gat i ons under i nt ernat i onal l aw. Under i nt ernat i onal
human ri ght s l aw, st at es have an obl i gat i on t o respect rights
(ref rai n f rom pol i cy measures l i kel y t o depri ve peopl e of
access t o t hei r ri ght s), protect rights (ensure t hat non-st at e
act ors, including corporat ions, do not violat e or deprive people
of t hei r ri ght s) and fulfill rights (t ake posi t i ve act i on t o bui l d
t he policy and inst it ut ional framework t o ensure t he enjoyment
of ri ght s f or al l ). Government s must be gui ded by t hese
obl i gat i ons as t hey seek t o f aci l i t at e and regul at e heal t hy
economi es, promot e f l ouri shi ng soci et i es and saf eguard
t he envi ronment .
Government s have agreed t o t hese obl i gat i ons. How ever,
t hese ri ght s remai n i l l usory f or t he t ens of mi l l i ons of peopl e
w ho l i ve w i t h t he dai l y real i t y of war, i nsecuri t y, repressi on,
poor housi ng, hunger, i l l heal t h and i l l i t eracy. In part i cul ar,
t he pervasi ve, syst emat i c vi ol at i on of t he ri ght s of w omen
and gi rl s l i es at t he core of povert y and i nj ust i ce w orl dw i de.
Ensuri ng gender equal i t y i s t hus a cri t i cal pri ori t y.
CCIC and i t s members have al ways underst ood t hat t he
engi ne of progressi ve change t o address i nj ust i ces i s, f i rst
and f oremost , ci t i zen act i on. When w omen oppose vi ol ence
i n t hei r homes and communi t i es, w hen w orkers organi ze
agai nst repressi on, w hen f armers st ruggl e f or l and and
l i vel i hood, t hi ngs can change f or t he bet t er. Ci vi l soci et y
and social movement s play key roles in proposing alt ernat ives,
i n organi zi ng t o encourage democrat i c change and i n hol di ng
government s account abl e t o t hei r promi ses t o respect , prot ect
and f ul f i l l ri ght s.
And as w e support ci t i zen act i on t o promot e ri ght s and
end povert y, CCIC members underscore t he i mport ance of
addressi ng pow er rel at i ons w i t hi n ci vi l soci et y i t sel f. If w e
want t o end excl usi on and di scri mi nat i on, t he voi ces and
i nt erest s of w omen, Indi genous peopl es, chi l dren, mi grant
w orkers and ot her poor and margi nal i zed sect ors must be
cent ral i n movement s f or change. Gi ven t he cent ral i t y of
gender equalit y, CSOs, as well as corporat ions and government ,
must anal yze t he i mpl i cat i ons of t hei r act i ons f or w omens
ri ght s and equal i t y. What s more, t hey must demonst rat e
how t hei r act i ons cont ri but e t o great er equal i t y bet w een
w omen and men.
CIDA/ ACDI
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Current gl obal cont ext
Si nce t he ori gi nal 10-Point Agenda was publ i shed, si gni f i cant
new t rends have emerged t hat shape t he gl obal and nat i onal
cont ext f or t he st ruggl e t o end povert y and prot ect ri ght s.
Some of t hese t rends are posit ive: import ant new commit ment s
and si gns of progress. But ot hers are more t roubl i ng, and
poi nt t o t he need f or great er ci t i zen and government act i on.
The UN summi t s of t he 1990s f rom Ri o de Janei ro t o Vi enna
t o Copenhagen t o Beijing laid out an import ant int ernat ional
agenda of promi ses and commi t ment s t o meet t arget s f or
real i zi ng ri ght s and devel opment . In 2000, some of t hese
commi t ment s w ere brought t oget her i n t he United Nations
Millennium Declaration and t he Mi l l enni um Devel opment
Goal s (MDGs), w i t h t arget s f or 2015. In part i cul ar, w omens
right s advocat es were crit ical of t he MDG scope and indicat ors.
They argued i t w as a mi ni mal i st agenda t hat f ai l ed t o
i ncorporat e t he breadt h or i nt ernat i onal commi t ment s
t o w omens ri ght s.
Neari ng t he hal f way poi nt of t he MDG peri od, some si gns
of progress are vi si bl e: t he Human Devel opment Report s of
t he UN Devel opment Programme (UNDP), f or exampl e, show
t hat l i f e expect ancy and l i t eracy rat es are st i l l i ncreasi ng i n
t he devel opi ng worl d, whi l e t he gl obal gender gap i n pri mary
school enrol ment i s shri nki ng.
Despit e much rhet oric, however, t he int ernat ional commit ment s
of t he 1990s remain woefully unmet . If current t rends cont inue,
t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y st ands l i t t l e hope of achi evi ng
even t he modest ambi t i ons of t he M DGs. And, cri t i cal l y,
t he i mport ant advances agai nst povert y i n t he f i rst decades
of devel opment co-operat i on have begun t o sl ow dow n.
In some pl aces, part i cul arl y i n Af ri ca, human devel opment
i ndi cat ors are goi ng backwards. Bet w een 1990 and 2003,
18 count ri es, w i t h a combi ned popul at i on of 460 mi l l i on
peopl e, dropped i n t he UNDP Human Devel opment Index
ranki ngs.
1
Twel ve of t hese count ri es are i n sub-Saharan Af ri ca.
Gl obal l y, human devel opment i nequal i t i es are wi deni ng. Many
devel opi ng count ri es w i t h i mpressi ve economi c grow t h
records, such as Chi na, have not t ransl at ed t hei r i ncreasi ng
wealt h int o human development gains. The era of globalizat ion,
marked by di zzyi ng success i n t echnol ogi cal i nnovat i on and
sci ent i f i c advances, has f ai l ed t o address t he bl i ght of gl obal
povert y and i nequal i t y.
2
In recent years, t he mul t i l at eral syst em t hrough w hi ch
government s negot i at e mut ual commi t ment s t o achi eve
global public goals has f rayed. It is now discredit ed, in disarray
and wi t hout ef f ect i ve l eadershi p and enf orcement . Corporat e
pow er has surged. The i nt ernat i onal economi c i nst i t ut i ons,
l ed by t he maj or pow ers of t he Nort h and operat i ng out si de
t he UN f ami l y, have undermi ned t he MDGs and t he broader
agendas f or real i zi ng ri ght s agreed t o at t he UN summi t s of
t he 1990s. These i nst i t ut i ons and government s have chart ed
an i nt ernat i onal regul at ory regi me t hat advances t he i nt erest s
of corporat ions at t he expense of people and t he environment .
The gl obal securi t y agenda, w hi ch has ecl i psed al l ot hers
si nce Sept ember 11, 2001, has f urt her undermi ned t he basi s
f or mul t i l at eral co-operat i on among di verse regi onal pl ayers.
Uni l at eral act i on by t he Uni t ed St at es and short -t erm pol i t i cal
al l i ances around securi t y i nt erest s have undermi ned UN
t reat i es, agreement s and human ri ght s covenant s, and eroded
ci vi l l i bert i es and devel opment pri ori t i es i n many count ri es.
While t he int ernat ional communit y uses concern for womens
ri ght s t o j ust i f y i nt ervent i on, i t s aggressi ve peacebui l di ng
ef f ort s regul arl y i gnore t he needs of w omen.
Whi l e t hese t rends are t roubl i ng, more posi t i ve t rends
are al so emergi ng. Indi a, Brazi l , Chi na and ot her new l y
The Mi l l enni um Devel opment Goal s
Goal 1: Eradi cat e ext reme povert y and hunger
Goal 2: Achi eve uni versal pri mary educat i on
Goal 3: Promot e gender equal i t y and empow er
w omen
Goal 4: Reduce chi l d mort al i t y
Goal 5: Improve mat ernal heal t h
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, mal ari a and ot her
di seases
Goal 7: Ensure envi ronment al sust ai nabi l i t y
Goal 8: Devel op a gl obal part nershi p f or
devel opment
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i ndust ri al i zi ng count ri es are i ncreasi ngl y chal l engi ng t he
domi nat i on of t he Nort h i n gl obal i nst i t ut i ons. Whi l e i t s not
yet cl ear how t hese new pow er conf i gurat i ons w i l l pl ay out
f or poor and margi nal i zed peopl e, i t i s cl ear t hat gl obal i zat i on
has wit nessed growing int erconnect ions of peoples movement s,
Nort h and Sout h. From t he Worl d Trade Organi zat i on (WTO)
prot est s in Seat t le and Cancun t o t he celebrat ion of alt ernat ives
and di versi t y at t he Worl d Soci al Forums, ci t i zen movement s
have provoked i nt ernat i onal act i ons i n common cause t o
resi st t he enri chment of a gl obal el i t e and t he i mpoveri shment
of a gl obal maj ori t y.
A key exampl e of act i ons i n common cause i s t he Gl obal
Cal l t o Act i on Agai nst Povert y. Launched i n 2005, t he i ni t i at i ve
i nspi red Canadi an CSOs t o devel op t he Make Povert y Hi st ory
campai gn, w hi ch has ral l i ed more t han 700 organi zat i ons
and 250,000 Canadi ans. The Canadi an campai gn has a
f our-part pl at f orm t hat cal l s f or debt cancel l at i on, t rade
j ust i ce, more and bet t er ai d and measures t o combat chi l d
povert y i n Canada. In Qubec, t he campai gn Un monde sans
pauvret : Agissons! has mobi l i zed t housands of ci t i zens t o
part i ci pat e i n di verse act i ons agai nst povert y. The ent husi ast i c
public response t o t hese init iat ives has underscored t he hunger
of ci t i zens t o t ake meani ngf ul act i on t o bui l d a bet t er w orl d.
A Cal l t o Act i on
In t hi s Canadi an 10-Point Agenda to End Global Poverty and
Injustice, CCIC and i t s member organi zat i ons st art f rom a
si mpl e premi se. The i nt ernat i onal communi t y shoul d uphol d
promi ses made t o humani t y i n t he Millennium Declaration.
We must prot ect and real i ze human ri ght s. We must t ackl e
t he causes of povert y. Fi nal l y, we must progressi vel y el i mi nat e
povert y i n al l i t s many gui ses. Government s and ci t i zens
t he w orl d over must t ake unprecedent ed ef f ort s t o make
t hi s happen.
Thi s Agenda gi ves expressi on t o our know l edge t hat w e
must bol st er pract i cal ef f ort s t hrough enabl i ng pol i cy, and
t hat pol i cy commi t ment s are hol l ow wi t hout act i on. It out l i nes
how we must now t ranslat e government s many commit ment s
i nt o nat i onal and i nst i t ut i onal pol i ci es. As such, t he Agenda
builds on init iat ives like The World is our Shared Responsibility,
a recent decl arat i on of Quebec CSOs t hat l ays out an agenda
for creat ing relat ions of solidarit y and just ice among t he worlds
peopl es. Overal l , t he 10-Point Agenda support s t he pract i cal
ef f ort s of CCIC s members i n sol i dari t y w i t h t housands of
devel opi ng-count ry CSOs. Each has a uni que f ocus, program
and publ i c, but al l converge i n t he desi re t o bui l d a j ust
w orl d, w here al l human ri ght s are respect ed and povert y i s
no more.
Incl uded i n t hi s Agenda i s a l i st i ng of t he CCIC members
w ho are w orki ng i n each of t he 10 t hemat i c areas as part
of a w i der and unst oppabl e gl obal movement f or change.
Joi n us.
Gerry Barr
President -CEO, Canadian Council for Int ernat ional Co-operat ion
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Roger Lemoyne
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The Ri ght s Evol ut i on
1948: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provi des a basi s of common norms.
1948: The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide came i nt o f orce i n 1951
and out l i nes t he act of genoci de and ot her puni shabl e of f ences.
1949: The Geneva Conventions (19072005) regul at es t he conduct of host i l i t i es bet w een warri ng part i es. It
uphol ds t hat combat ant s must l i mi t t arget s and w eapons so as t o not cause suf f eri ng t o, or t arget ci vi l i ans.
1951: The Convention relating to the Status of Refugees came i nt o f orce i n 1954.
1965: The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination came i nt o f orce i n 1969.
1966: The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights came i nt o f orce i n 1976. It uphol ds t he ri ght s t o
sel f -det ermi nat i on, l i f e, l i bert y, f reedom of movement , expressi on, assembl y, f ai r t ri al and equal t reat ment
bef ore t he l aw, et c.
1966: The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights came i nt o f orce i n 1976. It covers ri ght s
t o work, fair and adequat e employment , educat ion, ment al and physical healt h, shelt er and reasonable st andards
of l i vi ng.
1979: The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women came i nt o f orce i n 1981.
1984: The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came i nt o
f orce i n 1987.
1986: The Declaration on the Right to Development provi des non-bi ndi ng norms.
1989: The Convention on the Rights of the Child came i nt o f orce i n 1990.
1990: The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their
Families came i nt o f orce i n 2003. As of earl y 2007, no devel oped count ri es had rat i f i ed t hi s Convent i on.
1992: The Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. A t ext f or an Int ernat i onal
Convent i on exi st s but has not come i nt o f orce.
1998: The Int ernat i onal Labour Organi zat i on (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
commi t s Member St at es t o respect and promot e: f reedom of associ at i on and t he ri ght t o col l ect i ve bargai ni ng,
t he eliminat ion of f orced or compulsory labour, t he abolit ion of child labour and t he eliminat ion of discriminat ion
i n respect of empl oyment and occupat i on.
2006: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and i t s Opt i onal Prot ocol w ere adopt ed by t he
Uni t ed Nat i ons General Assembl y (UNGA) on December 13, 2006. They have not yet ent ered i nt o f orce.
2007: The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples passed i n t he UNGA i n Sept ember 2007. It i s a
non-bi ndi ng document .
For addi t i onal i nf ormat i on, see www2.ohchr.org/ english/ law/
8
The Global Challenge to End Poverty
and Injustice:
A CANADIAN 10-POINT AGENDA
AT A GLANCE
Point 1: Promot e Womens Ri ght s and Equal i t y
Accel erat e act i on on Canadas i nt ernat i onal commi t ment s t o w omens equal i t y by promot i ng and i nvest i ng i n w omens soci al ,
pol i t i cal , economi c and cul t ural ri ght s. Canada s act i ons must i ncl ude si gni f i cant support f or w omen s organi zat i ons, as w el l
as expl i ci t at t ent i on t o gender i nequal i t i es across al l i nt ernat i onal i ni t i at i ves i n di pl omacy, ai d, t rade and def ence.
Point 2: Promot e Heal t h and Educat i on f or Al l
Uphol d Canadas obl i gat i ons t o f ul f i l l t he ri ght s t o heal t h and educat i on by ensuri ng our ai d program, as w el l as i nt ernat i onal
f i nance and t rade pol i ci es, support t he devel opment of hi gh-qual i t y heal t h care and educat i on syst ems i n devel opi ng count ri es
t hat are uni versal l y accessi bl e, as w el l as publ i cl y f unded and admi ni st ered.
Point 3: Promot e t he Ri ght t o Food and Ensure Sust ai nabl e Li vel i hoods f or Food Producers
i n Devel opi ng Count ri es
Provi de l eadershi p i n uphol di ng t he ri ght t o f ood t hrough Canadi an f orei gn pol i cy, ensuri ng al l count ri es, i ncl udi ng t he poorest ,
can pursue di verse, producer-l ed and sust ai nabl e agri cul t ural devel opment st rat egi es. As part of t hi s agenda, make smal l -scal e
agri cul t ure and sust ai nabl e l i vel i hoods f or f ood producers (smal l f armers, past oral i st s, Indi genous peopl es, f i shers) an ai d pri ori t y,
and ensure gl obal t rade rul es hel p rat her t han harm smal l producers and hungry peopl e.
Point 4: Bui l d Gl obal Economi c Just i ce
Pursue more equi t abl e and account abl e rul es f or i nt ernat i onal t rade, f i nance and i nvest ment f l ows t hat respect st at es obl i gat i ons
t o promot e equal i t y and devel op nat i onal pl ans f or t he progressi ve real i zat i on of human ri ght s f or al l . Promot e cancel l at i on of
t he debt of t he poorest count ri es, w hi l e support i ng means t o co-ordi nat e f ai r and i nnovat i ve t axat i on approaches t o f i nance
devel opment goal s.
Point 5: Ensure Corporat e Account abi l i t y
Enact l egi sl at i on t hat requi res Canadi an corporat i ons operat i ng out si de Canada t o meet and be account abl e t o i nt ernat i onal
human ri ght s, l abour and envi ronment al st andards i n al l t hei r operat i ons w orl dw i de. Ensure t ransparent corporat e report i ng
agai nst t hese st andards and make Canadi an publ i c support t o corporat i ons cont i ngent upon compl i ance.
9
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Point 6: Promot e Peace
Engage w i t h conf l i ct -af f ect ed soci et i es t o promot e peace, emphasi zi ng a t ransparent , ri ght s-based and coherent engagement
st rat egy. Canadi an pol i ci es shoul d st rengt hen i nt ernat i onal norms and regul at i ons, as w el l as l ocal capaci t i es f or peace and
peacebui l di ng. Canada shoul d f ul f i l l i t s obl i gat i ons t o i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s and humani t ari an l aw by prot ect i ng vul nerabl e
peopl e, part i cul arl y chi l dren, and i ncl udi ng speci al measures t o prot ect women and gi rl s f rom sexual and gender-based vi ol ence.
Point 7: Promot e Gl obal Envi ronment al Just i ce
Prot ect and rehabi l i t at e t he envi ronment al commons and decrease our ecol ogi cal f oot pri nt w i t h st rat egi es and approaches
consi st ent w i t h endi ng gl obal povert y and reduci ng i nequal i t i es. Support t he ri ght t o l i vel i hood f or poor and vul nerabl e peopl e
i n harmony w i t h a sust ai nabl e envi ronment . Ensure Canada meet s i t s obl i gat i ons t o i nt ernat i onal envi ronment al t reat i es and
agreement s. Take f ul l account of t he i nt erest s, capaci t i es and know l edge of di verse peopl es i n devel opi ng count ri es and f or
f ut ure generat i ons.
Point 8: Support Democrat i c Governance and Gl obal Ci t i zenshi p
Cont ribut e t o democrat ic governance in order t o ensure social just ice and t he f ulf illment of human right s at home and in developing
count ri es. Support act i ve ci t i zenshi p engagement i n Canada and t he Sout h and at t he gl obal l evel , i ncl udi ng t he di verse rol es
pl ayed by Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs) i n democrat i c devel opment . Enhance t he rol es f or parl i ament ari ans i n gl obal
pol i cy i ssues.
Point 9: Bui l d a Democrat i c and Ef f ect i ve Mul t i l at eral Syst em
Support mul t i l at eral i sm and t he UN as a cornerst one of Canadi an f orei gn pol i cy w hi l e w orki ng f or ref orms t hat democrat i ze
mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons, i ncl udi ng t he Int ernat i onal Fi nanci al Inst i t ut i ons. Correct t he Nort h-Sout h pow er i mbal ances, and
ensure t he pri macy of UN norms of human ri ght s and envi ronment al st ewardshi p i n t he mul t i l at eral syst em.
Point 10: Achi eve More and Bet t er Ai d
Direct Canadian Of f icial Development Assist ance (ODA) exclusively t o povert y reduct ion, consist ent wit h Canadas obligat ions t o
int ernat ional human right s st andards, t aking int o account t he perspect ives of t he poor. Est ablish a specif ic t imet able f or increasing
Canadian ODA t o reach t he UN t arget of 0.7% of Canadian Gross Nat ional Income (GNI). Ensure t hat Canadian CSOs ref lect a
right s-based f ramework and embody t he part nership principles in t he CCIC Code of Ethics in t heir programmat ic relat ionships.
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Roger Lemoyne, Bangl adesh
10
Point 1:
PROMOTE WOMENS RIGHTS AND
EQUALITY
ACCELERATE ACTION ON CANADA S INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS TO WOMEN S EQUALITY
BY PROM OTING AND INVESTING IN WOM EN S SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOM IC AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS. CANADA S ACTIONS MUST INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR WOMEN S
ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS EXPLICIT ATTENTION TO GENDER INEQUALITIES ACROSS ALL
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES IN DIPLOMACY, AID, TRADE AND DEFENCE.
Gender di scri mi nat i on i s pervasi ve. Whi l e t he
degrees and f orms of i nequal i t y may vary,
w omen and gi rl s are depri ved of equal access
t o resources, opport uni t i es and pol i t i cal pow er
i n every regi on of t he w orl d. The oppressi on of
gi rl s and w omen can i ncl ude t he pref erence
of sons over daught ers, l i mi t ed personal and
prof essi onal choi ces f or gi rl s and w omen, t he
deni al of basi c human ri ght s and out ri ght
gender-based vi ol ence.
UNICEF, December 2006
The State of the Worlds Children 2007: Women and
Children The Double Dividend of Gender Equality
Womens Ri ght s are Human Ri ght s
Human ri ght s appl y t o al l peopl e. The obl i gat i on t o el i mi nat e
sex-based di scri mi nat i on agai nst w omen t o achi eve gender
equal i t y i s an essent i al pi ece of t he i nt ernat i onal human
ri ght s f ramew ork. The Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) rei nf orces
t he commit ment t o womens right s, providing specific guidance
on t he range of act i ons t hat must be t aken t o achi eve gender
equal i t y. But experi ence and day-t o-day real i t i es const ant l y
remi nd us t hat w omen s human ri ght s are syst emat i cal l y
deni ed. Consi der t he f ol l ow i ng:
Everyone has t he ri ght t o a st andard of l i vi ng adequat e
f or heal t h and w el l -bei ng ,
3
yet an est i mat ed
70% of adul t s l i vi ng i n povert y w orl dw i de are w omen.
St at es Part ies shall t ake all appropriat e measures t o eliminat e
di scri mi nat i on agai nst w omen i n order t o ensure t o t hem
equal ri ght s w i t h men i n t he f i el d of educat i on ,
4
yet
t w o-t hi rds of t he w orl d s uneducat ed adul t s are w omen,
and t w o-t hi rds of t he chi l dren w ho do not at t end pri mary
school are gi rl s. The numbers onl y get w orse f or secondary
and post -secondary educat i on.
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CIDA/ ACDI
CIDA/ ACDI Oxf am Phot o: Raj endra Shaw
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Everyone has t he ri ght t o l i f e, l i bert y and securi t y of
person,
5
but sexual expl oi t at i on, vi ol ence agai nst
w omen, and organi zed t raf f i cki ng of gi rl s and w omen
w ho are f orced i nt o prost i t ut i on are real i t i es t hat cross
al l nat i onal boundari es.
St at es Part i es shal l t ake al l appropri at e measures t o
el i mi nat e di scri mi nat i on agai nst w omen i n t he pol i t i cal
and publ i c l i f e of t he count ry...,
6
yet onl y 16% of t he
w orl ds el ect ed of f i ci al s are w omen.
The ri ght of everyone t o t he enj oyment of t he hi ghest
at t ai nabl e st andard of physi cal and ment al heal t h
7
i s
universally accept ed, yet t he f ace of t he HIV/AIDS pandemic
i s i ncreasi ngl y f emal e.
The human ri ght s of w omen i ncl ude t hei r ri ght t o have
cont rol over and deci de f reel y and responsi bl y on mat t ers
rel at ed t o t hei r sexual i t y, i ncl udi ng sexual and reproduct i ve
heal t h, f ree of coerci on, di scri mi nat i on and vi ol ence.
8
Yet every year an est i mat ed 200 mi l l i on w omen w ho want
t o delay or avoid pregnancies are not using f amily planning.
Furt her, i f w omen w ho want ed ef f ect i ve cont racept i on
had access t o i t , one i n t hree deat hs rel at ed t o pregnancy
and chi l dbi rt h coul d be avoi ded.
9
St at es Part i es shal l accord t o w omen equal i t y w i t h men
bef ore t he l aw,
10
yet w omen t he w orl d over are l ess abl e
t han men t o exerci se t hei r ri ght s t o ow n propert y, t o
f reedom of movement , t o f reel y organi ze and vot e, et c.
The w orl d s government s have recogni zed and made
commi t ment s t o w omens ri ght s and endi ng di scri mi nat i on
agai nst w omen and gi rl s. But t hese commi t ment s have not
been met .
Pat ri ck Lecl erc Int er Pares Phot o: Carol i ne Boudreau
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The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
More t han 10 years af t er t he l andmark agreement reached by government s i n 1995, act i vi st s st i l l t urn t o t he Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action. These document s provi de a w i de-reachi ng agenda f or w omens empow erment i n
t he earl y 21
st
cent ury. The Bei j i ng Conf erence sparked a renew ed gl obal commi t ment t o t he empow erment of w omen
everyw here and drew unprecedent ed i nt ernat i onal at t ent i on. The Platform for Action speci f i ed 12 cri t i cal areas of
concern consi dered t o represent t he mai n obst acl es t o w omen s advancement and w hi ch requi red concret e act i on
by government s, t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y and ci vi l soci et y:
Women and povert y, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s1.ht m
Educat i on and t rai ni ng of w omen, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s2.ht m
Women and heal t h, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s3.ht m
Vi ol ence agai nst w omen, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s4.ht m
Women and armed conf l i ct , www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s5.ht m
Women and t he economy, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s6.ht m
Women i n pow er and deci si on-maki ng, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s7.ht m
Inst i t ut i onal mechani sms f or t he advancement of w omen,
www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s8.ht m
Human ri ght s of w omen, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s9.ht m
Women and t he medi a, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s10.ht m
Women and t he envi ronment , www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s11.ht m
The gi rl chi l d, www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ f ollowup/ session/ presskit / f s12.ht m
Int ergovernment al processes have al so hi ghl i ght ed new i ssues t hat have grow n i n promi nence on t he i nt ernat i onal
agenda si nce 1995:
Traf f i cki ng i n w omen and gi rl s
Women and HIV/AIDS
Indi genous w omen
Inf ormat i on and communi cat i on t echnol ogi es
Mi l l enni um Devel opment Goal s
Men and boys
Sources
Uni t ed Nat i ons Di vi si on f or t he Advancement of Women (DAW) w ebsi t e on t he Fourt h Worl d Conf erence on Women, www.un.org/ women-
wat ch/ daw/ beijing/ index.ht ml.
Uni t ed Nat i ons, 2005. Revi ew of t he i mpl ement at i on of t he Beijing Platform for Action and t he out come document s of t he Speci al Sessi on of
t he General Assembl y ent i t l ed, Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century: Report of the Secretary
General, E/CN.6/2005/2. ht t p:/ / daccessdds.un.org/ doc/ UNDOC/ GEN/ N04/ 636/ 83/ PDF/ N0463683.pdf ?OpenElement
14
Mul t i pl e Forms of Di scri mi nat i on
M any w omen f ace mul t i pl e f orms of di scri mi nat i on. For
exampl e, w omen f rom Indi genous communi t i es, w omen w i t h
disabilit ies and widows f ace numerous challenges in accessing
servi ces, part i ci pat i ng i n deci si on-maki ng or voi ci ng t hei r
needs. Sevent y percent of girls not in school are from minorit ies
and soci al l y excl uded groups.
11
It i s cruci al t o underst and
pow er dynami cs w i t hi n communi t i es and not assume t hat
al l w omen share t he same i nt erest s and needs. Mul t i pl e and
i nt ersect i ng f orms of di scri mi nat i on requi re an approach t hat
t akes i nt o account t he many ci rcumst ances t hat combi ne
w i t h di scri mi nat ory soci al pract i ces t o produce and sust ai n
i nequal i t y and excl usi on. Thi s shoul d i ncl ude race, cl ass,
sexual i t y, abi l i t y, nat i onal i t y and ot her f act ors, as w el l
as gender.
12
Gi rl s
Gi rl s and young w omen f ace part i cul ar chal l enges. In many
soci et i es, f emal e babi es go mi ssi ng or are abort ed. Gi rl s
are of t en subj ect ed t o earl y marri age and f emal e geni t al
mut i l at i on/ cut t i ng. They are more vul nerabl e t o HIV/ AIDS,
have poorer nut ri t i on, t ake on more domest i c w ork, and are
l ess l i kel y t o be i n school w hen compared t o t hei r brot hers.
13
Yet , i n di scussi ons about chi l dren, gi rl s are of t en i nvi si bl e
and t he speci f i c needs of adol escent s and young w omen
are not part of many w omens ri ght s i ni t i at i ves.
Vi ol ence Agai nst Women and Gi rl s
Gi rl s and w omen al l t oo of t en suf f er physi cal and sexual
vi ol ence: at home, on t he st reet s and at w ork pri mari l y
because t hey are f emal e. Forms of vi ol ence i ncl ude sexual
and physi cal vi ol ence by an i nt i mat e part ner, f emal e geni t al
mut i l at i on/ cut t i ng, f emal e i nf ant i ci de, sexual harassment ,
t he t raf f i cki ng of w omen and gi rl s, and rape duri ng armed
conf l i ct . Gi ven t he st i gma of t hese assaul t s, st at i st i cs are of t en
unrel i abl e. St i l l , surveys on vi ol ence agai nst women conduct ed
in at least 71 count ries show a significant proport ion of women
suf f er physi cal , sexual or psychol ogi cal vi ol ence.
14
Gl obal l y,
women bet ween t he age of 15 and 44 are more l i kel y t o be
maimed or die as a result of male violence t han t hrough cancer,
mal ari a, t raf f i c acci dent s and war combi ned.
15
The consequences of t hi s vi ol ence are st aggeri ng. Women
and gi rl s w ho experi ence vi ol ence can suf f er l i f el ong pai n
and suf f eri ng. Women subj ect ed t o vi ol ence are more l i kel y
t o abuse alcohol and drugs, at t empt suicide and report nervous
di sorders. Vi ol ence agai nst w omen and gi rl s i s not onl y a
vi ol at i on of f undament al ri ght s, i t dest roys t he soci al f abri c
of communi t i es. It al so pl aces an enormous burden on
nat i onal economi es t hrough i ncreased heal t h-care and l egal
cost s, absent eei sm f rom w ork and l ost product i vi t y.
Yet accordi ng t o t he Uni t ed Nat i ons, vi ol ence agai nst women
has yet t o recei ve t he pri ori t y at t ent i on and resources needed
at al l l evel s t o t ackl e i t w i t h t he necessary seri ousness and
vi si bi l i t y. There i s a need f or a comprehensi ve, syst emat i c
and det ermi ned response.
Sexual and Reproduct i ve Heal t h
A key f act or t o w omens heal t h i s earl y access t o sexual and
reproduct i ve servi ces. Lack of t hese servi ces can l ead t o hi gh
mort al i t y rat es among w omen and chi l dren; t he spread of
sexual l y t ransmi t t ed i nf ect i ons (STIs), i ncl udi ng HIV/ AIDS,
and i ncreases i n deat hs, i nj uri es and di sabi l i t i es f rom unsaf e
abort i ons and poor bi rt h spaci ng. For exampl e, i n sout hern
Af ri ca, young w omen are 1.6 t i mes more l i kel y t o be l i vi ng
w i t h HIV/AIDS t han are young men.
16
Thi s i s due l argel y t o
vi ol ence f rom i nt i mat e part ners, a cul t ure of si l ence around
issues of sexual healt h, and t ransact ional and int ergenerat ional
sex.
17
Moreover, duri ng conf l i ct s and emergenci es, gi rl s and
w omen i n di spl acement camps are at hei ght ened ri sk of
sexual vi ol ence and have reduced access t o servi ces.
Whi l e t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y and nat i onal government s
have commi t t ed t o maki ng uni versal reproduct i ve heal t h
care avai l abl e by 2015, much remai ns t o be done.
18
Too
of t en, i f w omen s heal t h i s an added expendi t ure f or t he
househol d, i t i s not gi ven pri ori t y. Lack of access t o heal t h
servi ces by rural gi rl s and w omen means t hey have t o t ravel
longer dist ances; by t he t ime t hey arrive at a clinic, t heir illness
i s of t en w orse. Accordi ng t o t he Uni t ed Nat i ons Popul at i on
Fund (UNFPA), In count ri es w i t h si mi l ar l evel s of economi c
devel opment , mat ernal mort al i t y i s i nversel y proport i onal
t o w omens st at us.
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Worki ng Women: Unpai d and Pai d Labour
The evi dence of gender-based i nequal i t y i s part i cul arl y st ri ki ng
i n t erms of w omen s w ork. Gender i nequal i t y i n w ork and
empl oyment has mul t i pl e di mensi ons. Around t he w orl d,
women and gi rl s carry f ar more t han t hei r share of domest i c
w ork. Overw hel mi ngl y, i t i s w omen and gi rl s w ho keep
house, cook and carry wat er, as w el l as care f or chi l dren,
t he si ck and t he el derl y. Yet t hi s unpai d w ork i n t he care
economy i s i nvi si bl e i n nat i onal account s, consi st ent l y
underval ued by soci et i es and overl ooked by pl anners.
Women al so f ace persi st ent wage gaps and di scri mi nat ory
pract i ces i n l abour market s. Around t he w orl d, w omen s
wages are approxi mat el y 20% l ess t han mens. Furt hermore,
i n t odays gl obal i zi ng economy, operat i onal requi rement s
or ret renchment s i n t he f ormal sect or and t he t rend
t owards gl obal sourci ng of product i on have i ncreased t he
pressure f or f l exi bl e l abour and j ust i n t i me del i very.
Thi s has creat ed empl oyment f or w omen, but t he j obs are
i ncreasi ngl y t emporary and part -t i me, and marked by hi gh
j ob i nsecuri t y and st ress.
In Nort h and Sout h, w omen are concent rat ed i n more
precari ous and l ow er payi ng f orms of empl oyment t han
men. In most of t he devel opi ng w orl d, w omen s access t o
pai d empl oyment i s l ow er t han mens. For exampl e, w omen
more of t en w ork i n t he i nf ormal economy and i n mi cro
ent erprises, or as st reet vendors, domest ic workers or indust rial
home-based w orkers. Indeed, i n devel opi ng count ri es,
more t han 60% of women workers are in informal employment
out si de of agri cul t ure; t he percent age i s even hi gher i f
agricult ure is included. Wit hin t he inf ormal economy, women
are concent rat ed i n w ork associ at ed w i t h l ow and unst abl e
earni ngs t oo l ow, i n t he absence of ot her sources of
i ncome, t o rai se househol ds out of povert y.
20
The changi ng nat ure of l abour market s has al so i ncreased
t he pressure and opport uni t i es f or w omen t o mi grat e.
The share of w omen i n l abour mi grat i on f l ow s, w i t hi n and
out si de of borders, has been i ncreasi ng si nce t he 1970s.
Whi l e mi grat i on can bri ng i mport ant economi c opport uni t i es,
mi grant w orkers, and poor w omen especi al l y, are vul nerabl e
t o expl oi t at i on and ri ght s vi ol at i ons. These range f rom poor
w orki ng condi t i ons and unf ai r remunerat i on t o raci sm,
i nt i mi dat i on, sexual expl oi t at i on, debt bondage and ot her
f orms of abuse.
Thi s t rend t owards t he f emi ni zat i on of l abour mi grat i on i s
expect ed t o cont i nue. As a resul t , t here i s a st rong concern
t hat gender-based i nequal i t i es, and hardeni ng at t i t udes and
pol i ci es t owards mi grant s, wi l l i ncrease womens vul nerabi l i t y
t o abuse and expl oi t at i on, i ncl udi ng sexual t raf f i cki ng of
w omen and gi rl s.
21
Unl ess ef f ort s are made t o creat e decent
w ork f or t he gl obal i nf ormal w orkf orce, t he w orl d w i l l not
be abl e t o el i mi nat e povert y or achi eve gender equal i t y.
Educat i on
Educat i on i s i nt egral t o real i si ng equal i t y si nce educat ed
gi rl s and w omen are more l i kel y t o know, and t heref ore,
exerci se t hei r ri ght s. Educat i ng gi rl s requi res a host of
act ions: ensuring schools, t eachers, and curricula are girl-friendly
and do not promot e negat i ve st ereot ypes t hat l i mi t gi rl s
devel opment ; ensuri ng school s are saf e f rom sexual
expl oi t at i on and vi ol ence; provi di ng f aci l i t i es t o enabl e
gi rl s, part i cul arl y adol escent gi rl s, t o at t end regul arl y; hi ri ng
f emal e t eachers w ho can be rol e model s f or gi rl s; and
encouraging parent s and f amilies t o see t he benef it s of girls
educat i on. Si nce so many gi rl s have dut i es at home, t hey
must al so have access t o i nf ormal educat i on t hat bui l ds
t hei r capaci t y and conf i dence; t hi s w i l l enabl e t hem t o
cont ribut e t o t heir communit ies t o t heir maximum pot ent ial.
22
Cri ses, Peace and Securi t y
The medi a of t en depi ct w omen as vi ct i ms i n t i mes of cri si s.
Indeed, i t i s i mport ant t o acknow l edge and respond t o t he
speci f i c vul nerabi l i t i es of w omen and gi rl s duri ng conf l i ct s
and di sast ers: t o vi ol ence, t o human ri ght s vi ol at i ons, t o
i ncreased w orkl oads, t o di spl acement , t o HIV/ AIDS and
t o loss of livelihoods. Of part icular concern t o t he humanit arian
communi t y i s t he sexual abuse and expl oi t at i on of w omen
and chi l dren by t he very peopl e sent t o hel p t hem, peace-
keepers and ot her humani t ari an w orkers.
Yet i t i s al so i mport ant t o support w omen s act i ve rol es as
survivors, as grass root s leaders, educat ors, workers, mobilizers
and polit icians. Too of t en, women are ignored by, and excluded
f rom, peace negot i at i ons, post -conf l i ct pri ori t y set t i ng and
di sast er preparedness pl anni ng.
M any programs ai med at support i ng demobi l i zed sol di ers
have f ai l ed t o i dent i f y bot h t he combat and non-combat
rol es of w omen and gi rl s w i t h f i ght i ng f orces. As a resul t ,
t he programs f ai l t o address t hei r speci f i c needs.
In t hese di f f i cul t si t uat i ons, i nt ernat i onal commi t ment s exi st
t o prot ect w omen s ri ght s. These i ncl ude t he l andmark
Security Council Resolution 1325 on w omen, peace and
securi t y, w hi ch prot ect s t he ri ght s of w omen and gi rl s,
and commi t s t o ensuri ng gender perspect i ves i n pl anni ng
and i ni t i at i ves and womens part i ci pat i on i n deci si on-maki ng.
Yet report s f rom around t he w orl d f rom t sunami -ravaged
Sri Lanka t o Af ghani st an show t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y
has f ai l ed t o l i ve up t o agreed upon st andards.
The Uni t ed Nat i ons: Bei j i ng and Beyond
Si nce t he f i rst Uni t ed Nat i ons Conf erence on Women hel d i n
Mexi co Ci t y i n 1975, womens equal i t y advocat es have pl aced
si gni f i cant i mport ance on i nt ernat i onal processes t hat def i ne
equal i t y and est abl i sh t he obl i gat i ons of government s t o t ake
posi t i ve act i on t o ensure respect f or womens ri ght s. Through
t he i nt ernat i onal conf erences of t he 1990s and t he growi ng
support f or t he Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, an i nt ernat i onal agenda f or
change i s emergi ng. It covers t he ri ght s of women and gi rl s
across al l pol i cy areas (such as heal t h, educat i on and soci al
and cul t ural ri ght s) and i n al l areas of l i f e (i ncl udi ng t he
envi ronment , bui l di ng peace and medi a).
The 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action st i l l
st ands as a f undament al gl obal ref erence poi nt f or an
i nt ernat i onal agenda f or change (See The Beijing Declaration
Box). Advocat es have al so worked hard t o ensure t he vi si bi l i t y
of t he gender di mensi ons of ot her goal s of t he i nt ernat i onal
communi t y, by art i cul at i ng t he essent i al connect i ons bet ween
gender equal i t y and povert y el i mi nat i on, di sarmament and
envi ronment al sust ai nabi l i t y. Wi t h i t s regul ar moni t ori ng
process, t he CEDAW al ong w i t h ot her el ement s i n t he
i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s syst em enabl es act i vi st s t o
hol d government s account abl e.
The response of government s and t he int ernat ional communit y
t o t hese agreement s, how ever, has been di sappoi nt i ng
t o t he say t he l east . Despi t e nat i onal pl ans, rhet ori c and
commi t ment s, f ew government s have l i ved up t o t hei r
promises. Resources are not allocat ed, discriminat ory legislat ion
remai ns on l aw books, i mpuni t y f or perpet rat ors of vi ol ence
cont i nues, and pol i ci es and programs f al l f ar short of
responding t o t he needs of all cit izens. Even more worrisome,
many are w orki ng hard t o rol l back gai ns i n t he gl obal
consensus around w omens ri ght s and gender equal i t y.
As t he Uni t ed Nat i ons syst em at t empt s t o respond t o
int ernat ional challenges t o ensure relevance and ef f ect iveness,
t he gl obal womens movement has pushed f or a new, st rong,
w el l -resourced agency t o provi de l eadershi p on w omen s
ri ght s and gender equal i t y. Ci t i ng t he UNs f ai l ure t o support
government s ef f ort s t o f ulf ill t heir int ernat ional commit ment s,
advocat es have pushed f or bot h a st ronger womens ent i t y
and f or al l UN organi zat i ons t o ensure al l t hei r programs
and i ni t i at i ves support great er equal i t y bet w een w omen
and men. It i s t i me t o go beyond symbol i c commi t ment
t o concret e act i on.
A Gl obal Womens Movement
A st ri ki ng l egacy of t he 20
t h
cent ury i s t he dynami sm of t he
womens movement . Around t he world, women have organized
f or t he recogni t i on, prot ect i on and enf orcement of t hei r ri ght s.
Women have bui l t i nt ernat i onal net w orks, est abl i shed grass
root s organi zat i ons, l obbi ed pol i t i ci ans and provi ded servi ces
when t he st at e f ai l ed t o del i ver. They have bui l t organi zat i ons
and movement s f ocused on t he ri ght s of w omen and gi rl s.
And t hey have j oi ned ot her movement s at t empt i ng t o
bri ng w omen s voi ces t o t he st ruggl es f or envi ronment al
sust ai nabi l i t y, peace w i t h j ust i ce, l and ref orm, Indi genous
ri ght s, povert y eradi cat i on, recogni t i on of t he ri ght s of peopl e
w i t h di sabi l i t i es and so many ot hers.
Yet t hi s movement i s under t hreat . In many part s of t he
w orl d, w omen human ri ght s def enders are t hreat ened and
harassed and f ace physi cal vi ol ence. In Canada, government
has sl ashed f undi ng t o key pl ayers i n t he w omens move-
ment and el i mi nat ed f undi ng f or research and advocacy.
Int ernat i onal l y, al arm bel l s have sounded regardi ng decl i ni ng
resources f or w omen s human ri ght s organi zat i ons and
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advocat es. About hal f t he w omens organi zat i ons surveyed
f or one st udy report ed recei vi ng l ess f undi ng t han t hey di d
f i ve years ago. Thi s t rend i s t roubl i ng; part i cul arl y si nce
government funding reflect s priorit ies: less funding for womens
human ri ght s organi zat i ons means reduced commi t ment
and capaci t y t o advance womens ri ght s. Thi s f act , combi ned
w i t h t he al ready l i mi t ed f undi ng f or gender equal i t y as a
si gni f i cant or pri nci pal obj ect i ve i n Of f i ci al Devel opment
Assi st ance i ni t i at i ves, pai nt s a bl eak pi ct ure.
23
A key i ssue
i s ensuri ng t hat f undi ng f or gender equal i t y t arget s w omens
equal i t y-seeki ng groups and w omens movement s directly,
i n addi t i on t o suppor t i ng ef f or t s t o mai nst r eam gender
anal ysi s and act i vi t i es or support i ng al l act ors t o undert ake
a gender equal i t y agenda.
The MDGs and Womens Rights
When t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y agreed t o t he Mi l l enni um Devel opment Goal s (MDGs), w omens organi zat i ons
argued t hese goal s and i ndi cat ors f ai l ed t o ref l ect t he range of i nt ernat i onal commi t ment s agreed t o t hrough t he
seri es of UN conf erences i n t he 1990s and embodi ed i n t he Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW).
Recogni zi ng t hat t he MDGs are onl y a mi ni mal i st agenda, advocat es have st ressed t hat w omens ri ght s and equal i t y
are cent ral t o t he achi evement of al l t he MDGs. Accordi ng t o a UN st udy, devel opment pol i ci es and act i ons t hat f ai l
t o t ake gender i nequal i t y i nt o account or t hat f ai l t o enabl e w omen t o be act ors i n t hose pol i ci es and act i ons w i l l have
l i mi t ed ef f ect i veness and seri ous cost s t o soci et i es. The reverse i s al so t rue: t he achi evement of Goal 3* depends on
t he ext ent t o w hi ch each of t he ot her goal s addresses gender-based const rai nt s and i ssues. * *
The UNs Mi l l enni um Task Force on Educat i on and Gender Equal i t y i dent i f i ed seven st rat egi c pri ori t i es t o promot e gender
equal i t y and empow er w omen (Goal 3) by 2015:
St rengt hen opport uni t i es f or post -pri mary educat i on f or gi rl s w hi l e si mul t aneousl y meet i ng commi t ment s t o
uni versal pri mary educat i on;
Guarant ee sexual and reproduct i ve heal t h and ri ght s;
Invest i n i nf rast ruct ure t o reduce w omens and gi rl s t i me burdens;
Guarant ee w omens and gi rl s propert y ri ght s;
El i mi nat e gender i nequal i t y i n empl oyment by decreasi ng womens rel i ance on i nf ormal empl oyment , cl osi ng gender
gaps i n earni ngs and reduci ng occupat i on segregat i on;
Increase w omens share of seat s i n nat i onal parl i ament s and l ocal government al bodi es;
Combat vi ol ence agai nst w omen.
Source
* For Goal 3, see The Mi l l eni um Devel opment Devel opment Goal s Box - page 5
* * UN Mi l l enni um Proj ect (2005). Taking action: achieving gender equality and empowering women. Task Force on Educat i on and Gender Equal i t y.
www.unmillenniumproject .org/ report s/ t f _gender.ht m
The Way Forward
Gender i nequal i t i es are now w el l document ed t hanks t o
t he rel ent l ess ef f ort s by w omen i n communi t i es around t he
gl obe, persi st ent l obbyi ng and l egal bat t l es by t he worl dwi de
w omens movement , and research and pract i cal i ni t i at i ves
by ci vi l soci et y and UN agenci es. But w hi l e t hese act i ons
have yi el ded resul t s, i nequal i t i es st i l l exi st . Al l t oo of t en,
w omens ri ght s are i gnored, vi ew ed as a secondary pri ori t y
or not brought i nt o general di scussi ons and pol i ci es on
povert y, peace and envi ronment al sust ai nabi l i t y.
The st ruggl e f or w omens ri ght s f aces many chal l enges:
Economi c ort hodoxi es and st ruct ures t hat bot h f ai l t o
recogni ze unpai d care w ork and i mpoveri sh mi l l i ons
around t he w orl d;
The ri se of rel i gi ous f undament al i sm;
Deepl y i ngrai ned soci al at t i t udes;
Increased mi l i t ari sm t hat f eeds of f dest ruct i ve f orms of
mascul i ni t y; and
Increasi ng envi ronment al degradat i on.
As w el l , soci al movement s have not al ways pushed t he
womens ri ght s agenda: t ensi ons bet ween soci al movement s,
t he enduri ng l ack of gender-sensi t i vi t y i n mai nst ream ci vi l
soci et y groups, di mi ni shi ng resources avai l abl e f or w omens
ri ght s w ork, and t he l ack of cohesi on among w omens ri ght s
advocat es t hemsel ves has l i mi t ed our col l ect i ve abi l i t y t o
ef f ect i vel y pressure government s and non-st at e act ors t o act
on t hei r ri ght s obl i gat i ons.
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We must w ork t oget her t o overcome t hese chal l enges. We
must st ep up ef f ort s t o change pol i ci es and pract i ces t hat do
not account f or womens ri ght s, part i cul arl y i n areas of t rade,
di pl omacy, peace and securi t y, and pol i t i cal part i ci pat i on.
Womens ri ght s advocat es requi re sol i dari t y and support i n
Canada and i nt ernat i onal l y.
We must gat her new sex-di saggregat ed dat a where adequat e
i nf ormat i on does not yet exi st .
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Thi s w i l l enabl e us t o t arget
pol i ci es and programs more ef f ect i vel y, l eadi ng t o concret e
resul t s at t he f ami l y and househol d l evel , as wel l as nat i onal l y
and i nt ernat i onal l y.
It i s al so essent i al t o underst and mascul i ne and f emi ni ne
i dent i t i es, rol es and expect at i ons i n di f f erent soci et i es, and
how t hese i dent i t i es i nf l uence at t i t udes and behavi ours i n
f avour of, or agai nst , equal i t y and w omens ri ght s. Al ready,
men around t he w orl d are i dent i f yi ng how gender rol es and
expect at i ons can be harmf ul t o men as w el l as w omen. They
are t aki ng responsi bi l i t y f or changi ng st ruct ures t hat pri vi l ege
men and are joining in t he st ruggle t o redef ine more equit able
gender rel at i ons. We need t o expl ore new ways t o i nvol ve
men and boys i n t he st ruggl e f or w omen s ri ght s w i t hout
compromi si ng resources f or i ni t i at i ves t hat support
w omens ri ght s.
Al l t oo of t en Canadas commi t ment t o w omens ri ght s has
been st rong on rhet ori c and w eak on i mpl ement at i on and
resul t s. The Canadi an Int ernat i onal Devel opment Agency
(CIDA) has t aken a st ep i n t he ri ght di rect i on w i t h t he
devel opment of a f ramew ork t o assess gender equal i t y
resul t s. St i l l , i n 2004-2005, onl y 5.1% of CIDA s bi l at eral
di sbursement s l i st ed gender equal i t y as a pri nci pal obj ect i ve.
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We need regul ar report i ng t o t he Canadi an publ i c on how
much of Canadas devel opment assi st ance budget support s
speci f i c gender equal i t y programmi ng, i ncl udi ng amount s
t o w omen s organi zat i ons and movement s. We al so need
report i ng and anal ysi s on how Canadas di pl omat i c programs
support w omens equal i t y.
Achi evi ng gender equal i t y and respect i ng w omens human
ri ght s i s a gl obal i ssue. There i s no count ry w here gi rl s
and boys are equal and w here w omen s ri ght s have been
achi eved. In Canada, w e al so f ace si gni f i cant chal l enges.
Toget her, w i t h our part ners i n t he Sout h, w e can l earn,
st rat egize, gat her st rengt h f rom each ot her and move f orward.
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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
Lead by example and ensure Canadas domest ic compliance
w i t h our i nt ernat i onal commi t ment s t o w omens ri ght s
and equal i t y, i ncl udi ng t he Convent i on on t he El i mi nat i on
of Al l Forms of Di scri mi nat i on Agai nst Women and t he
Bei j i ng Pl at f orm f or Act i on.
Ensure al l Canadi an i nt ernat i onal i ni t i at i ves w het her
t hey rel at e t o di pl omacy, devel opment assi st ance or
def ence ref l ect and support Canada s commi t ment
t o w omens ri ght s and gender equal i t y.
Undert ake gender anal ysi s on t he pot ent i al i mpact of
pol i ci es on men and w omen, boys and gi rl s, w i t h a l ens
t hat recogni zes mul t i pl e f orms of di scri mi nat i on and
vulnerabilit y, and implement st eps t o address t hese impact s.
Ensure int ernat ional economic policies and agendas ref lect
a st rong f ocus on t he creat i on of decent empl oyment ,
an expl i ci t consi derat i on of t he needs of w omen and
girls in t he inf ormal and f ormal labour sect ors, and support
f or accessi bl e and f unct i oni ng i nf rast ruct ure and qual i t y
publ i c servi ces, i ncl udi ng f or wat er, heal t h, educat i on
and qual i t y chi l d care.
Ensure our commi t ment s t o gender equal i t y are consi s-
t ent l y and expl i ci t l y consi dered i n t he devel opment of
Canadas i ni t i at i ves i n mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons, i ncl udi ng
i n t he areas of i nt ernat i onal t rade, f i nance, di sarmament ,
peace and securi t y, and t he ref orm of t he Uni t ed Nat i ons.
Rat i f y, respect and promot e i nt ernat i onal l abour st andards
codi f i ed at t he Int ernat i onal Labour Organi zat i on (ILO),
and at t he UN i ncl udi ng t he speci f i c convent i ons on
mi grant w orkers.
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Support t he est abl i shment of a consol i dat ed UN agency
f or women t hat wi l l have bot h normat i ve and operat i onal
responsi bi l i t i es, be ambi t i ousl y resourced and be l ed by
an Under-Secret ary General . In addi t i on, cont i nue t o
st ress and support t he responsi bi l i t y of t he ent i re UN
syst em t o w ork t owards t he real i zat i on of w omen s
ri ght s and gender equal i t y.
Ensure cont i nued pri ori t y t o w omens ri ght s and equal i t y
i n al l pol i ci es, st rat egi es and i ni t i at i ves support ed by
CIDA and Forei gn Af f ai rs and Int ernat i onal Trade Canada
(DFAIT), i ncl udi ng humani t ari an assi st ance and support
t o i nt ernat i onal organi zat i ons.
Dedicat e signif icant support (bot h f inancial and diplomat ic)
t o t arget womens right s and gender inequalit ies, including:
- Core support for womens equalit y-seeking organizat ions,
i ncl udi ng w orkers organi zat i ons bot h i nt ernat i onal
and i n devel opi ng count ri es;
- Programs and pol i ci es t o st op al l f orms of vi ol ence
against girls and women, including t hose locally ident ified
and l ed t hat address pow er rel at i ons, pract i ces and
bel i ef s t hat harm gi rl s and w omen;
- Pol i ci es and programs t hat f ocus on w omen s sexual
and reproduct i ve heal t h, i ncl udi ng educat i on on
reproduct i ve ri ght s;
- St rat egi es t hat support w omen s part i ci pat i on i n
peace processes, peace operat i ons and post -conf l i ct
reconst ruct i on;
- Programs t hat st rengt hen w omen s part i ci pat i on i n
pol i t i cs and pol i t i cal processes at t he i nt ernat i onal ,
nat i onal and l ocal l evel s;
- Ini t i at i ves t hat promot e womens l abour ri ght s, i ncl udi ng
recogni t i on of unpai d l abour;
- Programs t arget ed at gi rl s and w omens educat i on,
i ncl udi ng i nf ormal educat i on;
- Support t o bui l d t he capaci t y of government s, Ci vi l
Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs) (bot h i n Canada and
el sew here), and i nt ernat i onal organi zat i ons t o carry
out gender anal yses, use a ri ght s-based perspect i ve,
and narrow gender i nequal i t i es.
Support communi t y and nat i onal -l evel research and dat a
gat heri ng, di saggregat ed by sex, t hat address t he i ssues
af f ect i ng w omen s ri ght s and equal i t y. Ensure t hat al l
i nt ernat i onal i ni t i at i ves t o st rengt hen dat a col l ect i on
i ncl ude sex-di saggregat ed st at i st i cs and f ocus on i nf or-
mat i on t hat enabl es t he t racki ng of change f rom a gender
equal i t y perspect i ve.
Report t o t he Canadi an publ i c t he amount of Canadas
i nt ernat i onal assi st ance di sbursed i n support of gender
equal i t y goal s, i ncl udi ng t he amount s speci f i cal l y
di sbursed t hrough gender equal i t y programmi ng.
Report al so on how di pl omat i c and ot her i nt ernat i onal
pol i cy measures cont ri but e t o w omens equal i t y resul t s.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Ensure t he promot i on of w omen s ri ght s and equal i t y
i s a pri ori t y t hat expl i ci t l y i nf orms al l CSO pol i ci es
and programs.
St rengt hen int ernal capacit ies t o carry out gender analysis,
pl an and t rack resul t s rel at i ng t o w omen s ri ght s and
gender equal i t i es and eval uat e i ni t i at i ves f rom a gender
equal i t y perspect i ve.
Ensure t hat gender sensi t i vi t y i s ref l ect ed i n organi zat i onal
cul t ure, avoi d gender st ereot ypi ng and pract i se gender
Canada-Af ri ca exchange on vi ol ence agai nst w omen
Af ri ca-Canada Forum Canadi an Crossroads Int ernat i onal
Canadi an Crossroads Int ernat i onal (CCI) i s a CCIC member. It w orks w i t h organi zat i ons i n Af ri ca and Sout h Ameri ca
t hat are combat i ng povert y, w omens i nequal i t y and HIV/AIDS, bri ngi ng t hese organi zat i ons i nt o part nershi ps w i t h
Canadi an organi zat i ons w orki ng on si mi l ar i ssues. Bui l di ng on t hi s approach, CCI and t he Af ri ca-Canada Forum (ACF)
t eamed up t o organi ze an exchange among Af ri can and Canadi an organi zat i ons w orki ng t o prevent vi ol ence agai nst
w omen. Thi s exchange brought t oget her represent at i ves of Af ri can and Canadi an w omens organi zat i ons t o share t hei r
experi ence and know l edge and t o part i ci pat e i n t he 2005 ACF Symposi um on w omen s rol es and w omen s ri ght s.
The Af ri can part i ci pant s w ere nomi nees f or t he Bet t y Pl ew es Fund Award 2004, a CCIC Board of Di rect ors i ni t i at i ve
t hat honours an Af ri can organi zat i on act i ve i n pol i cy and advocacy w ork on i ssues rel at ed t o w omen. The Canadi an
organi zat i ons w ere CCI and ACF count erpart s.
The Canada-Af ri ca exchange hi ghl i ght s t he i mport ance of bui l di ng al l i ances bet w een t he Nort h and Sout h and across
regi ons t o bet t er underst and t he di f f erent i mpact s of pol i ci es, t o det ermi ne rel evant messages and creat e synergy t o
engage government s on t he i mpact s of gl obal macro-pol i ci es on w omens equal i t y, i ncl udi ng t he current t rade regi me.
As a resul t of t hi s exchange ACF produced a medi a ki t f or t he Hong-Kong Worl d Trade Organi zat i on (WTO) Mi ni st eri al
M eet i ng on w hat i s at st ake f or Af ri can w omen i n t he t rade regi me negot i at i ons. Bui l di ng on t he Canada-Af ri ca
exchange, t he ACF w i l l cont i nue t o pursue i nnovat i ve and col l aborat i ve ways of w orki ng t o devel op a common
pol i cy agenda.
equal i t y i n al l operat i ons (e.g., st af f i ng, f undrai si ng,
publ i ci t y, organi zat i onal pol i ci es, et c.).
Provi de speci f i c, t arget ed programmi ng support t o
i ni t i at i ves desi gned t o reduce gender i nequal i t i es.
Ident i f y opport uni t i es t o w ork w i t h and st rengt hen
womens equal i t y-seeki ng organi zat i ons i n Canada and
around t he w orl d.
Pl ay an act i ve rol e i n hol di ng t he Canadi an government
account abl e f or i t s commi t ment s t o w omens ri ght s and
equal i t y, t hrough publ i c engagement , awareness w i t hi n
t he CSO communi t y and di al ogue w i t h government
of f i ci al s and parl i ament ari ans.
St ri ve f or f ami l y-f ri endl y w orkpl aces t hat enabl e bot h
w omen and men t o bal ance f ami l y and communi t y
responsi bi l i t i es w i t h t hei r w ork responsi bi l i t i es.
(See other points of the Agenda for more recommendations
on Wowen's Rights)
20
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RESOURCES
Associ at i on f or Women s Ri ght s i n Devel opment (AWID). Achieving Womens Economic and Social Rights:
Strategies and Lessons from Experience. 2006. www.awid.org/ publicat ions/ ESCR-english.pdf .
Ci ndy Cl ark, El l en Sprenger and Li sa Vene Kl asen of Just Associ at es i n col l aborat i on w i t h Lydi a Al pzar Durn and
Joanna Kerr of AWID. Where is the Money for Womens Rights? Assessing Resources and the Role of Donors in the
Promotion of Womens Rights and the Support of Womens Rights Organizations. 2005. www.awid.org/ publicat ions/
money_report _2005_en.pdf .
Femi ni st Al l i ance f or Int ernat i onal Act i on (FAFIA). Commitments Abroad, Inequalities at Home: The UN Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) What it is and why it matters. 2004.
www.f af ia-af ai.org/ images/ pdf / CEDAWt oolkit .pdf .
Uni t ed Nat i ons Research Inst i t ut e f or Soci al Devel opment (UNRISD). Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal
World. Geneva. 2005. www.unrisd.org (search by t i t l e).
Uni t ed Nat i ons Devel opment Programme (UNDP). Gender Mainstreaming Tools Marketplace. An Annotated Resource
Guide. 2006. www.undp.org/ women/ t ools_market place.pdf
Uni t ed Nat i ons Devel opment Fund f or Women (UNIFEM ) (w w w. uni f em. org) has f our usef ul port al s t o access
w eb-based mat eri al s: (1) w omen, war and peace; (2) gender and HIV/ AIDS; (3) gender-responsi ve budget i ni t i at i ves;
(4) gender equal i t y and t he MDGs. Al so Progress of the Worlds Women Report s.
Womens Envi ronment & Devel opment Organi zat i on (WEDO) (2005). Beijing Betrayed: Women Worldwide Report that
Governments Have Failed to Turn the Platform into Action. www.wedo.org/ library.aspx?ResourceI D= 31.
Worki ng t o curb t he expl oi t at i on and t raf f i cki ng of gi rl s and young w omen i n Mal i
MATCH
MATCH part ners w i t h Associ at i on Recherche Act i on Femme et Dvel oppement (ARAFD) i n Mal i t o curb t he expl oi t at i on
and t raf f i cki ng of gi rl s and young w omen i n t he regi on of Mopt i . ARAFD sensi t i zes deci si on makers, school aut hori t i es
and t he communi t y at l arge t o i ssues of yout h t raf f i c and expl oi t at i on. They have f ormed Sent i nel Commi t t ees of l ocal l y
el ect ed women and men t o const ant l y moni t or l ocal act i vi t i es t o det ect and prevent chi l d t raf f i cki ng. Fi nal l y, t he proj ect
w orks w i t h at ri sk and rescued yout h t o f aci l i t at e t hei r f ut ure i nt egrat i on i nt o f ormal educat i on and runs l i t eracy and
vocat i onal ski l l s t rai ni ng programs f or t hose w ho cannot at t end school .
Point 2:
PROMOTE HEALTH AND EDUCATION
FOR ALL
UPHOLD CANADA S OBLIGATIONS TO FULFILL THE RIGHTS TO HEALTH AND EDUCATION BY
ENSURING OUR AID PROGRAM, AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL FINANCE AND TRADE POLICIES,
SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT ARE UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE, AS WELL AS PUBLICLY FUNDED
AND ADMINISTERED.
Educat i on, Heal t h, and Povert y
There i s a vi ci ous connect i on bet ween povert y, poor educat i on
and poor heal t h. Ful f i l l ment of t he basi c ri ght s t o heal t h and
educat ion is cent ral t o human development and t o t he effect ive
expressi on of al l ot her ri ght s. Experi ence and t he numbers
t el l us t hat securi ng t hese ri ght s f or al l peopl e, and especi al l y
f or gi rl s and w omen, unl ocks ot her changes i n f ami l i es
and communi t i es and on a nat i onal and gl obal scal e.
Educat i on saves l i ves. Formal educat i on al l ow s peopl e t o
escape povert y, l i ve i n heal t hi er condi t i ons and acqui re t he
means t o part i ci pat e f ul l y i n t hei r communi t i es. It provi des
w omen and men w i t h t ool s t o exerci se t hei r ci vi l , pol i t i cal ,
economi c and soci al ri ght s.
Educat i on f or gi rl s and women, i n part i cul ar, yi el ds i mpressi ve
resul t s. Educat ed gi rl s have f ew er chi l dren and have t hem
l at er t han gi rl s w i t h l ess f ormal educat i on. Thi s gi ves young
w omen t i me t o gai n ski l l s t hat i mprove prospect s f or ent i re
f ami l i es. When educat ed gi rl s st art a f ami l y, t hei r chi l dren
al so enj oy bet t er nut ri t i on, heal t h and educat i on t han do
chi l dren of mot hers w i t h l ess f ormal educat i on.
22
Human hi st ory becomes more and more a
race bet w een educat i on and cat ast rophe.
H.G. Wel l s, Outline of History
We t hus f i nd oursel ves at a crossroads: heal t h
care can be consi dered a commodi t y t o be
sol d, or i t can be consi dered a basi c soci al
ri ght . It cannot comf ort abl y be consi dered bot h
. Thi s, I bel i eve, i s t he great drama of medi -
ci ne at t he st art of t he cent ury. And t hi s i s t he
choi ce bef ore al l peopl e of f ai t h and good w i l l
i n t hese dangerous t i mes.
Dr. Paul Farmer,
Presl ey Prof essor of Medi cal Ant hropol ogy, Harvard
Uni versi t y
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CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Davi d Trat t l es Pat ri ck Lecl erc
But uni versal f ree educat i on i s not t he norm. M i l l i ons of
chi l dren especi al l y poor gi rl s do not have access t o school .
Moreover, t he poor are al so l ess l i kel y t o cont i nue i n school
especi al l y gi rl s.
Access t o f ree pri mary educat i on, w hi ch i s essent i al t o end
povert y, i s a core human ri ght . But secondary, t ert i ary and
vocat i onal educat i on, as w el l as l i f el ong l earni ng and ski l l s,
are al so i mport ant f or sust ai nabl e devel opment . In an era of
gl obal i zat i on and t he know l edge economy, access t o hi gher
educat i on i n devel opi ng count ri es i s cri t i cal . It creat es a
cont i nuous pool of qual i f i ed peopl e w ho can hel p di versi f y
economi c devel opment , devel op sci ence and t echnol ogy,
del i ver publ i c servi ces, and become enl i ght ened l eaders.
The Soci al Det ermi nant s of Heal t h
Expert s have now recogni zed t hat heal t h, povert y and
educat i on are i next ri cabl y l i nked. A soci al det ermi nant s
of heal t h approach recogni zes how t he di f f erent f aces of
povert y such as chroni c hunger, i nadequat e housi ng, unsaf e
wat er, dangerous w orki ng condi t i ons, l ow i ncomes, gender
i nequal i t i es and poor educat i on al l cont ri but e t o i l l heal t h.
Increasingly, t here is also an appreciat ion for how environment al
degradat i on and pol l ut i on cont ri but e t o heal t h probl ems
and t he i nt ersect i on of povert y w i t h unheal t hy envi ron-
ment al condi t i ons.
Such an approach, w hi ch underscores t he i mport ance of
soci al and envi ronment al cont ext , acknow l edges t hat t rends
such as gl obal i zat i on and unpl anned urbani zat i on af f ect
heal t h i n al l cont ext s.
29
In Canada, f or exampl e, i ncreased
at t ent i on t o t he soci al det ermi nant s of heal t h has hi ghl i ght ed
f act ors cont ri but i ng t o t he heal t h cri si s w i t hi n Fi rst Nat i ons
communi t i es.
24
The Rights to Education and Health
28
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art i cl e 26: (1) Everyone has t he ri ght t o educat i on. Educat i on shal l be f ree,
at l east i n t he el ement ary and f undament al st ages. El ement ary educat i on shal l be compul sory. Techni cal and prof essi onal
educat i on shal l be made general l y avai l abl e and hi gher educat i on shal l be equal l y accessi bl e t o al l on t he basi s of meri t .
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Art i cl e 12:1. The St at es Part i es
recogni ze t he ri ght of everyone t o t he enj oyment of t he hi ghest at t ai nabl e st andard of physi cal and ment al heal t h
Art i cl e 13: 1. The St at es Part i es recogni ze t he ri ght of everyone t o educat i on. They agree t hat educat i on shal l be
di rect ed t o t he f ul l devel opment of t he human personal i t y and t he sense of i t s di gni t y, and shal l st rengt hen t he respect
f or human ri ght s and f undament al f reedoms.
Convention on the Rights of the Child, Art i cl es 24 and 28 recogni ze t he ri ght of t he chi l d t o heal t h and educat i on
al ong si mi l ar l i nes as t he Uni versal Decl arat i on and t he ICESCR.
Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Art i cl e 12:1. St at es
Part i es shal l t ake al l appropri at e measures t o el i mi nat e di scri mi nat i on agai nst w omen i n t he f i el d of heal t h care i n
order t o ensure, on a basi s of equal i t y of men and w omen, access t o heal t h care servi ces, i ncl udi ng t hose rel at ed t o
f ami l y pl anni ng.
Art i cl e 10: St at es Part i es shal l t ake al l appropri at e measures t o el i mi nat e di scri mi nat i on agai nst w omen i n order t o
ensure t o t hem equal ri ght s w i t h men i n t he f i el d of educat i on and i n part i cul ar: (a) The same condi t i ons f or career and
vocat i onal gui dance, f or access t o st udi es and f or t he achi evement of di pl omas i n educat i onal est abl i shment s of al l
cat egories . (c) The eliminat ion of any st ereot yped concept of t he roles of men and women in all f orms of educat ion.
25
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In t he devel opi ng w orl d, a soci al det ermi nant s approach
reveal s t he st aggeri ng i mpact of povert y on heal t h. More
t han 13 mi l l i on peopl e di e every year f rom prevent abl e
di seases such as mal ari a and di arrhea, l argel y because t hey
are poor. More w omen, men and chi l dren di e f rom l ack of
t reat ment f or di seases t hat are not l et hal . Why? Because
t hey l ack access t o af f ordabl e medi ci nes, qual i t y wat er and
sani t at i on servi ces, basi c heal t h care, educat i on or heal t h
promot i on st rat egi es t hat provi de t he know l edge base
support i ng prevent i on and heal t hy l i f e choi ces. More t han
a hal f a mi l l i on w omen di e gi vi ng bi rt h: al most al l of t hese
deat hs are unnecessary.
The Speci f i c Needs of Women and Gi rl s
Indi genous peopl es, peopl e l i vi ng wi t h di sabi l i t y, t he i nt ernal l y
di spl aced, yout h and chi l dren are j ust some of t he many
f aces of t he poor. Too of t en, t he poor have nei t her t he
opport uni t y nor t he means t o seek care, nor t he aut hori t y
or ski l l s t o negot i at e t hei r ri ght s. Across al l t hese groups,
gender di f f erences creat e an addi t i onal l ayer of i nequal i t y.
Women, especi al l y i n Indi genous and rural soci et i es, pl ay
i mport ant rol es as keepers of t radi t i onal knowl edge and are
ski l l ed i n t radi t i onal medi ci ne. Women and gi rl s, how ever,
have speci f i c needs t hat are f requent l y unmet by f ormal
healt h and educat ion syst ems. Too of t en, t hese f ormal syst ems
do not conf ront gender st ereot ypes or address i ssues of
sexual and reproduct i ve heal t h or vi ol ence agai nst w omen.
HIV/AIDS and Gl obal Pandemi cs
Gl obal pandemi cs such as HIV/AIDS and i t s co-conspi rat or
t ubercul osi s (TB) cut short t he l i ves of mi l l i ons, orphan
mi l l i ons more, and t hreat en t he vi abi l i t y of w hol e count ri es.
Every year, t w o mi l l i on peopl e di e f rom t ubercul osi s, one
mi l l i on of mal ari a, and t hree mi l l i on f rom HIV/ AIDS. (See
Some Hard Facts Box f or more st at i st i cs)
The syst emi c i mpact of HIV/ AIDS i nf ect i ons i n devel opi ng
count ries is beyond calculat ion. Today, nearly 40 million people
are l i vi ng w i t h HIV, and t he vast maj ori t y of t hem do not
know t hey are i nf ect ed. Accordi ng t o recent t rends, w omen
and t he poor are more l i kel y t o be i nf ect ed and af f ect ed.
There i s a corrosi ve and dynami c rel at i onshi p bet w een
povert y and HIV/AIDS. Povert y dramat i cal l y i ncreases vul ner-
abi l i t y t o cont ract i ng and succumbi ng t o t he vi rus, w hi l e
HIV/ AIDS deepens t he povert y of af f ect ed i ndi vi dual s and
f ami l i es. The epi demi c has cross-cut t i ng ef f ect s on al l
aspect s of devel opment , robbi ng communi t i es and regi ons
of t hei r f ood producers, parent s, publ i c servant s and f ut ure
l eaders. In Zambi a, f or exampl e, roughl y hal f t he t eachers
t rai ned each year are dyi ng f rom AIDS.
30
Peopl e l i vi ng w i t h HIV/AIDS, government s and Ci vi l Soci et y
Organi zat i ons have made some i mport ant st ri des t o i ncrease
awareness and w ork t owards prevent i on and uni versal
t reat ment , but progress i s f ar t oo sl ow and uneven across
regi ons. The Joi nt Uni t ed Nat i ons Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) has cal l ed f or t he gl obal communi t y t o shi f t f rom
a cri si s management approach t o a st rat egi c response t hat
recogni zes t he need f or l ong-t erm commi t ment and capaci t y
bui l di ng. It i s al so i mport ant t o ensure t hat i nt ervent i ons f or
t arget ed di seases support , rat her t han undermi ne, broader
st rat egi es t o bui l d ef f ect i ve heal t h syst ems.
The f ai l ure t o address HIV/AIDS and ot her pandemi cs, as
w el l as chroni c and noncommuni cabl e di seases, i s a bi t t er
l esson i n Nort h-Sout h i nequal i t i es. The vast maj ori t y of peopl e
af f ect ed by t hese i l l nesses l i ve i n devel opi ng count ri es,
w here corporat e pow er and i nt erest s, unf ai r t rade pract i ces,
debt burdens and market f ai l ure put many medi ci nes and
heal t h servi ces f ar beyond t hei r means.
Si nce market opport uni t y dri ves research, pharmaceut i cal
compani es t end t o i gnore t he i l l nesses of t he poor. Inst ead,
t hey f ocus on new drugs f or di seases of t he rel at i vel y
w eal t hy and ensure compani es have new and l ucrat i ve
pat ent ed drugs t o repl ace expi ri ng ones. The resul t i s t he
10 / 90 gap, meani ng 90% of research i nvest ment s are
di rect ed t o approxi mat el y 10% of t he gl obal popul at i on.
31
The Impact of St ruct ural Adj ust ment
To make mat t ers w orse, pol i ci es recommended by t he very
i nst i t ut i ons t hat are t ryi ng t o hel p have cat ast rophi cal l y
undermi ned devel opi ng-count ry budget s f or basi c publ i c
servi ces. For decades, despi t e l oud prot est s w orl dw i de,
condi t i onal l oans f rom t he Worl d Bank and t he Int ernat i onal
Monet ary Fund (IMF) f orced reci pi ent count ri es t o pri vat i ze
essent i al servi ces and cut spendi ng especi al l y on publ i c
sect or wages.
In t he educat ion and healt h sect ors, t his st ruct ural adjust ment
has been devast at i ng. Teachers and nurses t he backbones
of t he syst ems and of t en t he f emal e earners i n t hei r f ami l i es
have been neit her ret ained nor ret rained for ot her employment .
The negat i ve f al l out f rom st ruct ural adj ust ment i s now wi del y
acknow l edged: i t opened t he door t o pri vat i zed heal t h and
educat i on, and accent uat ed condi t i ons of povert y. St ruct ural
adj ust ment t hus f undament al l y undermi ned some of t he
most cri t i cal devel opment capaci t i es of st at es, i ncl udi ng
t hei r vi t al rol e as del i verers and guarant ors of qual i t y publ i c
servi ces t o ci t i zens.
32
In t hi s way i t al so undermi ned t he abi l i t y
of st at es t o uphold t heir obligat ions t o fulfill basic human right s.
Cont i nued Gl obal Economi c Pressures on
Heal t h Syst ems
Government s remai n pressured t o pri vat i ze servi ces vi a
t rade agreement s, w hi ch cont i nue t o l i mi t access t o qual i t y
educat i on and heal t h care especi al l y f or t he poorest . By
pri vi l egi ng commerci al i nt erest s over soci al consi derat i ons,
t rade rul es const rai n government s f rom devel opi ng soci al
pol i cy i n such cruci al areas as wat er, educat i on and heal t h i n
t he publ i c i nt erest . For exampl e, t rade rul es i ncreasi ngl y
encroach on government s abi l i t y t o regul at e publ i c servi ces.
They expl i ci t l y prot ect t he pri vat e ri ght s of pat ent hol ders,
w hi l e i gnori ng t he human ri ght s obl i gat i ons of st at es.
In Canada and around t he worl d, current t rade agreement s
are l ocki ng i n rul es t hat w ork agai nst publ i cl y f unded and
uni versal l y accessi bl e heal t h and educat i on syst ems.
Mi grat i on has f urt her weakened heal t h syst ems i n devel opi ng
count ri es. Poorl y pai d heal t h care prof essi onal s, of t en t rai ned
by t he st at e, l eave f or bet t er wages and w orki ng condi t i ons
i n t he rel at i vel y af f l uent heal t h care syst ems of West ern
Europe, Canada and t he U.S. Of t en, count ri es i n t he Nort h
w i t h l i t t l e t hought t o t he i mpact of brai n drai n on devel -
opi ng count ri es gi ve t hese prof essi onal s of f ers t hey si mpl y
cannot ref use.
26
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Greg Ki nch, Bol i vi a
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Some Hard Facts Health, Education
and Poverty
Numbers, l i ke pi ct ures, are w ort h t housands of w ords. They do not t el l t he w hol e st ory, but t hey do reveal a l ot
875 mi l l i on adul t s i n t he w orl d t oday are illit erat e: t w o-t hi rds of t hem are women.
33
104 mi l l i on chi l dren have no access t o pri mary educat ion: nearl y t w o-t hi rds are girls.
34
An est i mat ed 98% of chi l dren w i t h disabilit ies i n devel opi ng count ri es do not at t end school.
35
More t han 39 mi l l i on of t he w orl ds most vul nerabl e chi l dren are deni ed schooling due t o war. Mi l l i ons of ot her
war-af f ect ed chi l dren recei ve a subst andard educat i on.
36
Onl y 2% of humanit arian aid a l arge port i on of t ot al ai d f l ow s t o count ri es i n conf l i ct i s al l ocat ed t o educa-
t i on.
37
Every day, 37,000 peopl e di e f rom prevent able diseases. Thousands more di e f rom di seases t hat are t reat abl e
w i t h medi ci nes and basi c heal t h care.
38
Every year, t w o mi l l i on peopl e di e f rom t uberculosis, one mi l l i on of malaria, and t hree mi l l i on f rom HI V/ AI DS.
39
Al most 10.5 mi l l i on children di e annual l y bef ore t hey t urn 5. Pneumoni a, di arrhea, mal ari a, measl es and AIDS
account f or hal f of t hese deat hs.
40
The w orl ds poorest chi l dren have a mort alit y rat e 2.5 t i mes hi gher t han chi l dren of t he ri chest 20%. Chi l dren of
mot hers w i t h no educat i on have mort al i t y rat es 2.2 t i mes hi gher t han chi l dren of mot hers w i t h at l east secondary
school i ng.
41
More t han 40 mi l l i on peopl e w orl dw i de are l i vi ng w i t h HI V/ AI DS, 75% of t hem i n sub-Saharan Af ri ca; more t han
hal f are w omen; 42% of new HIV i nf ect i ons are i n yout h aged 15-24.
42
12 mi l l i on chi l dren i n Sub-Saharan Af ri ca are orphans as a resul t of AI DS.
43
In 2003 i n Mal aysi a, t he i mport of generi c drugs f rom Indi a l ow ered t he average cost of publ i c expendi t ures f or
ant i ret rovi ral drugs (ARVs) per pat i ent per mont h by 81%.
44
Compul sory l i censi ng, permi t t ed under t he Worl d Trade Organi zat i on (WTO), can si gni f i cant l y l ow er pharmaceut i cal
pri ces. In 1991-1992, Canadi ans saved an est i mat ed $170 mi l l i on due t o compul sory l i censi ng.
45
Deat h and di sabi l i t y due t o sexual and reproduct ive healt h account s f or 18% of t he t ot al di sease burden gl ob-
al l y and 32% of t he di sease burden among w omen of reproduct i ve age (15-44) i n 2001.
46
529,000 w omen di e each year one every mi nut e i n delivery and pregnancy; 99% of t hese deat hs t ake pl ace
i n devel opi ng count ri es. For every w oman t hat di es, 30 more suf f er i nj uri es, i nf ect i on and di sabi l i t i es.
47
Canada spends US$2,931 per person every year on heal t h care. Cost a Ri ca spends $743, Mal aysi a $349,
Guat emal a $199, Paki st an $62, Ni geri a $43 and Si erra Leone $27.
48
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
To Support t he Right t o Healt h
Use ai d resources t o i nvest i n devel opi ng count ri es
publ i c heal t h care syst ems.
- Support hol i st i c programmi ng f or t he heal t h sect or
t hrough budget support and i nvest ment s i n pl anni ng,
governance, healt h educat ion, promot ion and prevent ion,
drugs and ot her medi cal product s, w orkf orces and
servi ce del i very, i ncreasi ng accessi bi l i t y (e.g., rural
areas), and bui l di ng capaci t i es f or generat i ng sex-
di saggregat ed st at i st i cs, among ot her means;
- Support t he role of civil societ y in healt h syst em decision-
maki ng and servi ce del i very part i cul arl y organi zat i ons
promot i ng t he capaci t y of w omen, peopl e l i vi ng w i t h
di sabi l i t i es, and ot her vul nerabl e groups t o advocat e
f or t hei r heal t h i ssues and cl ai m t hei r ri ght s;
- Hel p keep heal t h prof essi onal s i n devel opi ng count ri es
t hrough t rai ni ng, f ai r wages and w ork condi t i ons and
adopt et hi cal gui del i nes as per t he Commonw eal t h
Code of Pract i ce f or Int ernat i onal Recrui t ment of
Heal t h Workers;
- Work w i t h provi nces and ot her act ors t o i mpl ement
pol i ci es f or bet t er t rai ni ng and ret ent i on of heal t h
prof essionals in Canada as an alt ernat ive t o recruit ment
f rom devel opi ng count ri es.
Pay Canadas f ai r share of prevent i on and t reat ment of
pandemi cs i n devel opi ng count ri es:
- As part of commi t ment s t o bri ng Of f i ci al Devel opment
Assi st ance (ODA) t o 0.7% of Gross Nat i onal Income
(GNI), provi de 5% of t he f undi ng needed by t he Gl obal
Fund t o Fi ght AIDS, Tubercul osi s and Mal ari a;
- Doubl e research and devel opment f undi ng f or HIV
prevent i on t ool s such as mi crobi ci des and vacci nes;
- Ensure t hat i ni t i at i ves are desi gned t o reach al l peopl e
i n need, payi ng part i cul ar at t ent i on t o bot h yout h and
gender di f f erences across al l groups.
Fol l ow t hrough on commi t ment s t o make medi ci nes
af f ordabl e and accessi bl e i n devel opi ng count ri es.
- Ensure t hat generi c drugs (e.g., f or HIV/AIDS, TB and
mal ari a) reach poor pat i ent s i n t he Sout h.
- Remove unnecessary red t ape i n Canadi an l aw s and
Worl d Trade Organi zat i on (WTO) rul es t hat di scourage
t he export of af f ordabl e medi ci nes t o count ri es wi t hout
pharmaceut i cal product i on capaci t y.
Support publ i c research i nt o di seases and heal t h i ssues
t hat af f ect t he poor t o enabl e cont ext -speci f i c prevent i on
and care st rat egi es, and i nvest i n t he devel opment of
ef f ect i ve, af f ordabl e and easy-t o-use medi ci nes t o t reat
negl ect ed di seases.
Mai nt ai n and expand Canadas support f or sexual and
reproduct i ve heal t h and ri ght s as def i ned i n t he out come
document of t he Int ernat i onal Conf erence on Popul at i on
and Devel opment i n 1994. Thi s i ncl udes bot h f undi ng
gl obal programs i n support of reproduct i ve heal t h and
right s and playing a leading role in int ernat ional discussions.
Lead an i ni t i at i ve t o de-l i nk debt rel i ef f rom IMF and
Worl d Bank condi t i ons t hat requi re t he pri vat i zat i on of
heal t h care servi ces, and t hat i mpose l i mi t s on hi ri ng
heal t h care w orkers or user f ees f or publ i c servi ces.
Exempt core soci al servi ce sect ors such as heal t h, wat er
or educat i on f rom l i beral i zat i on commi t ment s i n mul t i -
l at eral or bi l at eral t rade agreement s.
Impl ement and uphol d exi st i ng f l exi bi l i t i es i n t rade rul es
desi gned t o prot ect access t o essent i al goods such as
medi ci nes, and oppose ext ensi ons of i nt el l ect ual propert y
rul es t hat f urt her rest ri ct access t o medi ci ne or
educat i onal mat eri al s.
28
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To Support t he Right t o Educat ion
Take a l eadershi p rol e i n ensuri ng l ong-t erm predi ct abi l i t y
of ai d resources f or t he pl anni ng and f i nanci ng of
educat i on f or al l .
- As part of commi t ment s t o bri ng ODA t o 0.7% of GNI,
commi t t o i ncrease cont ri but i ons t o basi c educat i on,
part i cul arl y i n count ri es w here access t o qual i t y
educat i on i s l ow est ;
- Cont i nue t o support hol i st i c educat i on sect or pl ans,
i ncl udi ng t hrough sect or-w i de approaches and budget
support .
Ensure ai d programs support t he achi evement of f ul l
gender equal i t y i n educat i on, i ncl udi ng:
- Equal i t y of opport uni t i es (boys and gi rl s have t he same
chances t o access school s);
- Equal i t y i n t he l earni ng process (gi rl s and boys recei ve
t he same t reat ment and enj oy qual i t y educat i on);
- Equal i t y of out comes (boys and gi rl s achi eve t he
same); and
- Equal i t y of ext ernal resul t s (j ob opport uni t i es af t er
f i ni shi ng school are comparabl e).
Support ef f ort s t o i mprove t he qual i t y of basi c educat i on:
t eacher t rai ni ng and prof essi onal devel opment (i ncl udi ng
f or w omen), upgradi ng t eachers sal ari es and condi t i ons
of servi ce, et c.
Support and i nvest i n st rat egi es t o boost access of t he
poor, part i cul arl y w omen and gi rl s, t o post -pri mary
educat i on, i ncl udi ng secondary, t ert i ary, vocat i onal ,
i nf ormal and l i f e ski l l s educat i on.
Ensure t hat qual i t y educat i on, i ncl udi ng at t ent i on t o
t he educat i on of gi rl s, i s a subst ant i al component of al l
emergency and humani t ari an responses, i ncl udi ng i n
conf l i ct -af f ect ed st at es.
Lead i nnovat i ve ef f ort s t o support t he part i ci pat i on of
Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs) i n t he achi evement
of educat i on f or al l .
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Hol d t he Canadi an government t o account f or commi t -
ment s made t o healt h and educat ion at home and abroad,
and t o i t s obl i gat i ons t o respect , prot ect and f ul f i l l t hese
human ri ght s i n st rong, publ i cl y f unded heal t h care and
educat i on syst ems i n devel opi ng count ri es.
Work w i t h Sout hern Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs) i n
ways t hat bui l d t hei r capaci t i es t o cl ai m ri ght s, part i ci pat e
i n heal t h and educat i on deci si on-maki ng, and hol d st at es
account abl e t o t hei r obl i gat i ons.
Ensure del i very of heal t h and educat i on servi ces by CSOs
does not undermi ne or di mi ni sh t he responsi bi l i t y of
st at es t o support t hese sect ors.
Ensure gender equal i t y out comes are paramount i n
programmi ng and pol i cy w ork f or heal t h and educat i on,
i ncl udi ng:
- Equal i t y i n educat i on as def i ned above;
- An end t o gender i mbal ances i n l i t eracy l evel s;
- Guarant ees of sexual and reproduct i ve heal t h and
ri ght s; and
- Qual i t y educat i on and heal t h care t hat meet s t he
needs of di verse and doubl y di sadvant aged groups
such as di spl aced w omen, w omen and gi rl s w i t h
di sabi l i t i es and Indi genous w omen.
30
Resources Health
Gl obal Treat ment Access Group (GTAG). www.aidslaw.ca/ EN/ issues/ GTAG.ht m.
Int eragency Coal i t i on on AIDS and Devel opment . www.icad-cisd.com/ cont ent / home.cf m?lang= e.
Mdeci ns Sans Front i res Essent i al Drugs campai gn. www.accessmed-msf.org/ .
Peopl es Heal t h Movement . www.phmovement .org/ en.
St an Bernst ei n w i t h Charl ot t e Juul Hansen. Public Choices, Private Decisions: Sexual and Reproductive Health and the
Millennium Development Goals, Mi l l enni um Proj ect , 2006. www.unmillenniumproject .org/ report s/ srh_main.ht m.
Uni t ed Nat i ons Joi nt Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Uni t ed Nat i ons Popul at i on Fund (UNFPA) and Uni t ed Nat i ons
Devel opment Fund f or Women (UNIFEM). Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis. A Joint Report, 2004.
www.unf pa.org/ upload/ lib_pub_f ile/ 308_f ilename_women_aids1.pdf .
Worl d Heal t h Organi zat i on. Worl d Heal t h St at i st i cs. www.who.int / whosis/ en/ .
Canadi an Gl obal Campai gn f or Educat i on (CGCE)
Tw ent y-f our Canadi an organi zat i ons and uni versi t i es
49
have combi ned t hei r expert i se and est abl i shed t he Canadi an
arm of a gl obal coal i t i on pressi ng f or uni versal and publ i cl y f unded basi c educat i on. They w ork w i t h regi onal net w orks
i n Asi a, Af ri ca and Lat i n Ameri ca t o bui l d st rong nat i onal coal i t i ons i n t he Sout h, st rengt hen t he advocacy capaci t y of
ci vi l soci et y and l obby government s and t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y t o do w hat i s needed t o achi eve educat i on f or
al l . In so doi ng, t he campai gn has rai sed t he prof i l e of educat i on on t he i nt ernat i onal pol i cy agenda and brought
coherence t o t he voi ces of Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons f rom around t he w orl d. The coal i t i on was i nst rument al i n i ni t i at -
i ng t he Educat i on f or Al l Fast -t rack Ini t i at i ve, host ed by t he Worl d Bank, w hi ch promi ses f undi ng t o al l vi abl e nat i on-
al pl ans f or basi c educat i on. Coal i t i on represent at i ves now bri ng a ci vi l soci et y perspect i ve t o hal f a dozen mul t i l at eral
t abl es t hat address educat i on.
31
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Resources Education
Nancy Bi rdsal l , Rut h Levi ne and Ami na Ibrahi m. Toward universal primary education: education, investments, incen-
tives and institutions, 2005. UN Mi l l enni um Proj ect , Task Force on Educat i on and Gender Equal i t y. www.unmillenni-
umproject .org/ report s/ t f _educat ion.ht m.
Depart ment f or Int ernat i onal Devel opment (DFID). The importance of secondary, vocational and higher education to
development. A DFID Pract i ce Paper, 2006. www.df id.gov.uk/ pubs/ f iles/ post -primary.pdf .
Gl obal Campai gn f or Educat i on. www.campaignf oreducat ioncanada.org/ about / about .php.
Of f i ce of t he Hi gh Commi ssi oner f or Human Ri ght s. The Right to Education Report by the Special Rapporteur on the
right to education. www2.ohchr.org/ english/ issues/ educat ion/ rapport eur/ annual.ht m
Uni t ed Nat i ons Educat i onal , Sci ent i f i c and Cul t ural Organi zat i on (UNESCO). Gender and Education for All: the Leap to
Equality. EFA Global Monitoring Report 2003/4, 2004. www.ef areport .unesco.org/ .
UNESCO and t he Ri ght t o Educat i on. ht t p:/ / port al.unesco.org/ educat ion/ en/ ev.php-
URL_I D= 9019&URL_DO= DO_TOPI C&URL_SECTI ON= 201.ht ml.
UNESCO. The Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities.
ht t p:/ / unesdoc.unesco.org/ images/ 0013/ 001322/ 132277e.pdf #search= universal% 20right % 20AND% 20edu-
cat ion.
Worl d Educat i on Forum, Dakar, Senegal , Apri l 2000. The Dakar Framework for Action: Education for All.
www.unesco.org/ educat ion/ ef a/ ed_f or_all/ f ramework.sht ml.
The Gl obal Treat ment Access Group (GTAG)
GTAG i s a coal i t i on of i nt ernat i onal devel opment , human ri ght s, humani t ari an and AIDS servi ce organi zat i ons, as w el l
as t rade uni ons and f ai t h-based groups t hat w ork f or i mproved access t o essent i al medi ci nes, ot her aspect s of HIV pre-
vent i on and care, and t reat ment and support f or peopl e l i vi ng w i t h HIV/AIDS. GTAG promot es i nt ernat i onal and
domest i c l aw s, pol i ci es and regul at i ons t hat make access t o medi ci nes and heal t h servi ces possi bl e. It educat es and
mobi l i zes Canadi an i ndi vi dual s and organi zat i ons t o advocat e f or access t o t reat ment as a mat t er of human ri ght s. It
w orks t o secure t he resources needed t o provi de t reat ment and t o devel op heal t h i nf rast ruct ures t o support t reat ment .
Point 3:
PROMOTE THE RIGHT TO FOOD AND
ENSURE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
FOR FOOD PRODUCERS IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN UPHOLDING THE RIGHT TO FOOD THROUGH CANADIAN FOREIGN POLICY,
ENSURING ALL COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE POOREST, CAN PURSUE DIVERSE, PRODUCER-LED
AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES. AS PART OF THIS AGENDA, MAKE
SMALL-SCALE AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS FOR FOOD PRODUCERS (SMALL
FARMERS, PASTORALISTS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, FISHERS) AN AID PRIORITY AND ENSURE GLOBAL
TRADE RULES HELP RATHER THAN HARM SMALL PRODUCERS AND HUNGRY PEOPLE.
The Ri ght t o Food
When i t comes t o ri ght s, t he ri ght t o adequat e f ood i s about
as basi c as i t get s.
At t he Worl d Food Summi t , government s pl edged t o hal ve
gl obal hunger wi t hi n t wo decades. Many observed t hi s t arget
w oul d st i l l l eave 400 mi l l i on peopl e hungry i n a w orl d of
pl ent y. What must w e say now, know i ng t hat 826 mi l l i on
peopl e are no bet t er of f, 10 years l at er?
The new s i s not al l bad. The UN Food and Agri cul t ure
Organi zat i on (FAO) report s t hat 37 count ri es have made
subst ant i al headway i n t he f i ght agai nst hunger.
50
But at t he
current pace of progress eight million f ewer undernourished
people a year t here is no hope of achieving t he Summit s goal.
In count ri es at peace, povert y and margi nal i zat i on are t he
i mmedi at e causes of hunger, root ed i n st ruct ures and pol i ci es
t hat perpet uat e i nequal i t i es. In conf l i ct zones, physi cal
dest ruct i on and t he di spl acement of peopl e are addi t i onal
causes. The dest ruct i on of i nf rast ruct ure and t he exodus of
peopl e f rom t hei r l ands undermi ne peopl es abi l i t y t o f eed
t hemselves. Food insecurit y oft en cont inues t o be t he dominant
32
For now, I ask no more t han t he j ust i ce
of eat i ng.
Pabl o Neruda, The Great Tabl ecl ot h
We pl edge our pol i t i cal w i l l and our common
and nat i onal commi t ment t o achi evi ng f ood
securi t y f or al l and t o an ongoi ng ef f ort t o
eradi cat e hunger i n al l count ri es, w i t h an
i mmedi at e vi ew t o reduci ng t he number of
undernouri shed peopl e t o hal f t hei r present
l evel no l at er t han 2015 We consi der i t
i nt ol erabl e t hat more t han 800 mi l l i on peopl e
t hroughout t he w orl d, and part i cul arl y i n devel -
opi ng count ri es, do not have enough f ood t o
meet t hei r basi c nut ri t i onal needs. Thi s si t ua-
t i on i s unaccept abl e.
Rome Declaration, Worl d Food Summi t , 1996
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CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Pi erre St -Jacques, Senegal CIDA/ ACDI
real i t y f or t he i nt ernal l y di spl aced and f or ref ugees l i vi ng i n
camps. Even i f peopl e can ret urn t o t hei r l ands af t er t he
conf l i ct , l andmi nes and ot her expl osi ve remnant s of war
make i t t oo dangerous t o resume f armi ng.
It i s a part i cul arl y bi t t er i rony t hat so many rural peopl e go
hungry. Three quart ers of t he w orl ds poorest peopl e l i ve i n
rural areas, of t en f arm and/or w ork as agri cul t ural l abourers.
Hal f of t he hungri est peopl e on eart h are peasant f armers
and most of t hese are w omen. In devel opi ng count ri es,
w omen produce bet w een 60-80% of t he f ood. They are al so
t he mai n producers of t he w orl ds st apl e crops (such as ri ce,
w heat and mai ze), w hi ch provi de up t o 90% of f ood f or
t he rural poor.
Food Securi t y depends on more
t han agri cul t ure
Why, w hen surrounded by agri cul t ural product i on, are so
many peopl e hungry? The reasons are compl ex, but t he
si mpl est answ er i s: agri cul t ure does not equal f ood securi t y.
Whet her t hey are urban poor or rural dw el l ers w ho do not
produce f ood, i ncome and l i vel i hood shape secure access t o
nut rit ion and appropriat e food for low-income food consumers.
Agri cul t ural l abourers, pl ant at i on w orkers, t he l andl ess and
t hose di spl aced t o ci t i es have a pat chw ork syst em of i ncome
and subsi st ence t hat rarel y meet s nut ri t i onal needs.
Even smal l -scal e f armers do not necessari l y grow f ood f or
t heir families, or at least not enough t o sat isfy t heir households
needs year-round. Of t en t hey f arm on t he most margi nal
l and. If t hey produce f ood crops f or l ocal market s, t hey may
f al l vi ct i m t o dumpi ng
51
f rom f orei gn i ndust ri al -scal e
34
The Right to Food
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art icle 25 (1948):
Everyone has t he ri ght t o a st andard of l i vi ng adequat e f or t he heal t h and w el l -bei ng of hi msel f and hi s f ami l y,
i ncl udi ng f ood ...
Si nce 1948, t he ri ght t o adequat e f ood has been reaf f i rmed repeat edl y: i n t he Constitution of the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Preambl e, 1965); The Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Art i cl e 11,
1966); The Convention on the Rights of the Child (Art i cl es 24, 27, 1989); and i n t he Rome Declaration of Worl d Food
Summi t (1996).
To dat e, 21 count ri es have enshri ned t he ri ght t o f ood i n t hei r const i t ut i ons. No count ry has adopt ed l egi sl at i on on t he
ri ght t o f ood.*
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Art i cl e 14, on Ri ght s Of
Rural Women:
(1) St at es Part i es shal l t ake i nt o account t he part i cul ar probl ems f aced by rural w omen and t he si gni f i cant rol es w hi ch
rural w omen pl ay i n t he economi c survi val of t hei r f ami l i es, i ncl udi ng t hei r w ork i n t he non-monet i zed sect ors of
t he economy, and shal l t ake al l appropri at e measures t o ensure t he appl i cat i on of t he provi si ons of t he present
Convent i on t o w omen i n rural areas.
(2) St at es Part i es shal l t ake al l appropri at e measures t o el i mi nat e di scri mi nat i on agai nst w omen i n rural areas i n order
t o ensure, on a basi s of equal i t y of men and women, t hat t hey part i ci pat e i n and benef i t f rom rural devel opment
* FAO Ri ght t o Food w ebsi t e www.f ao.org/ right t of ood/ .
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agri cul t ure (somet i mes even f ood ai d) t hat undercut s t he
pri ce t hey w oul d ot herw i se recei ve f or t hei r produce. If t hey
grow cash crops f or export cof f ee or cocoa, f or i nst ance
decl i ni ng w orl d pri ces and det eri orat i ng t erms of t rade mean
t hey of t en do not earn enough t o make a vi abl e l i vi ng.
Gender i nequal i t i es and pow er dynami cs i n t he househol d
al so i nf l uence f ood securi t y. Al t hough w omen carry out a
grow i ng proport i on of agri cul t ural product i on, t hey are
rarel y recogni zed and support ed as producers. Women f ace
barri ers i n accessi ng and ow ni ng l and, obt ai ni ng credi t ,
purchasi ng l i vest ock and benef i t i ng f rom ext ensi on servi ces.
As well, general gender inequalit ies relat ing t o t ime, educat ion,
healt h st at us and decision-making weaken womens agricult ural
product i on. In many househol ds, gi ven unequal rel at i onshi ps
w i t hi n f ami l i es and domi nant vi ew s deval ui ng w omen,
w omen and gi rl s eat l ast and l east .
New Chal l enges f or t he Ri ght t o Food
and Agri cul t ure
In t he f i rst decade of t he 21
st
cent ury, a number of emergi ng
t rends raise new challenges f or cit izens and st at es commit t ed
t o respect , prot ect and f ul f i l l t he human ri ght t o f ood.
By 2050, w orl d popul at i on i s expect ed t o grow by al most
2.9 bi l l i on. More t han 90% of t hi s popul at i on grow t h w i l l
l i kel y occur i n poor regi ons i n devel opi ng count ri es, not abl y
Indi a and Chi na, part i cul arl y i n rural areas dependent on
smal l -scal e agri cul t ure. How w i l l t he w orl d respond t o t he
f ood demands of t hi s popul at i on grow t h, part i cul arl y i n
t he cont ext of cl i mat e change, i n ways t hat respect human
ri ght s obl i gat i ons and are envi ronment al l y sust ai nabl e?
The onset of cl i mat e change has maj or i mpl i cat i ons f or
agricult ure and f ood securit y in dif f erent regions of t he world.
Cl i mat e changes af f ect condi t i ons of drought , soi l f ert i l i t y
and ot her grow i ng condi t i ons. As a resul t , count ri es are
under new pressure t o adapt agri cul t ural pract i ces, mi t i gat e
dependence on f ossi l f uel s f or i nput s, and respond t o t he
pot ent i al seri ous l oss of f ood product i on i n cert ai n Sout hern
regi ons, i ncl udi ng t he bread-basket areas of Sout h Asi a
w here popul at i on grow t h w i l l be si gni f i cant . Wat er i s a
part i cul arl y acut e chal l enge under cl i mat e change. Gl obal l y,
i rri gat ed agri cul t ure uses 70% of t he wat er w i t hdraw n i n
t he w orl d, but account s onl y f or 40% of f ood product i on.
52
Wi t h t he search f or al t ernat i ve energy sources, many count ri es
have int ensif ied research and support f or biof uels and biomass
energy. Growt h i n t hese i ndust ri es af f ect s agri cul t ure di rect l y,
bot h i n t erms of l and use (agri cul t ural and as yet uncl eared),
and t he di versi on of f ood crops. These t rends have i mport ant
i mpl i cat i ons and ri sks f or f ood securi t y, bi odi versi t y and
sust ai nabl e devel opment .
Anot her response, f rom t he i ndust ri al w orl d, has been t o
envi si on a new Green Revol ut i on i n t he Sout h, part i cul arl y
f or Af ri ca. In t hi s approach, t he Sout h w oul d benef i t f rom
Nort hern co-operat i on and f undi ng f or i nput s and t he appl i -
cat i on of new t echnol ogi es t hat w oul d enhance agri cul t ural
product i on. Gl obal ci vi l soci et y, how ever, has rai sed concerns
t hat i mport ed t echnol ogi es may f urt her Af ri cas dependency
on i ncreasi ngl y expensi ve f ert i l i zers and ot her ext ernal
i nput s. Furt hermore, hi gh-i nput i ndust ri al agri cul t ure syst ems
have not t radi t i onal l y w orked w el l on l ess f ert i l e l andscapes
or on margi nal l ands w here many smal l producers f arm.
To address compl ex l ocal i ssues of envi ronment al and soci al
change, i t i s i mport ant t o st art f rom t he ext ensi ve knowl edge
and experi ence of agro-ecol ogi cal pract i ces of l ocal f armers
and Indi genous peopl es, rat her t han l ooki ng f i rst t o out si de
t echni cal sol ut i ons.
Nat i onal Pol i ci es must be Cent red on Peopl es
Needs and t hei r Know l edge
Smal l f armers, past oral i st s, f i sher f ol k and Indi genous peopl es
play crit ical roles in assuring food securit y and t he conservat ion
of t he cul t ural and bi ol ogi cal di versi t y needed f or our pl anet s
survi val . Nat i onal pol i ci es f or f ood and agri cul t ure shoul d
t her ef or e be i nf or med by t he know l edge of t he w omen
and men at t he cent re of syst ems of f ood product i on and
consumpt i on, and di rect l y address t hei r needs. Yet f armers
and f ood-i nsecure peopl e have l i t t l e i nf l uence over nat i onal
pol i ci es or programs.
Cash-st rapped government s pay scant at t ent i on t o rural
i nf rast ruct ure, domest i c market i ng, l and di st ri but i on or t he
ot her needs of smal l -scal e producers. What i s more, t hey
rarel y consi der t he domi nant rol e of w omen i n f armi ng, an
oversi ght t hat onl y deepens t radi t i onal i nequal i t i es and
creat es new ones. To eradicat e ext reme povert y and hunger
53
as promi sed, t he w orl d urgent l y needs i nt egrat ed nat i onal
st rat egi es t o address f ood securi t y and sust ai nabl e rural
devel opment .
What sort of policies should t hese nat ional st rat egies promot e?
These pol i ci es must ensure t he urban and rural poor can
earn a vi abl e l i vi ng, and t hat smal l f armers can access and
cont rol resources such as l and, wat er and a secure seed
suppl y syst em. They must al so appreci at e t he great di versi t y
i n agro-ecol ogi cal condi t i ons, economi c and pol i t i cal cont ext s
and cul t ural pract i ces t hat i nf l uence t he compl ex and dynami c
st rat egi es peopl e use t o produce and obt ai n f ood.
Above al l , t he pol i ci es must respond t o a rapi dl y changi ng
landscape. Climat e pat t erns will change, communit y condit ions
w i l l evol ve (as w i t h t he i mpact of AIDS) and market pow er
w i l l become i ncreasi ngl y concent rat ed. In t hi s cont ext , a
di versi t y of pract i ces and f ood syst ems i s l i kel y t o become
i ncreasi ngl y i mport ant t o t he f ood securi t y of peopl e around
t he w orl d (not j ust t hose w ho are current l y f ood i nsecure).
Fai l ure t o underst and and w ork w i t h t hi s di versi t y w i l l ri sk
havi ng no ef f ect , or w orse, undermi ne t hese st rat egi es, l eav-
i ng peopl e w i t h f ew er opt i ons.
36
Some Facts about Hunger, Agriculture
and Agricultural Trade
The People
More t han 70% of t he peopl e i n devel opi ng count ri es l i ve i n rural areas and depend on agri cul t ure f or t hei r l i vel i -
hoods.
54
Hal f of al l hungry peopl e w orl dw i de are smal l hol der peasant s.
55
Women produce 60-80% of t he f ood i n most devel opi ng count ri es and undert ake most post -harvest w ork, l i ke
st orage, processi ng and market i ng.
56
One st udy i n f i ve Af ri can count ri es f ound t hat w omen recei ve l ess t han 10% of t he credi t awarded t o mal e smal l -
hol ders.
57
Onl y 15% of t he w orl ds agri cul t ural ext ensi on agent s are w omen.
58
In rural Af ri ca, t he mal e popul at i on i s f al l i ng rapi dl y, w hi l e t he f emal e popul at i on i s rel at i vel y st abl e.
59
By 2020, 20% of t he agri cul t ural w orkers i n sout hern Af ri ca are expect ed t o have di ed as a resul t of HIV/AIDS.
60
The Economics
90% of al l f ood product i on i s consumed nat i onal l y; i t never ent ers t he gl obal market .
61
43 devel opi ng count ri es depend on a si ngl e commodi t y f or more t han 20% of export earni ngs.
62
From 1961-2001, t he average pri ces of agri cul t ural commodi t i es export ed by l east devel oped count ri es f el l by near-
l y 70%, rel at i ve t o t he pri ce of manuf act ured goods purchased f rom devel oped count ri es.
63
From 1980-2000, w orl d cocoa, cof f ee and sugar pri ces al l decl i ned sharpl y.
64
Si nce a cof f ee pri ce peak i n t he mi d 1980s, count ri es earni ng 20% or more of t hei r export earni ngs f rom cof f ee
i ncreased export s by 26%, but recei ved al most a t hi rd l ess i n i ncome.
65
Of 12 count ri es w i t h t he hi ghest l evel s of hunger, ni ne w ere af f ect ed by ci vi l wars or vi ol ent conf l i ct s. The 10 coun-
t ri es t hat scored t he w orst are al l i n Sub-Saharan Af ri ca, but Sout h Asi a i s al so a hot spot .
66
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In part i cul ar, devel opment st rat egi es must underst and and
support t he cruci al rol es t hat w omen pl ay i n agri cul t ural
product i on, bot h commerci al and subsi st ence. Compl ement ary
pol i ci es must address womens ri ght s and gender i nequal i t i es
i n empl oyment , educat i on, access t o l and and wat er and
deci si on-maki ng.
The Impact of Corporat e Pow er and
Concent rat i on i n Agri cul t ure
67
Everyw here i n t he w orl d, agri cul t ure i s a commerci al af f ai r,
w het her f or sal e i n l ocal or i nt ernat i onal market s. Yet f ood i s
not j ust anot her commodi t y: i t i s a f undament al human ri ght .
Indeed, f or mi l l i ons of smal l producers around t he w orl d,
agri cul t ure i s f i rst a way of l i f e, a l i vel i hood and of t en sacred,
deepl y i nt ert w i ned w i t h cul t ural and rel i gi ous bel i ef s.
The most pow erf ul pl ayers i n gl obal agri cul t ure are not
producers, but agri busi ness corporat i ons. Whet her i n Canada
or Cameroon, Indi genous peopl e, past oral i st s, f i sher f ol k and
al l smal l producers are smal l pl ayers, compet i ng i n, and
af f ect ed by, t he world of high-input , indust rial-scale agricult ure
and f i sheri es. But t hi s i s a worl d t hey do not cont rol and t hat
i s st acked agai nst t hem, nat i onal l y and i nt ernat i onal l y.
At a l ocal or nat i onal l evel , f armers are i nherent l y di sadvan-
t aged i n t he market rel at i ve t o i ndust ry. They are numerous
compared t o processors; t hei r i ndi vi dual pl ant i ng or l i vest ock
deci si ons have no i mpact on t he pri ce t hey w i l l recei ve at
t he f arm gat e; t hey must invest upf ront in t heir f ields or herds;
and t hey have l i mi t ed st orage opt i ons or shel f l i f e f or t hei r
product , w hi ch means t hey t end t o crow d t he market at
t he end of t he season.
In t he gl obal market pl ace, f armers and t hei r organi zat i ons
are of t en pow erl ess i n t he f ace of mul t i -bi l l i on dol l ar
agri busi ness corporat i ons. These ent erpri ses are i ncreasi ngl y
concent rat ed and vert i cal l y i nt egrat ed, posi t i oned t o t urn a
prof i t at every st ep i n t he processi ng chai n.
68
The i nt erest s of
l arge agri busi ness corporat i ons may ext end t o agrochemi cal s,
pharmaceut icals, cosmet ics, shipping, banking, currency dealing
and insurance. Large supermarket s cont rol what get s bought
and w ho get s shel f space. A handf ul of Li f e Sci ence
companies, f or example, dominat e t he market s f or commercial
agri cul t ural i nput s. Thei r seeds, pest i ci des and chemi cal s
devel op t ransgeni c pl ant s t hat can wi t hst and t hei r companys
herbi ci des. They cl ai m pat ent s on genes and push t o commer-
cialize t he now-i nf amous t ermi nat or seeds. (See Terminator
Campaign Box)
Indust ry pl ays an i mport ant rol e i n st i mul at i ng economi c
grow t h. The concent rat i on of market pow er i n t he hands of
a f ew pl ayers, how ever, prof oundl y di st ort s market s t hrough
near monopol i st i c pow er. It al so provi des maj or chal l enges
f or ci t i zens and st at es, part i cul arl y i n devel opi ng count ri es,
t o advance publ i c pol i cy goal s.
Gl obal l y, Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs) and producer
net w orks have i dent i f i ed several negat i ve i mpact s of t he
concent rat ed pow er of l arge agri busi nesses on several key
areas, i ncl udi ng t he f ol l ow i ng:
Food saf et y (w here pri vat e st andards are out si de
regul at ory f ramew orks);
Envi ronment al sust ai nabi l i t y (gi ven t he f ocus on gl obal
shi ppi ng and di st ri but i on net w orks and t he rel i ance on
i nt ensi ve i rri gat i on, chemi cal f ert i l i zers and pest i ci des);
Food securi t y (si nce i ndust ri al scal e product i on and
dumpi ng i s di spl aci ng smal l f armers, w i t hout t ransl at i ng
i nt o rel i abl y l ow er consumer f ood pri ces); and
Decent empl oyment and w orkers ri ght s.
The grow i ng st rengt h of corporat e agri cul t ure and t he
deci mat i on of f ami l y f armi ng has gone hand i n hand w i t h
a grow t h of waged agri cul t ural w orkers (est i mat ed now at
450 mi l l i on w orl dw i de), as w el l as l egal and i l l egal mi grant
l abour. Agri cul t ural workers, i ncreasi ngl y women and chi l dren,
are among t he poorest i n soci et y. Underpai d rel at i ve t o
i ndust ri al w orkers, agri cul t ural w orkers f ace i ncreasi ngl y
i nsecure and i nf ormal w orki ng condi t i ons, w i t h l i t t l e scope
or support f or organi zi ng t o i mprove condi t i ons.
Finally, privat e int erest s have also come t o excessively influence
t he research agendas and devel opment act i vi t i es of i nt erna-
t i onal bodi es such as t he FAO and t he Consul t at i ve Group
on Int ernat i onal Agri cul t ural Research. Si nce compani es
f ocus on prof i t s, i t i s cri t i cal t hat publ i c research i nst i t ut es
and uni versi t i es be support ed t o do research on t he needs
and crops of smal l producers.
The Commodi t y Dependence Trap
M any devel opi ng count ri es depend on a handf ul of
unprocessed commodi t i es such as sugar, cof f ee, cocoa and
t ea f or t he bul k of t hei r export earni ngs. Thi s pat t ern usual l y
dat es t o col oni al t i mes, w hen t hese crops w ere i nt roduced
on a w i de scal e and t rade was est abl i shed t o meet t he
demands of Nort hern market s. Pri me Sout hern l and i s st i l l
used f or export crops and government and mul t i l at eral
pol i ci es of t en f avour export agri cul t ure t hough most
peopl e i n t he Sout h st i l l rel y on l ocal produce f or t hei r dai l y
f ood. When count ri es depend on export commodi t i es, mi l l i ons
of f armers, l andl ess agri cul t ural w orkers and w hol e nat i onal
economi es are at t he mercy of w orl d commodi t y pri ces.
These pri ces have suf f ered f rom bot h severe vol at i l i t y and
st eadi l y det eri orat i ng t erms of t rade over t he past t w o
decades.
69
Moreover, i n i nt ernat i onal commodi t y t radi ng,
money i s made (w het her f or gol d or cof f ee) at t he val ue-
added end of t he processi ng and i n ret ai l market s f ar f rom
t he f arm gat e. As a resul t , producers al ways hol d t he short
end of t he st i ck except i n f ai r t rade ent erpri ses. (See Who
Really Needs a Coffee Break? Box)
Wi t h f orei gn exchange i n short suppl y and depreci at ed
currenci es, t he grow i ng dependence on i mport ed f ood has
become cost l y f or devel opi ng count ri es. For decades, many
f arm and CSO net w orks have hi ghl i ght ed t he vul nerabi l i t i es
of an economy t hat i s over-f ocused on cash croppi ng f or
ext ernal market s. They advocat e f or more di verse agri cul t ural
product i on t hat serves l ocal and regi onal market s as a basi s
f or a more i nt egrat ed and bal anced nat i onal economy.
Unf ai r Trade Rul es Favour Agri busi ness over
Smal l Farmers
Gl obal t rade rul es, w hi ch have been undul y shaped by l arge
t radi ng compani es, al so wreak havoc on Sout hern agri cul t ure
and f ood securi t y. Governed by t he Worl d Trade Organi zat i on
(WTO) and regi onal and bi l at eral agreement s, t rade rul es
have been expressl y desi gned t o serve t he need of i ndust ri al -
scal e export agri cul t ure, whi ch represent s onl y 10% of gl obal
agri cul t ural product i on. In general , t rade rul es have w orked
t o open borders and market s i n t he Sout h, w hi l e al l ow i ng
cont i nued prot ect i ons and massi ve subsi di es of Nort hern
Who Really Needs a Coffee Break?
There are about 25 mi l l i on cof f ee f armers w orl dw i de. The count ri es most dependent on cof f ee revenues are Burundi ,
Et hi opi a, Uganda, Rwanda and Honduras al l among t he w orl ds poorest , even bef ore t he wars t hat have t aken such
a t ol l on some of t hem. Al l t hese f armers f ace of f agai nst f our compani es t hat cont rol 39% of t he t radi ng market ,
t hree compani es t hat cont rol 45% of t he roast i ng market and 30 compani es t hat t oget her cont rol 33% of t he gl obal
ret ai l market .
These same f armers are produci ng more and earni ng l ess. In t he earl y 1990s, produci ng count ri es earned US$10-12 bi l l i on
f rom cof f ee annual l y, w hi l e ret ai l cof f ee sal es, l argel y i n t he Nort h, w ere about US$30 bi l l i on. More recent l y, cof f ee
producers have recei ved about US$5.5 bi l l i on, w hi l e ret ai l sal es have exceeded US$70 bi l l i on annual l y. Cof f ee f armers
are not t he ones get t i ng ri ch on cof f ee. Ot her commodi t i es reveal si mi l arl y gri m t rends.
Sources
Bill Vorley. Food, Inc. Corporate Concentration from Farm to Consumer, UK Food Group. 2003. www.ukfg.org.uk/docs/UKFG-Foodinc-Nov03.pdf.
The Global Coffee Crisis: A Threat to Sustainable Development. Int ernat ional Coffee Organizat ion. 2002. www.ico.org/document s/globalcrisise.pdf.
38
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agri cul t ure. Mi l l i ons of smal l f armers w i t h nei t her abi l i t y
nor ambi t i on t o sel l abroad are nonet hel ess undercut i n
t hei r ow n l ocal market s by cheaper or dumped i mport ed
product s, w hi ch deny bot h t hei r ri ght t o l i vel i hood and t o
f ood. At t he same t ime, Sout hern f armers who do want t o
export goods t o int ernat ional market s are st ymied by t rade
rules t hat discourage t heir ent ry int o higher value processing
(in cocoa or coffee, for example) or swamped by unfair subsidies,
which drive down world prices (in cot t on, f or example).
Nort hern count ri es have made many commi t ment s t o make
t rade rul es more f avourabl e t o devel opment . But al most
none of t he key t rade ref orms t hat w oul d hel p promot e rural
devel opment and empl oyment i n t he Sout h have been gi ven
support . These much needed ref orms i ncl ude i nt ernat i onal
agreement s t o st abi l i ze commodi t y pri ces, prot ect i ons f or
smal l f armers or crops t hat are key f or f ood securi t y, and
pol i ci es t o address corporat e t ransparency and concent rat i on.
A new approach t o t he regul at i on of i nt ernat i onal agri cul t ural
market s and t radi ng i s urgent l y requi red. It must ensure
l i vel i hoods f or smal l f armers and f aci l i t at e st at es uphol di ng
t hei r obl i gat i on t o respect , prot ect and f ul f i l l t he ri ght t o
f ood around t he worl d. (See Point 4 Global Economic Justice)
Declaration of Nylni
Food soverei gnt y i s t he ri ght of peopl es t o heal t hy and cul t ural l y appropri at e f ood produced t hrough ecol ogi cal l y
sound and sust ai nabl e met hods, and t hei r ri ght t o def i ne t hei r ow n f ood and agri cul t ure syst ems. It put s t hose w ho
produce, di st ri but e and consume f ood at t he heart of f ood syst ems and pol i ci es rat her t han t he demands of market s
and corporat i ons. It def ends t he i nt erest s and i ncl usi on of t he next generat i on. It of f ers a st rat egy t o resi st and di smant l e
t he current corporat e t rade and f ood regi me, and di rect i ons f or f ood, f armi ng, past oral and f i sheri es syst ems det ermi ned
by l ocal producers. Food soverei gnt y pri ori t i zes l ocal and nat i onal economi es and market s, and empow ers peasant -
and f ami l y f armer-dri ven agri cul t ure, art i sanal f i shi ng, past oral i st -l ed grazi ng, and f ood product i on, di st ri but i on, and
consumpt i on based on envi ronment al , soci al and economi c sust ai nabi l i t y. Food soverei gnt y promot es t ransparent t rade
t hat guarant ees j ust i ncome t o al l peopl es and t he ri ght s of consumers t o cont rol t hei r f ood and nut ri t i on. It ensures
t hat t he ri ght s t o use and manage our l ands, t erri t ori es, wat ers, seeds, l i vest ock and bi odi versi t y are i n t he hands of
t hose of us w ho produce f ood. Food soverei gnt y i mpl i es new soci al rel at i ons f ree of oppressi on and i nequal i t y
bet w een men and w omen, peopl es, raci al groups, soci al cl asses and generat i ons.
Source
Forum f or Food Soverei gnt y, Sl i ngu, Mal i , 2007.
Towards Food Soverei gnt y
A grow i ng number of grassroot s movement s such as f i sher
f ol k, smal l f armers, w omens organi zat i ons and Indi genous
peopl es f rom Nort h and Sout h are chal l engi ng t he domi nance
of t he model t hat f avours large scale and indust rial agricult ure.
They are cal l i ng f or Food Soverei gnt y a f ramew ork t hat
uphol ds t he ri ght t o f ood f or al l peopl e, t he i mport ance of
l ocal democrat i c cont rol over f ood and agri cul t ure pol i cy and
t he promot i on of bi odi versi t y and sust ai nabl e agri cul t ural
pract i ces. Food soverei gnt y pl aces cent ral i mport ance on t he
di verse rol es and know l edge of f ood producers, t he def ence
of f armers ri ght s t o save and exchange seed and recogni zes
women as agent s and act ors wi t h ri ght s not j ust consumers
of food. (See The Declaration of Nylni Box) These movement s,
i ncl udi ng a grow i ng number of Canadi an CSOs and f arm
organi zat i ons, argue t hat peopl es and st at es shoul d be abl e
t o organi ze f ood product i on and consumpt i on accordi ng t o
t he needs of l ocal communi t i es, gi vi ng pri ori t y t o product i on
f or l ocal consumpt i on. Int ernat i onal agri cul t ural t rade shoul d
f l ow f rom and not dri ve t he l ogi c of nat i onal devel op-
ment pl ans.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
Resi st t he t rend t owards pri vat i zat i on of agri cul t ural
devel opment and rel i ance on cost l y ext ernal l y det ermi ned
approaches t o f ood and devel opment chal l enges.
Recognize and support t he import ance of locally based
and sust ai nabl e producer-l ed sol ut i ons.
Make f ood securi t y, smal l -scal e agri cul t ure and rural
l i vel i hoods as sect or pri ori t i es f or Canadi an ai d.
Int ernat i onal co-operat i on f or f ood securi t y shoul d:
- Recogni ze, respect and bol st er t he di versi t y of l ocal
f ood-produci ng know l edge, pract i ces and syst ems f or
smal l f armers, past oral i st s, hunt er/gat herers and f i shers
t o ensure sust ai nabl e l i vel i hoods;
- Support equal access t o product i ve resources such as
l and, seeds and wat er;
- Support speci f i c st rat egi es (e.g., appropri at e publ i cl y
f unded support servi ces) t hat i ncrease w omens pow er
and w el l -bei ng gi ven t hei r di verse and i mport ant rol es
i n agri cul t ure and f ood securi t y;
- Improve t he capaci t i es of producer organi zat i ons t o
enhance smal l producers pow er i n t he market pl ace,
and i ncrease t hei r abi l i t y t o shape nat i onal f ood,
f i shi ng, agri cul t ure and devel opment pol i ci es, and
hol d government s account abl e t o t hei r obl i gat i ons
t o prot ect t he ri ght t o f ood;
- St rengt hen rural i nf rast ruct ure (e.g., t ransport at i on) t o
enhance t he vi abi l i t y f or margi nal i zed f armers t o sel l
t o domest i c market s.
Make sure Canadi an f ood ai d gi ves pri ori t y t o buyi ng
l ocal or regi onal f ood, and ensure t hat i t i s nut ri t i onal l y
adequat e, cul t ural l y appropri at e and does not undermi ne
l ocal l i vel i hoods.
Support a comprehensi ve approach t o end overproduct i on
and f ood dumpi ng i n gl obal agri cul t ural market s.
Support t rade rul es t hat provi de devel opi ng count ri es
t he necessary f l exi bi l i t y and pol i cy space t hey need
t o meet t hei r obl i gat i ons t o f ul f i l l t he ri ght t o f ood and t o
pursue democrat i cal l y det ermi ned pri ori t i es f or domest i c
agri cul t ure, f ood securi t y, f ood saf et y and rural l i vel i hoods.
Thi s shoul d i ncl ude t he abi l i t y t o:
- Exempt crops t hat are key t o f ood securi t y f rom f urt her
t rade l i beral i zat i on;
- Prevent except i onal l y l ow -cost i mport s f rom f l oodi ng
l ocal market s;
- Use f armer-cont rol l ed market i ng st ruct ures, i ncl udi ng
single-desk export ers, t o gain great er market power; and
- Ensure f armers can save, exchange and repl ant seeds
and reproduce di verse seeds and l i vest ock.
Take l eadershi p i n w orl d t rade negot i at i ons t o ensure
t hat t rade provi des real benef i t s t o f ood-i nsecure peopl e,
i ncl udi ng support i ng i nt ernat i onal suppl y management
mechani sms t o st abi l i ze commodi t y pri ces.
Pursue nat ional and int ernat ional agreement s t hat address
corporat e concent rat ion and increase t ransparency i n t he
t radi ng pract i ces of l arge agri busi ness f i rms.
Est abl i sh a nat i onal l egi sl at i ve ban on t ermi nat or
t echnol ogy i n Canada.
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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Moni t or and hol d Canada t o account f or i t s i nt ernat i onal
obl i gat i ons t o hel p and not undermi ne t he ri ght t o f ood.
Commi t t o underst andi ng and t ake act i on t owards a
ri ght s-based approach i n programmi ng t o promot e
sust ai nabl e rural l i vel i hoods and equi t abl e agri cul t ural
devel opment .
Promot e an explorat ion of t he f ood sovereignt y f ramework
among CSO net w orks and w i t h support i ng Canadi an
const i t uenci es.
Underst and and highlight t he roles of women in agricult ural
product i on and support ef f ort s i n f avour of w omen s
ri ght s as a st rat egy consi st ent w i t h achi evi ng t he ri ght t o
f ood f or al l .
Part i ci pat e i n net w orks such as Food Secure Canada t hat
link t he promot ion of f ood securit y in developing count ries
w i t h organi zat i ons and net w orks promot i ng t he same
i n Canada.
42
The Canadi an Food Securi t y Pol i cy Group (FSPG)
The FSPG bri ngs t oget her i nt ernat i onal devel opment agenci es, emergency rel i ef provi ders, producers organi zat i ons
and human ri ght s groups t hat work t o enhance f ood securi t y i n Canada and t he Sout h.
70
Group members work t oget her
t o promot e devel opment assi st ance and i nt ernat i onal t rade rul es t hat prot ect and enhance f ood securi t y i n devel opi ng
count ri es. They are commi t t ed t o devel opi ng a gl obal governance syst em t hat w i l l hel p f ul f i l l t he human ri ght t o f ood,
st rengt hen t he l i vel i hoods of smal l producers i n devel opi ng count ri es, and f ost er a heal t hy agri cul t ural sect or f or f armers
i n Canada.
Seeds of Survi val Program
USC Canada
In response t o f ood short ages and f ami nes t hat w ere f orci ng f armers t o eat t hei r seeds, USC Canada l aunched i t s
Seeds of Survi val (SoS) program i n 1989 i n Et hi opi a i n part nershi p w i t h t he Et hi opi an Pl ant Genet i c Resources Cent re
based i n Addi s Ababa, t he Rural Advancement Fund Int ernat i onal (RAFI, now cal l ed ETC group) and Int er Pares, Canada.
Promot i ng t he use of l ocal vari et i es (l andraces) and f armers t i me-t est ed know l edge and pract i ces was seen as key t o
rebui l di ng Et hi opi as f ood suppl y. USC Canada l at er organi zed SoS i nt ernat i onal t rai ni ng workshops on agro-bi odi versi t y
st rat egies, including t he design and management of communit y seed supply syst ems, part icipat ory research met hodologies
and on-f arm t echni ques f or t he conservat i on and sust ai nabl e uses of pl ant genet i c resources. Thanks t o t he ent husi ast i c
part i ci pat i on of f armers, sci ent i st s and nat i onal and i nt ernat i onal organi zat i ons, SoS evol ved i nt o a gl obal program f or
bi odi versi t y-based agri cul t ure. USC current l y f unds SoS programs i n ni ne count ri es and SoS has i nf l uenced si mi l ar
programs i n at l east 29 count ri es across t he gl obe.
Ban Termi nat or Campai gn and t he Canadi an Bi ot echnol ogy Act i on Net w ork (CBAN)
In 1998, t he ETC Group, t he Act i on group on Erosi on, Technol ogy and Concent rat i on (t hen RAFI), di scovered pat ent s
f or a seed t echnol ogy i t dubbed t he Termi nat or. Thi s t echnol ogy genet i cal l y engi neers seeds t o be st eri l e af t er t he
f i rst harvest . In 1999, seed gi ant Monsant o vow ed not t o commerci al i ze Termi nat or seeds. In 2000, t he Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) adopt ed a de facto morat ori um on f i el d t ri al s and commerci al i zat i on. But , despi t e gl obal
prot est s, corporat i ons and government s cont i nue t o research Termi nat or and new Termi nat or pat ent s are grant ed.
In 2005, Canada t ri ed t o overt urn t he CBD morat ori um, and t he ETC Group, Int er Pares, Nat i onal Farmers Uni on, USC
Canada and ot her groups i n t he Canadi an Bi ot echnol ogy Act i on Net w ork
71
l aunched t he Int ernat i onal Ban Termi nat or
Campai gn. Endorsed by more t han 500 organi zat i ons w orl dw i de, t he campai gn cal l s f or nat i onal and i nt ernat i onal
bans and support s f armers organi zat i ons, Indi genous peopl es, soci al movement s and ot hers i n opposi ng Termi nat or
seeds. In 2006, CBD si gnat ory government s uphel d t he morat ori um, but ef f ort s persi st t o devel op t he t echnol ogy.
There i s an act i ve campai gn f or a ban i n Canada.
43
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RESOURCES
Agri busi ness Account abi l i t y Ini t i at i ve. www.agribusinessaccount abilit y.org/ bin/ view.f pl/ 1194.ht ml
Al exandra Spi el doch. 2007. A Row to Hoe: The Gender Impact of Trade Liberalization on our Food System, Agricultural
Markets and Womens Human Rights. Fri edri ch Ebert St i f t ung Foundat i on.
www.t radeobservat ory.org/ library.cf m?ref I D= 96833.
Ban Termi nat or Campai gn. www.bant erminat or.org/ t ake_act ion.
Canadi an Bi ot echnol ogy Act i on Net w ork (CBAN). www.cban.ca/ .
Canadi an Food Securi t y Pol i cy Group. www.ccic.ca/ e/ 003/ f ood.sht ml.
FIAN Int ernat i onal . www.f ian.org/
Food and Agri cul t ure Organi zat i on (FAO). The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2004.
www.f ao.org/ docrep/ 007/ y5419e/ y5419e00.ht m.
FAO, Ri ght t o Food Port al . www.f ao.org/ right t of ood/ .
FAO, Gender and Agri cul t ure. www.f ao.org/ GENDER/ en/ agri-e.ht m.
Food Secure Canada. www.f oodsecurecanada.org/ .
GRAIN. www.grain.org/ f ront / .
Int ernat i onal Food Pol i cy Research Inst i t ut e (IFPRI), Gl obal Hunger Index. www.if pri.org/ pubs/ ib/ ib47.pdf .
Ni ra Ramachadran 2006. Women and Food Security in South Asia: Current Issues and Emerging Concerns. UNU-WIDER
Research Paper N
o
2006/131. www.wider.unu.edu/ publicat ions/ working-papers/ research-papers/ 2006/ en_GB/
rp2006-131/
Ri ght s & Democracy: The Human Ri ght t o Food: A Ref erence Pri mer. www.dd-rd.ca/ sit e/ what _we_do/
index.php?id= 1598&subsect ion= t hemes&subsubsect ion= t heme_document s.
Rome Decl arat i on on Food Securi t y (Worl d Food Summi t , 1996). www.f ao.org/ docrep/ 003/ w3613e/ w3613e00.ht m.
Sophi a Murphy. 2006. Concentrated Market Power and Agricultural Trade, EcoFai r Trade Pol i cy Di scussi on Paper,
August , 2006. www.t radeobservat ory.org/ library.cf m?ref I D= 89014.
Uni t ed Nat i ons Speci al Rapport eur on t he Ri ght t o Food. www.right t of ood.org/ .
Point 4:
BUILD GLOBAL ECONOMIC JUSTICE
PURSUE MORE EQUITABLE AND ACCOUNTABLE RULES FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE, FINANCE
AND INVESTMENT FLOWS THAT RESPECT STATES OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE EQUALITY AND
DEVELOP NATIONAL PLANS FOR THE PROGRESSIVE REALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL.
PROMOTE CANCELLATION OF THE DEBT OF THE POOREST COUNTRIES, WHILE SUPPORTING
M EANS TO CO-ORDINATE FAIR AND INNOVATIVE TAXATION APPROACHES TO FINANCE
DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
The New Gl obal Economi c Archi t ect ure
Endi ng gl obal povert y and achi evi ng human ri ght s f or al l
requi res maj or changes i n t he current gl obal economi c order.
Todays globalized economy is marked by povert y and profound
inequit y among and wit hin nat ions. (See Poverty and Inequality
Box) Every year, hundreds of bi l l i ons of dol l ars f l ow f rom poor
count ri es t o ri ch ones as debt repayment , pri vat e sect or
prof i t s and t hrough unf ai r t rade and capi t al f l i ght . Thi s f l ow
of resources t o ri ch count ri es i s f ar great er t han t he f l ow of
ai d t o t he poor.
72
The grot esque accumul at i on of pri vat e w eal t h around t he
w orl d and t he net out f l ow of resources f rom Sout h t o Nort h
ref l ect t he grow i ng and undue i nf l uence of l arge gl obal
corporat i ons i n t he rul es and i nst i t ut i onal archi t ect ure of t he
w orl d economi c order. Pol i ci es promot ed by Int ernat i onal
Fi nanci al Inst i t ut i ons (IFIs), and codi f i ed i n t he Worl d Trade
Organi zat i on (WTO), as wel l as bi l at eral t rade and i nvest ment
t reat i es, have enshri ned new ri ght s f or i nvest ors and t raders
i n nat i onal and i nt ernat i onal l aw. At t he same t i me, t hese
pol i ci es overl y rest ri ct t he st at e f rom regul at i ng corporat e
behavi our and managi ng market f orces. (See Challenging
the Consensus Box)
Government s and cit izens in all count ries now have less policy
space t o choose t he most appropri at e economi c pol i ci es.
44
Most ci t i zens i n ri ch count ri es t hi nk t hat a
subst ant i al proport i on of t he t axes t hey pay
f l ow t o poor count ri es i n t he f orm of ai d,
cheap l oans and f requent l y t al ked about debt
cancel l at i ons. If povert y st i l l persi st s, i t must
be t he f aul t of poor peopl e t hemsel ves or
el se t hei r i nef f i ci ent corrupt government s.
Meanw hi l e, ci t i zens i n Sout hern count ri es see
money f l ow i ng out The current f i nanci al
gl obal archi t ect ure l ooks l i ke t he i mpossi bl e
Wat erf al l bui l di ng desi gned by M.C. Escher,
where t he wat er t hat seems t o be f alling act ually
f l ow s up, agai nst al l rul es of l ogi c.
Roberto Bissio, Social Watch International Secretariat, 2006
Everyone is ent it led t o a social and int ernat ional
order in which t he right s and f reedoms set f ort h
in t his Declarat ion can be f ully realized.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art i cl e 28
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CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Greg Ki nch CIDA/ ACDI
But t hi s t rend has part i cul ar consequence f or devel opi ng
count ri es. The new gl obal economi c archi t ect ure ki cks away
t he l adder t hat i ndust ri al i zed count ri es used t o di versi f y
t hei r ow n economi es and promot e t he w eal t h and w el f are
of t hei r ci t i zens over t he past cent ury. For exampl e, modern
gl obal economi c rul es prevent or i nhi bi t government s f rom
ensuri ng f orei gn i nvest ment serves l ocal empl oyment goal s,
det ermi ni ng t he ext ent of border openi ngs i n sensi t i ve sect ors
l i ke agri cul t ure, or regul at i ng core servi ces i n t he publ i c
i nt erest . Int ernat i onal rul es al so promot e pri vat e del i very or
publ i c-pri vat e part nershi ps f or essent i al servi ces and enf orce
hi gh st andards of i nt el l ect ual propert y ri ght s (IPR). These IPR
st andards si gni f i cant l y const rai n ci t i zens access t o medi ci nes
and educat i onal mat eri al .
In al l count ri es, t hi s reduct i on i n t he scope and rol e f or
government s has undermi ned st at es abi l i t y t o uphol d t hei r
obl i gat i ons t o respect , prot ect and f ul f i l l ci t i zens human
ri ght s t o f ood, educat i on, w ork and an adequat e st andard
of l i vi ng, as w el l as f reedom of expressi on, f reedom t o
organi ze and t he abi l i t y t o part i ci pat e i n deci si on-maki ng.
Corporat e Pow er and Workers Ri ght s
Corporat i ons have moved qui ckl y t o t ake advant age of t hi s
new cont ext of more uni f orml y guarant eed corporat e ri ght s.
They out source mul t i pl e aspect s of product i on i n compl ex
gl obal suppl y chai ns f rom basi c- and semi -processed
commodi t i es t o assembl y and packagi ng. At t he same t i me,
corporat i ons have mai nt ai ned t i ght cont rol over t he hi gher
val ue end of product i on such as ret ai l and research and
devel opment . At t he bot t om of t he suppl y chai ns, t he great
maj ori t y of w orkers pi cki ng t he f rui t , sew i ng t he garment s,
cut t i ng t he f l ow ers are w omen.
73
This t rend has creat ed millions of labour-int ensive, export -linked
j obs i n t he devel opi ng worl d. The work i s precari ous, however.
It al so deni es w omen t hei r f ai r share of t he benef i t s and
l eads t o l ong-t erm soci al cost s.
Hei ght ened compet i t i on among t he w orl d s f act ori es and
f arms creat es a si gni f i cant pow er i mbal ance w here many
w orkers and producers compet e agai nst a f ew corporat e
ret ai l ers or i nvest ors. Expl oi t i ng t he need of peopl e t o w ork,
gl obal compani es use t hei r negot i at i ng pow er t o demand
low prices, just in t ime delivery and t ight product st andards.
In t hi s way, compani es w i t h government support or acqui -
escence f orce a f l exi bi l i zat i on of l abour market s; t hi s i s
code f or part -t i me or t emporary w ork w i t h l ow pay, poor
working condit ions, no benefit s and, t oo frequent ly, int imidat ion
and vi ol ence f or t hose w ho speak up f or t hei r ri ght s.
The ri se of f l exi bl e gl obal l abour market s af f ect s w orkers
Nort h and Sout h. Li ke w orkers i n devel opi ng count ri es,
mi grant w orkers i n Canada, or w omen i n t rade-compet i ng
sect ors l i ke t he Canadi an t ext i l e i ndust ry, f ace precari ous
t erms of empl oyment and pressure f rom compet i t i on i n
t he gl obal suppl y chai n. The erosi on of w orkers pow er
and government s unw i l l i ngness t o uphol d w orkers ri ght s
w orl dw i de present a f undament al chal l enge t o t he not i on
of gl obal prosperi t y and equi t y. Decent w ork and w orkers
ri ght s shoul d be at t he heart of gl obal , nat i onal and l ocal
st rat egi es f or economi c and soci al progress.
46
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Fel i x Kerr CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Roger Lemoyne
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Poverty and Inequality: A Global Crisis
Hal f t he w orl d nearl y t hree bi l l i on peopl e l i ve on l ess t han t w o dol l ars a day.
74
The ri chest 2% of adul t s own more t han 50% of t he worl ds asset s whi l e t he poorest hal f hol d onl y 1% of weal t h.
75
Al most 90% of t he w orl ds w eal t h i s hel d i n Nort h Ameri ca, Europe and hi gh-i ncome Asi an and Paci f i c count ri es
such as Japan and Aust ral i a.
76
Poor peopl e are bei ng l ef t behi nd across many of t he Mi l l enni um Devel opment Goal s (MDGs); progress among t he
poorest 20% of t he popul at i on i s f ar bel ow t he nat i onal average i n a l arge group of count ri es.
77
In some count ri es, such as Bangl adesh, Col ombi a, Indi a and Paki st an, l i t eracy of w omen l i vi ng i n sl ums i s 30-50%
l ow er t han t hose i n non-sl um communi t i es.
78
Women spend more t i me t han men at w ork: i n Beni n 47% more, i n Sout h Af ri ca 29% more, i n Madagascar
18% more, and i n Mauri t i us 6% more. Women w ork more because t hey are much more i nvol ved i n domest i c and
care act i vi t i es t han men.
79
Nearl y 200 mi l l i on peopl e are unempl oyed more t han ever bef ore. Of t hese unempl oyed, t he Int ernat i onal Labour
Organi zat i on (ILO) est i mat es t hat 86 mi l l i on, or about hal f t he gl obal t ot al , are young peopl e aged 15 t o 24.
80
In Chi l e, 75% of w omen i n t he agri cul t ural sect or are hi red on t emporary cont ract s and put i n more t han 60 hours
a w eek pi cki ng f rui t . One i n t hree earns bel ow mi ni mum wage.
81
In Chi nas Guangdong provi nce, one of t he w orl ds f ast est grow i ng i ndust ri al areas, young w omen f ace 150 hours
of overt i me each mont h i n t he garment f act ori es; 60% have no cont ract and 90% no access t o soci al i nsurance.
82
Corporat e mergers and acqui si t i ons accel erat ed rapi dl y i n t he decade f rom 1990 t o 2000, st art i ng i n 1990 w i t h a
t ot al val ue of US$462 bi l l i on and cl osi ng t he year 2000 at US$3.5 t ri l l i on. In 2006, t he t ot al val ue of busi ness
mergers and acqui si t i ons reached US$3.79 t ri l l i on gl obal l y, w hi ch means an i ncrease of 38% over t hi s t ype of
t ransact i on i n 2005.
83
Ot her Corporat e Trends
Corporat i ons are al so t ransf ormi ng t hei r operat i ons i n t he
gl obal economy i n ot her subst ant i ve ways. Through mergers
and acquisit ions, corporat e concent rat ion in many businesses
f rom agri busi ness and f ood t o banki ng and pharmaceut i cal s
i s t he hi ghest i t has ever been. (See Poverty and
Inequality Box)
The devel opment of new t echnol ogi es may al so l ead t o
f undament al t ransf ormat i on of gl obal pat t erns of t rade and
product i on. Research and rapi d devel opment i n nanot ech-
nol ogy,
84
f or exampl e, may revol ut i oni ze t radi t i onal rel i ance
on basi c pri mary commodi t i es, w hi ch have been an essent i al
component of t he devel opi ng w orl d s economi es. Whi l e
nanot echnol ogy of f ers opport uni t i es f or soci et y, i t al so
i nvol ves prof ound soci al and envi ronment al ri sks. Yet t he
research t akes pl ace out si de of any publ i c regul at ory oversi ght
or soci et al debat e.
A Gl obal Movement f or Change
Cl earl y t here i s a need t o ret hi nk numerous assumpt i ons
behi nd economi c pol i ci es and pract i ces, bot h at a gl obal
l evel bet w een count ri es and domest i cal l y w i t hi n count ri es.
Trade uni ons, w omens organi zat i ons and ot her ci vi l soci et y
act ors around t he w orl d have j oi ned t oget her t o resi st
economi c gl obal i zat i on t hat serves onl y t he ri ch f rom t he
WTO prot est s of Seat t l e and Cancun t o campai gns t o ref orm
t he IFIs. They advocat e a j ust i ce-based approach t o t he gl obal
economy t hat gi ves pri ori t y t o human ri ght s and t he carryi ng
capaci t y of t he Eart h.
Whi l e Canada i s a modest economi c pl ayer i n t he gl obal
economy, i t has si gni f i cant w eal t h and pot ent i al pol i cy
i nf l uence. Yet Canadas rol e i n t hi s era of gl obal i zat i on has
not been ori ent ed t oward a more equi t abl e economi c order.
CCIC and i t s members have been w orki ng, i n part nershi p
w i t h groups around t he w orl d, t o hel p bui l d t he basi s f or
al t ernat i ves and a st ronger Canadi an cont ri but i on t o gl obal
economi c j ust i ce.
Trade Just i ce
Current l y, i nt ernat i onal t rade i s nei t her f ree nor f ai r. Trade
rul es are f ramed pri mari l y t o ref l ect t he commerci al needs of
export ers t o expand or consol i dat e t hei r access t o market s
and prof i t s. These rul es al l ow ri ch count ri es t o pay l arge
subsi di es t o a smal l number of agri busi ness compani es and
permi t dumpi ng of goods bel ow cost of product i on i n l ocal
market s. These pract i ces undermi ne t he l i vel i hoods of mi l l i ons
of small-scale farmers in developing count ries. WTO negot iat ors
have l i t t l e concern f or t he needs of w orkers f or decent w ork,
of smal l f armers f or f ai r i ncome, or of w omen and men f or
access t o saf e and af f ordabl e publ i c servi ces, f ood and wat er.
In 2001, WTO member st at es l aunched a round of gl obal
t rade t al ks, t he Doha Devel opment Agenda. Devel opi ng
count ri es, t aki ng advant age of t he grow i ng economi c cl out
of count ri es such as Brazi l and Indi a, cal l ed f or a revi ew of
previ ous agreement s. They want ed pri ori t y t o be gi ven t o
i nt egrat i ng devel opment consi derat i ons i nt o new rul es. The
predomi nant f ocus of negot i at i ons, how ever, remai ned on
market access f or export s, part icularly f or t he richest count ries.
48
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Greg Ki nch, Bol i vi a
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Weal t hy count ri es, i ncl udi ng Canada, gave scant at t ent i on t o
t he pri ori t i es and speci f i c proposal s l ai d out by devel opi ng
count ri es t o address devel opment i ssues, such as ways t o
address vol at i l i t y and dow nward t rends of pri ces i n pri mary
commodi t y market s, t o di versi f y economi es and creat e
sust ai nabl e empl oyment , and t o prot ect agri cul t ure key f or
l i vel i hoods and f ood securi t y.
Inf ormal meet i ngs and negot i at i ons among a f ew pow erf ul
pl ayers l argel y margi nal i zed and excl uded smal l er devel opi ng
count ri es f rom key deci si on-maki ng processes.
85
There i s a
cl ash of vi si ons among government s and ci t i zens on w hat
const i t ut es a devel opment agenda f or t rade rul es. The Doha
Round, how ever, has been marked by repeat ed col l apses
and mi ssed deadl i nes. Thi s t urn of event s onl y exposes t he
i nef f ect i veness and i l l egi t i macy of t he current approach.
Meanwhile, Canada and ot her Nort hern count ries have pursued
bi l at eral t rade deal s or economi c part nershi p agreement s
w i t h devel opi ng count ri es. These arrangement s repl i cat e t he
st ruct ural f l aw s of gl obal rul es and t end even t o add new
dangers. For exampl e, t hrough bi l at eral agreement s, t he U.S.
and Canada seek t o gai n hi gher st andards f or i nt el l ect ual
propert y and f or i nvest ment prot ect i on t hat can be achi eved
at t he WTO l evel . These t rends f urt her t hreat en prospect s f or
progress i n key areas of devel opment and ri ght s, i ncl udi ng
access t o research, medi ci ne, and t echnol ogy; communi t y
cont rol of l ocal devel opment ; and regul at i on of i nvest ment
f or t he envi ronment .
A new approach t o i nt ernat i onal t rade rul es i s urgent l y
requi red. Such an approach must promot e f ai r t rade, di sci pl i ne
unf ai r t rade pract i ces, f aci l i t at e ef f ect i ve mul t i l at eral gover-
nance, and provi de st at es more space t o def i ne t hrough
democrat i c process l ocal l y appropri at e devel opment
st rat egi es. These st rat egi es shoul d meet t hei r obl i gat i on t o
promot e t he real i zat i on of ri ght s and t he prot ect i on of
t he envi ronment .
Whi l e changi ng t rade rul es wi l l requi re a det ermi ned st ruggl e
over t he l ong t erm, many Canadi an organi zat i ons and ci t i zens
are al so choosi ng t o make f ai r t rade happen every day,
t hrough di rect consumer act i on and promot i on of cert i f i ed
f ai rl y-t raded product s such as t ea, chocol at e and cof f ee.
These product s, support ed by a ri gorous i nt ernat i onal audi t i ng
and veri f i cat i on syst em, come f rom co-operat i ves and
ent erpri ses commi t t ed t o ensure f ai r pri ces and wages,
sust ai nabl e pract i ces and i nvest ment i n soci al servi ces
and l ocal i nf rast ruct ure.
Debt Cancel l at i on and Pol i cy Condi t i onal i t y
i n Int ernat i onal Lendi ng
The burden of debt w ei ghs heavi l y on ef f ort s t o end povert y
and ensure t hat devel opi ng count ri es have t he f i nanci al
resources t o creat e opport uni t i es f or ci t i zens t o cl ai m t hei r
f ul l human ri ght s. Bet w een 1970 and 2002, t he poorest
Af ri can count ri es recei ved US$294 bi l l i on i n l oans, pai d back
US$268 bi l l i on i n i nt erest and pri nci pal , but st i l l ow ed more
t han US$200 bi l l i on i n 2002.
86
In 2001, Af ri can government s
spent an average of US$21 per person a year on debt servi ce
and j ust US$5 t o $8 per capi t a on heal t h care.
In 2005, f ol l ow i ng a decade of mobi l i zat i on by soci al
movement s and ci t i zens across t he gl obe and t he cancel l at i on
of si gni f i cant bi l at eral debt , G8 l eaders announced a pl an t o
f orgi ve 100% of mul t i l at eral debt (t o t he Int ernat i onal
Devel opment Associ at i on of t he Worl d Bank, t he Af ri can
Devel opment Banks Af ri can Devel opment Fund and t he
Int ernat i onal Monet ary Fund).
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Pat ri ci a Baeza
50
Challenging the Consensus on Globalization:
The Bolivarian Revolution and the South
American Community of Nations
In December of 2004, t he presi dent s of Sout h Ameri can nat i ons l aunched a proposal t o f orm a Communi t y of
Nat i ons t hat w oul d group 12 count ri es coveri ng 17 mi l l i on square ki l omet res, w i t h 361 mi l l i on i nhabi t ant s, and a
GDP of more t han US$970 bi l l i on. The i ni t i at i ve had as a pri nci pl e obj ect i ve a new model of i nt egrat i on f or t he 21
st
cent ury. The Sout h Ameri can Communi t y of Nat i ons i nt egrat i on proj ect seeks t o avoi d i nt egrat i on t hat deepens
i nequal i t i es and margi nal i zat i on. Rat her, t he ul t i mat e goal of t hi s i nt egrat i ng process i s t o f avour a more equi t abl e,
harmoni c and i nt egrat ed devel opment i n Sout h Ameri ca. * Gui di ng pri nci pl es adopt ed i n 2006 i ncl ude: (i ) Sol i dari t y
and Cooperat i on; (i i ) Soverei gnt y, respect f or t erri t ori al i nt egri t y and sel f -det ermi nat i on of peopl e; (i i i ) Peace;
(i v) Democracy and Pl ural i sm; (v) Human Ri ght s; and (vi ) Harmony w i t h Nat ure.
In addi t i on, new economi c al t ernat i ve approaches and i nst i t ut i ons are bei ng pi oneered especi al l y by Venezuel a, Cuba,
Ecuador and Bol i vi a. The so-cal l ed Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas i s marked i n part i cul ar by ef f ort s t o i ncrease
t he aut onomy of macroeconomi c pol i cy, negot i at e new t erms of economi c exchange w i t h t ransnat i onal compani es,
and experi ment w i t h al t ernat i ve t radi ng arrangement s. For exampl e Argent i na agai nst t he advi ce of t he Int ernat i onal
Monet ary Fund (IMF) negot i at ed w i t h i t s f orei gn credi t ors and managed t o rest ruct ure i t s ext ernal debt . Bol i vi a has
moved t o nat i onal i ze resources such as nat ural gas and w i l l l evy new royal t i es f rom ext ract i on compani es. Venezuel a
and Cuba have i ni t i at ed new t rade pact s t hat f ocus on w i n-w i n exchanges such as Venezuel an oi l t raded f or doct ors
and medi cal hel p f rom Cuba. New i nst i t ut i ons i ncl ude t he est abl i shment of t he Tel evi si on St at i on of t he Sout h (Tel esur)
i n 2005, w hi ch i s j oi nt l y ow ned by Venezuel a, Argent i na, Cuba and Uruguay. The Bank of t he Sout h was l aunched i n
December, 2007 and serves as an al t ernat i ve t o t he Worl d Bank, maki ng l oans t o members t o support i nt egrat i on.
There are al so cal l s f or a common currency.
An i mport ant part of t he pol i t i cal cont ext t hat has gi ven ri se t o t hese new pol i cy di rect i ons are sophi st i cat ed and
grow i ng ci vi l soci et y movement s i ncl udi ng of Indi genous peopl es, w omen, af ro-descendent s and t he rural poor, w ho
have mobilized seeking a more just equit able and sust ainable f ut ure f rom int egrat ion processes. Civil societ y organizat ions
remai n vi gi l ant t o advocat e and moni t or f or real change f rom t hese new di rect i ons. St i l l , t he consol i dat i on of t hese
new di rect i ons under new government s t hroughout Lat i n Ameri ca i ndi cat es a range of possi bi l i t i es f or al t ernat i ves t o
corporat e-dri ven gl obal i zat i on.
Sources
* Cochabamba Declaration f rom t he Second Summi t of Heads of St at e of t he SACN December 8-9, 2006. www.art -us.org/ node/ 190.
Juan Carl os Moreno-Bri and Igor Paunovi c. The Fut ure of Economi c Pol i cy Maki ng by Lef t -of -Cent er Government s i n Lat i n Ameri ca: Ol d Wi ne
i n New Bot t l es? Oct ober 2006, www.paecon.net / PAEReview/ issue39/ M orenoPaunovic39.ht m.
Eduardo Gudynas. The Paths of the South American Community of Nations (t ransl at ed). Apri l 2005. Cent re f or Int ernat i onal Pol i cy.
ht t p:/ / americas.irc-online.org/ am/ 730.
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Thi s announcement af f ect ed 19 heavi l y i ndebt ed poor
count ri es, w i t h t he pot ent i al f or 20 count ri es t o be added
l at er. Al t hough t hi s was an hi st ori c commi t ment , Ci vi l
Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs) suggest t hat at l east 52 poor
count ri es need i mmedi at e 100% debt cancel l at i on t o meet
t he Mi l l enni um Devel opment Goal s.
Some government s and inst it ut ional lenders were irresponsible
i n promot i ng l oans t o hi ghl y i l l egi t i mat e government s i n t he
Sout h, such as M obut u s Zai re. Consequent l y, ci vi l soci et y
also increasingly demands t hat lenders accept co-responsibilit y
f or odi ous debt s ow ed by some government s.
Debat es over how much debt and how many count ri es i s
onl y one i mport ant i ssue. Anot her core concern i s t hat el i gi bl e
count ri es must appl y harsh Int ernat i onal M onet ary Fund
(IM F) and Worl d Bank adj ust ment measures bef ore t hey
qual i f y f or debt cancel l at i on. These condi t i onal i t i es have
l ed t o l ong del ays f or count ri es needi ng i mmedi at e debt
cancel l at i on.
It i s al so w i del y recogni zed t hat t he hundreds of condi t i ons
accompanyi ng donor ai d and debt cancel l at i on over t he past
t hree decades have been l argel y i nef f ect i ve i n achi evi ng
sust ai ned changes. In many i nst ances, t hey have onl y made
t he si t uat i on w orse f or t hose l i vi ng i n povert y. For exampl e,
IMF macroeconomi c condi t i ons, especi al l y st ri ngent f i scal
pol i ci es, prevent government f rom i nvest i ng i n much needed
soci al and economi c devel opment such as heal t h and
educat i on. Women and gi rl s w ho t radi t i onal l y care f or
t he young, t he si ck and t he el derl y of t en bear t he brunt of
t hese pol i ci es. The 2005 UK Commi ssi on on Af ri ca, i n w hi ch
Canada part i ci pat ed, not ed t hat ai d t o Af ri ca i s accompani ed
by many onerous condi t i ons t hat are of t en of dubi ous val ue
and recommended t hat t he use of pol i cy condi t i onal i t y
associat ed wit h ext ernal assist ance should be st rongly reduced.
Despi t e rhet ori cal support f or l ocal ow nershi p of povert y
st rat egi es, donors cont i nue t o i mpose numerous condi t i ons
rel at i ng t o macroeconomi c pol i cy, pri vat i zat i on, governance
ref orm and account abi l i t y t o donor i nst i t ut i ons and pol i ci es.
In 2004-05, f or exampl e, Tanzani as bi l at eral donors added
t hei r ow n condi t i ons t o t hose negot i at ed w i t h t he Fund and
t he Bank. As a resul t , Tanzani a had t o compl et e 78 pol i cy
changes f or al l i t s donors. These i mposed condi t i ons
f undament al l y undermi ne account abi l i t y of st at es t o t hei r
ow n ci t i zens, w hi ch i s cri t i cal f or t he real i zat i on of ri ght s.
As a donor and G8 member, Canada i s i ncreasi ngl y i mpl i cat ed
i n t hi s w eb of pol i cy condi t i ons. It support s Worl d Bank/IMF
debt cancel l at i on programs, ai d f i nanci ng f or j oi nt donor
budget support and sect or-w i de programs i n t he poorest
count ri es. It i s al so an i nf l uent i al member of IM F and
Worl d Bank governi ng bodi es. Yet nei t her t he Canadi an
Int ernat i onal Devel opment Agency (CIDA) nor t he Depart ment
of Finance has ever syst emat ically reviewed policy condit ionalit y.
Fi nanci ng f or Devel opment
The Uni t ed Nat i ons 2002 Conf erence on Fi nanci ng f or
Devel opment hel ped underscore t he urgent need t o sub-
st ant i al l y i ncrease sources of ext ernal f i nanci ng f or devel opi ng
count ri es and t o reverse t he net f l ow of resources f rom
Sout h t o Nort h. Whi l e i mport ant , ai d w i l l not be enough
t o address devel opment needs. (See Point 10 Achieve More
and Better Aid)
Nat i onal t ax and f i nance pol i ci es al so need rew orki ng t o
enabl e government s t o t ax and redi st ri but e w eal t h and
ext ract great er ret urns f rom f orei gn i nvest ment . Devel opi ng
count ri es are pressured t o of f er t ax hol i days t o f orei gn
invest ors and t o liberalize t heir f inancial market s. These policies
severel y reduce t he space f or government s t o f i nance devel -
opment w i t h domest i c resources. Corrupt i on and w eak
governance, encouraged by i nt ernat i onal banki ng syst ems,
f aci l i t at e capi t al f l i ght t o t ax havens t hrough l egal and i l l egal
channel s. More t han hal f of Af ri can and Lat i n Ameri can
w eal t h now resi des overseas i n t ax havens and f i nanci al
cent res i n t he Nort h.
87
Finally, Canadian CSOs have act ively pursued, wit h count erpart s
around t he worl d, t he creat i on of new sources of i nt ernat i onal
t axat i on f or devel opment f i nanci ng. These new sources
i ncl ude a currency t ransact i ons t ax (t he Tobi n t ax), as w el l
as t axes on act i vi t i es t hat harm t he envi ronment and t he
gl obal publ i c good, such as ai rpl ane f l i ght s or t he arms t rade.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
Take expl i ci t account of human ri ght s obl i gat i ons,
i ncl udi ng w orkers ri ght s, i n t he f ormul at i on of pol i ci es
f or t rade, f i nance and i nvest ment . Thi s shoul d i ncl ude
human right s impact assessment s of pot ent ial agreement s
and i nvest ment s.
Pursue t rade and i nvest ment rul es t hat prot ect pol i cy
space f or devel opi ng-count ry government s and t hei r
ci t i zens t o det ermi ne t he best domest i c pol i ci es t o end
povert y, promot e decent work and prot ect publ i c servi ces
such as heal t h or wat er. Thi s shoul d i ncl ude t he abi l i t y t o:
- Exempt basi c publ i c servi ces f rom l i beral i zat i on com-
mi t ment s and regul at e servi ces i n t he publ i c i nt erest ;
- Use t ari f f s t o promot e devel opment of i nf ant i ndust ry
and t o prot ect smal l f armers f rom except i onal l y cheap
i mport s or surges;
- Use or reshape i nt el l ect ual propert y rul es t o pursue
public healt h goals, exclude lif e f orms f rom pat ent s and
prot ect f armers abilit y t o save and reuse seed; and
- Regul at e i nvest ment f l ow s t o ensure posi t i ve out comes
f or devel opment , empl oyment and t he envi ronment .
Improve t he t ransparency of t rade and i nt ernat i onal
f i nance pol i cy f ormul at i on, w i t h i ncreased opport uni t i es
for cit izen part icipat ion and regular parliament ary oversight
of Canadas gl obal t rade, f i nance and i nvest ment agenda.
Make decent w ork a cent ral obj ect i ve of rel evant nat i on-
al and i nt ernat i onal pol i ci es.
- Support t he Decent Work Agenda at t he Int ernat i onal
Labour Organi zat i on, and w ork w i t hi n t he WTO and
IFIs t o ensure a reorient at ion of global economic policies
t owards t hi s end.
- Increase pol i t i cal and f i nanci al support t o bui l d t he
capaci t i es of government s and uni ons t o ensure
enf orcement of l ocal l abour l aw s consi st ent w i t h
int ernat ionally recognized right s, wit h specif ic at t ent ion
t o t he ri ght s of w omen w orkers.
Ensure t hat gender anal ysi s and perspect i ves are syst em-
at i cal l y i nt egrat ed i nt o Canadi an t rade pol i ci es and i nt o
t he programs of IFIs, devel opment part ners and i nt ergov-
ernment al organi zat i ons.
Dedi cat e resources and pol i t i cal energy t o devel op
nat i onal and i nt ernat i onal pol i cy measures t o address
and regul at e t he publ i c i mpact s of grow i ng corporat e
concent rat ion in t rading and processing, including t hrough
increased requirement s f or not if icat ion, t ransparency and
publ i c approval of corporat e mergers and acqui si t i on.
Promot e t he i mmedi at e and uncondi t i onal cancel l at i on
of 100% of t he mul t i l at eral and bi l at eral debt ow ed by
t he poorest count ri es.
Work act ively wit h ot her donors and int ernat ional f inancial
i nst i t ut i ons t o end pol i cy condi t i onal i t y i n ai d and f i nance
regi mes, w hi ch w i l l enabl e devel opi ng-count ry govern-
ment s, wi t h t hei r ci t i zens, t o i mpl ement t hei r own nat i onal
pl ans t o end povert y.
Undert ake a comprehensi ve revi ew of Canadi an ai d and
debt condi t i onal i t y t o devel op i ni t i at i ves t o t ransf orm ai d
rel at i onshi ps so t hey t rul y respect t he pri nci pl e of l ocal
ownershi p, and are based on mut ual obl i gat i ons f l owi ng
f rom i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s l aw.
Promot e and i mpl ement i nnovat i ve mechani sms such as
co-ordi nat ed t axes of i nt ernat i onal f i nanci al t ransact i ons,
of arms sal es, and of avi at i on f uel or ai rl i ne t i cket s t o
f i nance devel opment goal s.
Promot e and support t he creat i on of a new UN body
and Int ernat i onal Convent i on w i t h a mandat e t o t rack
and eval uat e new t echnol ogi es and t hei r product s,
i ncl udi ng t hei r i mpl i cat i ons f or commodi t y product i on
and market s, as w el l as t hei r i mpact on human heal t h
and t he envi ronment .
(See Point 9 on Multilateralism f or recommendat i ons on t he
need f or more account abl e and equi t abl e i nt ernat i onal
economic inst it ut ions, and Point 5 on Corporate Accountability
f or recommendat i ons i n t hi s area.)
52
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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Support ef f ort s and capacit y of Sout hern CSOs and elect ed
of f i ci al s t o cont ri but e t o nat i onal economi c pol i cymaki ng,
i ncl udi ng anal ysi s and advocacy on gl obal economi c
rul es and i nst i t ut i ons, based on i nt ernat i onal human
ri ght s st andards.
Bui l d capaci t i es of CSOs i n Canada and t he Sout h t o
undert ake gender anal ysi s i n macroeconomi c pol i cy
i ssues and promot e t he part i ci pat i on of w omen and
gender expert s i n CSO research and advocacy on
t hese i ssues.
Part i ci pat e i n col l aborat i ve i ni t i at i ves and coal i t i ons t o
advocat e st rat egi cal l y f or a st ronger rol e f or Canada i n
promot i ng new i nt ernat i onal i nst i t ut i onal arrangement s
t o reduce gl obal i nequi t i es.
Encourage Canadi ans t o support j ust i ce i n i nt ernat i onal
commerce t hrough f ai r t rade. Bui l d ci t i zen act i vi sm and
awareness of t he rol e of Canadi an banks, corporat i ons
and government s i n t he gl obal economy.
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Bri an At ki nson
54
Labours Pl at f orm f or t he Ameri cas:
Decent Work f or Sust ai nabl e Devel opment
Labours Platform for the Americas: Decent Work for Sustainable Development i s t he resul t of a uni que process of
col l aborat i on, debat e and consul t at i on among t he t rade uni ons of t he w est ern hemi sphere, as w el l as t hei r regi onal
and nat i onal organi zat i ons and coal i t i ons, i ncl udi ng t he Canadi an Labour Congress. It ref l ect s t he l i ved experi ence of
t he peopl es of t he Ameri cas w i t h more t han 15 years of f ai l ed pol i ci es based on t he promot i on of f ree market s, f ree
t rade and debt repayment . It i s a bol d and i nnovat i ve set of proposal s f or a radi cal change i n t he course of current
economi c and soci al pol i ci es t o pursue an al t ernat i ve devel opment model i n t he Ameri cas. The document poi nt s t o t he
need f or progressi ve t axat i on, f ami l y f armi ng, debt cancel l at i on, a revi ew of pri vat i zat i ons, corporat e soci al responsi bi l i t y,
support f or smal l - and mi cro-ent erpri se, access t o know l edge, st rengt hened government capaci t i es, respect f or l abour
ri ght s and col l ect i ve bargai ni ng and a st rong i nt egrat i on of gender equal i t y goal s. Wi t h t hi s document , w e i nt end
t o const ruct a new consensus f or devel opment based on j ust i ce, empl oyment , i ncl usi on and democracy.
(ht t p:/ / canadianlabour.ca/ index.php/ Labours_Plat f orm_f or)
Oxf am Make Trade Fai r Campai gn
Make Trade Fai r i s a campai gn by Oxf am Int ernat i onal and i t s 13 af f i l i at es, i ncl udi ng Oxf am Canada and Oxf am
Quebec, cal l i ng on government s, i nst i t ut i ons and mul t i nat i onal compani es t o change t he rul es so t hat t rade can
become part of t he solut ion t o povert y, not part of t he problem. The Make Trade Fair Campaign has had several int erlinked
el ement s. These i ncl ude a campai gn f or great er respect f or l abour ri ght s f ocused on w omen w orki ng i n gl obal suppl y
chai ns, f or access t o medi ci nes t hrough a new approach t o i nt el l ect ual propert y t hat put s peopl e bef ore prof i t s and
f or f ai rness i n t he cof f ee t rade.
Oxf am has campai gned t o hel p f armers around t he worl d get a bet t er pri ce f or t hei r cof f ee i n a market i n whi ch suppl y
i s out st ri ppi ng demand. Oxf am provi des grant s t o cof f ee co-operat i ves i n Cent ral Ameri ca and Af ri ca and support s
organi zat i ons represent i ng t he i nt erest s of smal l - and f ami l y-ori ent ed cof f ee f armers. Oxf ams w ork i ncl udes advocacy
wit h ot her organizat ions regarding an int ernat ional cof f ee agreement and t he promot ion of f air t rade. This gives consumers
an opport uni t y t o use t hei r purchasi ng pow er t o t i l t t he bal ance i n f avour of t he poor. Oxf am has al so l ed campai gns
di rect ed at bi g-name cof f ee roast ers and ret ai l ers such as St arbucks and Nest l e. In 2006, Oxf am l aunched a campai gn
i n support of t he Et hi opi an government s ef f ort s t o gai n t rademark cont rol over i t s speci al t y cof f ee brands. The goal :
t o ensure bet t er ret urns t o t he 15 mi l l i on poor peopl e i n Et hi opi a w ho are dependent upon t he cof f ee sect or. Despi t e
i t s i ni t i al rel uct ance, St arbucks si gned a l i censi ng agreement w i t h Et hi opi a w i t hi n a year.
(www.maket radef air.com/ en/ index.ht m)
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RESOURCES
Canadi an Labour Congress Analysis, Solidarity, Action A Workers Perspective on the Increasing Use of Migrant
Labour in Canada. March 2007. ht t p:/ / canadianlabour.ca/ index.php/ Salimah_Valiani/ 1117
BRIDGE. Gender and Trade: Overview Report 2006. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/ report s/ CEP-Trade-OR.pdf .
CCIC. Trade and Povert y Resources. www.ccic.ca/ e/ 002/ t rade.sht ml.
Oxf am. Debt and Women. Produced by Act i on Ai d, Jubi l ee Debt Campai gn, Oxf am and Womanki nd Worl dw i de. 2007.
www.oxf am.org.uk/ what _we_do/ issues/ debt _aid/ downloads/ jubilee_debt _women.pdf .
Kevi n P. Gal l agher, ed. Putting Development First: The Importance of Policy Space in the WTO and IFIs . London: Zed
Books. 2005.
CCIC. Reconciling Trade and Human Rights: The New Development Agenda. Report of May 2007 Conf erence of CCIC
and Ri ght s & Democracy. www.ccic.ca/ e/ 002/ t rade.sht ml.
WEBSITES
Int ernat i onal Labour Organi zat i on (ILO). Decent Work Agenda. www.ilo.org/ global/ Themes/ Decent work/
lang en/ index.ht m.
European Net w ork on Debt and Devel opment . www.eurodad.org/ .
Act i on group on Erosi on, Technol ogy and Concent rat i on (ETC Group). www.et cgroup.org/ en/ .
Focus on t he Gl obal Sout h. www.f ocusweb.org/ .
Yi l maz Akyz. Global Rules and Markets: Constraints Over Policy Autonomy in Developing Countries. Publ i shed by
Thi rd Worl d Net w ork. 2007. Hal i f ax Ini t i at i ve, www.halif axinit iat ive.org/ .
Int ernat i onal Gender and Trade Net w ork. www.igt n.org.
Oxf am Int ernat i onal Make Trade Fai r Campai gn. www.oxf am.org/en/programs/campaigns/maket radef air/index.ht m.
Thi rd Worl d Net w ork. www.t wnside.org.sg/ .
Transf ai r Canada. www.t ransf air.ca/ en/ .
Point 5:
ENSURE CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY
ENACT LEGISLATION THAT REQUIRES CANADIAN CORPORATIONS OPERATING OUTSIDE
CANADA TO MEET AND BE ACCOUNTABLE TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS, LABOUR AND
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS IN ALL THEIR OPERATIONS WORLDWIDE. ENSURE TRANSPARENT
CORPORATE REPORTING AGAINST THESE STANDARDS AND MAKE CANADIAN PUBLIC SUPPORT
TO CORPORATIONS CONTINGENT UPON COMPLIANCE.
The Ri se of Transnat i onal Corporat e
Ri ght s and Pow er
Hi st ory i s ri f e w i t h exampl es of corporat e pract i ces i n
devel opi ng count ri es, such as use of chi l d l abour, t hat w ere
long ago made illegal or regulat ed out of exist ence in indust rial
count ri es. For decades, Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs)
around t he w orl d have brought t hese doubl e st andards t o
l i ght , w orki ng t o expose and hal t i rresponsi bl e corporat e
conduct t hrough public campaigns and appeals t o government s
f or i nt ervent i on.
The recent era of economi c gl obal i zat i on has been part i cul arl y
marked by t he ri se of t ransnat i onal corporat e ri ght s and
pow er. At t he end of t he 20
t h
cent ury, 51 of t he 100 bi ggest
economi c ent i t i es i n t he w orl d w ere corporat i ons; onl y
21 count ri es had Gross Domest i c Product s (GDPs) hi gher
t han t he t op si x corporat i ons.
As bot h cause and ef f ect , t he ri se of corporat e pow er has
l ed t o t he consol i dat i on of l egi sl at i ve and pol i cy f ramew orks
t hat st rengt hen corporat e ri ght s i n t he Nort h and Sout h
and at global levels. Trade agreement s, invest ment agreement s
and t he pol i cy f ramew orks t hat condi t i on t he l endi ng and
advi ce of t he Worl d Bank and t he Int ernat i onal Monet ary
Fund (IMF), al l have w orked t o si gni f i cant l y st rengt hen t he
ri ght s of corporat i ons t o i nvest ment and propert y. At t he
56
Human ri ght s secure our f reedom t o l i ve f ul l y
and responsi bl y w i t hi n l i f es communi t y. We are
f i ndi ng, how ever, t hat as corporat i ons have
become i ncreasi ngl y successf ul i n cl ai mi ng
t hese same ri ght s f or t hemsel ves, t hey have
become i ncreasi ngl y assert i ve i n denyi ng t hem
t o i ndi vi dual s St ep-by-st ep, l argel y t hrough
j udge-made l aw, corporat i ons have become f ar
more powerf ul t han ever i nt ended by t he peopl e
and government s t hat creat ed t hem.
Davi d C. Kort en
[ L] eavi ng t he debat e i n t he real m of vol unt ary
commi t ment s has, i n pract i ce, t oo of t en l et
government s of f t he hook. Government s have
cl ear obl i gat i ons t o ensure compani es respect
human ri ght s.
Irene Khan, Secret ary-General , Amnest y Int ernat i onal
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same t i me, t hese agreement s and f rameworks have weakened
and st ripped government s of many t ools and means t o prot ect
communi t i es, human ri ght s and t he envi ronment .
88
Moreover,
t he enf orcement power of corporat e ri ght s enshri ned i n t rade
rul es has compl et el y i nvert ed, at a pract i cal and pol i t i cal
l evel , t he hi erarchy of st at es obl i gat i ons. The pri mary l egal
obligat ion of st at es t o uphold human right s (Indigenous right s,
equal i t y ri ght s f or w omen, ri ght t o wat er, f ood, et c.) i s now
weaker t han i t s obl i gat i ons t o uphol d pri vat e corporat e ri ght s.
Exposi ng Corporat e Abuses:
A Grow i ng Movement f or Corporat e
Account abi l i t y
In Canada, as around t he w orl d, t rade uni ons, churches,
envi ronment al and ot her Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons have
document ed t he dangerous i mpact s of t hi s ri si ng corporat e
pow er. In count ri es as vari ed as t he Congo and Sudan,
and Peru and t he Phi l i ppi nes, CCIC members have w orked
t o expose and hal t corporat e abuses f rom t he hi -t ech
and t ext i l e sect ors t o resource ext ract i on. They cont i nue
t o prot est t he f orci bl e di spl acement of Indi genous peopl es
f rom t hei r l ands f or mi ni ng; t o expose t he ef f ect s of t oxi c
dumpi ng by i ndust ri es; t o moni t or t he i l l i ci t t rade i n di amonds
and small arms; and to denounce child labour, sweatshop working
condit ions and at t acks on t rade unions and t heir members.
CCIC members have f ocused on corporat e abuse of w orkers
ri ght s and t he gender di mensi ons of t he expl oi t at i on of
labour. From garment s, t o cut flowers, t o commodit y product ion
such as cocoa, compani es are demandi ng f ast er, more f l exi bl e
and cheaper product i on i n t hei r suppl y chai ns. Workers,
especi al l y w omen w orkers and t hei r f ami l i es pay t he
pri ce. Women aged 15 t o 22 make up 90% of sw eat shop
w orkers. Government s, compet i ng t o at t ract i nvest ment
and boost export s, t urn a bl i nd eye or encourage t he abuse
i nst ead of uphol di ng t hei r obl i gat i on t o prot ect t hese workers
human ri ght s.
As i t s f i rst response t o t he new gl obal envi ronment , i ndust ry
and government promot ed and adopt ed vol unt ary measures
f or corporat e soci al responsi bi l i t y; t he pri vat e sect or regul at ed
and moni t ored i t s ow n act i ons. Gi ven t he mi ni mal progress
achi eved f rom t hi s approach, CSOs argue t hat vol unt ary
account abi l i t y t o codes w het her corporat e codes or
t hose of i nt ernat i onal organi zat i ons such as t he UN Gl obal
Compact or t he Organi sat i on f or Economi c Co-operat i on
and Devel opment (OECD) Gui del i nes f or M ul t i nat i onal
Ent erpri ses cannot st op corporat e mi sconduct . CCIC
members and CSOs around t he w orl d are cal l i ng f or a
mandat ory, regul at ed approach t o corporat e account abi l i t y
st andards w i t h appl i cat i on at home and abroad. These must
be based on i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s and envi ronment al
st andards, as codi f i ed i n UN t reat i es and covenant s, and
have i ndependent moni t ori ng, veri f i cat i on and enf orcement
measures, w i t h sanct i ons i n pl ace f or non-compl i ance.
CSOs are also calling for consist ency among donor government s.
On t he one hand, donors demand good governance f rom
reci pi ent count ri es. On t he ot her, t hey i mpede t hese govern-
ment s f rom regul at i ng t he i mpact s of f orei gn i nvest ment .
Donors need t o ret hi nk t he pol i cy condi t i onal i t i es i mposed
t hrough Int ernat ional Financial Inst it ut ions (IFIs). One condit ion,
f or exampl e, rest ri ct s government s regul at ory pow er and
rei nf orces corporat e ri ght s as not ed above.
Donors, i ncl udi ng Canada, have al so pl ayed hi ghl y i nt erven-
t i oni st rol es i n devel opi ng count ri es pol i cy f ramew orks.
They have support ed i ndust ry i nt erest s such as t he reworki ng
of mining codes in ways t hat roll back local economic benef it s
and envi ronment al prot ect i ons. As pol i cy f ramew orks under-
mi ne capaci t y of government s t o t ax corporat i ons, t he
st at e has f ew er ways t o del i ver on publ i c demands, w hi ch
undercut s l ong-t erm devel opment prospect s.
Mul t i l at eral banks pl ay i mport ant rol es i n support of pri vat e
sect or operat i ons i n devel opi ng count ri es t hrough l oans,
i nsurance and credi t s; l i t t l e account abi l i t y exi st s f or t he net
devel opment and human ri ght s i mpact s of t hese proj ect s.
CSOs have cal l ed f or st ronger l endi ng mechani sms t o ensure
account abilit y t o int ernat ional human right s and environment al
st andards. In addi t i on, CSOs are cal l i ng f or assessment s of
governance i n a count ry/regi on t o i nf orm deci si on maki ng
about support i ng t he pri vat e sect or i n t hese areas. These
cal l s f or act i on i ncl ude grow i ng campai gns f or government s
and IFIs t o undert ake human ri ght s i mpact assessment s of
proj ect s, pol i ci es and i nvest ment s.
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Worl dw i de, scandal s of corrupt i on and embezzl ement
f rom Enron t o Conrad Bl ack are gi vi ng ri se t o new concerns
about abuse of corporat e pow er. Grow i ng publ i c demands
f or corporat e account abi l i t y t o human ri ght s are gai ni ng
t ract ion and government and int er-government al organizat ions
are beginning t o act . In August 2003, t he UNs Sub-Commission
on t he Promot i on and Prot ect i on of Human Ri ght s adopt ed
Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations
and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human
Rights. On a bi l at eral l evel , t he Norw egi an government i s
promot i ng et hi cal i nvest ment st rat egi es by requi ri ng t he
st at e pensi on f und t o i nvest onl y i n compani es t hat meet
st andards of envi ronment al and soci al perf ormance.
Canadi ans Want Corporat e
Soci al Responsi bi l i t y
Here i n Canada, 90% of ci t i zens bel i eve t hat corporat e soci al
responsi bi l i t y shoul d be a t op corporat e pri ori t y. A Globe and
Mail pol l reveal ed t hat l ess t han a quart er of Canadi ans
have f ai t h i n t he i nt egri t y of bi g busi ness. Anot her source
not es t hat 65% of surveyed Canadi ans want compani es t o
go beyond si mpl y obeyi ng l aw s; t hey want corporat i ons
t o become f ul l y account abl e f or any conduct t hat mi ght
undermi ne soci al and envi ronment al heal t h.
91
Canadi ans
are goi ng beyond si mpl y t hi nki ng about corporat e soci al
responsi bi l i t y: t hey are undert aki ng act i on f rom maki ng
et hi cal i nvest ment s and put t i ng pressure on sharehol ders
Human Rights and Corporate Accountability:
A UN Chronology
1919 Present : The Int ernat i onal Labour Organi zat i on (ILO) adopt s a l arge body of i nt ernat i onal convent i ons governi ng
i nt ernat i onal empl oyment st andards. Convent i ons key f or w omens equal i t y i ncl ude:
The Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (N
o
100);
The Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (N
o
111);
The Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (N
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156); and
The Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (N
o
183).
1948: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art i cl e 28 st at es: Everyone i s ent i t l ed t o a soci al and i nt ernat i onal
order i n w hi ch t he ri ght s and f reedoms set f ort h i n t hi s Decl arat i on can be f ul l y real i zed.
1999: ILO adopt s Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, w hi ch came i nt o f orce i n 2000.
2003: The UN Sub-Commi ssi on on t he Promot i on and Prot ect i on of Human Ri ght s adopt s Responsibilities of
Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights.
89
It recogni zes t hat
st at es have t he pri mary responsi bi l i t y t o promot e, secure t he f ul f i l l ment of, respect , ensure respect of and
prot ect human ri ght s ... i ncl udi ng ensuri ng t hat t ransnat i onal corporat i ons and ot her busi ness ent erpri ses
respect human ri ght s.
2007: Speci al Represent at i ve of t he Secret ary-General on t he i ssue of human ri ght s and t ransnat i onal corporat i ons
and ot her busi ness ent erpri ses (John Ruggi e) submi t s hi s report on mappi ng t he i nt ernat i onal st andards of
responsi bi l i t y and account abi l i t y f or corporat e act s.
90
t o adopt i ng sust ai nabl e l i f est yl es and pressi ng f or no sweat
by-l aw s i n t hei r t ow ns and uni versi t i es.
In Canada, t here has been part i cul ar moment um wi t hi n t he
publ i c, Parl i ament and i ndust ry f or corporat e account abi l i t y
i n mi ni ng and t he ext ract i ve sect or.
92
And f or good reason.
There i s a gl ari ng pat t ern of human ri ght s abuses i n t he oi l ,
gas and mining indust ries globally. Even where overt violat ions
are not present , si gni f i cant i mpact s on t he cul t ure, l i vel i hoods,
envi ronment and heal t h of nearby communi t i es requi re
at t ent i on. These i ncl ude speci f i c i mpact s on w omen as mi ne
w orkers and as key agent s i n communi t i es and f ami l i es w ho
cope w i t h t he i mpact of mi neral devel opment .
93
Thi s pat t ern
of human ri ght s concerns has been decri ed by Indi genous
peopl es organi zat i ons and CSOs around t he w orl d f or years,
and was rai sed t o gl obal at t ent i on by t he w ork of John
Ruggi e, Speci al Represent at i ve of t he UN Secret ary General
on Busi ness and Human Ri ght s.
Al most 60% of t he worl ds mi ni ng and expl orat i on compani es
are l i st ed i n Canada. Gi ven t hi s domi nant rol e and t he st rong
l evel s of pol i t i cal and f i nanci al support t he sect or recei ves
f rom government , Canadi an CSOs have pressed f or l eadershi p
f rom Canada t o hel p end abuses i n t hi s sect or.
As t hi s t rend and publ i c demands evol ve, di f f erent agendas
are convergi ng: on t he one hand, t he need t o prot ect t he
envi ronment , Indi genous ri ght s and sust ai nabl e agri cul t ure;
on t he ot her, t he need f or more account abl e government s
and more democrat i c oversi ght of corporat i ons. Si nce
demands f or act i on w i l l be i ncreasi ngl y hol i st i c, current and
f ut ure sol ut i ons wi l l be i ncreasi ngl y compl ex. Thi s underscores
t he need t o est abl i sh comprehensi ve f ramew orks f or
corporat e account abi l i t y.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
Requi re Canadi an compani es operat i ng i nt ernat i onal l y
t o meet cl earl y def i ned corporat e account abi l i t y, i nt erna-
t i onal human ri ght s, l abour and envi ronment al st andards.
Thi s w oul d be a precondi t i on f or government support vi a
Canadian embassies and t rade commissions, Team Canada
t rade mi ssi ons, as w el l as f i nanci al assi st ance vi a t he
Canadi an Int ernat i onal Devel opment Agency (CIDA),
Export Devel opment Canada, pol i t i cal ri sk i nsurance,
t ax breaks and t he Canadi an Pensi on Pl an.
Recogni ze t hat t he pri nci pl e of Free, Prior and Informed
Consent, embodi ed i n i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s l aw
i ncl udi ng t he UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
People, must be respect ed i n t he cont ext of devel opment
i nt ervent i ons, corporat e i nvest ment s or publ i c support
f or t hese.
Devel op robust Canadi an-based moni t ori ng, veri f i cat i on
and compl i ance mechani sms, w i t h pol i ci es t o ensure
t ransparency i n t he report i ng of Canadi an compani es
operat i ons, i ncl udi ng suppl y chai ns.
Make changes t o t ext i l e l abel l i ng l egi sl at i on t o ensure
f ul l di scl osure of t he names and addresses of f act ori es
w here cl ot hi ng i s made.
Devel op l egi sl at i on t o hol d Canadi an compani es and
t hei r di rect ors account abl e i n Canada w hen f ound
responsi bl e f or human ri ght s abuses or envi ronment al
dest ruct i on overseas.
Encourage and provi de support t o Sout hern government s
i n t hei r ef f ort s t o rat i f y and compl y w i t h Int ernat i onal
Labour Organi zat i on (ILO) Convent i ons.
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Promot e t he respect of st at es i nt ernat i onal human
ri ght s and envi ronment al obl i gat i ons and hi gh corporat e
responsi bi l i t y st andards i n Worl d Bank and Regi onal
Devel opment Banks pol i ci es by ensuri ng:
- IFIs do not f i nance proj ect s t hat vi ol at e t hese st andards
and obl i gat i ons;
- Support t o t he pri vat e sect or (l oans and i nsurance) i s
made condi t i onal upon compl i ance;
- Free prior and inf ormed consent of communit ies af f ect ed
by IFI proj ect s, and t hat ci vi l soci et y i n af f ect ed count ri es
has meaningf ul opport unit y f or part icipat ion in decisions;
- Transparent and ef f ect i ve moni t ori ng syst ems are put
i n pl ace t o ensure ef f ect i ve i mpl ement at i on of t hese
pol i ci es; and
- IFIs w ork w i t h UN agenci es t o devel op an i ndependent
capaci t y t o undert ake human ri ght s i mpact assessment s
f or IFI l endi ng.
Promot e movement t owards et hi cal i nvest ment pract i ces
by w orki ng w i t h provi nci al government s t o:
- Amend l egi sl at i on t o cl ari f y t hat f und managers
consi derat i on of soci al and human ri ght s, or envi ron-
ment al i ssues i n i nvest ment deci si ons does not conf l i ct
w i t h t hei r l egal obl i gat i ons;
- Increase di scl osure requi rement s t o sharehol ders
concerni ng soci al , governance and envi ronment al
perf ormance of company operat i ons.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Work t o i mprove i nst i t ut i onal procurement pol i ci es and
pract i ces i n Canada and i n devel opi ng count ri es t o
ref l ect a commi t ment t o human ri ght s (i ncl udi ng l abour
ri ght s); t he hi ghest st andards of ecol ogi cal sust ai nabi l i t y
and f ai r t rade.
Seek t o ensure t hei r i nst i t ut i onal f i nanci al resources are
i nvest ed et hi cal l y and encourage et hi cal i nvest ment
among support ers. As part of t hi s, w ork w i t h ot her CSOs
t o def i ne et hi cal i nvest ment .
Work w i t h Sout hern part ners t o document and publ i ci ze
unf ai r, unsaf e, envi ronment al l y i rresponsi bl e and corrupt
corporat e pract i ces. St rengt hen t he capaci t y of Sout hern
ci vi l soci et y, i ncl udi ng t rade uni ons, Indi genous peopl es
and womens organizat ions, t o monit or corporat e pract ices.
Engage i n di scussi on w i t hi n t he CSO communi t y t o share
perspect ives on implicat ions and experience of part nerships
w i t h pri vat e sect or act ors.
Conduct due di l i gence bef ore ent eri ng i nt o part nershi ps
w i t h pri vat e sect or organi zat i ons t o ensure pot ent i al
part ners meet cl earl y def i ned corporat e account abi l i t y
st andards t hat respect i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s, l abour
and envi ronment al st andards.
62
The Et hi cal Tradi ng Act i on Group (ETAG)
ETAG i s a Canadi an coal i t i on of f ai t h, l abour, t eacher and non-government al organi zat i ons (NGOs) advocat i ng f or
government pol i ci es, vol unt ary Codes of Conduct and et hi cal purchasi ng pol i ci es t hat promot e humane l abour pract i ces
based on i nt ernat i onal l abour st andards.
94
It s No Sw eat Campai gn promot es publ i c access t o i nf ormat i on about
where and under what condi t i ons, cl ot hes, shoes and ot her consumer product s are made. It al so promot es t ransparency
i n moni t ori ng and veri f yi ng company compl i ance w i t h i nt ernat i onal l abour st andards and l ocal l aw s. The ETAG
Transparency Report Card assesses compani es ef f ort s t o compl y w i t h i nt ernat i onal l abour st andards i n t hei r source
f act ori es and on t he st eps t aken t o ensure t ransparency. The campai gn al so cal l s f or changes i n t ext i l e l abel l i ng l egi sl at i on
t o ensure f ul l di scl osure of t he names and addresses of f act ori es t hat make cl ot hi ng.
The Canadi an Net w ork on Corporat e Account abi l i t y (CNCA)
95
CNCA i s a coal i t i on of NGOs, churches, t rade uni ons and ot her CSOs concerned w i t h t he det ri ment al human ri ght s and
envi ronment al i mpact s of Canadi an mi ni ng, oi l and gas i ndust ri es. Canadi an mi ni ng compani es have been i mpl i cat ed
i n human ri ght s abuses and envi ronment al di sast ers i n more t han 30 count ri es. The net w ork cal l s on t he Canadi an
government t o move beyond vol unt ary corporat e responsi bi l i t y measures and t o regul at e t he pract i ces of Canadi an
compani es operat i ng overseas.
Chi l d Labour i n Cocoa Product i on
Save t he Chi l dren Canada
SCC advocat es t o el i mi nat e t he w orst f orms of chi l d l abour i n West Af ri can cocoa product i on, and hence t he Nort h
Ameri can chocol at e i ndust ry. In 2005, Save t he Chi l dren i nvi t ed chocol at e company represent at i ves on a due di l i gence
t ri p t o Ct e d Ivoi re, Mal i and Ghana. Indust ry part i ci pant s l earned about t he i ndust ri es Farmer Fi el d School , as
w el l as t he NGOs ef f ort s t o promot e and prot ect chi l drens ri ght s. Save t he Chi l dren t hen host ed an Int ernat i onal
Forum i n Toront o on Chi l d Prot ect i on i n Raw Agri cul t ural Commodi t i es Trade: The Case of Cocoa. The Forum f ocused
w orl d at t ent i on on research, pol i ci es and programs t o st op t he w orst f orms of chi l d l abour i n cocoa product i on.
The 25 part i ci pant s represent ed t he chocol at e i ndust ry, NGOs, t he ILO, and Canadi an, Ameri can and West Af ri can
government s. Part i ci pant s i dent i f i ed gaps i n prot ect i ng chi l d w orkers and expl ored opport uni t i es f or co-operat i on
among st akehol der groups.
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RESOURCES
Canadi an Net w ork on Corporat e Account abi l i t y. www.halif axinit iat ive.org/ index.php/ I ssues_CNCA.
Canadi an Net w ork on Corporat e Account abi l i t y, Government Roundt abl es on Ext ract i ve Indust ri es and Corporat e
Soci al Responsi bi l i t y, Bri ef i ng Not e, June 2006. www.halif axinit iat ive.org/ updir/ M ediaBrief ingNot eJune06-1-E.pdf .
Maqui l a Sol i dari t y Net w ork. www.maquilasolidarit y.org/ .
CCIC. Movi ng Beyond Vol unt ari sm A Ci vi l Soci et y Response t o t he SCFAIT report . www.ccic.ca/ e/ docs/
002_humanit arian_2005-11_scf ait _mining_csr_brief ing_not e.pdf .
Oxf am Int ernat i onal . Trading away our rights: women working in global supply chains. January 2004.
www.maket radef air.com/ en/ asset s/ english/ t aor.pdf .
Pri nci pl es f or Gl obal Corporat e Responsi bi l i t y: Bench Marks f or Measuri ng Busi ness Perf ormance.
www.bench-marks.org/ .
Canada. House of Commons. St andi ng Commi t t ee on Forei gn Af f ai rs and Int ernat i onal Trade (SCFAIT),
Report on Canadi an ext ract i ve i ndust ri es. 2006.
ht t p:/ / cmt e.parl.gc.ca/ cmt e/ Commit t eePublicat ion.aspx?COM = 8979&Lang= 1&SourceI d= 178650.
UN Sub-Commi t t ee on t he Promot i on and Prot ect i on of Human Ri ght s. Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations
and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights.
www.unhchr.ch/ Huridocda/ Huridoca.nsf / 0/ 64155e7e8141b38cc1256d63002c55e8?Opendocument .
Point 6:
PROMOTE PEACE
ENGAGE WITH CONFLICT-AFFECTED SOCIETIES TO PROMOTE PEACE, EMPHASIZING A TRANSPARENT,
RIGHTS-BASED AND COHERENT ENGAGEM ENT STRATEGY. CANADIAN POLICIES SHOULD
STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL NORMS AND REGULATIONS, AS WELL AS LOCAL CAPACITIES
FOR PEACE AND PEACEBUILDING. CANADA SHOULD FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW BY PROTECTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY
CHILDREN, AND INCLUDING SPECIAL MEASURES TO PROTECT WOMEN AND GIRLS FROM SEXUAL
AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.
The Changi ng Face of Conf l i ct
Al ready, t he 21
st
cent ury has been marred by war and
mi l i t ari sm. As i n cent uri es past , vi ol ence and hi gh st akes
st ruggl es over resources, pow er and borders undermi ne t he
prospect s f or more peacef ul pat hs t o t he achi evement of
human ri ght s f or al l .
The end of t he Col d War brought enormous opt i mi sm f or
peace w i t h t he t haw i ng of wart i me al l i ances. How ever, t he
peace di vi dend di d not mat eri al i ze. By t he mi d 1990s, i nt ernal
and et hni c wars l ed t o a record number of conf l i ct s. The
Sept ember 11
t h
at t acks brought i n a new l abyri nt h of wars,
proxy wars and geopol i t i cal al l i ances. At t he end of 2006,
t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y f aced 29 armed conf l i ct s i n
25 st at es.
In modern conf l i ct s, human ri ght s vi ol at i ons are al l t oo
common. They t ake many forms, including t arget ing of civilians,
f orced di spl acement , sexual and gender-based vi ol ence
(i ncl udi ng rape as a w eapon of war), abduct i on of chi l dren
i nt o f i ght i ng f orces, ext raj udi ci al ki l l i ngs and di sappearances.
As a si gnat ory t o a number of i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s
i nst rument s, i ncl udi ng t he Geneva Conventions, Canada has
a responsi bi l i t y t o respect and prot ect t he ri ght s of peopl e i n
conf l i ct -af f ect ed areas. Taki ng our human ri ght s obl i gat i ons
seri ousl y means ensuri ng t hat Canadi an t rade, devel opment ,
64
In t hi s new cent ury, w e must st art f rom t he
underst andi ng t hat peace bel ongs not onl y t o
st at es or peopl es, but t o each and every
member of t hose communi t i es. The soverei gnt y
of St at es must no l onger be used as a shi el d
f or gross vi ol at i ons of human ri ght s. Peace
must be made real and t angi bl e i n t he dai l y
exi st ence of every i ndi vi dual i n need. Peace
must be sought , above al l , because i t i s t he
condi t i on f or every member of t he human f ami l y
t o l i ve a l i f e of di gni t y and securi t y.
Kof i Annan, Nobel Lect ure f or t he Peace Pri ze, 2001
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I have l earned t hat despi t e bei ng t arget s i n
cont emporary armed conf l i ct s, despi t e t he bru-
t al i t y show n t owards t hem and t he f ai l ure of
adul t s t o nurt ure and prot ect t hem, chi l dren are
bot h our reason t o el i mi nat e t he w orst aspect s
of armed conf l i ct and our best hope of suc-
ceedi ng i n t hat charge. In a di sparat e w orl d,
children are a unif ying f orce capable of bringing
us all t oget her in support of a common et hic.
Graca Machel , Impact of Armed Conflict on Children,
UNICEF, 1996
Int er Pares Phot o: Carol i ne Boudreau
def ence and f orei gn pol i ci es promot e, rat her t han undermi ne,
t he capacit ies of st at es t o meet t heir human right s obligat ions,
t o hel p prevent vi ol ence and promot e t he resol ut i on of
conf l i ct s t hrough peacef ul means.
As vi ol ence i ncreases, arms embargoes, t arget ed sanct i ons
and di pl omat i c i sol at i on can be ef f ect i ve i f t hese i ni t i at i ves
are mul t i l at eral and properl y execut ed. When armed groups
are st i l l f i ght i ng and chal l engi ng t he l egi t i macy of t he cent ral
government , a pol i t i cal not mi l i t ary sol ut i on i s needed.
Concert ed di pl omat i c act i on can of t en save l i ves. Medi at i on,
negot i at i on and di pl omacy are t he ol dest and surest means
of peacemaki ng. Too of t en, w omen, chi l dren and yout h are
negot i at ed out of peace deal s; t hei r ef f ect i ve part i ci pat i on
i s part of an i ncl usi ve and sust ai nabl e peace.
Maj or armed vi ol ence i s prevent abl e, yet w e choose not t o
prevent i t . In a deepl y i nt er-connect ed w orl d, no conf l i ct i s
st ri ct l y i nt ernal : t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y, and part i cul arl y
t he UN, i s i nherent l y i nvol ved. What t hen are key areas f or
act i on f or Canada? Bel ow are f i ve pot ent i al areas.
Trade i n Weapons
The gl obal t rade i n w eapons set s t he t abl e f or vi ol ence
and t hus t hreat ens t he ri ght s of peopl e gl obal l y. Landmi nes
i nj ure or ki l l 10,000 t o 15,000 peopl e every year. Smal l arms
and l i ght w eapons account f or bet w een 60 and 90% of
deat hs i n conf l i ct s and ki l l hal f a mi l l i on peopl e annual l y.
The Ottawa Convention banned ant i -personnel l andmi nes.
St eps have been t aken t owards an i nt ernat i onal t reat y on
arms sal es and a ban on cl ust er muni t i ons. As a member of
t he G8 and a si gni f i cant mi ddl e pow er, Canada has a vi t al
rol e t o pl ay i n quel l i ng t he gl obal t rade i n w eapons.
Resources and Conf l i ct
Gl obal t rade and i nvest ment agreement s, as wel l as t he t rade
i n nat ural resources, have si gni f i cant i mpact s on conf l i ct s. In
conf l i ct s f rom t he Phi l i ppi nes t o t he Congo t o Col ombi a, t he
ext ract i on of oi l , gas and mi neral s cont ri but es t o vi ol ence
and mi l i t ari zat i on. Pri vat e securi t y f orces hi red t o prot ect
i nvest ment s have been i mpl i cat ed i n human ri ght s abuses
agai nst communi t i es; company equi pment has hel ped armed
groups; and compani es have been f orced t o pay royal t i es t o
armed groups or repressi ve government s. It i s w el l w i t hi n
Canadas pow er t o ensure t hat Canadi an compani es do not
exacerbat e conf l i ct , and t o w ork f or gl obal st andards t o
reduce conf l i ct over resources by cal l i ng f or great er corporat e
account abi l i t y and adherence t o i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s
and envi ronment al st andards.
66
The Human Cost of War
Si nce t he 1960s, f our out of f i ve war casual t i es have been ci vi l i ans.
Si nce 1990, 80% of ci vi l i an war casual t i es have been chi l dren and w omen.
Bet w een 250,000 and 500,000 w omen w ere raped t o f urt her t he Rwandan genoci de of 1994, and warri ors f rom
Guat emal a t o t he Congo t o t he Uni t ed St at es used t he rape of uni magi nabl e numbers of women as a weapon of war.
In t he past decade, t w o mi l l i on chi l dren have been ki l l ed i n armed conf l i ct , si x mi l l i on have been i nj ured and
anot her 20 mi l l i on have been f orced t o f l ee t hei r homes.
Source
Save t he Chi l dren. Rewrite the Future. 2006. www.savet hechildren.org/ publicat ions/ report s/ Rewrit et heFut ure_CampaignReport .pdf
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Prot ect i ng t he Ri ght s of Peopl e
In war, t he ri ght s of peopl e, men, w omen, gi rl s and boys, are
suspended and l i vel i hoods di srupt ed. Armed groups st arve,
di spl ace and ki l l ci vi l i ans t o put pressure on government s,
bui l d a const i t uency of f ol l ow ers and advance t hei r ai ms.
Accordi ng t o t he UN, Ref ugee movement s are no l onger
si de ef f ect s of conf l i ct , but i n many cases are cent ral t o t he
obj ect i ves and t act i cs of war.
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Even w hen not expl i ci t l y
t arget ed, ci vi l i ans of t en l ose access t o t hei r basi c needs.
Int ernal di spl acement i s a grow i ng phenomenon f rom Chad
t o Col ombi a. The number of i ndi rect deat hs f rom di sease,
mal nut ri t i on, i nadequat e medi cal care and di rt y wat er i s
more t han 10 t i mes t he number of bat t l e-rel at ed deat hs.
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Vi ol ence and war af f ect men and w omen, and gi rl s and boys
di f f erent l y. Consequent l y, i t i s i mperat i ve t o have speci al
measures t o prot ect t he ri ght s and physi cal i nt egri t y of
w omen and chi l dren. Sexual vi ol ence used t o cont rol ,
t ort ure, puni sh and demoral i ze i s one of t he most horri f i c
and last ing legacies of war in nearly every post -conf lict societ y.
M oreover, t hi s vi ol ence i s of t en i nvi si bl e, rei nf orced by a
cul t ural i mpuni t y f or vi ol ence agai nst w omen t hat i s root ed
i n t he l ow er st at us of gi rl s and w omen i n soci et y. Progress
i n gender equal i t y must be part of a l ong-t erm sust ai nabl e
peace t hat goes beyond t he absence of war t o advance
j ust i ce and equal i t y.
The UN, and Civil Societ y Organizat ions (CSOs) are designat ing
prot ect i on of f i cers t o prot ect t he ri ght s of conf l i ct -af f ect ed
peopl e and a number of CSOs provi de accompani ment t o
human ri ght s def enders. These prot ect i on w orkers use ci t i zen
di pl omacy, caut i ous negot i at i on and creat i ve i mprovi sat i on
t o keep peopl e saf e and l i vi ng w i t h di gni t y. More w omen
prot ect i on w orkers are needed t o respond t o t he uni que
heal t h, psychosoci al and l egal needs of w omen and gi rl s,
i ncl udi ng survi vors of sexual vi ol ence.
But t hese ef f ort s are not al ways enough. In ext reme ci rcum-
st ances, t he use of mi l i t ary f orce mi ght be consi dered,
i n accordance w i t h i nt ernat i onal l aw and i n concert w i t h
t he appropri at e body of t he Uni t ed Nat i ons. It i s a messy,
i mperf ect sol ut i on, but i n t he wake of t he Rwandan genoci de
and t he Srebreni ca massacre, some have begun t o accept
t he i dea. The caref ul anal ysi s of t he Int ernat i onal Commi ssi on
on Int ervent i on and St at e Soverei gnt y, embodi ed i n t he
Responsibility to Protect (R2P) report , advanced t he debat e
over i nt ervent i on. The Commi ssi on i dent i f i ed t hree core
responsi bi l i t i es f or t he i nt ernat i onal communi t y t o prevent ,
t o react and t o rebui l d. The Commi ssi on made i t cl ear t hat
use of f orce must be a l ast resort .
3D Approaches t o Conf l i ct and
Peace Operat i ons
Even bef ore t he Responsibility to Protect (R2P) report ,
peacekeepi ng had evol ved consi derabl y. Compl ex modern
warf are i s of t en not conduci ve t o t radi t i onal peacekeepi ng.
The si des i n a war are not al ways cl ear, t he pol i t i cal l eadershi p
of armed groups i s not al ways obvi ous and t here i s of t en l i t t l e
know l edge of, and respect f or, i nt ernat i onal humani t ari an
l aw. Inst ead, t he UN i s rel yi ng i ncreasi ngl y on compl ex
peace operat i ons. In t hese mi ssi ons, peacekeepers may use
f orce as a l ast resort . They t ypi cal l y w ork cl osel y w i t h t he
pol i t i cal , and somet i mes t he humani t ari an, si de of an
i nt egrat ed mi ssi on.
In t hi s cont ext , t he ef f ort s of UN agenci es and CSOs t o meet
humani t ari an needs are i ncreasi ngl y compl i cat ed. The saf et y
of humani t ari an w orkers and t he peopl e t hey serve depends
on a deal bet w een humani t ari ans and warri ng part i es: t he
humani t ari an act ors ai m t o mi t i gat e suf f eri ng resul t i ng f rom
t he war, not t o af f ect i t s course. When one si de of a conf l i ct
percei ves humani t ari an w orkers are l i nked t o t he ot her si de,
t he deal i s broken: humani t ari an act i on becomes cl ose
t o i mpossi bl e.
Evol vi ng Canadi an and i nt ernat i onal pol i ci es ai m t o f ul l y
i nt egrat e humani t ari an, mi l i t ary and di pl omat i c responses t o
conf l i ct . These 3D approaches encourage t i ght er l i nkages
bet w een mi l i t ary and humani t ari an responses t o cri ses.
CCIC and i t s members, how ever, bel i eve t he resul t coul d
be l ess access f or humani t ari an l i f e-savi ng assi st ance t o
af f ect ed popul at i ons.
In many ways, 3D peace operat ions are of t en indist inguishable
f rom cont roversial, ext ernally direct ed st at e-building project s.
St at e-building project s t hat address st at e f ailure and f ragilit y
have become a f orei gn pol i cy pri ori t y f or donors, i ncl udi ng
Canada. Responsive st at es are essent ial component s of an
effect ive post -conflict process of reconciliat ion and social just ice.
But in t he cont ext of a global war on t errorism, expanding
not ions of securit y t hreat s drive donor priorit ies. In ot her words,
Nort hern government s perceive and int ervene in f ailed and
f ragi l e st at es as havens f or t errori st s, as sources f or i l l egal
drugs and as t hreat s t o t heir nat ional securit y.
In t hi s emergi ng model f or bui l di ng st at es, Nort hern mi l i t ari es
are supposed t o provi de st abi l i t y, securi t y and i f necessary
regi me change. Int ernat i onal f i nanci al i nst i t ut i ons and maj or
donor count ri es are supposed t o rebui l d i nf rast ruct ure, rewri t e
const i t ut i ons, i nst i t ut e l i beral economi es and at t empt t o
i nst i l l a democrat i c et hos.
By al l evi dence, t hi s approach w i l l never succeed. St i l l , i t has
l argel y di spl aced a more ef f ect i ve f ocus on support i ng l ocal
i ni t i at i ves f or peace, t ransf ormi ng t he root causes of conf l i ct
and reconci l i ng war-t orn communi t i es. Inst ead, donors f ocus
on bui l di ng t he capaci t i es of t he st at e t o st abi l i ze and ext end
i t s pow er, of t en qui t e asi de f rom i t s ci t i zens i nt erest s and
cont ri but i ons t o peace. Donors f ai l t o consi der t hei r ow n
responsibilit ies f or t he impact of previously misguided policies
on st at e capaci t i es and t hei r devel opment prospect s.
Peacebui l di ng and New UN Ini t i at i ves
Medi at i on, negot i at i on and di pl omacy are t he ol dest and
surest means f or peacemaki ng. In support of such ef f ort s,
t he Uni t ed Nat i ons set up a new Peacebui l di ng Commi ssi on
and Medi at i on Support Of f i ce. The Securi t y Counci l adopt ed
Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security i n 2000,
enshri ni ng t he need t o i nvol ve women at al l l evel s of conf l i ct
prevent i on, peace operat i ons, peacemaki ng and rebui l di ng.
And, i n 2005, t he Securi t y Counci l passed Resolution 1612
on Children Affected by Armed Conflict, uphol di ng t he ri ght s
of boys and gi rl s i n conf l i ct . Much w ork remai ns t o ensure
t heir ef f ect ive implement at ion, but t oget her t hese mechanisms
coul d dramat i cal l y i mprove concert ed i nt ernat i onal responses
t o conf l i ct and post -conf l i ct peacebui l di ng.
The w orl d may be more compl ex t han i t was i n t he days
of Lest er B. Pearson, t he grandf at her of peacekeepi ng.
The rout e of war and vi ol ence w i l l of t en seem seduct i ve,
but it will not be successf ul. The peacef ul road is more dif f icult ,
but i t i s t he onl y sure pat h t o a j ust and st abl e f ut ure.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
Renew Canadas commi t ment s t o peacebui l di ng, peace
support and peacekeepi ng, and be prepared t o prot ect
people whose lives and f undament al right s are t hreat ened.
- Exhaust al l avenues f or di pl omacy and l ocal i ni t i at i ves
f or peace pri or t o t he commi t ment of mi l i t ary f orce
under a UN mandat e.
- Work t o ensure t hat al l personnel i n peacekeepi ng
and peace support operat i ons i ncl ude w omen at al l
l evel s of operat i ons, i ncl udi ng t hose responsi bl e f or
di spl aced/ref ugee camps. Mal e and f emal e personnel
must be t rai ned i n sexual and gender-based vi ol ence,
human ri ght s and chi l d prot ect i on.
- Ensure account abi l i t y t o prevent sexual abuse and
expl oi t at i on by adheri ng t o t he Int er-Agency St andi ng
Commi t t ee
98
pri nci pl es f or al l Canadi an personnel .
Put in place a clear and t ransparent st rat egy f or promot ing
peace f or Canada s engagement w i t h conf l i ct -af f ect ed
soci et i es, based on sol i d conf l i ct and gender anal ysi s
and f ounded on i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s i nst rument s.
- Ensure Canadi an support t o organi zat i ons, part i cul arl y
w omens organi zat i ons, w orki ng t o st rengt hen l ocal
capaci t i es f or peace.
Subst ant i al l y i nvest human and f i nanci al resources i n
st rengt heni ng our medi at i on and negot i at i ons capaci t y
t o support peace processes.
Support i ni t i at i ves t o end i mpuni t y f or war cri mes, cri mes
agai nst humani t y, genoci de and ot her grave human
ri ght s vi ol at i ons under i nt ernat i onal humani t ari an l aw.
- Work t o end i mpuni t y f or t he use of sexual vi ol ence as
a w eapon of war by di scouragi ng amnest y provi si ons
i n peace agreement s f or sexual vi ol ence and support i ng
t he Int ernat i onal Cri mi nal Court t o i nvest i gat e gender-
based cri mes.
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Take i nt ernat i onal l eadershi p i n respect i ng humani t ari an
space and access t o war-af f ect ed popul at i ons. Support
t he i nt egri t y of humani t ari an act i on by enabl i ng humani -
t ari an act ors t o abi de by t he pri nci pl es of i ndependence,
neut ral i t y and i mpart i al i t y.
- Impl ement t he Good Humani t ari an Donorshi p pri nci pl es,
and ensure t hat ef f ort s t o support and prot ect ref ugees
and i nt ernal l y di spl aced persons al so address t he ef f ect s
on communi t i es recei vi ng t hese peopl e.
Toget her w i t h Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons, i mpl ement a
st rong act i on pl an on Security Council Resolution 1325
on Women, Peace and Security t o ensure t hat w omen
are consul t ed and i nvol ved i n al l aspect s of conf l i ct
prevent i on, peace negot i at i ons, peacebui l di ng and
post -conf l i ct reconst ruct i on. Support w omen s ri ght s
act i vi st s and def enders.
Pl ay a l eadi ng rol e i n devel opi ng an Arms Trade Treat y
and a ban on cl ust er muni t i ons, and support broader
di sarmament ef f ort s t hat respond t o t he i mpact of smal l
arms on devel opment and human ri ght s. Thi s i s consi st ent
w i t h Art i cl e 26 of t he UN Chart er, w hi ch cal l s on t he
Securi t y Counci l t o devel op a pl an t o decrease f undi ng
f or w eapons of war and use t hat money f or t he needs
of peopl e.
Advocat e f or nucl ear non-prol i f erat i on and di sarmament .
Pl ay a l ead i n prevent i ng t he recrui t ment of chi l d sol di ers
consi st ent w i t h Security Resolution 1612, prot ect i ng t he
ri ght s of chi l dren and empow eri ng t hei r part i ci pat i on i n
peacebui l di ng processes.
Hol d Canadi an corporat i ons engaged i n human ri ght s
abuses i n conf l i ct zones account abl e by devel opi ng
l egi sl at i on consi st ent w i t h t he Advi sory Group Report
on t he Nat i onal Roundt abl es on Corporat e Soci al
Responsi bi l i t y (CSR) and t he Canadi an Ext ract i ve
Indust ry i n Devel opi ng Count ri es.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Support l ocal capaci t i es f or peace, i ncl udi ng among CSOs,
and deepen know l edge of, and support f or, l ocal peace-
bui l di ng i ncl udi ng f or t ransi t i onal j ust i ce processes.
- Ensure t hat l ocal communi t i es, i ncl udi ng w omen,
are i ncl uded i n al l aspect s of deci si on-maki ng.
- Provi de speci f i c support t o womens net works t o ensure
t he perspect i ves of w omen and gi rl s are i ncorporat ed
i nt o ci vi l soci et y peace ef f ort s.
Be vi gi l ant t hat conf l i ct anal ysi s and gender anal ysi s are
brought t o bear on conf l i ct w ork and peacebui l di ng,
ensuri ng t hat devel opment and humani t ari an programs
are assessed f or t hei r i mpact on peace.
Adopt and put i nt o pract i ce et hi cal codes of conduct ,
such as Sphere St andards
99
and t he Int er-Agency
St andi ng Commi t t ee
100
pri nci pl es on prevent i ng sexual
abuse and expl oi t at i on i n conf l i ct zones.
Ensure al l humani t ari an rel i ef st af f recei ve t rai ni ng on
humani t ari an val ues, vi ol ence prevent i on and ci vi l i an
prot ect i on f or di spl aced/ref ugee w omen and chi l dren.
Work i n coal i t i ons f or di sarmament , i ncl udi ng
on l andmi nes.
Be vi gi l ant i n prot ect i ng chi l drens ri ght s by report i ng
vi ol at i ons on recrui t i ng chi l d sol di ers, w orki ng t o rehabi l -
i t at e chi l dren i n f i ght i ng f orces and empow eri ng t hei r
part i ci pat i on i n peacebui l di ng processes.
Support l ocal CSOs i n peace educat i on and peace
promot i on t o st rengt hen t hei r capaci t y f or part i ci pat i ng
i n peace processes.
70
Int er Pares
Support f or Womens Empowerment i n Peru, Guat emal a and Col ombi a t o Address Sexual Vi ol ence duri ng Armed Conf l i ct
The program ai ms t o enhance soci al , pol i t i cal and l egal condi t i ons f or women survi vors of sexual vi ol ence i n t he cont ext
of war. Ul t i mat el y, i t seeks t o enabl e w omen t o overcome vi ct i mi zat i on, become prot agoni st s and devel op t he capaci t y
t o f ul l y exerci se t hei r ri ght s as ci t i zens and agent s of change. To t hat end, i t support s l egal act i on by t he w omen t o
break t he impunit y for t hese crimes and hold government s account able t o t he law. Women survivors and t heir organizat ions
are al so accompani ed i n t hei r ef f ort s t o i nf l uence reparat i ons pl ans w i t h respect t o sexual vi ol ence i n t he cont ext of
war. As w el l , t he program enabl es part i ci pat i ng organi zat i ons t o j oi n f orces i nt ernat i onal l y, share resources and l earn
f rom one anot her. Benef i ci ari es i ncl ude Indi genous w omen, poor rural and urban w omen, and t hei r f ami l i es, as w el l
as t he Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons t hat support t hem. The l ocal human ri ght s and w omens organi zat i ons have di rect
rel at i onshi ps w i t h t he af f ect ed w omen, research i nst i t ut i ons, ment al heal t h speci al i st s and academi cs.
Proj ect Pl oughshares
Part nershi p wi t h Af ri ca Peace Forum
Proj ect Pl oughshares support s pract i cal peacebui l di ng i ni t i at i ves t hrough w ork w i t h t he Af ri ca Peace Forum (APFO) i n
t he Great er Horn of Af ri ca regi on. APFO, a Kenya-based non-government al organi zat i on, encourages and support s ci vi l
soci et y engagement i n pol i cy i ssues rel at ed t o regi onal securi t y, securi t y sect or ref orm, di sarmament , smal l arms and
i n peacemaki ng di pl omacy t o st rengt hen t he Sudan peace process. Proj ect Pl oughshares and t he APFO are carryi ng out
a research and pol i cy-di al ogue proj ect ent i t l ed, Bui l di ng t he Capaci t y f or Sust ai nabl e Peace: Track II Di pl omacy i n
t he Sudan. The proj ect seeks pri mari l y t o obt ai n t he perspect i ves and i nsi ght s of academi cs and pract i t i oners rel at ed
t o securi t y i ssues under t he Comprehensi ve Peace Agreement (CPA). These chal l enges f ocus on t he i mpact of pol i t i cal
concerns, and of arms cont rol and reduct i on, on t he CPAs i mpl ement at i on.
71
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RESOURCES
Canadi an Counci l f or Int ernat i onal Co-operat i on, Failed States Canadian Action in Conflict-Affected States. 2006.
ht t p:/ / ccic.ca/ e/ 002/ humanit arian_peace.sht ml.
Carnegi e Endow ment f or Int ernat i onal Peace. States at Risk: Stabilization and State-building by External Intervention:
A Conference Report, January 20-21, 2004.
Gender and Peacebui l di ng Worki ng Group. Women, Peace and Security, the NGO Experience. CPCC. 2007,
ht t p:/ / peacebuild.ca/ upload/ Final% 20NGO% 20Report % 20EN.pdf .
Ini t i at i ve f or Incl usi ve Securi t y and Int ernat i onal Al ert Joi nt Publ i cat i on. Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace: A Toolkit
for Advocacy and Action, 2004. www.hunt alt ernat ives.org/ Spages/ 87_inclusive_securit y_t oolkit .cf m.
Erni e Regehr and Pet er Whel an. Reshaping the Security Envelope: Defence Policy in a Human Security Context. Proj ect
Pl oughshares Worki ng Paper 04-4, November, 2004, www.ploughshares.ca/ libraries/ WorkingPapers/ wp044.pdf .
Save t he Chi l dren, Rewrite the Future. 2006.
w w w.savet hechi l dren.org/publ i cat i ons/report s/Rew ri t et heFut ure_Campai gnReport .pdf.
Wheel er, Vi ct ori a and Adel e Harmer, eds. Resetting the rules of engagement: trends and issues in military-humanitarian
relations. Humani t ari an Pol i cy Group, Overseas Devel opment Inst i t ut e, Report 21, March, 2006.
www.odi.org.uk/ HPG/ papers/ HPGBrief 21.pdf .
Point 7:
PROMOTE GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
PROTECT AND REHABILITATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMONS AND DECREASE OUR ECOLOGICAL
FOOTPRINT WITH STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES CONSISTENT WITH ENDING GLOBAL POVERTY
AND REDUCING INEQUALITIES. SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD FOR POOR AND VULNERABLE
PEOPLE IN HARM ONY WITH A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONM ENT. ENSURE CANADA M EETS ITS
OBLIGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TREATIES AND AGREEMENTS. TAKE FULL
ACCOUNT OF THE INTERESTS, CAPACITIES AND KNOWLEDGE OF DIVERSE PEOPLES IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
A Pl anet i n Cri si s
Disappearing and deplet ed fish st ocks; land, air and wat ersheds
cont ami nat ed w i t h t oxi c wast es; f orest s razed f or t i mber and
l arge-scal e agri cul t ure; speci es ext i nct i on; soi l depl et i on and
degradat i on; expandi ng desert s; and now a l oomi ng wat er
cri si s, gl obal warmi ng and cl i mat e change: al l are t he l egaci es
and pressures of an indust rial growt h model of development ,
promot ed by devel oped count ri es, w hi ch now t hreat ens al l
t he Eart hs i nhabi t ant s and t he very heal t h of t he pl anet i t sel f.
Sadl y, i t i s t he pract i ces and rapaci ous appet i t es of t he
w eal t hi est among us t hat have f oul ed our col l ect i ve nest .
The ri ch and mi ddl e cl asses of t he Nort h and t he Sout h have
benef i t ed most f rom devel opment pol i ci es obsessed w i t h
economi c grow t h. They have t he resources t o adapt
and i nsul at e t hemsel ves, f or a t i me, f rom envi ronment al
consequences.
The poorest who are t he majorit y of t he worlds populat ion
al ways have f ew er choi ces t han t he af f l uent . They rel y most
di rect l y on t hei r nat ural envi ronment s f or f ood, wat er, bui l di ng
mat eri al s and f uel . As such, t hey are t he f i rst t o l i ve w i t h t he
i mpact s of envi ronment al degradat i on and col l apse.
72
Prudence must be show n i n t he management
of al l l i vi ng speci es and nat ural resources,
i n accordance w i t h t he precept s of sust ai nabl e
devel opment . Onl y i n t hi s way can t he
i mmeasurable riches provided t o us by nat ure
be preserved and passed on t o our descendent s.
The current unsust ainable pat t erns of product ion
and consumpt i on must be changed i n t he
i nt erest of our f ut ure w el f are and t hat of
our descendant s.
United Nations Millennium Declaration, 2000
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Even t he most st ri ngent mi t i gat i on ef f ort s
cannot avoi d f urt her i mpact s of cl i mat e change
in t he next f ew decades, which makes adapt at ion
essent i al , part i cul arl y i n addressi ng near-t erm
impact s. Unmit igat ed climat e change would, in
t he long t erm, be likely t o exceed t he capacit y of
nat ural, managed and human syst ems t o adapt .
Fourth Assessment Report Impacts, Adaptation and
Vulnerability, Int ergovernment al Panel on Cl i mat e
Change, 2007
CIDA/ ACDI
Too of t en, i ndust ri al f armi ng, mi ni ng or f orest ry push t he
poor of f ont o t he margi ns of t hei r ancest ral l ands. There,
f orced t o eke out a l i vi ng and adapt t o ecosyst ems t hat are
l ess and l ess abl e t o sust ai n t hem, t hey become t rapped i n
dow nward spi ral s of povert y and envi ronment al cri ses.
Wat er i nsecuri t y, f or exampl e, i s a grow i ng real i t y f or
smal l -scal e f armers and hundreds of mi l l i ons of peopl e
l i vi ng i n povert y.
The wat er cri si s i s i nt ensi f yi ng on an unparal l el ed scal e.
Accordi ng t o t he UN Devel opment Programme (UNDP) 2006
Human Development Report on Power, Poverty and the Global
Water Crisis, more t han t hree bi l l i on peopl e may l i ve i n
count ri es under wat er st ress by 2025. The Report emphasi zes
t hat , l i ke hunger, depri vat i on i n access t o wat er i s a si l ent
cri si s experi enced by t he poor and t ol erat ed by t hose wi t h t he
resources, t he t echnol ogy and t he pol i t i cal power t o end i t .
101
Women and gi rl s are doubl y di sadvant aged by t he wat er
cri si s. Not onl y do t hey have t o f et ch and manage wat er, i t
t akes more t i me t o do so, w hi ch of t en l eads t o sacri f i ces
i n t hei r educat i on. They must have a deci si ve voi ce and
rol e i n shapi ng pri ori t i es f or wat er and sani t at i on i n t hei r
communi t i es t o address t hi s cri si s.
Unsust ai nabl e Pract i ces Rob t he Sout h
t o Feed The Nort h
Whol e economi es i n t he Sout h are organi zed t o ext ract cash
crops, minerals and ot her resources f or Nort hern consumpt ion.
The poor est peopl e i n t he Sout h r eap f ew benef i t s f r om
t hese pract i ces. Worse st i l l , unsust ai nabl e pract i ces dest roy
envi ronment s upon w hi ch t he poor depend t o survi ve.
These pract i ces are al so seri ousl y erodi ng bi ol ogi cal di versi t y
essent i al t o ecosyst ems t hat sust ai n l i f e. For cent uri es,
bi odi versi t y has been t he f oundat i on f or t he evol ut i on of
f ood securit y, sust ainable agricult ure and t radit ional medicines.
Bi odi versi t y and Indi genous know l edge go hand i n hand.
Indi genous know l edge ref l ect s generat i ons of experi ence
w i t h di verse envi ronment s, but much remai ns unrecorded.
It i s essent i al t o prot ect and promot e Indi genous know l edge
t o st rengt hen communi t i es as t hey adapt and i nt eract w i t h
t hei r changi ng envi ronment s.
74
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Sci ent i st s, al ong wi t h a burgeoni ng worl dwi de envi ronment al
movement , have repeat edl y sounded t he al arm. Peopl e w ho
once l i ved sust ai nabl y i n pl aces t hat now f ace ecol ogi cal
col l apse have j oi ned t hem. Women, w hi l e of t en absent f rom
deci si on-maki ng t hat af f ect s t he envi ronment , have been
among t he most ef f ect i ve envi ronment al l eaders. These
i ncl ude Rachel Carson s pi oneeri ng w ork on pest i ci des,
Wangari Maat hi and t he Greenbel t Movement i n Kenya and
Shei l a Wat t -Cl out i ers act i vi sm on t he i mpact of cl i mat e
change on t he Canadi an Arct i c t o name but a f ew w i t h
gl obal promi nence.
Yet market f orces and t he pri vat e sect or cont i nue t o f ai l t o
cal cul at e, l et al one address, t he ecol ogi cal and human cost s
of environment al damage. Thus, dest ruct ive pract ices cont inue.
Government s and mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons respond sl ow l y
i f at al l t o ecol ogi cal al arms by si gni ng i nt ernat i onal t reat i es
and agreement s. Even t hen, t he worst environment al of f enders
drag t hei r heel s. Wi t ness t he rel uct ance and f ai l ure of
devel oped count ri es t o meet Kyot o Prot ocol commi t ment s
t o reduce greenhouse gas emi ssi ons, t o i nvest i n al t ernat i ve
renewabl e energy sources and t o st op cl i mat e change.
Inst ead, w e are w i t nessi ng rapi d i ncreases i n greenhouse
gas emi ssi ons t o dangerous l evel s i n t he at mosphere.
Facts on Poverty, Consumption,
and the Global Environment
75% of t he w orl ds 1.2 bi l l i on ext remel y poor peopl e l i ve i n rural areas, w here envi ronment s are of t en ecol ogi cal l y
vul nerabl e and severel y degraded.
102
More t han hal f t he worl ds popul at i on st i l l rel i es on sol i d f uel s l i ke wood, crop st ubbl e and ani mal dung f or cooki ng
and heat i ng.
103
Envi ronment al i ncome, generat ed f rom t he di rect use of ecol ogi cal goods and servi ces, i s of t en a l arge share of
t he cash i ncome of poor househol ds.
104
In devel opi ng count ri es, agri cul t ure uses 85% of f resh wat er resources and 33% of t he l and. Cl ose t o hal f of al l
peopl e i n devel opi ng count ri es suf f er at any gi ven t i me f rom a heal t h probl em caused by wat er and sani t at i on
def i ci t s. Women bear t he brunt of responsi bi l i t y f or col l ect i ng wat er, of t en spendi ng up t o f our hours a day wal ki ng
and wai t i ng i n queues.
105
In 2001, Af ri ca s per capi t a energy consumpt i on was 5% of t he G7 average.
106
The Uni t ed St at es has l ess t han
5% of t he w orl d s popul at i on, but consumes 23% of i t s energy.
107
Fossi l f uel combust i on account s f or 61% of
greenhouse gas emi ssi ons, w hi ch vary w i del y by count ry. Aust ral i a, t he USA and Canada are hi ghest , w i t h per
capi t a emi ssi ons t hat are t w i ce t hose of t he European Uni on, si x t i mes t hose of Chi na, and 13 t i mes t hose of
Indi a.
108
Def orest at i on account s f or 20-30% of greenhouse gases.
109
In 2003, 86% of Worl d Bank energy proj ect s w ere i n f ossi l f uel s. Onl y 14% w ere f or renewabl e energy.
110
Cl i mat e vari abi l i t y and change are proj ect ed t o severel y compromi se agri cul t ural product i on, i ncl udi ng access t o
f ood, i n many Af ri can count ri es and regi ons. In some count ri es, yi el ds f rom rai n-f ed agri cul t ure coul d be cut i n
hal f by 2020.
111
In Lat i n Ameri ca, changes i n preci pi t at i on pat t erns and t he di sappearance of gl aci ers are proj ect ed t o si gni f i cant l y
af f ect wat er avai l abi l i t y f or human consumpt i on, agri cul t ure and energy generat i on.
112
A Rol e f or Canada
A Canadi an agenda t o end gl obal povert y and i nequal i t y
must i nt egrat e a hol i st i c envi ronment al j ust i ce perspect i ve.
Thi s w oul d encompass democrat i c devel opment , sust ai nabl e
agri cul t ural pract i ces, hol i st i c approaches t o heal t hy envi ron-
ment s, and ef f ect i ve communi t y devel opment st rat egi es t hat
deal w i t h t he f ul l range of vul nerabi l i t i es f aci ng poor and
margi nal i zed peopl e. Rarel y have envi ronment al pol i ci es
pai d any at t ent i on t o unequal i mpact s on t he poor w here
t hey l i ve; unsust ai nabl e devel opment pol i ci es and pract i ces
have al ready det eri orat ed l ocal ecol ogy. These pol i ci es,
combi ned w i t h t he i mpact s of cl i mat e change, w i l l put poor
peopl e even f urt her at ri sk.
It i s smal l w onder t hat some peopl e are now cal l i ng f or
envi ronment al j ust i ce. They argue t hat i ndust ri al i zed count ri es
ow e a debt t o t he count ri es and peopl e of t he Sout h f or
decades of resource pl underi ng, envi ronment al damage,
dest royed bi odi versi t y, wast e dumpi ng and act i ons t hat
promot ed cl i mat e change. They demand t hose responsi bl e
f or envi ronment al damage repay t hei r ecol ogi cal debt .
We must i nvest i n sust ai nabl e approaches i n al l part s of our
w orl d. In doi ng so, w e must i nvest , l earn f rom and t ake
advant age of t he capaci t i es and know l edge of Indi genous
and rural peopl e. They are t he ones w ho l i ve cl osel y w i t h
t hei r envi ronment t hroughout t he devel opi ng w orl d. They
can hel p us move t owards envi ronment al l y sust ai nabl e
and j ust approaches t o endi ng gl obal povert y.
76
Climate Change: Poor People are Hardest Hit
For many peopl e cl i mat e change i s set t o t urn an al ready rough ri de i nt o an i mpossi bl e one.
Up in Smoke? - Latin America and the Caribbean
Cl i mat e change i s al ready t aki ng a t ol l w orl dw i de and i t s i mpact s are expect ed t o get w orse. Errat i c w eat her pat t erns,
i ncreased f orest f i res and rapi d gl aci al mel t are now wel l document ed; t hey cause maj or upheaval f or mi l l i ons of peopl e
who l i ve on t he l and especi al l y dryl and smal l -hol ders and past oral i st s whose l i vel i hoods depend on rai n-f ed agri cul t ure.
Addi t i onal mi l l i ons have borne t he brunt of more f requent ext reme w eat her event s. Predi ct i ons are di re. If w e al l ow
greenhouse gas emi ssi ons t o keep ri si ng, f ut ure cat ast rophi c i mpact s w i l l dwarf t odays w eat her-rel at ed di sast ers.
113
Moreover, t he abuse, dest ruct i on or i nappropri at e use of nat ural resources w i l l ampl i f y t hese f ut ure cat ast rophes.
As t he Eart h warms, a vari et y of ext reme event s are f oreseen: ri si ng sea l evel s, f l oods, st orm surges, drought s, l oomi ng
wat er cri ses and hi gher rat es of t ropi cal di seases. As w i t h al l di sast ers, poor and vul nerabl e peopl e w i l l be t he hardest
hi t . Food securi t y w i l l be j eopardi zed f i rst .
114
As f armi ng pat t erns change, w omen w i l l be adversel y af f ect ed. At t he
same t i me, w omen may be w el l posi t i oned t o pl ay a rol e i n devel opi ng sust ai nabl e agri cul t ural pract i ces. More l i kel y,
w omen and gi rl s w i l l become ref ugees, f aci ng very di f f erent opt i ons t han men and boys. Three paral l el st rat egi es are
urgent l y needed:
Cut greenhouse gas emi ssi ons and st op cl i mat e change.
Hel p peopl e and part i cul arl y t he poor t o adapt t o t hose changes t hat are now i nevi t abl e. In part i cul ar, hel p
smal l -scal e f armers i n vul nerabl e areas t o i mpl ement adapt at i on st rat egi es.
Learn f rom past emergenci es and bui l d di sast er ri sk reduct i on i nt o al l devel opment pl ans t o ensure t hat poor
peopl e are bet t er abl e t o w i t hst and cat ast rophi c event s w hen t hey ari se.
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Global Governance and the Environment
A Selective Chronology
1972: The UN Environment al Programme (UNEP) was est abl i shed af t er t he f i rst UN Conf erence on t he
Envi ronment and Devel opment .
1977: The UN Conf erence on Desert if icat ion adopt ed a Plan of Action to Combat Desertification. By 1991,
UNEP had concl uded t hat t he probl em of l and degradat i on i n ari d, semi -ari d and dry sub-humi d areas
had i nt ensi f i ed.
1982/ 1994: The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was adopt ed / came i nt o f orce, wi t h cl auses on prot ect i ng
t he mari ne envi ronment .
1992: The UN Conf erence on Environment and Development or Eart h Summit , (Ri o de Janei ro) adopt ed
t he Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and Agenda 21 as i t s pl an of act i on. It spaw ned
t w o l egal l y bi ndi ng convent ions on Biodiversit y and Climat e Change and l ed t o est abl i shment of
t he UN Commission on Sust ainable Development , al so i n 1992.
1993: The Convention on Biological Diversity came int o f orce. It s object ives are t he conservat ion of biological
di versi t y, t he sust ai nabl e use of i t s component s and t he f ai r and equi t abl e shari ng of t he benef i t s ari si ng
out of t he ut i l i zat i on of genet i c resources
1994: The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change came i nt o f orce, creat i ng an overal l f ramew ork
f or i nt ergovernment al ef f ort s t o t ackl e cl i mat e change.
1994/ 1996: The Convention to Combat Desertification was adopt ed / came i nt o f orce.
1997: Part i es t o t he Climate Change Convention adopt ed i t s Kyoto Protocol. In i t , most i ndust ri al i zed
count ri es undert ake t o reduce emi ssi ons of cert ai n greenhouse gases by an average of 5%.
2002: The World Summit on Sust ainable Development (Johannesburg) reaf f i rmed t he 1992 Earth Summit
Plan of Action, and adopt ed t he Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
2004: The I nt ernat ional Conf erence f or Renewable Energies (Bonn) devel oped a comprehensi ve l i st of
pol i cy recommendat i ons desi gned t o promot e renewabl e energy.
2005: The Kyoto Protocol ent ers i nt o f orce and remai ns i n ef f ect unt i l 2012.
Sources
For det ai l ed i nf ormat i on on t hese and al l envi ronment al t reat i es, www2.spf o.unibo.it / spolf o/ ENVLAW.ht m and
www.unep.org/ Document s.mult ilingual/ Def ault .asp?Document I D= 287.
Rio Declaration. www.unep.org/ Document s.mult ilingual/ Def ault .asp?Document I D= 78&Art icleI D= 1163.
Agenda 21. www.unep.org/ Document s.mult ilingual/ Def ault .asp?Document I D= 52&Art icleI D= .
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. www.johannesburgsummit .org/ ht ml/ document s/ summit _docs/ 2309_planf inal.doc.
Policy Recommendations for Renewable Energies, www.renewables2004.de/ pdf / policy_recommendat ions_f inal.pdf .
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. ht t p:/ / unf ccc.int / 2860.php.
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. www.unccd.int / .
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. www.biodiv.org/ def ault .sht ml.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
M eet Canada s obl i gat i ons under t he Biodiversity
Convention, t he United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change, t he Kyoto Protocol on Climate
Change and ot her i nt ernat i onal envi ronment al t reat i es.
Support a post -2012 f ramew ork f or addressi ng gl obal
cl i mat e change t hat keeps gl obal t emperat ure i ncreases
as f ar bel ow 2
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C as possi bl e, and t hat t akes i nt o account
t he i nt erest s, know l edge and capaci t i es of t he poor and
margi nal i zed peopl e i n devel opi ng count ri es.
Devel op l ong-t erm pol i ci es f or Canadi an co-operat i on
w i t h devel opi ng count ri es t hat i nt egrat e ecol ogi cal
sust ainabilit y wit h all aspect s of approaches t o sust ainable
povert y reduct i on and rural l i vel i hoods, i ncl udi ng smal l -
scal e agri cul t ure not j ust short -t erm economi c grow t h.
For exampl e:
- Hi ghl i ght t he i mport ance of a sust ai nabl e nat ural
resources base f or rural devel opment .
- Support decent ral i zat i on of cont rol over nat ural
resources t o l ocal communi t i es, ensuri ng f ree, pri or
and i nf ormed consent of af f ect ed communi t i es f or any
nat ural resource proj ect .
- St rengt hen t he capaci t i es and l egal ri ght s and remove
ext ernal barri ers f or poor peopl e t o manage l ocal
ecosyst ems, i ncl udi ng t he need f or secure t enure f or
users of resources.
- Consi st ent w i t h i nt ernat i onal agreement s, ensure t hat
al l envi ronment al i ni t i at i ves i ncorporat e anal ysi s and
resul t s rel at i ng t o w omens ri ght s and gender equal i t y.
- Promot e approaches t o urban ref orm and local indust ries
t hat encourage a sust ai nabl e rel at i onshi p bet w een
urban envi ronment s and i ndust ri es wi t h t he ecosyst ems
t hat support t hem.
- Ensure t hat development init iat ives analyze and mit igat e
soci al and envi ronment al ri sks, i ncl udi ng t hose t hat
resul t f rom cl i mat e change, and cont ri but e t o reduci ng
vul nerabi l i t i es and i ncreasi ng t he adapt i ve capaci t i es
of communi t i es.
Promot e an end t o t he use of ai d and ot her government
resources t o subsi di ze f ossi l f uel s i n bot h devel opi ng
count ri es and Canada. Phase out al l Worl d Bank support
f or f ossi l f uel s and redi rect mul t i l at eral f i nance t o
conservat i on, energy ef f i ci ency and renewabl e energy
programs.
Transf orm approaches t o pol i ci es f or i nt el l ect ual propert y
ri ght s and devel opment pract i ces t o ensure prot ect i on of
bi odi versi t y f or f ut ure generat i ons, respect f or t radi t i onal
know l edge and t he f ul f i l l ment of t he ri ght s of f armers,
Indi genous peopl es and l ocal communi t i es.
Support t he rol e of smal l f armers i n conservi ng and
promot i ng agro-ecol ogi cal di versi t y and ensuri ng f armers
st ewardshi p of t hei r seed suppl y syst ems, i ncl udi ng
sust ai ni ng t he current i nt ernat i onal morat ori um on
f i el d-t est i ng or commerci al i zat i on of genet i c seed-
st eri l i zat i on t echnol ogi es.
Acknow l edge t hat access t o wat er i s a uni versal human
ri ght . Support pol i ci es t o ensure publ i c access t o cl ean
wat er f or al l now and f or f ut ure generat i ons.
- Prot ect and preserve nat ural wat er sources.
- Put women and girls at t he cent re of wat er and sanit at ion
st rat egi es, pol i ci es and programs.
- Support publ i c or co-operat i ve wat er servi ces w i t h
genuine communit y part icipat ion in developing count ries;
oppose donor measures and ai d programs t hat promot e
t he pri vat i zat i on of wat er servi ces.
- Reverse Canada s opposi t i on t o a proposal i n t he UN
Commi t t ee on Economi c, Soci al and Cul t ural Ri ght s
t hat wat er f or personal and domest i c use be t reat ed
as a human ri ght .
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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Ensure t hat consi derat i ons of envi ronment al j ust i ce and
sust ai nabi l i t y are ref l ect ed i n t hei r organi zat i onal cul t ure,
programs and pract ices, which includes signif icant learning
w i t h part ners on i ssues of envi ronment al sust ai nabi l i t y
f or povert y reduct i on and soci al j ust i ce.
Advocat e f or a post -2012 cl i mat e change f ramew ork
t hat keeps gl obal t emperat ure i ncreases as f ar bel ow
2
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C as possi bl e. The f ramework shoul d be f ai r and support
sust ai nabl e devel opment t hat reduces povert y and
i nequal i t y f or poor and vul nerabl e peopl e i n devel opi ng
count ri es.
St ri ve t o reduce organi zat i onal cont ri but i ons t o unsus-
t ai nabl e envi ronment al pract i ces and gl obal cl i mat e
change by reduci ng t he organi zat i on s envi ronment
and carbon f oot pri nt s.
Bui l d capaci t y t o i ncorporat e gender perspect i ves i nt o
envi ronment al advocacy and programmi ng, w orki ng
t owards a more hol i st i c underst andi ng and act i on on
povert y, womens ri ght s and envi ronment al sust ai nabi l i t y.
80
The Wat er: Li f e bef ore Prof i t ! Campai gn
Devel opment and Peace
Under t he cent ral t heme of promot i ng an equi t abl e and sust ai nabl e economy, Devel opment and Peace l ed an educat i on
and act i on campai gn t arget i ng i ssues associ at ed w i t h access t o dri nki ng wat er f rom 2003-2006. Devel opment and
Peace i nvi t ed t he publ i c t o si gn a Wat er Decl arat i on st at i ng t hat wat er was a sacred gi f t , a f undament al human ri ght ,
a part of our common heri t age t o be shared and part of our col l ect i ve i nheri t ance and responsi bi l i t y. It al so af f i rmed
t hat wat er was part of our common w eal t h, a pri nci pl e t hat t akes pri ori t y over any not i on of wat ers commerci al val ue.
M ore t han 236,000 Canadi ans si gned t he Water Declaration. To make t he l i nk bet w een t he Nort h and Sout h,
Development and Peace also asked it s members t o meet wit h t heir cit y council. One hundred and eight y-eight municipalit ies
si gned t he Decl arat i on. Duri ng t hese t hree years, Devel opment and Peace worked t o i nf l uence t he government t o modi f y
i t s posi t i on on t he Ri ght t o Wat er, i mpl i ci t i n Art i cl e 11 of t he International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights. Devel opment and Peace i s cont i nui ng t o pursue di al ogue w i t h t he government on t hi s i ssue.
Prot ect i ng Peopl e and t he Envi ronment
f rom Dest ruct i ve and Unsust ai nabl e Mi ni ng Pract i ces Mi ni ngWat ch Canada
MiningWat ch Canada is a civil societ y response t o indust ry and government f ailures t o prot ect people and t he environment
f rom dest ruct i ve and unsust ai nabl e mi ni ng pract i ces. Wi t h support f rom envi ronment al , soci al j ust i ce, Abori gi nal and
l abour organi zat i ons, and expert i se f rom across Canada, Mi ni ngWat ch t racks mi neral pol i ci es and pract i ces i n Canada
and around t he worl d t hat t hreat en publ i c heal t h, wat er and ai r qual i t y, f i sh and wi l dl i f e habi t at and communi t y i nt erest s.
It conduct s or support s t he moni t ori ng, anal ysi s and advocacy needed t o change t he pract i ces of i ndust ry and publ i c
deci si on-makers. It ai ms t o: 1) ensure t hat mi neral devel opment i s consi st ent wi t h t he goal s of sust ai nabl e communi t i es
and ecol ogi cal heal t h; 2) st rengt hen ski l l s wi t hi n communi t i es and organi zat i ons f aci ng t he negat i ve i mpact s of mi neral
devel opment ; 3) i mpose appropri at e t erms and condi t i ons on mi ni ng and, i n some cases, prevent proj ect s t hat w oul d
adversel y af f ect areas of ecol ogi cal , economi c and cul t ural si gni f i cance; and 4) promot e pol i ci es t o i mprove t he
ef f i ci ency and reduce t he ri sks of mi neral devel opment .
Assi st i ng Communi t i es i n Adapt i ng t o t he Impact of Cl i mat e Change
CARE Canada
CARE Canada, w i t h support f rom t he Canadi an Int ernat i onal Devel opment Agency (CIDA), has undert aken proj ect s i n
Bangl adesh and Taj i ki st an t o hel p communi t i es adapt t o t he i mpact s of cl i mat e change. The proj ect s have f ocused on
pract i cal househol d and communi t y-l evel i ni t i at i ves t o reduce vul nerabi l i t y of l i vel i hoods i n t he cont ext of cl i mat e
change. In bot h cases, CARE based t he proj ect on a part i ci pat ory assessment of vul nerabi l i t y and exi st i ng copi ng
capaci t y. It combi ned t hi s i nf ormat i on w i t h avai l abl e cl i mat e dat a t o bet t er underst and how cl i mat e change w oul d
l i kel y af f ect w el l -bei ng. The proj ect s t hen w orked w i t h communi t i es t o devel op know l edge and ski l l s t o i mpl ement
adapt at i on st rat egi es. These st rat egi es addressed current cl i mat e-rel at ed chal l enges, w hi l e devel opi ng capaci t y t o
adapt t o f ut ure changes. Resul t s f rom bot h proj ect s i ndi cat e t hat communi t y-based approaches can hel p reduce povert y
and hel p communi t i es adapt t o cl i mat e change.
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RESOURCES
Associ at i on f or Womens Ri ght s i n Devel opment (AWID). Is cl i mat e change a gender i ssue?
www.awid.org/ go.php?st id= 862.
UN Mi l l enni um Ecosyst ems Assessment . Ecosystems and Human Well-being.
www.millenniumassessment .org/ en/ index.aspx.
Worki ng Group on Cl i mat e Change and Devel opment (UK). Africa Up In Smoke?
www.oxf am.org.uk/ resources/ policy/ climat e_change/ downloads/ af rica_up_in_smoke.pdf
Worki ng Group on Cl i mat e Change and Devel opment (UK). Up in Smoke? - Latin America and the Caribbean.
www.oxf am.org.uk/ resources/ policy/ climat e_change/ downloads/ lat in_america_up_i n_smoke.pdf
Worl d Resources Inst i t ut e. www.wri.org/ .
Eart hTrends. Povert y Reduct i on and t he Envi ronment . ht t p:/ / eart ht rends.wri.org/ povlinks/ iia.php.
Worl d Resources Inst i t ut e, Navigating the Numbers Greenhouse Gas Data and International Climate Policy.
ht t p:/ / pdf.wri.org/ navigat ing_numbers.pdf .
Womens Envi ronment and Devel opment Organi zat i on (WEDO). Gender and Cl i mat e Change Resource Gui de.
www.wedo.org/ campaigns.aspx?mode= plant endorsement s.
Point 8:
SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
CONTRIBUTE TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN ORDER TO ENSURE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE
FULFILLMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AT HOME AND IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. SUPPORT ACTIVE
CITIZENSHIP ENGAGEMENT IN CANADA AND THE SOUTH AND AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL, INCLUDING
THE DIVERSE ROLES PLAYED BY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOs) IN DEM OCRATIC
DEVELOPMENT. ENHANCE THE ROLES FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS IN GLOBAL POLICY ISSUES.
The Grow i ng Demands and Pow er
of Ci vi l Soci et y
St rong democraci es depend as much on publ i c debat e and
ci t i zens i nt eract i on w i t h deci si on-makers as t hey do on
ef f ect i ve, democrat i cal l y el ect ed government s. Bot h nat i onal l y
and i n t he mul t i l at eral arena, good governance requi res a
st rong and dynami c rel at i onshi p bet w een an organi zed and
w el l -i nf ormed ci vi l soci et y and i nst i t ut i ons w i t h a respon-
si bi l i t y t o govern. For t hi s rel at i onshi p t o t ake hol d, ci t i zens
and t hei r organi zat i ons must have t he know -how and
t he necessary t ool s t o engage w i t h pol i t i ci ans and ot her
deci si on-makers, and deci si on-makers must have t he w i l l
and t he means t o l i st en ef f ect i vel y.
Ci t i zens get i nvol ved w i t h Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons
and peopl es movement s w het her l ocal l y, nat i onal l y or
i nt ernat i onal l y, i n Canada or i n t he Sout h t o be part of a
broader ef f ort , i ncrease t hei r i nf l uence, ampl i f y t hei r voi ces
and support col l ect i ve act i on f or change. These f orms of
engagement by w omens organi zat i ons, t rade uni ons or non-
government al organi zat i ons (NGOs) compl ement t he cri t i cal
rol e of medi a and t he pol i t i cal processes t hrough w hi ch
ci t i zens el ect t hei r government s. They enabl e ci t i zens t o
part i ci pat e democrat i cal l y i n t hei r soci et i es. Canadi an CSOs
are a very si gni f i cant expressi on of t he commi t ment of
Canadi ans t o devel opment and gl obal soci al j ust i ce.
82
It i s t hrough act i on at t he nat i onal l evel t hat
i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s obl i gat i ons can
be t ransl at ed i nt o real i t y.
Loui se Arbour, Protection and Empowerment, Pl an of
Act i on of t he Of f i ce of t he Uni t ed Nat i ons Hi gh
Commi ssi oner f or Human Ri ght s, May 2005
nat i onal ci t i zenshi p i s st i l l probl emat i c i n
many count ri es, and f or margi nal i zed groups i n
al l count ri es, i ncl udi ng i n t he Nort h. We need
t o st art w i t h act i ve ci t i zenshi p i n our ow n
count ries if we want t o build global cit izenship.
Mut honi Wanyeki , Past Execut i ve Di rect or, FEMNET,
CCIC AGM, May 2006
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CIDA/ ACDI
Int er Pares Phot o: Carol i ne Boudreau
84
As a basi c premi se of democrat i c governance, ci t i zens have
t he ri ght t o hol d t hei r government s account abl e t o t hei r
commi t ment s. Ci t i zens are not benef i ci ari es subj ect t o t he
l argesse of donors or government s. Rat her, t hey are act ors i n
t hei r ow n devel opment , t aki ng part i n deci si ons t hat af f ect
t hei r l i ves. They need access and capaci t i es t o cl ai m ri ght s t hat
are uni versal l y recogni zed i n i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s l aw
ri ght s rel at ed t o gender equal i t y, educat i on or heal t h care.
The St ruggl e t o be Heard
In many pl aces i n t he Sout h, how ever, act i ve ci t i zenshi p i s
not an accept ed part of t he pol i t i cal cul t ure despi t e st at es
obl i gat i ons t o uphol d t he ci vi l and pol i t i cal ri ght s of t hei r
ci t i zens. Too of t en, i ndependent j ournal i st s and medi a houses
are censored and harassed; pol i t i cal di ssent ers and NGOs
are t reat ed w i t h suspi ci on; i ndi vi dual s and organi zat i ons
(like unions) t hat crit icize government s fall vict im t o repression;
and deci si on-makers pay l i t t l e at t ent i on t o t he i mport ance of
cit izens cont ribut ions t o policy f ormulat ion or implement at ion.
(See Universal Declaration of Human Rights Box)
Even where part icipat ion is t he norm, some views find no place
i n publ i c debat e and rarel y reach t he ears of government s.
The r easons ar e var i ed: pover t y, gender di scr i mi nat i on,
age, raci sm or some ot her f orm of soci al excl usi on. Due t o
t heir unequal economic st at us and gender-based discriminat ion
and vi ol ence t hat l i mi t s t hei r voi ces, w omen and gi rl s f ace
speci f i c barri ers t o t hei r part i ci pat i on i n democrat i c l i f e.
Povert y, envi ronment al devast at i on, and vi ol ent conf l i ct f uel
a grow i ng gl obal di spl acement of peopl e w i t hi n and across
nat i onal boundari es. Many soci et i es respond w i t h i ncreased
f ear and xenophobi a. The securi t y cl i mat e, hei ght ened si nce
9/11 and t he war on t error, has exacerbat ed t hi s t rend,
cont ri but i ng t o rest ri ct i ons on ci vi l l i bert i es and mi grat i on
f l ow s, i ncl udi ng i n Canada.
115
To cont ri but e meani ngf ul l y t o
democrat i c governance and t o act i ve gl obal ci t i zenshi p,
Canadi ans must chal l enge t hese f orms of soci al and pol i t i cal
excl usi on. If our goal i s povert y eradi cat i on and soci al j us-
t i ce, w e must heed t hese voi ces especi al l y of w omen and
ot her margi nal i zed groups.
CCIC member organi zat i ons have al ways encouraged act i ve
ci t i zenshi p i n Canada and i n t he Sout h. CSOs are t he mai n
i mpl ement ers of publ i c engagement programs on gl obal
i ssues i n Canada. They i nf orm and rai se awareness among
Canadi ans about gl obal i ssues and about i ndi vi dual consumer
choi ces; t hey provi de avenues f or col l ect i ve act i ons; t hey
creat e opport uni t i es f or peopl e t o experi ence l ocal real i t i es
i n devel opi ng count ri es; and t hey hel p ci t i zens of t he Nort h
and Sout h w ork t oget her on i ssues of povert y and i nj ust i ce.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Freedom of Expression and Assembly
ARTICLE 19
Everyone has t he ri ght t o f reedom of opi ni on and expressi on; t hi s ri ght i ncl udes f reedom t o hol d opi ni ons w i t hout
i nt erf erence and t o seek, recei ve and i mpart i nf ormat i on and i deas t hrough any medi a and regardl ess of f ront i ers.
ARTICLE 20
(1) Everyone has t he ri ght t o f reedom of peacef ul assembl y and associ at i on.
(2) No one may be compel l ed t o bel ong t o an associ at i on.
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Canadi an CSOs al so part ner w i t h, and support t he devel op-
ment of, CSOs i n t he Sout h, i ncl udi ng communi t y-based
organizat ions, public int erest research groups, and government
and corporat e wat chdogs, as wel l as envi ronment al , womens
and Indi genous peopl es net w orks, bot h nat i onal and i nt er-
nat i onal . Usi ng new communi cat i ons t echnol ogi es and t he
unprecedent ed power of t he Int ernet , Canadi ans are worki ng
f or gl obal -scal e change w i t h CSOs al l over t he w orl d, i n
dozens of i nt ernat i onal coal i t i ons and f orums and i n t he
mul t i l at eral sphere. Toget her, t hey are havi ng an i mpact .
CSOs have i ncreasi ngl y i nt eract ed gl obal l y wi t h government s,
af f ect i ng t hei r pol i cy agendas i n areas such as gl obal i zat i on,
heal t h and t he envi ronment . Mul t i -sect oral net w orks have
emerged i nt ernat i onal l y. These net w orks engage CSOs,
government s, t he pri vat e sect or and ci vi l soci et y i n new
rel at i onshi ps f or norm set t i ng, f undi ng, research and pol i cy
f ormat i on. Not abl e exampl es i ncl ude t he Gl obal Envi ronment
Faci l i t y (1991),
116
Ci vi l Soci et y and Pri vat e Sect or Panel s at
t he Financing f or Development Conf erence (Mont errey, Mexico,
2002), and t he Gl obal Fund t o Fi ght AIDS, Tubercul osi s
and Mal ari a (2002).
117
By maki ng gl obal governance more
i ncl usi ve and democrat i c, t hese new conf i gurat i ons are
changi ng t he very def i ni t i on and boundari es of t he t erm.
Thi s t rend shoul d cont i nue.
Definitions
WHAT IS GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP ?
Gl obal ci t i zenshi p depends on peopl e w orl dw i de recogni zi ng t hei r rol e as members of a gl obal communi t y w ho share
a si ngl e pl anet and must w ork t oget her t o sol ve gl obal probl ems. It embodi es pri nci pl es, val ues and behavi ours t hat
i mpl y t he part i ci pat i on of i ndi vi dual s i n publ i c l i f e. They del i berat e and act f or t he common good w i t h an eye t owards
bot h l ocal and gl obal consequences. (Adapt ed f rom CCIC, Publ i c Engagement and Gl obal Ci t i zenshi p , Bri ef i ng Paper
#4, February 2006, www.ccic.ca/ e/ docs/ 002_aid_2005_10_paper_4_pub_engement .pdf )
WHAT IS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE ?
Accordi ng t o t he UN Devel opment Programme (UNDP), democrat i c governance means t hat :
Peopl es human ri ght s and f undament al f reedoms are respect ed and promot ed, al l ow i ng t hem t o l i ve w i t h di gni t y.
Peopl e have a say i n t he deci si ons t hat af f ect t hei r l i ves.
Peopl e can hol d deci si on-makers t o account .
Women are equal part ners w i t h men i n pri vat e and publ i c spheres of l i f e and deci si on-maki ng.
Economi c and soci al pol i ci es respond t o peopl es needs and ri ght s.
Peopl e are f ree f rom al l f orms of di scri mi nat i on based on race, et hni ci t y, di sabi l i t y, cl ass or gender. (Adapt ed f rom
UNDP, Human Development Report 2002, p. 51)
Democrat i c governance i s bot h a means and an end. As such, i t i s di st i nct f rom t he f requent l y used not i on of good
governance, of t en empl oyed by donors t o support governance ref orms i n devel opi ng count ri es. The l at t er t ends t o
f ocus on more narrow f ormal el ect oral processes, i mproved management , government i nst i t ut i ons t hat i mpl ement ai d
programs and judicial mechanisms f or t he rule of law. Donors have set t hese ref orms f or good governance as condit ions
f or cont i nued ai d.
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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
I n Canada
Promot e and support gl obal ci t i zenshi p and t he bui l di ng
of ci vi l soci et y i n Canada by encouragi ng publ i c di al ogue
and ci t i zen engagement among Canadi ans on gl obal
i ssues, and t hei r l ocal di mensi ons, i n al l regi ons of
Canada and among ci t i zens of al l backgrounds and
wal ks of l i f e.
Put Parl i ament , i t s commi t t ees and parl i ament ari ans
back at t he cent re of debat e about i nt ernat i onal pol i cy
and Canadas rol e i n t he w orl d, i ncl udi ng how Canada
can promot e human ri ght s gl obal l y.
- Enhance parl i ament ari ans know l edge of gl obal i ssues
on gl obal povert y and i nj ust i ce, and t hei r abi l i t y t o
hear f rom, and speak f or, t hei r const i t uent s on
t hese i ssues.
- Creat e more opport uni t i es f or ci t i zens and CSOs t o
engage di rect l y w i t h one anot her and t hei r members
of Parl i ament i n i nt ernat i onal pol i cy di al ogues.
- Enabl e Parl i ament and parl i ament ary commi t t ees t o
become f orums f or regul ar and open debat e on
Canada s devel opment co-operat i on and i t s rol e
i n mul t i l at eral accords and i nst i t ut i ons.
Put t he promot i on of human ri ght s and democrat i c val ues
at t he cent re of Canada s post -9/ 11 securi t y agenda,
reassert i ng i n l aw s and pol i ci es rel at i ng t o ant i -t errori sm
t he essent i al ri ght s and prot ect i ons f or Canadi ans
embodi ed i n Canada s Constitution and Charter of
Rights and Freedoms.
Creat e a more f avourabl e envi ronment t hat recogni zes
t he ri ght , and act i vel y support s t he rol e, of Canadi an
CSOs t o undert ake programmi ng f or publ i c engagement
and pol i cy di al ogue w i t h government .
- St rengt hen t he advocacy rol e of chari t i es and vol unt ary
sect or organi zat i ons by l i f t i ng t he Canada Revenue
Agency rest ri ct i on t hat l i mi t s t he non-part i san advocacy
w ork of chari t i es t o 10% of t hei r act i vi t i es.
- Impl ement t he Accord Between the Voluntary Sector
and the Government of Canada and i t s Codes of Good
Practice on Policy Dialogue and on Funding.
- Increase t he t ransparency of f orei gn pol i cy processes
and est abl i sh mechani sms t hat f aci l i t at e more i ncl usi ve
publ i c di al ogue on i nt ernat i onal pol i cy i ssues, w i t h
enhanced rol es f or Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons and
parl i ament ari ans.
- Bui l d a more co-ordi nat ed f ramew ork f or al l rel evant
government depart ment s t o support publ i c engagement
and pol i cy di al ogue and est abl i sh f unds t hat support
t hese act i vi t i es. Focus some act i vi t i es on yout h.
I nt ernat ionally
In t he cont ext of init iat ives relat ing t o t he Paris Declaration
on Aid Effectiveness, acknow l edge and st rengt hen t he
rol es of CSOs as uni que cont ri but ors i n t hei r ow n ri ght
t o devel opment , good governance and democracy.
Support t he devel opment of ci vi l soci et y net w orks
and coal i t i ons i n count ri es and i nt ernat i onal l y.
Support democrat i c governance ref orms t hat st rengt hen
and bui l d upon count ry- and ci t i zen-l ed processes of
part i ci pat ory ci t i zenshi p rat her t han pre-concei ved not i ons
of good governance imposed by donors from t he out side.
Increase support f or st ruct ured and t i mel y di al ogue
bet ween Canadian CSOs and t he Canadian Int ernat ional
Devel opment Agency (CIDA), Forei gn Af f ai rs and
Int ernat i onal Trade Canada (DFAIT) and ot her rel evant
depart ment s on current Canadi an pol i ci es t hat address
issues of, and relat ionship bet ween, povert y, globalizat ion,
gl obal j ust i ce and human ri ght s.
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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
St rengt hen t hei r ow n capaci t y, as w el l as t hei r part ners
ef f ort s, t o act as conduit s f or cit izen int erest s and concerns,
mobi l i ze part i ci pat i on, press f or gender equal i t y and
ot her human ri ght s, hol d government s t o account f or
t hei r obl i gat i ons, and t ake part i n deci si on-maki ng i n
l ocal and i nt ernat i onal governance st ruct ures.
Work col l aborat i vel y and respect f ul l y w i t h Sout hern
part ners t o devel op pol i cy posi t i ons on gl obal i ssues,
i ncl udi ng provi di ng f i nanci al support f or Sout hern-l ed
i ni t i at i ves t o promot e pol i cy al t ernat i ves.
Increase CSO capaci t i es t o draw on t hei r part nershi ps
and pract i ces t o engage di verse Canadi an publ i cs and
parl i ament ari ans t o end gl obal povert y.
Acknow l edge and adhere t o codes f or et hi cal pract i ces,
part i cul arl y t hose rel at ed t o equi t abl e part nershi ps, such
as t he CCIC Code of Ethics. St rengt hen st ruct ures and
behavi ours i n CSO rel at i onshi ps f or accompani ment i n
support of t he ri ght s of peopl es t o det ermi ne and
carry out act i vi t i es t hat f urt her t hei r ow n devel opment .
Address i nequal i t i es i n t hese rel at i onshi ps, part i cul arl y
t hose t hat resul t f rom Nort hern cont rol over f i nanci al
resources.
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Ameri cas Pol i cy Group
Support i ng Humans Ri ght s Act i vi st s i n Col ombi a
The Ameri cas Pol i cy Group (APG), a CCIC w orki ng group, represent s approxi mat el y 40 Canadi an CSOs w orki ng i n t he
Ameri cas. It col l aborat es w i t h ci vi l soci et y count erpart s i n Col ombi a, respondi ng t o grave human ri ght s vi ol at i ons i n
t hat count ry. Indeed, al l t he armed act ors guerri l l a, parami l i t ary and st at e securi t y f orces have commi t t ed grave
vi ol at i ons of i nt ernat i onal humani t ari an l aw. The ori gi ns of t he armed conf l i ct l i e i n t he pol i t i cal excl usi on of l arge
segment s of t he Col ombi an popul at i on.
A di verse range of ci vi l soci et y act ors must pl ay an act i ve rol e i n bui l di ng t he f oundat i ons f or democrat i c devel opment
and peace i n Col ombi a. But t hese same act ors are of t en t arget ed as t hreat s t o t he st at us quo. Canadi ans, t hrough
act i ve APG members, accompany Col ombi ans by w orki ng cl osel y w i t h t he Nat i onal Vi ct i ms Movement and La Of i ci na
Int ernaci onal de Derechos Humanos Accon Col ombi a (OIDHACO) t o end t he vi ol ence, promot e and prot ect t he ri ght s
of t hose af f ect ed by t he conf l i ct and cont ri but e t o t he democrat i zat i on of Col ombi a.
APG members w ork w i t h CSO count erpart s i n Col ombi a t o document t he current si t uat i on. Armed w i t h t hi s col l ect i ve
know l edge, t he APG prepares bri ef s and engages of f i ci al s f rom t he Depart ment of Forei gn Af f ai rs, t he Embassy i n
Col ombi a and CIDA. It provi des det ai l ed recommendat i ons on how Canada coul d make i t s pol i ci es f or di pl omacy, ai d,
t rade and i nvest ment consi st ent w i t h i t s obl i gat i ons t o i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s l aw. APG members have w orked
cl osel y w i t h i nt ernat i onal CSO coal i t i ons t o i nf l uence t he i nt ernat i onal communi t ys response t o Col ombi a t hrough t he
UN, t he Organi zat i on of Ameri can St at es and t he Group of 24 donor count ri es, w hi ch co-ordi nat es ef f ort s f or peace
and devel opment i n Col ombi a.
CECI support f or coal i t i ons f or Womens Ri ght s
and Ci t i zenshi p i n West Af ri ca
Bet ween 1998 and 2005, CECI worked wi t h t he Womens Ci t i zenshi p and Ri ght s proj ect . The proj ect creat ed net worki ng
coal i t i ons on w omens ri ght s i n Burki na Faso, Mal i and Gui nea t hat became a col l ect i ve f orce f or act i on and i nf l uence.
CECI i s now support i ng t he coal i t i ons t hrough i t s UNITERRA program. The coal i t i ons i ncl ude a t ot al of 31 Ci vi l Soci et y
Organi zat i ons consi st i ng of w omens and mi xed groups gat hered around a common i nt erest . Government depart ment s
f rom t he respect i ve count ri es al so part i ci pat e as advi sory members.
The coalit ions have promot ed equalit y wit hin t he f amily leading t o increased awareness amongst women on civil marriage
and successi on. They have al so w orked t o combat vi ol ence agai nst gi rl s by educat i ng t eachers, parent s and st udent s.
The proj ect has f urt her provi ded support f or w omen s part i ci pat i on i n commune management and l ocal el ect i ons,
i ncl udi ng f or w omen t o part i ci pat e as part y candi dat es. As w el l , al l t hree coal i t i ons have sought t o st rengt hen capaci t y
f or pol i t i cal di al ogue and advocacy w i t h count erpart s i n nat i onal government depart ment s.
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RESOURCES
CCIC Taskf orce on Bui l di ng Publ i c Support f or Sust ai nabl e Human Devel opment . Global Citizenship, a new way forward.
www.ccic.ca/ e/ docs/ 002_public_a_new_way_f orward.pdf .
George Nzongol a-Nt al aj a. Democrat i c Governance and Human Ri ght s i n t he Int ernat i onal Framew ork.
Osl o Governance Cent re. June 2004.
www.undp.org/ oslocent re/ docs04/ democrat ic_governance_and_human% 20right s_in_t he_int ernat ional_f ra
mework.pdf .
Make Povert y Hi st ory w ebsi t e. www.makepovert yhist ory.ca.
Uni t ed Nat i ons Devel opment Programme (UNDP). Human Development Report 2002: Deepening democracy in a
fragmented world. New York: Oxf ord Uni versi t y Press, 2002. ht t p:/ / hdr.undp.org/ en/ media/ complet e.pdf .
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. www.un.org/ Overview/ right s.ht ml.
Point 9:
BUILD A DEMOCRATIC AND EFFECTIVE
MULTILATERAL SYSTEM
SUPPORT M ULTILATERALISM AND THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) AS A CORNERSTONE OF
CANADIAN FOREIGN POLICY WHILE WORKING FOR REFORMS THAT DEMOCRATIZE MULTILATERAL
INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. CORRECT THE
NORTH-SOUTH POWER IMBALANCES, AND ENSURE THE PRIMACY OF UN NORMS OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN THE MULTILATERAL SYSTEM.
An Imbal ance of Pow er i n t he
Mul t i l at eral Syst em
The mul t i l at eral syst em t ook shape i n t he mi d 1940s,
w hen t he urgent need f or reconst ruct i on af t er gl obal war
made it obvious t hat co-operat ion across borders was essent ial.
In t he 21
st
cent urys cont ext of gl obal i zat i on, i ncreased i nt er-
dependence and climat e crisis, t he need f or an ef f ect ive syst em
f or gl obal deci si on-maki ng has become al l t he more pressi ng.
But t he post -war syst em of mul t i l at eral governance has not
adapt ed w el l t o changi ng geo-pow er conf i gurat i ons i n t he
w orl d, t o cal l s f or i ncreased democrat i zat i on of deci si on-
maki ng f rom Sout hern government s and ci t i zen movement s,
or t o t he need t o pri ori t i ze commi t ment s t o human ri ght s
and t he envi ronment .
M ul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons have come t o ref l ect t he pow er
dynami cs t hat domi nat e al l i nt ernat i onal rel at i ons. Whet her
i t i s i n t he UN or i n t he economi c i nst i t ut i ons t hat govern
mul t i l at eral t rade and f i nance, Sout hern government s
have l ess i nf l uence i n deci si on-maki ng t han t hei r Nort hern
count erpart s. The UNs Securit y Council ret ains an anachronist ic
st ruct ure i n w hi ch t he f i ve of f i ci al nucl ear st at es have
permanent st at us and vet o pow er.
118
The Worl d Bank and
t he Int ernat i onal M onet ary Fund (IM F) have Boards of
Governors t hat l i nk pow er and vot i ng t o a st at es f i nanci al
cont ri but i ons. In pri nci pl e, t he Worl d Trade Organi zat i on (WTO)
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The t rue measure of t he success f or t he
Uni t ed Nat i ons i s not how much w e promi se,
but how much w e del i ver f or t hose w ho
need us most .
UN Secret ary-General Ban Ki -moon, Accept ance
Speech, Oct ober 2006
Wi t hout ambi t i ous and f ar-reachi ng ref orms
t he Uni t ed Nat i ons w i l l be unabl e t o del i ver on
i t s promi ses and mai nt ai n i t s l egi t i mat e posi t i on
at t he heart of t he mul t i l at eral syst em.
Delivering as One Report of the Secretary-Generals
High-Level Panel, November 2006
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i s one count ry, one vot e. In pract i ce, t he WTO i s run by
informal decision-making processes t hat are not t ransparent ,
and i n t i mef rames i n w hi ch onl y t he l argest mi ssi ons can
part i ci pat e ef f ect i vel y.
Moreover, i nt ernat i onal economi c i nst i t ut i ons t hat operat e
out si de t he UN f ramew ork t he WTO, t he IM F and t he
Worl d Bank have become i ncreasi ngl y powerf ul . As a resul t ,
t he mul t i l at eral syst em has overshadow ed t he UNs commi t -
ment t o a normat i ve f ramew ork gui ded by t he International
Bill of Human Rights, democrat i c deci si on-maki ng and
envi ronment al st ewardshi p.
Government s, st rongly influenced by t ransnat ional corporat ions,
have equi pped t he WTO, t he Worl d Bank and t he IMF w i t h
unprecedent ed pow ers t o enf orce t he rul es of f i nance and
t rade over w hi ch t hey presi de. By cont rast , t he UN syst em
has meagre resources and f ew t ools t o enf orce t he priorit y
t o bi ndi ng l egal obl i gat i ons of human ri ght s and
envi ronment al st andards.
Mul t i l at eral i sm Under At t ack
Si nce t he t urn of t he mi l l enni um, some government s
i ncl udi ng t he UNs l argest f i nanci al cont ri but or, t he Uni t ed
St at es have i ncreasi ngl y act ed uni l at eral l y. Thi s has under-
mi ned an al ready embat t l ed mul t i l at eral syst em. Indeed, t he
U.S. rol e i n prevent i ng ef f ect i ve mul t i l at eral co-operat i on i n
t he f i rst hal f of t he 21
st
cent ury i s evi dent across maj or
i nt ernat i onal i ssue areas: f rom i t s ref usal t o part i ci pat e i n
t he Int ernat i onal Cri mi nal Court or t he Kyoto Protocol on
Climate Change, t o i t s opposi t i on t o new i nst rument s such
as t he UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(j oi ned now by Canada), t o i t s pursui t of mi l i t ary and securi t y
obj ect i ves w i t hout UN consent .
An unprecedent ed f i nanci al cri si s, due i n part t o t he f ai l ure
of st at es t o meet t hei r f i nanci al commi t ment s, has f urt her
t hreat ened t he UN syst em. In 2005, t hen Secret ary General
Kof i Annan l aunched a UN ref orm process t o rest ore t he
i nt ernat i onal communi t ys conf i dence and support . The ref orm
process cul mi nat ed i n t he November 2006 Report of t he UN
Hi gh-Level Panel on Coherence Delivering as One.
119
Few Canadi ans w oul d argue w i t h t he purposes of t he Uni t ed
Nat i ons (See Multilateralism 101 Box). As a f oundi ng member
of t he UN, Canada has been a st rong proponent of mul t i l at er-
alism, int ernat ional norms and law t hroughout t he inst it ut ions
hi st ory. CCIC and i t s members al so have a l ong commi t ment
t o mul t i l at eral i sm and have been l eaders i n bri ngi ng ci t i zens
voices int o UN deliberat ions.
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But t o be ef f ect ive t o achieve
gl obal j ust i ce and peace mul t i l at eral i sm needs a maj or
overhaul . CCIC members are cal l i ng f or si mul t aneous and
urgent support of mul t i l at eral i sm and f or maj or ref orm of
mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons.
Sout hern government s and Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons (CSOs)
w orl dw i de are cal l i ng f or renew ed mul t i l at eral i sm, t o make
i nt er-government al i nst i t ut i ons more democrat i c, and t o
correct t he gross pow er i mbal ances t hat current l y undermi ne
t he credi bi l i t y of t hese mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons. Thei r deci si on-
maki ng must be made more t ransparent and democrat i c,
and t hey must t ap i nt o and respond t o a ri si ng t i de of gl obal
cit izenship. To regain t heir legit imacy, t hey must meet cit izens
demands f or account abi l i t y, democrat i c pract i ce and ref orm
demands t hat have brought mi l l i ons i nt o t he w orl ds st reet s
i n recent years prot est i ng f or change. And human ri ght s
t he f i rst obl i gat i on of st at es must move t o t he heart of al l
mul t i l at eral organi zat i ons.
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Multilateralism 101
121
The Uni t ed Nat i ons came i nt o bei ng i n 1945, at t he end of t he Second Worl d War. It s purposes, def i ned i n t he
UN Charter, are t o:
Mai nt ai n i nt ernat i onal peace and securi t y.
Devel op f ri endl y rel at i ons among nat i ons.
Achi eve i nt ernat i onal co-operat i on i n sol vi ng i nt ernat i onal probl ems of an economi c, soci al , cul t ural or humani t ari an
charact er, and i n promot i ng and encouragi ng respect f or human ri ght s.
UN St ruct ure: The UN syst em now encompasses 15 speci al i zed agenci es (i ncl udi ng t he IMF and t he Worl d Bank),
122
t wo rel at ed organi zat i ons (i ncl udi ng t he Worl d Trade Organi zat i on), 15 f unds and programs, f i ve regi onal commi ssi ons,
f i ve research and t rai ni ng i nst i t ut es, a secret ari at w i t h 17 depart ment s and of f i ces, and many regi onal - and count ry-
l evel st ruct ures. The Securi t y Counci l deal s w i t h peace and securi t y mat t ers. In t heory, t he speci al i zed agenci es report
t o t he Economi c and Soci al Counci l (ECOSOC). In f act , t hey f unct i on aut onomousl y w i t h t hei r ow n chart ers, budget s,
governi ng boards, st af f and publ i shi ng operat i ons. The General Assembl y can exami ne t hei r budget s and make
recommendat i ons, but each agency exerci ses f i nal cont rol over i t s operat i ons. Pow er i mbal ances, especi al l y bet w een
t he IMF/Worl d Bank/WTO and t he ot her agenci es, have become deepl y ent renched.
M ult ilat eral Ref orm: As t he mul t i l at eral syst em has grow n, so t oo have cal l s f or i t s pol i t i cal and operat i onal ref orm.
Most argue t hat sweepi ng change i s needed, but none agree on t he shape of t hese ref orms. Many cal l f or a f undament al
re-bal anci ng of power bet ween t he f i nanci al i nst i t ut i ons and ot her agenci es, whi l e ot hers cal l f or st reaml i ned operat i ons.
In 2005, a Worl d Summi t addressed UN ref orm
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and gave new i mpet us t o ref orm di scussi ons. Secret ary General Kof i
Annan named a Hi gh-Level Panel t o l ook at how t he UN syst em coul d del i ver bet t er on i t s devel opment , humani t ari an
and envi ronment al mandat es. It rel eased i t s report i n 2006.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
Recogni ze i n Canadas f orei gn pol i cy t he dual i mport ance
of support i ng mul t i l at eral i sm and i nt roduci ng much
needed mul t i l at eral ref orm, based on t he pri macy of
Uni t ed Nat i ons Human Ri ght s i nst rument s.
Support i ni t i at i ves t o democrat i ze and ref orm al l
mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons.
- Enhance devel opi ng count ri es pow er i n gl obal
economi c and pol i t i cal deci si on-maki ng bodi es,
part i cul arl y t he WTO, Worl d Bank and IMF. (See Point 4
Build Global Economic Justice)
- Cal l f or an end t o al l f ormal and i nf ormal economi c,
soci al and pol i t i cal pol i ci es i mposed on poor count ri es
as a condi t i on of Worl d Bank l oans. Inst ead, advocat e
f or a borrow er-l ender rel at i onshi p based on shared
obl i gat i ons under i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s l aw f or
l ocal l y det ermi ned devel opment out comes, as w el l
as i nt egri t y i n publ i c f i nanci al management .
- Promot e bet t er governance, t ransparency and f l exi bi l i t y
i n mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons and ensure bet t er access
and voi ce f or Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons.
At t he Uni t ed Nat i ons, promot e democrat i c ref orm i n t he
f ol l ow i ng areas:
- Expand t he Securi t y Counci l t o be more geographi cal l y
represent at i ve w i t hout addi ng t o t he number of
permanent members or members w i t h vet o pow er.
- Pursue ef f ort s t o st rengt hen t he Economi c and Soci al
Counci l (ECOSOC) and i ncrease i t s pow er i n rel at i on
t o t he WTO, Worl d Bank and IMF. Support i ni t i at i ves
t o reconci l e t he compet i ng or cont radi ct ory pol i ci es of
t hese i nst i t ut i ons and ot her UN agenci es and t reat i es.
- Support development of a consult at ive UN parliament ary
assembl y (subsi di ary t o t he General Assembl y) t o bri ng
i ndependent and di verse ci t i zens voi ces i nt o UN
debat es
124
and st rengt hen t he capaci t y of parl i amen-
t ari ans t o part i ci pat e i n mul t i l at eral f ora.
- Promot e underst andi ng and t i mel y i mpl ement at i on
of Delivering as One, and i t s recommendat i ons f or
syst em-w i de operat i onal coherence among t he UN s
development , humanit arian assist ance and environment al
agenci es and programs.
- Support est abl i shment of a new consol i dat ed UN
agency f or w omen t hat w i l l have bot h normat i ve and
operat i onal responsi bi l i t i es, be ambi t i ousl y resourced
and be l ed by an Under Secret ary General .
- Support recent l y est abl i shed and promi si ng new
i ni t i at i ves t hat f avour mul t i l at eral responses t o
pressi ng i nt ernat i onal probl ems, f or exampl e:
- The Int ernat i onal Cri mi nal Court , t he UN Human
Ri ght s Counci l , t he UN Democracy Fund and t he
Peacebui l di ng Commi ssi on.
- The responsi bi l i t y t o prot ect ci t i zens w hen nat i onal
aut hori t i es f ai l t o prevent genoci de, war cri mes,
cri mes agai nst humani t y or et hni c cl eansi ng.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
In addi t i on t o support i ng t he above
St rengt hen t he capaci t y of Sout hern CSOs t o t ake part i n
mult ilat eral policy processes and support t heir part icipat ion.
St rengt hen mechani sms f or CSOs f rom Nort h and Sout h
t o w ork t oget her i n mul t i l at eral pol i cy processes.
Deepen our awareness and know l edge of Uni t ed Nat i ons
Human Ri ght s i nst rument s as t ool s f or t he promot i on of
gl obal j ust i ce and povert y eradi cat i on.
Part i ci pat e i n coal i t i ons of CSOs w orki ng t o moni t or and
i mprove Canadas rol e i n mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons.
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RESOURCES
The Campai gn f or t he Est abl i shment of a Uni t ed Nat i ons Parl i ament ary Assembl y (UNPA). www.unpacampaign.org/ .
Hal i f ax Ini t i at i ve (research and act i on rel at ed t o ref orm of t he i nt ernat i onal f i nanci al i nst i t ut i ons).
www.halif axinit iat ive.org/ index.php/ .
UN Organi zat i onal Chart . www.un.org/ about un/ chart lg.ht ml.
Secret ary General s Hi gh-Level Panel on UN Syst em-w i de Coherence. Delivering as One Report . 2006.
www.un.org/ event s/ panel/ resources/ pdf s/ HLP-SWC-FinalReport .pdf .
UN Non-Government al Li ai son Servi ce, www.un-ngls.org/ .
The Hal i f ax Ini t i at i ve
Promot i ng Parl i ament ary Account abi l i t y f or t he IFIs
The Hal i f ax Ini t i at i ve i s a coal i t i on of 22 devel opment , envi ronment , f ai t h-based, human ri ght s and l abour groups.
It seeks t o t ransf orm t he Int ernat i onal Fi nanci al Inst i t ut i ons (or IFIs t he Worl d Bank, IMF and export credi t agenci es)
so t hey cont ri but e t o povert y eradi cat i on, envi ronment al sust ai nabi l i t y, an equi t abl e di st ri but i on of w eal t h and t he f ul l
real i zat i on of human ri ght s. The coal i t i on was creat ed i n 1994 as part of a gl obal movement t o assess t he rol e and
record of t hese i nst i t ut i ons on t hei r 50
t h
anni versary, and t o l obby f or IFI ref orm at t he Hal i f ax Summi t of G7 count ri es
i n 1995. The Hal i f ax Ini t i at i ve i s now a Canadi an f ocal poi nt f or research, educat i on and publ i c-i nt erest advocacy on IFI
ref orm, and f or opposit ion t o t he unsust ainable policies and pract ices of t he IFIs. CCIC is a member of t he Halif ax Init iat ive.
The Worl d Federal i st Movement Canada
The Worl d Federal i st Movement Canada support s i ni t i at i ves t hat democrat i ze and ref orm t he UN and l ead t o more
gl obal l y responsi bl e Canadi an pol i ci es. For exampl e, i t advocat es st ronger part i ci pat i on modal i t i es f or Ci vi l Soci et y
Organi zat i ons and i s act i ve i n t he campai gn f or a Parl i ament ary Assembl y at t he UN. It has suggest ed gui di ng pri nci pl es
t o hel p eval uat e proposal s f or Securi t y Counci l ref orm, i ncl udi ng t he f ol l ow i ng: 1) Opposi t i on t o more members w i t h
vet o pow er; 2) Opposi t i on t o more permanent members; 3) Support f or addi ng a reasonabl e number of non-permanent
members t o bet t er ref l ect t he di st ri but i on of w orl d popul at i on; 4) Support f or membershi p model s t hat make t he
Counci l more regi onal l y represent at i ve; and 5) Support f or maki ng t he Counci l s w orki ng met hods and procedures
more t ransparent and democrat i cal l y account abl e.
Point 10:
ACHIEVE MORE AND BETTER AID
DIRECT CANADIAN OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (ODA) EXCLUSIVELY TO POVERTY
REDUCTION, CONSISTENT WITH CANADA S OBLIGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
STANDARDS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE POOR. ESTABLISH A SPECIFIC
TIMETABLE FOR INCREASING CANADIAN ODA TO REACH THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) TARGET OF
0.7% OF CANADIAN GROSS NATIONAL INCOME (GNI). ENSURE THAT CANADIAN CIVIL SOCIETY
ORGANIZATIONS (CSOs) REFLECT A RIGHTS-BASED FRAMEWORK AND EMBODY THE PARTNERSHIP
PRINCIPLES IN THE CCIC CODE OF ETHICS IN THEIR PROGRAMMATIC RELATIONSHIPS.
Sl ow Progress Towards t he Mi l l enni um
Devel opment Goal s
Povert y i s a vi ol at i on of human ri ght s on a massi ve scal e.
A bi l l i on peopl e most of t hem w omen l i ve i n absol ut e
povert y. In 2000, t he members of t he Unit ed Nat ions assert ed
t he primacy of UN Covenant s on human right s. By adopt ing
t he Millennium Declaration, t hey commi t t ed t o spare no
effort in t ackling povert y. The global communit y also launched
t he Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), set t ing minimum
t arget s t o reduce povert y, hunger, i l l i t eracy, di scri mi nat i on
against women and environment al degradat ion by 2015.
The goals are modest , however, and progress is slow. Bet ween
1990 and 2004, t he proport ion of poor people living on less
t han US$1 a day which relat es t o t he f irst MDG dropped
f rom 32% t o 19%. During t he same period, t he numbers of
poor people f ell only slight ly f rom 1.25 billion t o 960 million.
Many of t hese peopl e l i ve i n sub-Saharan Af ri ca, where t he
number of poor peopl e i s i ncreasi ng. In 2006, accordi ng t o
t he Int ernat ional Labour Organizat ion (ILO), close t o 200 million
people were unemployed, while more t han 1.4 billion working
poor lived on less t han US$2 a day. At t he same t ime, more
t han half t he worlds populat ion st ill has no access t o basic
sanit at ion, and more t han half a million women die annually
f rom prevent able and t reat able complicat ions of pregnancy
and childbirt h.
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96
We w i l l spare no ef f ort t o f ree our f el l ow
men, w omen and chi l dren f rom t he abj ect and
dehumani zi ng condi t i ons of ext reme povert y
We are commi t t ed t o maki ng t he ri ght t o
devel opment a real i t y f or everyone and t o
f reei ng t he ent i re human race f rom want .
United Nations Millennium Declaration, Sect i on III
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Pat ri ck Lecl erc
Gender equal i t y i s t he essent i al f oundat i on f or achi evi ng t he
M DGs and al l ot her devel opment goal s t o end povert y.
Yet more t han 70% of t hose l i vi ng i n absol ut e povert y are
w omen and gi rl s.
126
Di scri mi nat i on, di sempow erment , and
physical and sexual violence severely const rain t heir prospect s.
In 2005, Kof i Annan, t hen UN Secret ary-General , chal l enged
Canada t o do i t s f ai r share i n a Gl obal Part nershi p f or
Devel opment . Doi ng our f ai r share, how ever, requi res
si gni f i cant changes i n Canadas i nt ernat i onal co-operat i on
ef f ort s, i ncl udi ng more and bet t er ai d.
Aid alone will not end povert y: many changes in world t rading,
f i nanci al and ot her syst ems are al so needed. But ai d i s a
uni que and i mport ant resource and a readi l y avai l abl e pol i cy
t ool f or donors, government s and Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons.
Used st rat egi cal l y and ef f ect i vel y, ai d can be a cat al yst f or
government s i n poor count ri es t o meet t he ri ght s of t hei r
ci t i zens f or heal t h, educat i on and ot her servi ces. It can
support t he ef f ort s of poor and vul nerabl e peopl e t hrough
CSOs t o hol d t hei r government s t o account , cl ai m t hei r
ri ght s and bet t er t hei r l i ves.
Enhanci ng Bot h t he Quant i t y and
Qual i t y of Ai d
The l ong-recogni zed measure of a donor count rys capaci t y
t o cont ri but e i t s f ai r share i s t he UN t arget of 0.7% of Gross
Nat i onal Income (GNI). In 2005, Canadas House of Commons
passed a unani mous resol ut i on cal l i ng on t he f ederal
government t o set a t i met abl e t o reach t hi s t arget by 2015.
But bot h Li beral and Conservat i ve government s have f ai l ed
t o do so. At t he current modest rat e of ai d i ncreases
(8% per year), Canada w i l l not reach t he UN t arget bef ore
2035! Al one among t he G8 donor count ri es, Canada has
had l arge f i scal surpl uses each year, but has not draw n on
t hese f unds t o commi t t o a 10-year t i met abl e t o reach t he
0.7% t arget .
In many ways, qual i t y of ai d i s as i mport ant as quant i t y
i f not more so. The use of ai d t o support t he pol i t i cal ,
commerci al and securi t y i nt erest s of donors can undermi ne
i t s ef f ect i veness f or povert y reduct i on. Canadi an Of f i ci al
Devel opment Assi st ance (ODA) shoul d excl usi vel y t arget
povert y reduct i on, respect i ng i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s
st andards and t aki ng i nt o account t he perspect i ves of t he
poor. Bot h Canada (as a donor count ry) and Canadi an CSOs
have obl i gat i ons t o st ruct ure t hei r ai d rel at i onshi ps t o
enabl e t he achi evement of t hi s overarchi ng purpose.
98
Poverty and Aid
Nearl y hal f of t he worl ds popul at i on l i ves on l ess t han US$2 a day, and account f or onl y 5% of t he worl ds t ot al i ncome.
Every day, 824 mi l l i on peopl e go t o bed hungry and 50,000 di e f rom povert y-rel at ed causes one-t hi rd of al l deat hs.
In 2000, Canada cont ri but ed onl y 0.25% of i t s Gross Nat i onal Income t o Of f i ci al Devel opment Assi st ance (ODA).
Modest aid increases of 8% per year since 2001 and one-t ime cont ribut ions t o special global funds have helped somewhat .
But by 2007, t he rat i o was onl y 0.30%; t he f ace val ue of t he cancel l at i on of Iraq s debt t o Canada represent ed a
si gni f i cant part of t he ai d i ncreases i n 2006 and 2007.
Source
Make Povert y Hi st ory, www.makepovert yhist ory.ca
99
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The Canadi an Int ernat i onal Devel opment Agency (CIDA) has
acknow l edged t he need t o i mprove t he qual i t y of i t s ai d by
bet t er t arget i ng t he causes and l ocat i ons of povert y. Si nce
2000, i t has i ncreased support f or basi c educat i on, pri mary
heal t h, HIV/AIDS and t he prot ect i on of chi l dren i n devel opi ng
count ri es. By 2005, CIDA had exceeded i nvest ment t arget s
f or t hese areas by more t han $1 bi l l i on. How ever, despi t e a
maj ori t y of poor w ho l i ve i n rural areas, a 2004 CIDA pol i cy
t o i ncrease ai d i nvest ment s f or smal l and medi um-scal e
agri cul t ure has not met i t s goal s.
Si nce 9/ 11, Canadi an ai d has been i ncreasi ngl y ori ent ed
t owards Canadas ow n securi t y i nt erest s. Bet w een 2000 and
2005, Af ghani st an and Iraq have consumed more t han 36%
of new Canadi an ai d dol l ars. Moreover, Canada has been
among donors at t he Organi sat i on f or Economi c Co-operat i on
and Devel opment (OECD) s Devel opment Assi st ance
Commi t t ee (DAC)
127
seeki ng t o broaden t he cri t eri a f or ai d
t o i ncl ude expendi t ures associ at ed w i t h mi l i t ary and securi t y
aspect s of peace operat i ons.
Mi ni st ers under bot h Li beral and Conservat i ve government s
have f ocused on hi gh-prof i l e, one-of f announceabl es such
as cont ri but i ons t o gl obal heal t h f unds f or HIV/ AIDS and
ot her di seases. In so doi ng, t hey have l argel y f ai l ed t o i nvest
i n t he l ong-t erm i mprovement s i n heal t h syst ems needed t o
sust ai n pri mary heal t h care i n t he poorest count ri es.
Whi l e CIDA pol i ci es acknow l edge t hat gender equal i t y i s
crit ical t o povert y reduct ion, CIDAs annual report s t o Parliament
have no overal l assessment of t he agency s cont ri but i ons
i n t hi s area. In 2004-2005, onl y 5.1% of CIDA s bi l at eral
di sbursement s l i st ed gender equal i t y as an obj ect i ve.
Ai d Ef f ect i veness
In 2005, Canada j oi ned 21 donors i n commi t t i ng t o t he
goal s of t he Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness an
agreement 10 years i n t he maki ng. The Paris Declaration
emphasi zed t hat ai d must support l ocal ow nershi p and al i gn
w i t h povert y reduct i on st rat egi es i n devel opi ng count ri es;
harmoni ze donor pract i ces and pol i ci es; creat e syst ems t o
t rack resul t s; and ensure mut ual account abi l i t y.
Canadi an and Sout hern CSOs w el comed many of t hese ai d
ref orms. However, t he i mpact of t hese ref orms wi l l be l i mi t ed
i f donor and reci pi ent count ri es i gnore t he f ol l ow i ng:
a) The need t o measure t he ef f ect i veness of ai d agai nst i t s
excl usi ve purpose povert y reduct i on and respect f or
human ri ght s, i ncl udi ng gender equal i t y;
b) The barri ers t o l ocal ow nershi p resul t i ng f rom cont i nued
donor-i mposed pol i cy condi t i ons and benchmarks
at t ached t o ai d (See Donor Conditionality Box);
c) The need t o i mpl ement gender equal i t y pol i ci es and
bui l d gendered measurement s i nt o t he pl anni ng
and account abi l i t y syst ems governi ng ai d;
d) The l i mi t ed t ransparency and account abi l i t y t o ci t i zens
and parliament arians of donor-approved count ry-owned
povert y reduct i on st rat egi es;
e) The pri nci pl es t hat gui de uni que rol es f or CSOs as
devel opment act ors support i ng democrat i c ow nershi p
and ci t i zens i ni t i at i ves f or povert y reduct i on. These
enabl e CSOs t o respond ef f ect i vel y t o pri ori t i es set by
benef i ci ary popul at i ons, not by donor i nst i t ut i ons; and
f ) The need f or deeper, mut ual donor-reci pi ent account abi l i t y
based on i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s obl i gat i ons.
Si nce 2002, Canadi an ai d ef f ect i veness pol i ci es have sought
t o i mprove i mpact by concent rat i ng on a narrow l i st of
count ry and sect or pri ori t i es. Focusi ng Canadas ai d i s no
doubt essent i al f or ef f ect i veness, but f ocus cannot be reduced
si mpl i st i cal l y t o a f ew count ri es or sect ors such as educat i on
or heal t h.
Ai d i s not an i nst rument f or soci al and organi zat i onal
engi neeri ng. Consequent l y, donors shoul d not f ocus on
a sect or or count ry w i t h preconcei ved i deas about t he mi x
of pol i cy, resources and ski l l s needed t o achi eve resul t s.
Ai d i nt ervent i ons are most ef f ect i ve w hen t hey are open t o
t he compl exi t i es, uncert ai nt i es and real si t uat i ons f aci ng
people living in povert y in many different count ries and regions.
Canadian aid would be more ef f ect ive if it f ocused on select ed
development challenges in t he poorest developing count ries,
al l w i t hi n a hol i st i c approach t o povert y eradi cat i on.
Concent rat ing on key challenges such as gender equalit y or
ci vi l soci et y st rengt heni ng w oul d mean l ess arbi t rary f ocus
on count ri es and sect ors, and l ess use of ai d t o respond t o
i mmedi at e f orei gn pol i cy pri ori t i es.
Devel opment pract i t i oners i n t he Nort h and t he Sout h have
st ressed t he i mport ance of i nf ormed and commi t t ed ci t i zens
f or an overal l st rat egy t o el i mi nat e povert y.
128
Yet t here i s a
l ack of i nf rast ruct ure t o support programs across t he count ry
t o reinvigorat e and sust ain global cit izenship among Canadians.
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Donor Conditionality, Local Ownership
and Aid Effectiveness
The 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness cal l s f or donors t o del i ver t w o t hi rds of t hei r ai d t hrough di rect budget
support f or government s i n devel opi ng count ri es or sect or-w i de programs (SWAps) w i t h government mi ni st ri es, such
as t he Mi ni st ry of Educat i on. In t hese so-cal l ed program-based approaches (PBAs), donors pool ai d money, harmoni ze
t he t erms of t hei r ai d rel at i onshi p w i t h t he respect i ve mi ni st ry, and al i gn t he goal s of t hese programs w i t h count ry
povert y-reduct i on st rat egi es. By 2006, t he Canadi an Int ernat i onal Devel opment Agency (CIDA) al l ocat ed about 30%
of i t s bi l at eral ai d t hrough t hese mechani sms.
Ost ensi bl y, program-based approaches are hi ghl y responsi ve t o l ocal ownershi p; t hey are i nt ended t o support t he pol i cy
choi ces of government s i n t he poorest count ri es. However, donors who part i ci pat e i n PBAs i ncl udi ng t he Worl d Bank
bri ng dozens of condi t i ons t o t he t abl e. In t he case of Tanzani a, bi l at eral donors such as Canada added t hei r ow n
condi t i ons t o t hose negot i at ed w i t h t he Fund and t he Bank: Tanzani a had t o compl et e 78 pol i cy changes t o sat i sf y al l
of i t s donors.
What are t hese condi t i ons? As a condi t i on f or gi vi ng ai d, donors demand t he poorest count ri es open t hei r market s t o
subsi di zed goods f rom Nort hern count ri es, remove barri ers t hat prot ect l ocal i ndust ry f rom i nvest ment s by i nt ernat i onal
compani es agai nst w hi ch t hey cannot compet e, or set unreal i st i c goal s f or i nt erest rat es and i nf l at i on t arget s. There i s
w i de consensus t hat i mposi ng such economi c condi t i ons does not w ork and, i n f act , makes povert y w orse. St i l l more
recent l y, donors have added governance condi t i ons t o t hei r ai d cont ract s; t hese st i ck t hei r nose i nt o how mi ni st ri es
should act ually deliver healt h or educat ion programs. According t o one recent st udy, 82 out of an average of 114 condit ions
f or each IMF/Bank agreement i n sub-Saharan Af ri ca had governance-rel at ed condi t i ons.
There i s a l egi t i mat e need f or account abi l i t y f or ai d money agai nst i t s st at ed obj ect i ves. CSOs, how ever, have cal l ed f or
an end t o i mposed pol i cy condi t i ons i n ai d rel at i onshi ps. These condi t i ons make a mockery of l ocal ow nershi p, and
undermi ne t he rol e of ci t i zens and t he responsi bi l i t y of parl i ament s t o est abl i sh devel opment pol i ci es i n t hei r count ry.
Inst ead, di al ogue on pol i ci es bet w een donors and reci pi ent government s shoul d i ncl ude CSOs and ci t i zens f rom Nort h
and Sout h. Thi s w oul d hel p ensure shared account abi l i t y t o i nt ernat i onal human ri ght s obl i gat i ons and i ndependent
assessment s f or mut ual account abi l i t y.
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CSOs and Ai d Ef f ect i veness
CSOs are an i ndi spensabl e bri dge f or Canadi an devel opment
ef f ort s a bri dge t hat l i nks gl obal pl ans t o promot e human
ri ght s and eradi cat e povert y w i t h t he l ocal real i t i es w here
poor peopl e l i ve. In t hei r cont ri but i ons, Canadi an CSOs have
recogni zed t hat l ocal ow nershi p i s cent ral t o devel opment .
Yet , i n t he f ace of hi ghl y unequal cul t ural , soci al , economi c
and pol i t i cal pow er rel at i ons, t hey f ocus on t he ri ght s of
vul nerabl e and poor peopl e.
CSOs are i mport ant devel opment act ors i n t hei r ow n ri ght .
They range f rom communi t y-based associ at i ons and nat i onal
int ermediaries t o int ernat ional net works commanding influence
on donor government s and mul t i l at eral i nst i t ut i ons. CSOs
and soci al movement s i n t he Sout h, w hi ch seek recogni t i on
of w omens ri ght s and gender equal i t y, l and ri ght s or decent
w ork, have a l ong and ri ch hi st ory i n organi zi ng economi c,
soci al and pol i t i cal i ni t i at i ves at al l l evel s of soci et y.
A cruci al i ngredi ent f or ef f ect i veness f or Sout hern and
Nort hern CSOs i s an i ndependent space t o express t hei r ow n
devel opment pri ori t i es, and f orm credi bl e rel at i onshi ps of
t rust w i t h l ocal , nat i onal and i nt ernat i onal const i t uenci es.
Li ke al l donors, Canadi an CSOs are chal l enged t o i mprove
t he qual i t y of t hese rel at i onshi ps and recogni ze t he i nequal i t y
of pow er i nherent w i t hi n t hem. CCICs Code of Ethics set s
out i mport ant pri nci pl es and operat i onal gui del i nes on how
t o creat e, maint ain, build and ult imat ely end part nerships.
It highlight s part nerships as vehicles f or long-t erm accompa-
niment t hat support t he right of peoples t o det ermine and
carry out act ivit ies t hat f urt her t heir own development opt ions,
t hrough t hei r Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons.
129
Adherence t o
t he Code i s a requi rement of membershi p w i t hi n CCIC.
Underst anding and applying principles in t he Code are t he
f oundat ion f or ef f ect ive Nort h/Sout h CSO relat ionships.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOVERNMENT
As t he f oundat i on f or renew ed Canadi an l eadershi p
i n donor rel at i ons w i t h devel opi ng count ri es and i n
int ernat ional f orums, develop a Whit e Paper on Eliminat ing
Global Povert y, co-ordinat ed by t he Minist er of Int ernat ional
Cooperat i on. Thi s Whi t e Paper shoul d f ocus on t he
f ol l ow i ng t asks:
- El aborat e Canadi an goal s and w hol e-of -government
st rat egi es f or endi ng gl obal povert y w i t hi n t he cont ext
of Canadas human ri ght s obl i gat i ons and t aki ng i nt o
account t he perspect i ves of t he poor.
- Exami ne t he i mpl i cat i ons of a l egi sl at i ve account abi l i t y
f ramew ork f or Canadi an devel opment assi st ance.
- Work w i t h ot her rel evant f ederal depart ment s t o
st rengt hen CIDA as t he l ead f ederal depart ment w i t h
pre-emi nent devel opment know l edge and st rat egi c
resources, f ocused on a l ong-t erm agenda of povert y
eradi cat i on.
Commi t t o a real i st i c 10-year t i met abl e f or i ncreases
i n Canadi an ai d t o achi eve 0.7% of Canada s GNI t o
support t he goal s el aborat ed i n t he Whi t e Paper. Thi s w i l l
requi re annual i ncreases of 15% t o t he Int ernat i onal
Assi st ance Envel ope.
Focus on f our key devel opment chal l enges, w orki ng w i t h
a mi x of government , ci vi l soci et y and pri vat e sect or
part ners t o improve aid ef f ect iveness f or povert y reduct ion:
- Democrat i c governance, ci t i zen part i ci pat i on and
human ri ght s;
- Sust ai nabl e l i vel i hoods, f ocusi ng on i ncome and
l i vel i hood opt i ons f or peopl e l i vi ng i n povert y,
part i cul arl y t he rural poor;
- Gender equal i t y and t he promot i on of w omens and
gi rl s f ul l human ri ght s at t he cent re of Canadi an ai ds
mandat e f or povert y reduct i on; and
- Soci al i ncl usi on of poor and margi nal i zed peopl e,
st rengt heni ng l ong-t erm i nvest ment i n heal t h,
educat i on and l ocal soci al i nf rast ruct ure.
Incl ude pri nci pl es and operat i onal gui del i nes f or part ner-
shi ps w i t h CSOs i n Canadas ai d ef f ect i veness pol i ci es.
These guidelines should acknowledge CSOs as development
act ors i n t hei r ow n ri ght , w hi ch reach and engage
benef i ci ary popul at i ons, bui l d democrat i c part i ci pat i on
and l ocal ow nershi p i n t he Sout h and promot e gl obal
ci t i zenshi p i n Canada. In t hi s regard, CIDA and ot her
f ederal depart ment s i nvol ved i n ai d del i very must
st rengt hen responsi ve programmi ng. The government
must not reduce CSOs t o subsi di ary i nst rument s t o
achi eve i t s count ry program pri ori t i es and obj ect i ves.
Devel op a Canadi an pol i cy t o promot e t he el i mi nat i on
of donor-i mposed condi t i ons and benchmarks i n ai d
rel at i onshi ps. The el i mi nat i on of pol i cy condi t i ons w oul d
not i mpl y a l ack of f i duci ary account abi l i t y or pol i cy
di al ogue bet ween devel opment part ners. Rat her, di al ogue
w i t h devel opi ng-count ry count erpart s shoul d f ocus on
locally det ermined policy opt ions and mut ual account abilit y,
and t ake account of shared commi t ment s t o i nt ernat i onal
human ri ght s obl i gat i ons.
Invest i n st rengt heni ng a di versi t y of approaches t o
act i ve Canadi an gl obal ci t i zenshi p t hat encourage ci t i zens
engagement w i t h a range of gl obal i ssues, beyond j ust
an underst andi ng of CIDAs work i n devel opi ng count ri es.
Up t o 5% of CIDAs program resources shoul d be i nvest ed
i n publ i c engagement programmi ng.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Ensure t hat our ow n f undi ng and w orki ng rel at i onshi ps
w i t h Sout hern CSOs ref l ect a ri ght s-based f ramew ork
and embody t he part nershi p pri nci pl es of t he CCIC Code
of Ethics.
Ensure respect f or Sout hern part ners aut onomy and
support Sout hern CSO act ors t o pl ay l eadi ng rol es i n
devel opment i nt ervent i ons.
Ensure t hat programmi ng expands t he space and bui l ds
capaci t i es f or Sout hern CSOs t o be heard w i t hi n pol i cy
di al ogues at t he nat i onal and i nt ernat i onal l evel s,
i ncl udi ng i n Canada.
Part i ci pat e i n, and promot e net w orki ng and coal i t i on
w ork among, CSOs t o share l essons and l everage t he
col l ect i ve st rengt h of i ndi vi dual CSOs t owards pol i cy
w ork f or povert y el i mi nat i on and soci al j ust i ce.
Expand gl obal ci t i zenshi p i n Canada i ncreasi ng
opport uni t i es f or publ i c engagement act i vi t i es, mot i vat i ng
Canadi ans t o part i ci pat e and t ake act i on i n devel opment
ef f ort s t o end povert y and i nj ust i ce, and ref l ect i ng val ues
of equi t y, pl ural i sm and t ol erance.
102
CIDA/ ACDI Phot o: Davi d Barbour, Zi mbabwe
103
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RESOURCES
CCIC. Ai d Pol i cy Sect i on of CCIC w ebsi t e. www.ccic.ca/ e/ 002/ aid.sht ml.
Real i t y of Ai d. www.realit yof aid.org.
Bet t er Ai d Coal i t i on. ht t p:/ / bet t eraid.org
St eve Radel et . A Primer on Foreign Aid - Working Paper #92. Cent re f or Gl obal Devel opment . Jul y 2006.
www.cgdev.org/ cont ent / publicat ions/ det ail/ 8846.
Canadi an Int ernat i onal Devel opment Agency (CIDA). www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/ index-e.ht m.
Organi sat i on f or Economi c Co-operat i on and Devel opment (OECD). Devel opment Assi st ance Commi t t ee.
UN Fi nanci ng f or Devel opment . www.un.org/ esa/ f f d/.
Gl obal Cal l Agai nst Povert y (GCAP) / Make Povert y Hi st ory
GCAP, an al l i ance of CSOs i n more t han 100 count ri es, was l aunched i n January 2005. It cal l s f or a maj or i ncrease i n
t he quant i t y and qual i t y of ai d, t rade j ust i ce, cancel l at i on of t he debt s of poor count ri es and sust ai nabl e and account abl e
nat i onal ef f ort s t o el i mi nat e povert y. In Canada, hundreds of CSOs are support i ng t hi s cal l t hrough t he Make Povert y
Hi st ory campai gn and i t s si st er campai gn i n Quebec, Un monde sans pauvret : Agissons ! Where one i n si x chi l dren
l i ve i n povert y, t he campai gn i n Canada i s al so cal l i ng f or an end t o chi l d povert y i n Canada. Through pol i cy di al ogue,
publ i c event s, l et t er-w ri t i ng campai gns and ot her means, chari t i es, t rade uni ons, f ai t h groups, st udent s, academi cs and
cel ebri t i es have been rai si ng awareness of t he need f or more and bet t er ai d. More t han 250,000 Canadi ans have
si gned on t o Make Povert y Hi st ory. Hundreds of t housands of e-mai l s have been sent t o t he Pri me Mi ni st er and ot her
key deci si on-makers. More t han 40 l ocal Make Povert y Hi st ory groups are act i ve across t he count ry and more t han
500,000 w hi t e bands t he i nt ernat i onal symbol of t he campai gn are i n ci rcul at i on. The si mpl i ci t y of t hi s symbol
al l ow s peopl e al l over t he w orl d t o show t hei r support f or endi ng povert y.
CCIC Code of Ethics Part nershi p Pri nci pl es
In 2004, members of t he Canadi an Counci l f or Int ernat i onal Co-operat i on (CCIC) added Part nershi p Pri nci pl es t o t he
CCIC Code of Ethics. Al l members of CCIC must cert i f y t hei r compl i ance w i t h t hese pri nci pl es, w hi ch gui de part nershi ps
bet w een Nort hern and Sout hern CSOs. One key pri nci pl e st at es t hat part nershi ps shoul d be vehi cl es f or l ong-t erm
accompaniment t hat support t he right s of people t o det ermine and carry out act ivit ies t hat f urt her t heir own development
opt i ons, t hrough t hei r Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons. Grounded i n a ri ght s-based approach of mut ual respect and
account abi l i t y, t he Part nershi p Pri nci pl es are an expressi on of w hat ai d ef f ect i veness means t o CSOs.
ENDNOTES
Int roduct i on: Keepi ng Promi ses, Af f i rmi ng Ri ght s
1 Onl y si x count ri es show ed such reversal s i n t he 1980s.
2 Uni t ed Nat i ons Devel opment Programme (UNDP). Human Development Report 2005. International cooperation at a crossroads: Aid, trade and security
in an unequal world. ht t p:/ / hdr.undp.org/ en/ media/ hdr05_complet e.pdf .
Poi nt 1: Promot e Womens Ri ght s And Equal i t y
3 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art i cl e 25.
4 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Art i cl e 10.
5 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art i cl e 3.
6 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Art i cl e 7.
7 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Art i cl e 12.
8 Beijing Platform for Action, paragraph 96.
9 Uni t ed Nat i ons Popul at i on Fund (UNFPA) www.unf pa.org/ mot hers/ f act s.ht m
10 CEDAW, Art i cl e 15.
11 Maureen Lew i s and Marl ai ne Lockheed. Inexcusable Absence: Why 60 million girls still arent in school and what to do about it. Cent er f or Gl obal
Devel opment , December 2006, p. 5. w w w.cgdev.org/doc/books/Inexcusabl e%20Absence/Overvi ew.pdf.
12 See f or exampl e, Canadi an Research Inst i t ut e f or t he Advancement of Women (CRIAW), 2006. Intersectional Feminist Frameworks: A Primer. Avai l abl e at
www.criaw-icref.ca/ indexFrame_e.ht m. See al so w ork of Dr. Dyan Mazurana on gender and generat i onal anal ysi s, i ncl udi ng Gender, Conflict, and
Peacekeeping. Row man and Li t t l ef i el d: Boul der and Oxf ord, 2004.
13 Pl an Int ernat i onal . Because I am a Girl: The State of the Worlds Girls 2007. www.plan-int ernat ional.org/ news/ becauseI amagirl/
14 Uni t ed Nat i ons. In-depth Study on all Forms of Violence against Women: Report of the Secretary-General. General Assembl y, A/61/122/Add. 1, 2006.
www.un.org/ womenwat ch/ daw/ vaw/ SGst udyvaw.ht m
15 Ibid.
16 Uni t ed Nat i ons Joi nt Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNFPA and Uni t ed Nat i ons Devel opment Fund f or Women (UNIFEM). Women and HIV/AIDS:
Confronting the Crisis, 2004. w w w.unf pa.org/hi v/w omen/docs/w omen_ai ds.pdf
17 Ibid.
18 179 government s commit t ed t o t his in 1994 during t he Int ernat ional Conf erence on Populat ion and Development (ICPD). This was f urt her upheld in t he MDGs.
19 UNFPA. www.unf pa.org/ mot hers/ f act s.ht m.
20 UNIFEM. Progress of the Worlds Women 2005: Women, Work and Poverty. www.un-ngls.org/ women-2005.pdf .
21 Int ernat i onal Labour Organi zat i on (ILO). Preventing Discrimination, Exploitation and Abuse of Women Migrant Workers: An Information Guide, 2005.
www.ilo.org/ public/ english/ employment / gems/ download/ mbook1.pdf .
22 UNICEF. The State Of The Worlds Children 2007: Women and Children - The Double Dividend of Gender Equality
www.unicef.org/ sowc07/ docs/ sowc07.pdf .
23 Associ at i on f or Womens Ri ght s i n Devel opment (AWID). Where is the money for womens rights? Assessing resources and the role of donors in the pro-
motion of womens rights and the support of womens organizations, pp. 21-24, 2006. www.awid.org/ publicat ions/ where_is_money/ web_book.pdf
24 AWID. Achieving Womens Economic & Social Rights: Strategies and Lessons from Experience, p. 7, 2006.
www.awid.org/ publicat ions/ ESCR% 20Report .pdf
104
105
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25 Dat a on al l si x of f i ci al i ndi cat ors f or MDG3 are avai l abl e f or onl y 59 out of 154 devel opi ng count ri es (f or 2000 2005), and even f ew er count ri es have
t i me seri es dat a t hat w oul d al l ow t racki ng over t i me. Worl d Bank, Global Monitoring Report 2007: Millennium Development Goals Confronting the
Challenge of Gender Equality and Fragile States. Washi ngt on. w w w -w ds.w orl dbank.org/ext ernal /def aul t /WDSCont ent Server/
IW3P/IB/2007/04/11/000112742_20070411162802/Rendered/PDF/394730GMR02007.pdf
The UN i s at t empt i ng t o address t hi s gap t hrough i t s publ i cat i ons The Worlds Women: Progress in Statistics, avai l abl e at
ht t p:/ / unst at s.un.org/ unsd/ Demographic/ product s/ indwm/ wwpub.ht m.
26 CCIC cal cul at i on based on CIDA proj ect codi ng, 2004-2005.
27 These i ncl ude ILO Convent i on N
o
97 concerni ng Mi grat i on f or Empl oyment (1949); ILO Convent i on No 143 concerni ng Mi grat i on i n Abusi ve Condi t i ons
and t he Promot i on of Equal i t y of Opport uni t y and t he Treat ment of Mi grant Workers (1975); t he International Convention on the Protection of the Rights
of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (1990); and t he Uni t ed Nat i ons Prot ocol t o Prevent , Suppress and Puni sh Traf f i cki ng i n Persons,
Especi al l y Women and Chi l dren. 2000 www.uncjin.org/ Document s/ Convent ions/ dcat oc/ f inal_document s_2/ convent ion_% 20t raf f _eng.pdf
Poi nt 2: Promot e Heal t h And Educat i on For Al l
28 Ri ght s l i st ed i n t he box are edi t ed f or l engt h; see f ul l versi on f or al l det ai l s.
29 Worl d Heal t h Organi zat i on (WHO). Commi ssi on on Soci al Det ermi nant s of Heal t h. www.who.int / social_det erminant s/ en/
30 Gl obal AIDS Al l i ance. www.globalaidsalliance.org/ issues/ end_povert y/
31 10/90 gap i s a phrase t hat was coi ned f ol l ow i ng t he st at i st i cal f i ndi ngs of t he Commi ssi on on Heal t h Research i n 1990. More recent st udi es by t he Gl obal
Forum f or Heal t h Research and ot hers cont i nue t o demonst rat e t hat heal t h research appl i ed t o t he needs of devel opi ng count ri es remai ns grossl y under-
resourced i n many areas. The t erm 10/90 gap, w hi l e not represent i ng a current quant i t at i ve measure, has become a symbol of t he cont i nui ng mi smat ch
bet w een needs and i nvest ment s. www.globalf orumhealt h.org/ Sit e/ 003__The% 2010% 2090% 20gap/ 001__Now.php
32 Whi l e communi t y and Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons of t en pl ay key rol es i n servi ce del i very i n devel opi ng count ri es, especi al l y i n t he i nf ormal sect or, t hi s i s
l argel y i n t he cont ext of st at e i nact i on or i nabi l i t y. There i s no si ngl e approach f or how st at es and count ri es shoul d address ci t i zens needs f or heal t h and
educat i on servi ces, but CCIC members st ress t he pri mary obl i gat i on of st at es t o f ul f i l l basi c ri ght s and t he key need f or accessi bl e publ i c servi ces as part
of t hi s, part i cul arl y t o ensure access f or t he most margi nal i zed .
33 Uni t ed Nat i ons Educat i onal , Sci ent i f i c and Cul t ural Organi zat i on (UNESCO). Information Kit on Education for All.
www.unesco.ru/ f iles/ docs/ educ/ ikef a.pdf .
34 UNESCO, Education for All, Week 2004. ht t p://port al.unesco.org/educat ion/en/ev.php-URL_ID= 28702&URL_DO= DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION= 201.ht ml.
35 UNESCO. Education for All. Education and Disability. www.unesco.org/educat ion/efa/know_sharing/flagship_init iat ives/disabilit y_last _version.sht ml.
36 Save t he Chi l dren Canada. Children Affected by Armed Conflict. www.savet hechildren.ca/ canada/ media/ publicat ions/ educat ion/ Colombia-
TeachersResourceGuide.pdf .
37 Save t he Chi l dren. Press rel ease: Tuesday, Sept ember 12, 2006. Armed conflict creating humanitarian crisis for 43 million children. www.savet hechil-
dren.org.au/ aust ralia/ media/ releases_06/ Press_Release_Rewrit e_t he_Fut ure_Launch_12Sept 06.pdf .
38 Oxf am Canada w ebsi t e. www.oxf am.ca/ what -we-do/ t hemes-and-issues/ healt h-and-educat ion.
39 The Gl obal Fund t o Fi ght AIDS, Tubercul osi s and Mal ari a w ebsi t e, www.t heglobalf und.org/ en/ about / f ight ing/ .
40 UNESCO. Mat t hew Jukes (2006). Early childhood health, nutrition and education background paper prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring
Report 2007. Strong foundations: early childhood care and education. ht t p:/ / unesdoc.unesco.org/ images/ 0014/ 001474/ 147468e.pdf .
41 Save t he Chi l dren. State of the Worlds Mothers 2006: Saving the Lives of Mothers and New borns.
www.savet hechildren.org/ publicat ions/ mot hers/ 2006/ SOWM _2006_f inal.pdf .
42 The Uni t ed Nat i ons. HIV/AIDS and Young People: World Youth Report 2003. www.un.org/ esa/ socdev/ unyin/ document s/ ch13.pdf .
43 UNICEF. HIV/AIDS and Children, www.unicef.org/ aids/ index_35330.ht ml.
44 The Thi rd Worl d Net w ork. Mart i n Khor (2007) Patents, Compulsory License and Access to Medicines: Some Recent Experiences.
www.t wnside.org.sg/ t it le2/ par/ TRI PS.f lexibilit ies.30jan07.wit h.cover.doc.
45 Campai gn f or Access t o Essent i al Medi ci nes: Medeci ns Sans Front i res (MSF) w ebsi t e. Inter Press Service: UN Report Sees Green Light for Generic AIDS
Drugs. Marwaa n Macan-Markar, Jul y 10, 2001. www.accessmed-msf.org/ prod/ publicat ions.asp?scnt id= 318200179503&cont ent t ype= PARA&.
46 The UN Mi l l enni um Proj ect . Bernst ei n, S. w i t h Juul Hansen, C. (2006) Public Choices, Private Decisions: Sexual and Reproductive Health and the
Millennium Development Goals. www.unmillenniumproject .org/ document s/ M P_Sexual_Healt h_screen-f inal.pdf .
47 Ibid.
48 UNDP Human Devel opment Report 2005. International cooperation at a crossroads: Aid, trade and security in an unequal world.
ht t p:/ / hdr.undp.org/ en/ media/ hdr05_complet e.pdf .
49 These i ncl ude Canadi an Teachers Federat i on, Canadi an Counci l f or Int ernat i onal Co-operat i on (CCIC), Canadi an Organi zat i on f or Devel opment t hrough
Educat i on (CODE), Fondat i on Paul Geri n-Laj oi e, McGi l l Uni versi t y, Oxf am Canada, Save t he Chi l dren Canada, Uni versi t y of Al bert a, Uni versi t y of Ot t awa,
Uni versi t y of Toront o Cent re f or Gl obal Governance and Educat i onal Change, Worl d Vi si on and Worl d Uni versi t y Servi ce of Canada (WUSC).
Poi nt 3: Promot e The Ri ght To Food And Ensure Sust ai nabl e Li vel i hoods For Food Producers
In Devel opi ng Count ri es
50 UN Food and Agri cul t ure Organi zat i on (FAO). Food: A Fundamental Right. www.f ao.org/ FOCUS/ E/ right f ood/ right 1.ht m. The Int ernat i onal Food Pol i cy
Research Inst i t ut e has devel oped t he Gl obal Hunger Index, w hi ch al l ow s more nuanced measurement of hunger, and more f ocused t arget i ng of f ood
securi t y st rat egi es (see www.if pri.org/ pubs/ ib/ ib47.pdf ).
51 Dumpi ng occurs w hen an export er sel l s a product i n a f orei gn market at a pri ce ei t her l ow er t han t he sal e pri ce i n t he home market or l ow er t han
t he cost of product i on.
52 Inst i t ut e f or Agri cul t ure and Trade Pol i cy (IATP). Wat er Cri si s and Food Soverei gnt y f rom a Gender Perspect i ve. January 2007.
www.t radeobservat ory.org/ library.cf m?ref id= 97668.
53 Mi l l enni um Devel opment Goal 1.
54 Worl d Bank. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. ht t p:/ / sit eresources.worldbank.org/ SOUTHASI AEXT/ Resources/ 223546-
1171488994713/ 3455847-1192738003272/ WDR_Final.pdf .
55 UN Mi l l enni um Proj ect Task Force on Hunger, 2005. www.unmillenniumproject .org/ report s/ t f _hunger.ht m.
56 Food and Agri cul t ure Organi zat i on (FAO), Women and sust ai nabl e f ood securi t y, Women and Popul at i on Di vi si on.
www.f ao.org/ sd/ f sdirect / f bdirect / FSP001.ht m.
57 Ibid.
58 Ibid.
59 Food and Agri cul t ure Organi zat i on (FAO). The Feminization of Agriculture, Gender and Food Security. www.f ao.org/ GENDER/ en/ agrib2-e.ht m.
60 Oxf am Int ernat i onal . Current approaches to food crises are failing Africas poor. Press Rel ease, Jul y 24, 2006.
www.oxf am.org/ en/ news/ pressreleases2006/ pr060724_af rica_f ood_crisis.
61 P. Ei narsson. Agricultural Trade Policy as if Food Security and Ecological Sustainability Mattered. Church of Sw eden Ai d, Forum Syd and t he Sw edi sh
Soci et y f or Nat ure Conservat i on, August 2000.
62 FAO New sroom, Declining Commodity Export and Food Import Bills, 2005. www.f ao.org/ newsroom/ en/ f ocus/ 2005/ 89746/ art icle_89751en.ht ml.
63 Ibid.
64 Uni t ed Nat i ons Conf erence on Trade and Devel opment (UNCTAD). Trade and Devel opment Board, 2003. www.unct ad.org/ en/ docs/ t b50d6&c1_en.pdf .
65 FAO. The state of agricultural commodity markets, 2006. www.f ao.org/ docrep/ 009/ a0950e/ a0950e00.ht m.
66 Int ernat i onal Food Pol i cy Research Inst i t ut e (IFPRI). Global Hunger Index, 2006. www.if pri.org/ pressrel/ 2006/ 20061013.asp.
67 Thi s sect i on draw s heavi l y f rom Sophi a Murphy. Concentrated Market Power and Agricultural Trade. Hei nri ch Bol l Foundat i on. August , 2006.
www.t radeobservat ory.org/ library.cf m?ref id= 89014
68 For st at i st i cal i nf ormat i on on t rends i n corporat e concent rat i on af f ect i ng agri cul t ure see t he Oligopoly Inc. report s of t he ETC Group.
www.et cgroup.org/ en/ mat erials/ publicat ions.ht ml?pub_id= 42.
69 The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets, 2004 of t he UN Food and Agri cul t ure Organi zat i on (FAO) says an est i mat ed 2.5 bi l l i on peopl e i n t he devel opi ng
w orl d depend on agri cul t ure f or t hei r l i vel i hoods, but most agri cul t ural commodi t i es have experi enced a dow nward t rend i n real pri ces and t he l ong-t erm
f orecast s are not encouragi ng. www.f ao.org/ docrep/ 007/ y5419e/ y5419e00.ht m.
70 Members i ncl ude Canadi an Foodgrai ns Bank, Canadi an Hunger Foundat i on, CCIC, Devel opi ng Count ri es Farm Radi o Net w ork, Devel opment and Peace,
ETC Group, Int er Pares, Mennoni t e Cent ral Commi t t ee Canada, Nat i onal Farmers Uni on (Canada), Oxf am Canada, Ri ght s and Democracy, UPA
Dvel oppement i nt ernat i onal , USC Canada and Worl d Vi si on Canada.
71 The Canadi an Bi ot echnol ogy Act i on Net w ork (CBAN) i s a coal i t i on of more t han 20 organi zat i ons t hat uni t es envi ronment al , soci al j ust i ce, f armer and
consumer groups across Canada t hat are concerned about genet i c engi neeri ng.
106
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Poi nt 4: Bui l d Gl obal Economi c Just i ce
72 Social Watch Report, 2006 - Impossible Architecture: Why the Financial Structure is Not Working for the Poor and How to Redesign it for Equity and
Development. w w w.soci al wat ch.org/en/i nf ormeImpreso/t abl aDeCont eni dos2006.ht m
73 Thi s sect i on draw s f rom Oxf am (2004). Trading Away our Rights: Women working in Global Supply Chains.
www.oxf am.org/ en/ policy/ brief ingnot es/ report _042008_labor
74 Uni t ed Nat i ons Uni versi t y Worl d Inst i t ut e f or Devel opment Economi cs Research (UNU-WIDER). The World Distribution of Household Wealth (2006) st udy
75 Ibid.
76 Ibid.
77 Uni t ed Nat i ons Devel opment Programme (UNDP) Int ernat i onal Povert y Cent re. Poverty in Focus The Challenge of Inequality 2007.
www.undp-povert ycent re.org/ pub/ I PCPovert yI nFocus11.pdf
78 Uni t ed Nat i ons Popul at i on Fund (UNFPA). State of the World Population, 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth.
www.unf pa.org/ swp/ swpmain.ht m
79 Jacques Charmes. A Revi ew of Empi ri cal Evi dence on Ti me Use i n Af ri ca f rom UN-Sponsored Surveys , 2006, i n C. Mark Bl ackden and Quent i n Wodon
(eds.) Gender, Time Use, and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, Worl d Bank Worki ng Paper N
o
73, 2006.
80 Int ernat i onal Labour Organi zat i on (ILO). Making Decent Work a Global Goal. 2006.
81 Oxf am. Trading Away our Right: Women Working in Global Supply Chain, 2004.
ht t p:/ / publicat ions.oxf am.org.uk/ oxf am/ display.asp?K= 184019537585413
82 Ibid.
83 2006 and t he Pl ut ocracy, t ransl at ed art i cl e by Si l vi a Ri bei ro ETC Group, publ i shed i n La Jornada, January 23, 2007.
84 Nanot echnol ogy ref ers t o t he mani pul at i on of mat t er on t he scal e of t he nanomet er (one bi l l i ont h of a met re). For more background see
www.et cgroup.org/ en/ issues/ nanot echnology.ht ml.
85 See t he Point 9 on Building a Democratic Multilateral System f or more on governance i ssues.
86 UN Non-Government al Li ai son Servi ce (NGLS). Go Between N
o
105 (Oct ober-December 2004) quot i ng report s f rom t he 51
st
sessi on of t he
Trade and Devel opment Board (TDB) of t he Uni t ed Nat i ons Conf erence f or Trade and Devel opment (UNCTAD).
www.un-ngls.org/ document s/ t ext / go.bet ween/ gb105.ht m
87 Sony Kapoor, Exposi ng t he myt h and pl uggi ng t he l eaks, i n Social Watch Report, 2006 - Impossible Architecture: Why the Financial Structure is Not
Working for the Poor and How to Redesign it for Equity and Development. www.socialwat ch.org/ en/ inf ormeI mpreso/ t ablaDeCont enidos2006.ht m
Poi nt 5: Ensure Corporat e Account abi l i t y
88 For exampl e: secret i ve and cl osed t rade arbi t rat i on panel s const rai n ri ght s t o democrat i c process and part i ci pat i on; means t o ensure f orei gn i nvest ment
cont ri but es t o speci f i c devel opment and empl oyment goal s t hrough perf ormance measures are banned; means t o f aci l i t at e t echnol ogy t ransf er, di ssemi nat i on
of know l edge or l ow -cost medi ci nes are prevent ed t hrough hi gh i nt el l ect ual propert y st andards, et c. (See Point 4 on Global Economic Justice f or more on
t rade and i nvest ment rul es.)
89 www.unhchr.ch/ Huridocda/ Huridoca.nsf / 0/ 64155e7e8141b38cc1256d63002c55e8?Opendocument
90 w w w 2.ohchr.org/engl i sh/i ssues/t rans_corporat i ons/report s.ht m
91 As ci t ed i n Winning with Integrity: The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility by Adi ne Mees. Speech del i vered t o Nat i onal CSR Summi t i n
Toront o, Oct ober 2005.
92 This was built it erat ively in t hree ways: t hrough t he media and public out reach work of Canadian CSOs working wit h t heir part ners; t he work of a parliament ary
commi t t ee t hat , i n 2005, recommended t hat Canada adopt pol i cy and l egal changes t o hol d Canadi an ext ract i ve compani es account abl e f or t hei r act i vi t i es
abroad; and, recommendat i ons f rom an expert advi sory process, w hi ch was generat ed by government -i ni t i at ed roundt abl es on t he ext ract i ve sect or
i n 2006-2007, i n f ol l ow -up t o t he parl i ament ary commi t t ees report .
93 Ibid.
94 ETAG members i ncl ude CCIC, Canadi an Aut o Workers, Canadi an Labour Congress, Canadi an Uni on of Publ i c Empl oyees, KAIROS, t he Maqui l a Sol i dari t y
Net w ork, Ont ari o Secondary School Teachers Federat i on, Oxf am Canada, St eel w orkers Humani t y Fund and UNITE-HERE.
95 CNCA members i ncl ude: Amnest y Int ernat i onal Canada, Af ri ca-Canada Forum, Asi a Paci f i c Worki ng Group, Ameri cas Pol i cy Group, Canadi an Labour
Congress, Canada Ti bet Commi t t ee, CAW-Canada, Devel opment and Peace, Ent rai de Mi ssi onnai re, Fri ends of t he Eart h (Canada), Gl obal Aware Canada,
Hal i f ax Ini t i at i ve Coal i t i on, Int ernat i onal Cri mi nal Def ence At t orneys Associ at i on, Int er Pares, KAIROS, Mi ni ngWat ch Canada, Nort h Sout h Inst i t ut e, Ri ght s
& Democracy, St eel w orkers Humani t y Fund, Uni t ed Church of Canada.
Poi nt 6: Promot e Peace
96 UN Hi gh Commi ssi oner f or Ref ugees. The State of the Worlds Refugees: Fifty Years of Humanitarian Action. Oxf ord: Oxf ord Uni versi t y Press, 2000.
w w w.unhcr.org/cgi -bi n/t exi s/vt x/t empl at e?page= publ &src= st at i c/sow r2000/t oceng.ht m
97 Human Securi t y Cent re. Human Security Report 2005. New York: Oxf ord Uni versi t y Press, 2005.
98 See t he Int er-Agency St andi ng Commi t t ee w ebsi t e. www.humanit arianinf o.org/ iasc/ .
99 See t he Sphere Handbook. www.sphereproject .org/ cont ent / view/ 27/ 84/ lang,English/ .
100 See t he Int er-Agency St andi ng Commi t t ee w ebsi t e. www.humanit arianinf o.org/ iasc/ .
Poi nt 7: Promot e Gl obal Envi ronment al Just i ce
101 UNDP, Human Devel opment Report on Pow er, Povert y and t he Gl obal Wat er Cri si s, 2006, page 1. ht t p:/ / hdr.undp.org/ en/ media/ hdr06-complet e.pdf
102 Int ernat i onal Fund f or Agri cul t ural Devel opment (IFAD). A Partnership to Eradicate Rural Poverty. www.if ad.org/ event s/ dubai/ opec_e.pdf .
103 Worl d Heal t h Organi zat i on (WHO). Ecosystems and Human Well-being. www.who.int / globalchange/ ecosyst ems/ ecosyst ems05/ en/ index.ht ml.
104 Eart hTrends. The Environmental Income of the Poor, ht t p:/ / eart ht rends.wri.org/ povlinks/ iic.php.
105 UNDP. Human Development Report, 2006, Overvi ew . ht t p:/ / hdr.undp.org/ en/ media/ hdr06-complet e.pdf
106 Bri t i sh Pet rol eum (BP), Statistical Review of World Energy, 2006, quot ed f rom Worl d Resources Inst i t ut e. ht t p:/ / eart ht rends.wri.org/ .
107 Worl d Popul at i on Bal ance. Popul at i on and Energy Consumpt i on . www.worldpopulat ionbalance.org/ pop/ energy/ index.php.
108 Worl d Resources Inst i t ut e. Navigating the Numbers: Greenhouse Gas Data and International Climate Policy, 2005.
ht t p:/ / pdf.wri.org/ navigat ing_numbers.pdf .
109 Worki ng Group on Cl i mat e Change and Devel opment . Africa - Up in Smoke?, 2005.
www.oxf am.org.uk/ resources/ policy/ climat e_change/ downloads/ af rica_up_in_smoke.pdf .
110 Andrew Si mms. Bl ow, bl ow t hou w i nt er w i nd. New Statesman. June 28, 2004, www.newst at esman.com/ 200406280016.
111 Int ergovernment al Panel on Cl i mat e Change (IPCC) Worki ng Group II. Climate Change, 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Fourt h Assessment
Report , Apri l 2007, www.ipcc.ch/ SPM 6avr07.pdf .
112 Ibid.
113 Si erra Cl ub of Canada w ebsi t e. www.sierraclub.ca/ nat ional/ programs/ index.sht ml.
114 Oxf am Int ernat i onal : researchers have predi ct ed t hat , as a resul t of a gl obal t emperat ure ri se of l ess t han 2.5C, 55 t o 65 mi l l i on more Af ri cans w i l l be at
ri sk of hunger by t he 2080s.
See Africa Up in Smoke? www.oxf am.org.uk/ resources/ policy/ climat e_change/ downloads/ af rica_up_in_smoke.pdf and Up In Smoke? Latin
America and the Caribbean, f or f urt her det ai l on current and expect ed i mpact s of cl i mat e change,
w w w.oxf am.org.uk/resources/pol i cy/cl i mat e_change/dow nl oads/l at i n_ameri ca_up_i n_smoke.pdf.
Poi nt 8: Support Democrat i c Governance and Gl obal Ci t i zenshi p
115 See Point 6 on Promoting Peace and securi t y f or f urt her i nf ormat i on.
116 Gl obal Envi ronment Faci l i t y (GEF). www.gef web.org/ main.ht m.
117 The Gl obal Fund t o Fi ght AIDS. www.t heglobalf und.org/ en/ .
108
109
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Poi nt 9: Bui l d A Democrat i c and Ef f ect i ve Mul t i l at eral Syst em
118 Permanent members of t he Securi t y Counci l are Chi na, France, t he Russi an Federat i on, UK and USA. The UN General Assembl y el ect s 10 ot hers f or
t w o-year t erms.
119 Report of t he Secret ary General s Hi gh-Level Panel on UN Syst em-w i de Coherence Delivering as One.
www.un.org/ event s/ panel/ resources/ pdf s/ HLP-SWC-FinalReport .pdf .
120 Canadi ans organi zed t he f i rst bi g ci vi l soci et y l obby at a UN event t he 1974 Worl d Food Summi t . A Canadi an was t he f oundi ng di rect or of t he UN
Non-Government al Li ai son Servi ce, est abl i shed i n 1975 t o support t he part i ci pat i on of Ci vi l Soci et y Organi zat i ons f rom al l cont i nent s i n t he UN syst em.
Si nce t hen, hundreds of Canadi an organi zat i ons and ci vi l soci et y coal i t i ons, w i t h t hei r Sout hern count erpart s, have part nered w i t h and moni t ored UN
bodi es and t aken part i n UN Summi t s, Forums, pol i cy processes and debat es.
121 Uni t ed Nat i ons Organi zat i onal chart . www.un.org/ about un/ chart lg.ht ml.
122 The Speci al i zed Agenci es w i t h w hi ch CCIC members are most concerned are (w i t h f oundi ng dat es): Int ernat i onal Labour Organi zat i on (1919);
Int ernat i onal Monet ary Fund (1944); Food and Agri cul t ure Organi zat i on (1945); Worl d Bank Group (1945); UN Educat i onal , Sci ent i f i c, and Cul t ural
Organi zat i on (1946); Worl d Heal t h Organi zat i on (1948); Int ernat i onal At omi c Energy Agency (1957); Int ernat i onal Fund f or Agri cul t ural Devel opment
(1977); Worl d Trade Organi zat i on (repl aci ng t he GATT, 1995). Funds and programs of speci al i nt erest t o CCIC members i ncl ude: UNICEF (1946); UN Hi gh
Commi ssi on f or Ref ugees (1950); Worl d Food Programme (1961); UN Devel opment Programme (1965); UN Popul at i on Fund (1969); UN Envi ronment
Programme (1972); UN Devel opment Fund f or Women (1976); UN Habi t at (1978).
123 Summi t report , ht t p:/ / daccessdds.un.org/ doc/ UNDOC/ GEN/ N05/ 487/ 60/ PDF/ N0548760.pdf ?OpenElement .
124 For more det ai l s on t hi s proposal see www.wf m.org/ sit e/ index.php/ art icles/ 28.
Poi nt 10: Achi eve More And Bet t er Ai d
125 Uni t ed Nat i ons. The Millennium Development Goals Report, 2007. www.un.org/ millenniumgoals/ pdf / mdg2007.pdf .
126 Worl d Heal t h Organi zat i on. Gender, Heal t h and Povert y, Fact Sheet N
o
251, 2000.
127 Organi sat i on f or Economi c Co-operat i on and Devel opment (OECD)s Devel opment Assi st ance Commi t t ee (DAC).
www.oecd.org/ depart ment / 0,2688,en_2649_33721_1_1_1_1_1,00.ht ml
128 See Point 8 on Support Democratic Governance and Global Citizenship f or more i nf ormat i on.
129 See www.ccic.ca/ e/ 002/ et hics_3_1_part nerships.sht ml f or t he pri nci pl es and st andards, as w el l as gui dance document s f or CSOs.
110
Not es
111
112
A NOTE ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE
10-POINT AGENDA.
The 10-Point Agenda to End Poverty and Injustice set s out a Canadian civil societ y vision
of how Canada can help t o end global povert y and injust ice. It reflect s current t rends and
challenges and calls for changes in policy and pract ice for government and civil societ y
organizat ions in t en key areas.
Why a 10-Point Agenda now? This is t he second edit ion of t he 10-Point Agenda, first
l aunched i n 1997. The event s of 9-11, t he ri se of t he securi t y agenda, t he persi st ent
erosi on of ef f ect i ve mul t i l at eral approaches, and t he dysf unct i on of t he gl obal t rade
syst em have dramat ically alt ered t he prospect s for promot ing a peaceful world wit hout
povert y. It is t ime t o t ake st ock and set out a forward-looking agenda.
How was t his 10-Point Agenda achieved? The collaborat ion and part icipat ion of CCIC
members in developing t he 10-Point Agenda was key. It was more t han a year in t he
making. The t en t hemes and t heir recommendat ions were debat ed, refined and agreed on.
The 10-Point Agenda shows t he det erminat ion of CCIC members t o work t oget her t o
end gl obal povert y. It underscores our commi t ment t o j ust i ce. It ref l ect s our bel i ef t hat
t he st ruggle t o escape povert y and live a life of human dignit y is t he st ruggle t o claim
human right s.
The 10-Point Agenda is our roadmap for act ion t owards a progressive int ernat ional
agenda for Canada.
Join us.
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