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The North-South Institute (NSI) was an independent, nonprofit corporation established in 1976 to conduct professional and policy-relevant research on Canada's relations with developing countries. Lack of federal funding led to the closure of the NSI in September 2014.
Activities
Guided by its motto, "Research for a Fairer World," the Institute investigated and analysed a wide range of world development issues, including Canadian foreign policy, international trade and finance, gender equality, development assistance programs, civil society and good governance, conflict prevention, and corporate responsibility. The results of this research were shared through publications, seminars and conferences to help generate greater understanding of the problems and opportunities facing Canada and developing countries. The NSI conducted research projects in partnership with institutions from India, China and other countries.
In 1994–95, the NSI published its first in-depth assessments of the major multilateral development banks. In 1996, it launched the "Canadian Development Report," an annual publication containing essays and statistics on Canada's relations with Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
Governance
The NSI was nonpartisan and collaborated with a wide range of Canadian, overseas, and international organizations. Based in Ottawa, it was governed by an independent board of directors and received public- and private-sector funding. The NSI was dismantled in September 2014 after the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development announced it would no longer renew its funding. Volunteer chairman of the institute’s board, Ben Moore, commented:
“We want the public to realize that our government has a responsibility to ensure that we can participate in the world as Canadians with evidence-based advice based on the kind of research the North-South Institute does. And no one else does it. That’s what we’re losing.”
