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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE Wednesday, June 6, 2007

The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade

has the honour to present its

THIRTEENTH REPORT


Your Committee, to which was referred the document “Department of Foreign Affairs User Fee Proposal relating to the International Youth Program” has, in obedience to the Order of Reference of Tuesday, May 15, 2007, examined the proposed changes to user fees and, in accordance with section 5 of the User Fees Act, recommends that they be approved. Your Committee appends to this report certain observations relating to the proposal.

Respectfully submitted,

Consiglio Di Nino
Chair


Observations to the Thirteenth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(Department of Foreign Affairs User Fee Proposal relating to the International Youth Program)

Strengthening the International Youth Program

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has tabled a proposal under the User Fees Act to expand fees charged to foreign participants in the International Youth Program. Having discussed the proposal with officials, your Committee supports the general principle of increasing cost recovery in this important program.

Your Committee notes that one reason for expanding fees beyond those already charged to youth from Australia and New Zealand to youth from over 50 other countries relates to increasing administrative costs as the program has grown significantly over the past decade. A more important reason, however, is that this action will allow the government to fund a proposed expansion of the program, with the goals of both almost doubling participation by 2010, and of increasing support given to both Canadian and foreign youth participants. Your Committee finds these to be laudable goals.

Your Committee notes that in 1986, the Neilson Task Force on program review found that the International Youth Program – whose roots stretch back to the 1950s – was relevant to Canada’s foreign policy interests, and responsibility for its general management was transferred to the Department of External (later Foreign) Affairs.

During its consultations with stakeholders involved with the International Youth Program, the government heard a number of suggestions for improving it, including creating more awareness of the program among Canadian and foreign youth, and increasing support for participants.

In addition to these useful suggestions, your Committee believes that the government should recognize and take action based on the fact that the global experience gained by Canadian youth participants makes them ideal candidates for recruitment by the Public Service of Canada, which will be undertaking significant recruitment exercises in the coming years. At the same time, the government must also make even greater efforts to convince foreign youth participants of the benefits of immigrating to Canada upon completion of the International Youth Program, and contributing to the country in a variety of ways. 

In light of the numerous benefits the International Youth Program provides to both Canadian and foreign youth, your Committee also believes additional efforts must be taken to keep the program – which currently is dominated by youth from such Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries as Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland and others – accessible not only to youth from OECD countries, but also to those from other countries, particularly developing ones. While your Committee understands that the Government of Canada has Commonwealth scholarships and other programs that assist such youth, it believes that these individuals must also be encouraged to participate in the International Youth Program.

Recognizing that such a measure may lead to concerns regarding unequal treatment, your Committee is of the view that the Government of Canada should either waive the new fees for youth from developing countries, or take other measures to ensure that the strengthened International Youth Program remains accessible to them.


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