VZCZCXYZ0018
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHOT #0505/01 1021813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111813Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7672
UNCLAS OTTAWA 000505
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR S/P (GORDON); SCA/PB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AF CA EAID PGOV PK PREL
SUBJECT: CANADA DEVELOPMENT AID FOR PAKISTAN
REF: A. STATE 29860
B. 07 OTTAWA 1881
Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
(sbu) This message responds to Ref A request for an overview
of Canada's development assistance to Pakistan. Post's
response is keyed to reftel questions, and is based on both
public information and information provided by Blaine
Marchand -- the Canadian International Development Agency's
(CIDA) Senior Program Manager for Governance (Pakistan and
Central Asia).
-- HOW MUCH DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DID CANADA PROVIDE TO
PAKISTAN IN 2007 AND IN WHAT FORM?
Canada currently provides C$47 million a year to Pakistan in
development assistance. Bilateral aid for 2007-2008 was C$43
million.
Breakdown of Bilateral Aid
--------------------------
Governance
C$12.1 million
Health
C$5.8 million
Education
C$6.5 million
Improving Gender Equality
C$4.0 million
Post-Earthquake Recovery
C$7.1 million
Border Area Development
C$5.1 million
(Note: Canada has several small projects that are not
captured in the above figures.)
CIDA Senior Program Manager Marchand states that "the
Canadian Partnership Branch (CPB) delivers about $0.5 million
annually" and that almost 70 percent of this "partnership
programming aligns with the bilateral program focus on local
governance and education/health priorities. CPB presently
funds more than 60 partners delivering 70 projects that touch
Pakistan. Notable partners in governance are Canadian Labour
Congress (C$0.4 million) and Care Canada (C$0.3 million).
Multilateral Programmes Branch (MPB)'s financial expenditures
in Pakistan have been around C$1-2 million annually (with the
exception of roughly $40 million in earthquake relief in
2005/06."
-- HOW MUCH ASSISTANCE IS CANADA PROVIDING IN THE FORM OF
DEBT RELIEF OR DEBT RESCHEDULING?
Through a debt swap, Canada is providing C$117 million over a
five-year period. Most of the assistance focuses on
education efforts in Punjab province.
-- HOW DOES CANADA PRIORITIZE AMONG SECTORS AND REGIONS IN
ALLOCATING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE?
Canadian assistance to Pakistan has three primary objectives:
(1) Good Governance (i.e., promoting "democratic local
governance through support to devolution and effective
citizen participation, especially that of women;" (2) Basic
Human Needs (i.e., improving "the quality and delivery of
social services, especially for the female population, and to
increase access to those services by the poor;" and (3)
Gender Equality (i.e., contributing "to the improvement of
women's human rights, health and education, and economic
empowerment."
Projects promoting these objectives can be found at
www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/acdicida.nsf/En/J UD-328225-HB3.
-- WHAT STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES IS CANADA PURSUING IN ITS
ALLOCATION OF AID TO PAKISTAN? IN WHAT FUTURE AREAS MIGHT
CANADA EFFORTS BE FOCUSED? ARE THEY OPEN TO DOING MORE OR
UNDER PRESSURE TO REDUCE THEIR ACTIVITIES?
Canada targets much of its aid in Baluchistan province, south
of Afghanistan's Kandahar province (where Canadian military
forces operate). Much of this aid deals with economic
advancement programs (e.g., job skills and training) and
delivery of social services. Overall for Pakistan, Canada
plans to continue focusing on the three primary objectives
described above, but will reduce spending on health. CIDA
also plans to broaden "good governance" to include more
support for democratic governing structures and rule of law
initiatives by the end of this summer. Under "good
governance," Canada had focused on promoting the devolution
of social service responsibilities to local and provincial
governments.
Canada is also helping both Afghanistan and Pakistan to
improve border security with technical assistance and
infrastructure funding (Ref B).
-- WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN AID ALLOCATED ON A BILATERAL
BASIS AND THROUGH MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS?
Canada currently provides C$47 million a year to Pakistan in
development assistance. Bilateral aid for 2007-2008 was C$43
million.
-- HOW MUCH OF THE ASSISTANCE IS "TIED" TO PURCHASES OF
CANADIAN GOODS AND SERVICE AND HOW MUCH IS ACTUALLY SPENT IN
PAKISTAN?
Canada has no "tied" aid.
-- TO WHAT EXTENT IS CANADA ABLE TO HELP PAKISTAN DEAL WITH
IMMEDIATE AND CRITICAL SHORTAGES IN ITS ENERGY AND FOOD
SECTORS AND WITH DEFICIENCIES IN ITS PUBLIC HEALTH SECTORS?
CIDA's Marchand stated that Canada does not focus its
development assistance in these areas, except for aid going
to primary health care. The health aid includes assistance
for primary health care workers and HIV/AIDS programs.
-- HOW MUCH ASSISTANCE DOES CANADA PROVIDE FOR EDUCATIONAL
REFORM? WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THIS ASSISTANCE AND HOW IS IT
TARGETED GEOGRAPHICALLY?
Canada's C$117 million debt swap arrangement goes to
educational reform in Punjab province.
-- WHAT ARE THE CHIEF MODALITIES FOR DELIVERING ASSISTANCE
AND DO MECHANISMS EXIST FOR ANY OF THIS AID TO BE DELIVERED
QUICKLY FOR IMMEDIATE IMPACT?
Canadian executing agencies work through NGO's and local
Pakistani organizations to deliver development assistance.
Canada also delivers some bilateral funds for good governance
and gender equality through the Asian Development Bank.
-- WHAT MEASURES, IF ANY, HAVE CANADA AND PAKISTAN AGREED ON
FOR ENSURING THAT AID ACHIEVES ITS INTENDED RESULTS?
For each development project, Canada hires a Canadian and
Pakistani individual as monitors. The monitors make
scheduled reports and are able to make recommendations. Each
project also receives a separate mid-term evaluation by a
contracted Canadian entity. Once a development project is
completed, a Canadian contractor prepares a final evaluation
and audit.
-- DID CANADA PROVIDE SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN IN
2007? IF SO, WAS THIS IN EQUIPMENT, TRAINING, OR OFFICER
EDUCATION EXCHANGES?
None known.
-- WOULD CANADA BE WILLING TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DONORS
TO BRING MORE COHERENCE AND PRIORITIZATION TO INTERNATIONAL
EFFORTS IN PAKISTAN?
Yes. Canada already has -- or is exploring -- cooperative
efforts with Switzerland, the Netherlands, the World Bank,
UNDP, and the Asia Foundation. With the latter two entities,
cooperation included civic education relating to elections as
well as election monitoring.
-- HAS CANADA COORDINATED PREVIOUSLY WITH OTHER DONORS IN
PAKISTAN? ON WHAT PROGRAMS?
Yes. See above.
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada
WILKINS