Canada is poised to set up a new democracy assistance organization, based on the experience and structures of existing foundations, but reflecting distinctively Canadian characteristics and priorities.
A proposal has been tabled in the House of Commons, with legislation likely to follow next month, to form a Canadian Centre for Advancing Democracy, funded by an annual parliamentary appropriation of $30-70 million.
A new poll by the US-based Council on Foreign Relations suggests that supporting democracy has fallen out of favor with the US foreign policy elite. But, perhaps perversely, international commitment appears to be growing, judging by relatively recent democracy assistance initiatives.
With the Canadian initiative following the establishment of a UN Democracy Fund and the European Union recently re-affirming its strategic commitment to democracy support, the democracy agenda can no longer be portrayed as Made in the USA.
Its mission will be to support democratization by “helping to establish or strengthen pluralistic democratic institutions, particularly political parties, in countries where they are absent, or in need of further encouragement and development.”
The centre will develop and operate its own programs based on local knowledge and partnerships through a network of long-term field offices in a select number of target countries.
Maximizing impact and resources will be important criteria in selecting countries of operation, but the choices must also reflect Canadian foreign policy priorities; proven need for democracy assistance; the presence of democratic institutions; its ability to play a significant role; and cultural, demographic, diplomatic and development links.
As a result, priority areas will likely include Francophone and Commonwealth states, as well the Americas.
Balancing the needs of oppressed peoples with the engagement of authoritarian regimes will be a delicate affair, the report concedes:
A subjective judgment in applying the criteria of democratic need is whether to concentrate resources on countries where democracy is completely absent, or to concentrate resources where the situation is deteriorating in hopes of preventing a total collapse, or to concentrate efforts where processes are improving and Canadian assistance could provide a benefit.
The centre will make grants and establish research and evaluation programs to help “develop and refine the tools of democracy assistance”.
The report suggests that Canada’s international profile might give it an edge and ability to make a difference, not least in some of the hard cases for democracy support:
Cuba, with an authoritarian political culture, presents obvious difficulties; but Canada does have a significant presence in the country and has never broken off diplomatic relations. So Cuba might be a case where Canada has some advantages over other democracy assistance organizations.
The initiative follows extensive research and consultation with democracy assistance practitioners and analysts. Modeled on existing foundations such as the National Endowment for Democracy and party-based institutes like the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, Britain’s Westminster Foundation and the Netherlands Institute for Multi-Party Democracy.
The Canadian Minister of Democratic Reform, Steven Fletcher, visited Washington recently and subsequently established an advisory committee, chaired by Tom Axworthy, director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, to consider the structure and mandate of the new institute.
The opposition Liberal and New Democrat parties are likely to support the initiative, with the Bloc Quebecois offering only symbolic resistance.
[...] Allen at Democracy Digest has [...]