Backgrounder - Canada supports promotion of human rights and security in the Americas

Backgrounder

The contribution announced today by the Government of Canada includes almost $2 million to be provided by the Inter-American Program to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), almost $4 million to be funded through the Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program and $341,479 from the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program. These five projects are focused on improving human rights and security in the Americas.

Combatting discrimination and violence against women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean

Funding announced: $1,988,609

Time frame: July 2017 to January 2020

In an effort to advance human rights and gender equality across Latin America and the Caribbean, Canada is providing funding to the IACHR to address the issue of violence and discrimination against women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and violence in the region. Through this contribution, Canada is providing access to justice for women and girls who have petitioned the IACHR to resolve violations of their rights in a region where impunity for these crimes is very high. Canada is also helping OAS member states meet their obligations to prevent, protect against, investigate and act to correct historical and structural discrimination, inequality and violence against women and girls.

Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program projects

Evaluating alternatives for imprisonment for drug-related offences in the Caribbean and Central America

Funding announced: $833,127

Time frame: February 2017 to December 2019

Through this initiative, Canada is assisting the governments of Barbados, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago to improve the ability of personnel involved in drug treatment courts to evaluate court operations as an alternative to adult incarceration for drug-dependent offenders. With the support of Canadian funding, this project will also assess the feasibility of new alternatives to imprisonment, including community courts and juvenile drug treatment courts in these targeted countries. This initiative is being implemented by the Executive Secretariat of the OAS’s Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission.

Strengthening of legal cooperation to prevent, prosecute and sanction corruption in the Americas

Funding announced: $637,997

Time frame: February 2017 to December 2019

Canada is working through the Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (MESICIC) to support OAS member states in a peer review process on the implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. This Convention adopts a comprehensive approach to the problem of corruption, and Canada’s support will assist the OAS in its efforts to strengthen anti-corruption policies and regulatory frameworks in OAS member states. Canada is currently the chair of the MESICIC Committee of Experts, demonstrating its leadership and commitment to the anti-corruption mechanism.

Enhancing cybersecurity and combatting cybercrime in the Americas

Funding announced: $2,500,000

Time frame: October 2016 to March 2019

Canada is actively engaged in funding capacity building initiatives to enhance cybersecurity and combat cybercrime. Canada’s contribution is going to a mix of national, regional and international activities. National activities will be tailored to the specific needs of member states, following up on previous capacity-building efforts implemented by the OAS Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism in the countries and building on achievements to date. Regional activities will foster the sharing of information and experiences among member states, cooperation among computer security incident response teams and hemispheric dialogue on confidence-building in cyberspace. International activities will be geared to giving a stronger voice to countries of the Americas in global cyberspace initiatives.

Peace and Stabilization Operations Program project

Supporting a peaceful and permanent solution to the dispute between Belize and Guatemala

Funding announced: $341,479

Time frame: 2016 to 2018

Canada is providing operational and programming support to the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone to contribute to a peaceful and permanent solution to the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala. Canada’s contribution will go toward confidence building and conflict resolution, as well as efforts to foster positive community-to-community relations. As part of this project, the Office will perform ongoing monitoring of the zone to detect conflict points and incidents, as well as carrying out investigations and verifications if requested by the governments of Guatemala and Belize. It will also provide training in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

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