International Relations

Partnerships by Region

CSC Partnerships in Africa

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has a long history of working in collaboration with African countries to implement initiatives and programs aimed at developing and reforming national correctional systems. Since 1991, CSC has hosted delegations from numerous African countries, and has provided technical assistance, support, supplies and equipment, and conducted on-site needs assessments for such countries as Algeria, Namibia, South Africa, and Ghana.

Often CSC is approached by a government for help in a specific area, such as conducting a needs assessment to identify areas which need improvement or to host a delegation of corrections officials that wish to study particular aspects of CSC. Exchange of visits may occur over a period of a year or two, culminating in directional reports and analyses, and sometimes requests for further technical assistance, such as staff training or expertise from CSC for the inquiring nation.

CSC also provides assistance multilaterally under international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and through Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Canada has worked on initiatives with Algeria and Tanzania through the UNDP to provide technical assistance and guidance for prison reform and, in the case of Tanzania, to set up a Management of Information System (MIS). An initiative in Côte d'Ivoire, through the United Nations Operations in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), was launched in August, 2005, to provide training and develpment assistance to corrections officials.

In the past, Canada has sent correctional experts for different projects to numerous countries such as Benin, Cameroon, and Namibia, as well as participated in exchanges of information and best practices with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.

Please click on the links below to review some of the recent projects and initiatives that Canada has been a part of in Africa.

• Algeria
• Benin
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Namibia
• Tanzania

Please visit our Articles and Related Media page to view published articles on CSC's initiatives with various African countries.