Canada aims to help build more accountable democracies in Americas

Canada is looking to work more closely with countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to expand security, democracy and prosperity, Canada’s High Commissioner Charles Court said on Tuesday.

The high commissioner, in a message marking Canada Day, noted also that his country’s prosperity has long depended on the import and export of goods and services, as well as two-way investment.

“We want to enhance how we do business with the world and improve our competitiveness in the global economy. That is why the government is implementing a Global Commerce Strategy, which includes greater market access and strategies for making Canada a partner of choice for international business and investment,” Court declared on Canada’s 141st birthday.

The high commissioner underscored that cooperation with global partners is an essential part of Canada’s international approach, and the best path to prosperity, opportunity and the reduction of poverty throughout the world.

And alluding to many examples of Canada’s commitment to cooperation, he said that in the Caribbean in particular, Canada has begun a new chapter of closer engagement as part of the country’s Americas Strategy.

According to Court, the strategy aims at building more transparent and accountable democracies that deliver prosperity, security and human rights to their citizens; stronger economies throughout the hemisphere that are committed to open markets; enhanced regional stability and security; and  greater hemispheric cooperation and economic integration.

Under this strategy, the high commissioner said, CIDA has launched a new, unprecedented 10-year $600 million cooperation programme, over and above its $500 million programme for Haiti.

Moreover, Canada’s scholarship programme has been expanded and updated to help make sure that the benefits return to the Caribbean.

Canada is also looking forward to an early start of negotiations for a modern and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with CARICOM, Court added.

Meanwhile, looking at Guyana-Canada relations in particular, Court noted its continuing prosperity and pointed out that Canada is the second largest export market for Guyanese products.

“It is a major investor in the extractive sector. Canadian development assistance has helped diversify farmers’ outputs, build stronger municipal government capacities, supported the reintegration of deportees from many countries and supported a wide-range of civil society initiatives,” the high commissioner said.
This year, he said, important capacity-building activities were pursued with Guyanese and Caribbean media outlets and a ground-breaking seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility was held.

In addition, just last week a number of Guyanese participated in the Second Canada-Caribbean Ideas Forum at which new ways to tackle new challenges were discussed.

The high commissioner said further that the North American Free Trade Agreement provides an important platform for inserting Canadian industries into the global value chains and making them more competitive.
Meantime, he said, they are opening new trade offices in emerging markets in China, India, Brazil and Mexico.

“Our goal is to build sophisticated, wide-ranging, cooperative partnerships wherever we share common views, interests and values,” Court declared.

“Immigration has always been key to Canada’s success. We continue to invite people from all corners of the world to further enrich the Canadian experience.”

However, Court acknowledged there is a chapter in his country’s history of which the country was not proud, referring to the treatment of Aboriginal peoples.

But on June 11 this year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper on behalf of the Government of Canada and the leaders of every elected party in Parliament apologized in the House of Commons to the Aboriginal and Metis peoples of Canada for the wrongs done to generations as a result of a misguided and abusive policy under which children were taken away from their families and put into residential schools, many of which  were substandard.

“The apology was long overdue. Nevertheless, it was a remarkable and moving day — a recognition of the wrongs of the past, accompanied by a renewed determination to right them,” Court stated.

He also remarked on his country’s strong public institutions,  professional Public Service that continually rises to new challenges at home and abroad, its  Foreign Service which is celebrating its 100th anniversary and the armed forces which are engaged in UN-sanctioned operations in Afghanistan.