Rights and Democracy

Published purpose

This project represents Canada's institutional support to Rights & Democracy. Rights & Democracy uses these funds, along with other donors' funding, to achieve its mandate. Rights & Democracy is an independent Canadian institution created by Parliament in 1988. It has an international mandate to promote, advocate, and defend the democratic and human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports programmes to strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally in developing countries. CIDA's institutional support to Rights & Democracy allows them to focus programming on women's rights, indigenous peoples' rights, economic and social rights and democratic development. Most of Rights & Democracy's programmes include a component to build the capacity of civil society partners or state bodies through training, knowledge transfer or assistance with resources.