Canada’s International Development Agency Assistance to Mali 2006-2011

Canadian International Development Agency in Mali
Name
Institution
Canadian International Development Agency in Mali
Introduction
Canada is one of the member states in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and thus a key player in the provision of international assistance to the developing countries around the world. The nation has over the years established international development programs in collaboration with the host countries to improve the quality of life of the people in the developing world. At the forefront of initiating, implementing, and overseeing such programs is the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The agency accounts for most of the nation’s budgetary allocation towards international aid as it seeks to ensure the effective delivery and management of the international assistance provided to the foreign countries. The agency develops programs to assist with a wide range of sectors. It is a comprehensive approach that covers the social, political, cultural, and economic development. Such initiatives include the promotion of gender equality in economic development, sustainable agricultural practice, environmental safety awareness, good governance, and the protection of human rights. Among the nations receiving Canada’s international assistance through an agency is the West African nation of Mali. In a collaborative effort between the two nations, the Canadian International Development Agency has steered the bilateral development programs seeking to address the underlying challenges facing the people of Mali. Programs such as the Country Development Program Framework (CDPF) have played a significant role in trying to achieve both the nation’s and the agency’s development goals. Provided herein is an analysis of Canada’s international assistance to Mali while putting more emphasis on the period between 2006 and 2011.
Background Information on Canada’s International Aid to Mali
In 1962 the two nations, Canada and Mali formed diplomatic relations and laid out the collaborative development framework a decade later under the stewardship of the of CIDA  (Canada, 2017). As a young developing nation, Mali faced various challenges that condemned a majority of its citizens to abstract poverty necessitating the need for international assistance from the developed world such as Canada. However, the bilateral agreement for cooperation in the development assistance established in 1972 was enacted in 1984 after the two nations signed the General Agreement on Development Cooperation  (Agency, 2007). CIDA has since developed some programs geared for the development of the host nation periodic targets and goals towards improving the local people’s quality of life. The period between 2006 and 2011 falls under the agency’s development program for the 2000 to 2010 period coupled with the following initiatives for the following timeframe. The development interventions created during the decade-long period form the basis for the analysis of the study period.
Mali ranks among one of the poorest nations in the world with a 2004 survey on the proliferation of poverty, indicating that 64% of the people were living on less than...