OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

Marginal note:Official development assistance

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

  • (a) contributes to poverty reduction;

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

  • (c) is consistent with international human rights standards.

• Marginal note:Disaster or other emergency occurring outside Canada

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

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (2) The competent minister shall consult with governments, international agencies and Canadian civil society organizations at least once every two years, and shall take their views and recommendations into consideration when forming an opinion described in subsection (1).

• Marginal note:Calculation of contribution

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

• Marginal note:No limit or restriction imposed

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

REPORTS

Marginal note:Report to Parliament

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Marginal note:Statistical report

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

• Marginal note:Report to Parliament

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

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

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

• Marginal note:Information not to be disclosed

  (4) Despite subsections (1) and (3), information shall not be reported under this section if its disclosure is prohibited by the policies of the Bretton Woods Institutions.