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Regional and Hemispheric Projects

Regional Projects

Hemispheric Projects

Regional Project

Trade Readiness Technical Assistance Project for Central America Centre for Trade Readiness and Law

The Trade Readiness Assistance Project for Central America focuses on human resource capacity building in three priority areas:

  1. Trade policy and trade negotiation
  2. Trade facilitation/customs administration
  3. Trade agreement strengthening assistance in key areas including:
    1. Specific technical issues such as sanitary and phytosanitary, labour and environmental standards, and
    2. Public consultation and consensus building

Activities to achieve human resource development in these areas are directed to four Levels of training and technical assistance programming:

  • Level 1:
    Raise the Level of expertise of a core group of experts working directly in the identified priority areas.
  • Level 2:
    Provide short-term targeted assistance on time-sensitive trade policy issues that are critical to the effective implementation of a country's overall trade policy strategy.
  • Level 3:
    Provide strategic trade policy advice to decision-makers involved in the implementation of a country's overall trade policy strategy.
  • Level 4:
    At each stage in the trade policy assistance transfer process, institutionalize the technical assistance through targeted capacity building initiatives.

Regional Project

Central America Democratic Governance Fund Project

The "Central America Democratic Governance Fund Project" is a fund of $500,000 to provide over the next three years flexible and rapid support to key, small-scale initiatives that will assist in promoting dialogue and building consensus on a regional integration agenda.

This project will work to enhance the consolidation of democracy, stability, greater transparency, responsiveness, accountability in public policy and security in Central America by better connecting citizens and civil society to institutions of governance while working toward consensus on the regional development agenda.

The key objectives for this project include:

  1. Support of enhanced Central American regional socio-economic modernization and integration, strengthened quality of democracies and democratic institutions, and equitable access to opportunities in order to reduce income disparities.
  2. Increase the participation of civil society in the formulation of public policy and foster consensus building on a regional agenda to ensure continued, informed decision-making for effective regional policies and programs.
  3. Facilitate the development of strategic alliances between governments, NGOs and other civil society actors, other development cooperation agencies, communities, producer groups and the private sector.

Regional Project

The Regional Electrical Energy Project in the Central American Isthumus Countries (PREEICA) (in Spanish only)

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA ) through a CAD$25 million technical assistance program is financing The Regional Electrical Energy Project in the Central American Isthmus Countries (PREEICA), which assists Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama in the practical implementation of reforms. These reforms intend to improve efficiency in the electricity sub sector, increase private sector participation, improve predictability and equity in the supply of electricity, and take advantage of the benefits resulting from regional cooperation in the exchange of electricity.

This assistance aims to re-inforce the technical capabilities of ministries, regulatory agencies, electrical market operators, electrical dispatchers, transmission companies and other entities involved in the electrical sub sector, to introduce and carry out the required sub sector reforms in each country, and to harness the benefits of regional cooperation in electricity.

The project intends to achieve the following results through the project:

  • Implementation of reforms and adjustments if needed to those reforms already underway in the electrical sector.
  • Savings on the part of Central American countries in meeting their needs in electrical energy through regional collaboration.
  • Equity financing of needed investments on favourable terms, thus minimizing further sovereign debt.
  • Improvement in the overall reliability and efficiency of electrical service in an environmentally sound fashion.
  • Assure rational choices in consumption of electricity.
  • Increase the Level of access to electricity.

Hemisphere Project

United Nations University for Peace 

CIDA will contribute up to $4.5 million to the United Nations University for Peace to provide sustainable assistance for program development. Established in 1980 in San José, Costa Rica, the University supports the development of a culture of peace worldwide. The UN University of Peace works towards the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict. CIDA is particularly interested in collaborating with the UN University of Peace on issues like protecting children, youth, and women in conflict situations. These areas of concern correspond directly to the Canadian government's human-security agenda.

Hemisphere Project

Ombudsnet

Interamerican Institute for Human Rights

CIDA will contribute up to $340,000 to the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights to support its initiative that aims to increase the sharing of information and experience between ombudsmen and human rights institutions in the Americas. This initiative will help strengthen democracy in the region, which is one of the main themes of the upcoming Third Summit of the Americas.

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Date Modified:
2009-05-19