Inclusive democracy

Contributor: ninja

Date: 2003-03-28 23:00:50

Under the government statement on foreign affairs, Canada in the World, the Government has affirmed its commitment to human rights, human security and good governance.

Good governance remains an elusive concept. It was created by the World Bank and The International Monetary Front to accompany the so called structural adjustment programs aimed at enhancing democracy in developing nations.

Although numerous policies were created by DFAIT and CIDA, notably the AID effectiveness report, few concrete explanations came from the officials that would have helped Canadians to understand good governance efforts.

Canada did play a pivotal role in making concrete the concept of good governance as an international policy in the case of NEPAD and Africa, policy that was adopted by our G8 partners. CIDA did manage innovative programs in cooperation with NGOs drawn from the civil society.

Non-governmental organizations and their members contribute to important grass-root efforts in post-building societies. They receive however, few credits and public exposure.
NGOs would be more effective in concerted departmental programs, financed by joint pools, administrated by the Treasury Board.

NGOs should be included in the drafting of international policy in the field of human security, Official development assistance, health and the environment. Just like the UN, that encouraged international NGOs to draft the International Convention of The Rights of the Child, the Canadian Government should take the first steps: ask NGOs to submit policy brief that can be use in real times. Think-tanks and research centers can also perform this function.

The process of good governance and democratization starts at home (in Canada): let the foreign policy dialogue become a tool that would give credits to so many Canadians that contribute to Canadian Foreign Policy.