Thank you for that question.
It's fair to say that while official development assistance has done a tremendous amount of positive work, or has worked positively internationally for the past four years, there is a growing recognition, a consensus internationally, that post-2015 objectives, the objectives the international community is trying to negotiate at this time, will need more resources than official development assistance. Within that context, countries, including developing countries, have increased the focus on foreign direct investment as a source of funding for growth and development. Within that context, a number of donors have already acted to optimize their contribution to this space.
Canada doesn't have a DFI, development finance institution. Other G-7 countries have DFIs, and what the DFIs ostensibly do is they operate in the space where the private sector currently isn't. What I mean by that is they occupy a space where the perceived risks might be too great for the private sector. Therefore, from that perspective, the DFIs will entertain initiatives as long as there is a development outcome as well as a viable project on the table.
Within that context, this initiative will occupy specific space that is complementary and additional to official development assistance. Official development assistance will continue to work on establishing a good governance context, promoting sustainable economic growth in areas where there are market failures or an inability for the private sector to play; whereas this will present an opportunity for the government to partner with the private sector on ventures that yield a development outcome but are also viable enterprises or projects unto themselves.