International Development Research Centre Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. I-19)

Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the International Development Research Centre Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

2 In this Act,

Board

Board means the Board of Governors of the Centre; (Conseil)

Centre

Centre means the International Development Research Centre established by section 3; (Centre)

Chairman

Chairman[Repealed, 2010, c. 12, s. 1746]

Chairperson

Chairperson means the Chairperson of the Board; (Version anglaise seulement)

governor

governor means a member of the Board; (gouverneur)

Minister

Minister means such member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as is designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act; (ministre)

President

President means the President of the Centre; (président)

research

research includes any scientific or technical inquiry or experimentation that is instituted or carried out to discover new knowledge or new means of applying existing knowledge to the solution of economic and social problems; (recherches)

science

science includes the natural and social sciences. (sciences)

Centre Established

Marginal note:Centre established

3 A corporation is established, to be called the International Development Research Centre, consisting of a Board of Governors that is composed of a Chairperson, the President and not more than 12 other governors.

Objects and Powers of Centre

Marginal note:Corporate objects

• 4 (1) The objects of the Centre are to initiate, encourage, support and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions and, in carrying out those objects,

  • (a) to enlist the talents of natural and social scientists and technologists in Canada and other countries;

  • (b) to assist the developing regions to build up the research capabilities, the innovative skills and the institutions required to solve their problems;

  • (c) to encourage generally the coordination of international development research; and

  • (d) to foster cooperation in research on development problems between the developed and developing regions for their mutual benefit.

• Marginal note:Powers

  (2) The Centre, in furtherance of its objects, may exercise any or all of the following powers in Canada or elsewhere, namely, the power to

  • (a) establish, maintain and operate information and data centres and facilities for research and other activities;

  • (b) initiate and carry out research and technical development, including the establishment and operation of any pilot plant or project, to the point where the appropriate results of the research and development can be applied;

  • (c) support or assist research by governments, by international, public or private organizations and agencies, or by individuals;

  • (d) enter into contracts or agreements with governments, with international, public or private organizations and agencies, or with individuals;

  • (e) give recognition, by such means as the Centre deems appropriate, for outstanding contributions to international development by international, public or private organizations and agencies, or by individuals, and publish and otherwise disseminate scientific, technical or other information;

  • (f) sponsor or support conferences, seminars and other meetings;

  • (g) acquire, hold and alienate real property or any interest therein at pleasure;

  • (h) acquire by gift, bequest or otherwise, and hold, expend, invest, administer or dispose of, any money, securities or other property subject to the terms, if any, on which the money, securities or other property is given, bequeathed or otherwise made available to the Centre;

  • (i) expend, for the purposes of this Act, any money appropriated by Parliament for the work of the Centre or received by the Centre through the conduct of its operations; and

  • (j) do such other things as are conducive to the carrying out of its objects and the exercise of its powers.

Organization

Marginal note:Appointment of Chairperson

• 5 (1) The Chairperson of the Board shall be appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure for a term not exceeding five years.

• Marginal note:Appointment of President

  (2) The first President of the Centre shall be appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure for a term not exceeding five years and any subsequent President shall be appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Board to hold office during pleasure for a term not exceeding five years.

• Marginal note:Other governors

  (3) Each of the governors, other than the Chairperson and the President, shall be appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure for such term not exceeding four years as will ensure as far as possible the expiration in any one year of the terms of appointment of fewer than half of the governors.

• Marginal note:Eligibility for re-appointment

  (4) Any retiring governor is eligible for re-appointment to the Board in the same or another capacity.

Marginal note:Vice-Chairperson

• 6 (1) The Board shall elect one of the governors to be Vice-Chairperson of the Board.

• Marginal note:Absence, etc., of Chairperson

  (2) In the event of the absence or incapacity of the Chairperson, or if the office of Chairperson is vacant, the Vice-Chairperson of the Board has all the duties and may perform all the functions of the Chairperson.

Marginal note:President

• 7 (1) The President is the chief executive officer of the Centre and has supervision over and direction of the work and staff of the Centre.

• Marginal note:Acting President

  (2) In the event of the absence or incapacity of the President, or if the office of President is vacant, the Board may authorize an officer of the Centre to act as President, but no person so authorized shall act as President for a period exceeding sixty days without the approval of the Governor in Council.

Marginal note:Temporary substitute governor

• 8 (1) The Governor in Council may, on any terms and conditions that the Governor in Council prescribes, appoint a temporary substitute governor if a governor, other than the Chairperson or President, is unable to perform the duties of his or her office.

• Marginal note:Vacancy

  (2) Where the office of a governor becomes vacant during the term of the governor appointed thereto, the Governor in Council may appoint a person to that office for the remainder of that term.

Marginal note:Salary and expenses

9 The governors shall be paid such remuneration and expenses as are fixed by the Governor in Council.

Marginal note:Majority of governors

• 10 (1) The Chairperson, the Vice-chairperson and at least six other governors must be Canadian citizens.

• Marginal note:Qualification

  (2) At least eight of the governors must have experience in the field of international development or experience or training in the natural or social sciences or technology.

• Marginal note:Parliamentary governors

  (3) Two of the governors who are Canadian citizens, other than the Chairperson and the Vice-chairperson, may be appointed from among the members of the Senate or the House of Commons.

• Marginal note:Salary and expenses

  (4) A member appointed under subsection (3) shall not be paid remuneration but is eligible for expenses and, if he or she is a member of the House of Commons, is not, by reason of being the holder of the office or place in respect of which those expenses are payable, rendered incapable of being elected, or of sitting or voting, as a member of that House.

Marginal note:Executive committee

• 11 (1) There shall be an executive committee of the Board consisting of the Chairperson, the President and at least three other governors annually elected from the Board by the governors in such a manner that a majority of the members of the committee are Canadian citizens.

• Marginal note:Duties of executive committee

  (2) The executive committee shall exercise such of the powers, and perform such of the functions, of the Centre as the Board may by by-law assign to it and shall submit at each meeting of the Board minutes of its proceedings since the last preceding meeting of the Board.

• Marginal note:Chairperson

  (3) The Board shall appoint one of the members of the executive committee to be the chairperson of the executive committee.

• Marginal note:Meetings

  (4) The executive committee shall meet at least four times in each year.

• Marginal note:Quorum

  (5) Three members of the executive committee, at least two of whom are Canadian citizens, constitute a quorum.

Marginal note:Fellows of the Centre

• 12 (1) The Board may appoint any person who, in the opinion of the governors, has made an outstanding contribution in the field of international development as a Fellow of the International Development Research Centre.

• Marginal note:Stipend for Fellows

  (2) The Centre may prescribe the period of time during which any person shall be named a Fellow pursuant to subsection (1) and the stipend, if any, to be paid to any such person.

Marginal note:Advisory and other committees

13 The Board may appoint advisory or other committees under such terms and conditions as the Board may by by-law prescribe.

Marginal note:Officers and employees

14 Subject to the by-laws, the Board may appoint such officers, agents and employees as are necessary for the proper conduct of the work of the Centre.