Public Accounts committee  Yes, there is a framework of action in the government. CIDA has identified three key areas of thematic focus, as I mentioned. In each country we are zeroing in on one or two of those areas of thematic focus, with even more focus within the focus in terms of what exactly we would do in each of these countries and what results we would be looking to achieve.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you for that question. CIDA has a very strong track record with respect to food security and agricultural development, and therefore I think it's appropriate that those make up one of our areas of thematic focus. I think in recent years, many people have zeroed in on the fact that agricultural development, particularly in Africa, has not been given enough attention.

Public Accounts committee  When we are in a particular country we look to harmonize our work with that of other donors, based upon what the country itself has identified as areas of priority. There is a division of labour that follows, based on who's best able to take responsibility for particular issues.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, it is complete. It was something that had been asked of us by Treasury Board. We completed it and submitted it to the Treasury Board at the end of the fiscal year.

Public Accounts committee  Yes. The country strategies were completed last fall for the countries of focus. They have been issued on our website. In addition, we have completed what are called country development programming frameworks. They're referred to in the Auditor General's report. These are much more detailed programming guidelines that take into account all the key considerations for what we will actually do, which projects we would undertake, and what results we're trying to achieve.

Public Accounts committee  As I mentioned in my opening remarks, two of the three thematic priorities--the first on food security, the second on children and youth--were completed and announced. The details are now on our website. Those were done to the end of 2010. The third, on economic growth, has been completed and will be released shortly.

Public Accounts committee  As I indicated, that work has been completed as well, although it will be ongoing. We have pooled together all of the specialist cadre in our geographic programs into one place. We've done a needs assessment relative to our thematic priorities and our program strategies for each country, which we have completed.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to return to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts to further discuss the 2009 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada as it relates to the Canadian International Development Agency. When I appeared before the committee in December, I outlined the important progress that CIDA has made to implement the government's aid effectiveness agenda.

Foreign Affairs committee  The Prime Minister will outline the actual specifics of what Canada's contribution will be. He will do that in and around the G8 summit at the end of June. I don't have those details. As I indicated, the ministers and the government have indicated that they will put new resources towards this initiative.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Pearson. To be honest, I don't have any details on that, so I would have to get back to you on that issue. Thank you.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. Maternal and child health are the focus of a number of our bilateral or geographic programs. You've drawn attention to one of them in Mali. The Mali health minister was with us in Halifax. We can't do the whole country necessarily or the western part, but we have supported the training in one region, the Kayes region, in terms of skilled birth attendants, which has made a significant difference in the number of assisted births and therefore the reduction in child mortality in Mali.

Foreign Affairs committee  Okay. On the packages issue, one of the outcomes of the meeting in Halifax, where WHO representatives were there with us, was that they will work with us to develop guidelines that everybody can use in terms of what needs to happen on the ground. WHO, the FAO, and UNICEF are also working on nutrition guidelines so that we actually know the five or six or seven key interventions that need to be bundled together to really save people's lives.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'll go back to the points that I made before, in terms of saving mothers' lives. The number one focus can be on pregnancy and good delivery and the immediate ante and postpartum period. That is the single most important focus in terms of saving mothers' lives. In terms of family planning, if women had access to family planning as they needed it, you could reduce the percentage of unsafe abortions by 75%.

Foreign Affairs committee  CIDA does not, has not, will not fund abortion services directly.

Foreign Affairs committee  The international consensus is that abortion is not viewed as a form of family planning, so it's not promoted as a method of family planning. That's agreed by all parties and all international organizations. Canada adheres to that. CIDA doesn't fund abortions directly. It hasn't and it won't.