Thank you very much for your question, which is a fundamental one. How can we aid or at least support countries like Rwanda or the DRC? Our efforts as well as those of other donors are guided by what we call aid effectiveness principles. We want to ensure that aid is as effective as possible. The first principle is to adjust or align ourselves in accordance with the country's priorities.
In the case of Rwanda, our current programming flows directly from discussions we held with the Rwandan government. During these discussions, the Rwandan government called for Canadian cooperation to attach specific importance to rural development. As you are undoubtedly aware, the vast majority of Rwandans live in rural areas. The people are very poor, and agriculture is subsistence farming, where productivity and agricultural production need to be improved. So that is the first area where we can support the government's efforts, by aligning ourselves with their priorities, and supporting agricultural development, agriculture, means meeting their immediate needs but also preparing for the mid and long term.
The second area of involvement for bilateral programming, again in the case of Rwanda, is local governance. The Rwandan government has asked us to work in this area because Rwanda is currently putting in motion a decentralization policy. Along with other donors, we have chosen to participate in implementing this policy. Essentially, here's what we are trying to do. With decentralization, local authorities will receive responsibilities and certain revenues, but these authorities are not necessarily equipped to take on this role and these responsibilities. Basically, what we are trying to do is to support these authorities as well as groups of local people, and civil society organizations, so that they can work together to prepare their development plan based on their local priorities. That gives you an example of our approach.
In the case of Congo, the two areas we are involved in are governance and health.