The opportunity

By addressing the far-reaching issues of aid effectiveness, EWB is attempting to tackle the underlying problems of foreign aid. This is no small task, and our challenge will be significant in trying to mobilize the Canadian government towards greater aid effectiveness. We are certainly not the only organization working on this issue, though we feel aid effectiveness is a largely unnoticed issue within the Canadian development debate.

We know that development issues are immensely diverse and depend largely on the context in a particular region or sector, as well as the people involved. Still, the effectiveness of aid programming has undeniable implications for the development of countries around the world.

With the introduction of the ODA Accountability Act (previously Bill C-293), Canada identified poverty reduction as the primary objective of our development assistance. However, in practice the various government departments that form Canada’s ODA envelope are driven by an additional set of national objectives such as economic benefit, security and prestige. By investing in greater aid effectiveness, we can change the context in which Canadian aid operates and make faster progress on reducing poverty.

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