Trade, Human Rights and Development - General Resources

Investing in the Business of Development: Bilateral Donor Approaches to Engaging the Private Sector

This is a new paper published by The North-South Institute and CCIC. Over the past few years, members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (OECDDAC)—the forum through which donor countries coordinate their aid efforts—have renewed their focus on economic growth and the private sector as driving forces behind development. Despite these trends, donor policies for promoting economic growth and the private sector have received very little comparative analysis.

This paper seeks to address that gap with an initial mapping and exploratory assessment of bilateral donor strategies on the private sector and economic growth. The paper is based on an examination of publicly available OECD-DAC donor policies reviewed between January and June of 2012, including websites, strategy papers, policy documents, and donor commitments at HLF4 and in other multilateral fora. Taking a framework analysis approach, the objective of the paper is to identify emerging themes in donor policies around growth and the private sector by comparing and contrasting different elements of donors’ strategies.

A shorter version is also available, as well as a Powerpoint presentation.

CCIC’s comments on the Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

On November 7, 2012, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) tabled its report on the role of the private sector in achieving Canada’s international development mandate, following a series of hearings the Committee held to study the theme over the past year. Entitled “Driving inclusive economic growth: the role of the private sector in international development”, the report provides a summary of the range of views that were presented at the hearings, and a series of recommendations to the Canadian government, and more specifically to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

This brief analysis of the report aims to identify the gaps in the report and some of the areas that require more attention and reflection, and also addresses some of the recommendations the Report makes to CIDA.

Reducing Poverty-Building Tomorrow's Markets: Minister Fantino outlines CIDA's engagement with the Canadian private sector.

On Nov.23, 2012, the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Cooperation, presented a keynote address to the Economic Club of Canada. His speech included new directions for CIDA to engage with Canadian businesses. The Minister also took the opportunity to announce that the University of British Columbia (UBC), working in collaboration with Simon Fraser University (SFU), has been selected to operate the new Canadian International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development.

CCIC Commentary on The Canadian International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development

In early May 2012, CCIC was invited to submit comments to CIDA to “help define the focus and activities of the International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development leading to a call for proposals to choose a Canadian university to host the Institute”. While welcoming the opportunity to contribute comments to the process, CCIC requested that a formal multi-stakeholder consultation process, with more directed questions and with a clear mechanism for recommendations to be considered in the final design of the Institute, be included in the start-up phase of this endeavor.

Dialogue on Development and the Mining Sector
On May 22, 2012, CCIC convened a dialogue of 20 people from 14 organizations on the mining sector and development focussing on NGO partnerships and engagement with mining companies. The group identified some common starting points, which are explained in this one-pager.

Report on Human Rights Impact Assessments for Trade and Investment Agreements (PDF 400 Kb)
This report sets out  key issues and methodologies for conducting human rights impact assessments (HRIAs) for trade and investment agreements.   It reviews the conclusions of an international expert seminar on the issue convened under the auspices of the UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter. The report is also available in Spanish.

Reconciling Trade and Human Rights: The New Development Agenda.
The report from the human rights and trade, development and poverty eradication conference is now available. This two-day international conference was co-hosted in May 2007 by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) and Rights & Democracy. The report is also available in Spanish. (September 2007) (PDF 1 Mb)

Global Trade/Global Poverty - NGO Perspectives on Key Challenges for Canada

Global Trade/Global Poverty: NGO Perspectives on Key Challenges for Canada, is a series of policy papers that take an in-depth look at issues of trade and poverty from several thematic and sectoral vantage points. The papers aim to frame and synthesize the experience, analysis and concerns of Canadian NGOs regarding the implications of international trade agreements for global poverty and recommendations for Canadian action. The papers focus on areas of expertise of Canadian NGOs and their partners, such as in rural development, food security, health, labour rights and democratic development. Other papers in the series are forthcoming and will be posted here.

Paper 1 : Introduction to the Series (May 2002) (PDF 970 Kb)

Paper 2 : Food Security and the Rural Poor (March 2002) (PDF 999 Kb)

Paper 3 : Intellectual Property, Biodiversity, and the Rights of the Poor (March 2002)  (PDF 957 Kb)

Paper 4 : Trade and Health: Focus on Access to Essential Medicines (June 2002)  (PDF 1.22 Mb)

Paper 5 : Governance and Decision Making at the WTO: Ensuring Effective Participation for Poverty Eradication (December 2002) (PDF 1.15 Mb)

Paper 6 : Trade-Related Capacity Building (TRCB) and Technical Assistance (TRTA): Capacity Building for Whose Agenda?  (September 2003) (PDF 1.7 Mb)