# Canadian International Development Agency

> government agency

**Wikidata**: [Q1051645](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1051645)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_International_Development_Agency)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/canadian-international-development-agency

## Summary
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was a Canadian government agency responsible for administering foreign aid and development programs, headquartered in Gatineau. It operated as a distinct federal entity until it was dissolved and abolished on July 15, 2013, at which point its functions were merged into Global Affairs Canada. The organization is identified by numerous international authority codes, including ISNI 0000000121632822 and VIAF 135594287, and maintains a presence in multiple languages including English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type**: Government agency (organisational part of a government responsible for specific public services).
- **Country of Origin**: Canada.
- **Headquarters Location**: Gatineau, Canada.
- **Dissolution Date**: 2013 (specifically abolished and replaced by Global Affairs Canada).
- **Primary Acronyms**: CIDA (English), ACDI (French).
- **Official Website**: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/index.htm.
- **ISNI Identifier**: 0000000121632822.
- **VIAF Identifier**: 135594287.
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: n80126017.
- **Open Funder Registry Funder ID**: 100010503.
- **Freebase ID**: /m/03pqy_.
- **IMDb ID**: co0073635.
- **DECS ID**: 16776.
- **IDRREF ID**: 026436221 (retrieved 2022-07-06).
- **National Library of Israel J9U ID**: 987007259302005171.
- **Microsoft Academic ID (Discontinued)**: 1327966407.
- **Yale LUX ID**: group/720a0403-6aaa-4780-b75e-aca6f93590be.
- **TERMDAT Concept ID**: 353830.
- **Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition) ID**: 207790.
- **Wikipedia Title**: Canadian International Development Agency.
- **Wikipedia Languages Available**: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional implied by characters), English, Spanish, French, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian.
- **Commons Category**: Canadian International Development Agency.
- **Quora Topic**: Canadian-International-Development-Agency.
- **Described By Source**: Encyclopedia of Global Justice (specifically the entry "Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)").
- **Sitelink Count**: 10 (Wikidata), 47 (related class "government agency").

## FAQs
**What happened to the Canadian International Development Agency in 2013?**
The agency was officially dissolved and abolished in 2013, with its mandate and operations transferred to the newly formed Global Affairs Canada. This restructuring consolidated foreign affairs, trade, and development functions under a single department.

**In which languages is information about CIDA available?**
Comprehensive documentation and Wikipedia entries exist in ten distinct languages: Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, and Chinese. This multilingual presence reflects its international scope and diverse operational reach.

**How can researchers verify the identity of this agency in academic databases?**
Researchers can cross-reference the agency using multiple unique identifiers, such as the ISNI 0000000121632822, the Library of Congress ID n80126017, or the Open Funder Registry ID 100010503. These codes ensure accurate citation and data retrieval across global library and funding systems.

**Where was the agency physically located during its operation?**
The headquarters for the Canadian International Development Agency were situated in Gatineau, Quebec. This location placed the agency in close proximity to the National Capital Region's other federal institutions.

## Why It Matters
The Canadian International Development Agency played a pivotal role in shaping Canada's international development policy and foreign aid distribution for decades. By managing significant financial resources and programs, it addressed global challenges such as poverty reduction, health crises, and educational disparities in developing nations. Its existence allowed Canada to project soft power and fulfill international humanitarian obligations before its functions were streamlined into Global Affairs Canada. The agency's legacy persists in the continued operation of Canadian development aid, now managed under a unified foreign policy framework, and its historical data remains a critical resource for scholars studying international relations and development economics.

## Notable For
- **Multilingual Accessibility**: Maintaining official documentation and Wikipedia presence in ten languages, including non-Western scripts like Arabic and Korean.
- **Extensive Authority Mapping**: Holding a rare density of cross-referenced identifiers across diverse systems, from academic (IDRREF, Microsoft Academic) to cultural (IMDb, Commons) and library (LOC, NLI) databases.
- **Strategic Consolidation**: Serving as the primary example of a major Canadian departmental merger, transitioning its entire mandate to Global Affairs Canada in 2013.
- **Global Recognition**: Being cataloged in the Encyclopedia of Global Justice and the Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition), signifying its status as a significant global entity.
- **Funding Transparency**: Possessing a specific Open Funder Registry ID (100010503), facilitating precise tracking of its financial contributions in academic research.

## Body

### Organizational Identity and Classification
The Canadian International Development Agency, commonly known by its English acronym CIDA and French acronym ACDI, functioned as a distinct government agency within the Canadian federal structure. Its primary classification was that of an organisational part of a government responsible for specific public services, specifically those related to foreign affairs and international development. The entity is formally described in the Encyclopedia of Global Justice under the specific entry "Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)." It was recognized as a unique group within the Yale LUX system with the identifier group/720a0403-6aaa-4780-b75e-aca6f93590be. The agency's existence is also recorded in the TERMDAT concept database under ID 353830.

### Operational Timeline and Structural Changes
The agency operated as an independent entity until its dissolution in 2013. On this date, it was officially dissolved, abolished, or demolished as a separate organization. Following this event, the agency was replaced by Global Affairs Canada, which absorbed its mandates and responsibilities. Prior to its abolition, the agency maintained its headquarters in Gatineau, serving as the central hub for its international development activities. The transition marked a significant shift in how Canada administered its foreign aid, moving from a specialized agency model to an integrated departmental approach.

### Digital Presence and Multilingual Reach
CIDA maintained a robust digital footprint with an official website hosted at http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/index.htm. This online presence was supported by a wide array of language-specific resources, with Wikipedia articles available in Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, and Ukrainian. The agency also has a dedicated category on Wikimedia Commons titled "Canadian International Development Agency." Its digital identity extends to the Quora platform, where a specific topic is dedicated to the agency. Furthermore, the agency is listed in the IMDb database with the ID co0073635, indicating its appearance or mention in film and media productions.

### Authority Identifiers and Cross-Referencing
The agency is uniquely identified across numerous global authority files, ensuring precise data linkage in research and library systems.
- **Library Systems**: It holds the Library of Congress Authority ID n80126017 (verified in 2019) and the National Library of Israel J9U ID 987007259302005171.
- **Academic and Research**: The IDREF ID 026436222 (retrieved July 6, 2022) and the Microsoft Academic ID 1327966407 (now discontinued) link it to scholarly works.
- **Funding and Development**: The Open Funder Registry assigns it the ID 100010503, crucial for tracking grant data.
- **International Standards**: It is assigned the ISNI 0000000121632822 and the VIAF ID 135594287, which unify its identity across library catalogs worldwide.
- **Specialized Databases**: The agency is indexed in the DECS database (ID 16776) and the Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition) with ID 207790.
- **Web and Metadata**: Its Freebase ID is /m/03pqy_ (published October 28, 2013), and it has a specific Wikipedia sitelink count of 10, with the related class "government agency" having a sitelink count of 47.

### Historical and Academic Documentation
The history and operations of the Canadian International Development Agency are documented in various authoritative sources. The Encyclopedia of Global Justice provides a dedicated entry detailing its role as "Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)." Academic and bibliographic records link the agency to the VIAF ID 135594287, which serves as a central node for its publications and descriptions. The agency's legacy is preserved through these extensive metadata connections, allowing researchers to trace its impact through the Open Funder Registry and other academic databases. The combination of its dissolution date in 2013 and its replacement by Global Affairs Canada marks a definitive endpoint to its independent operational history, yet its data remains a vital component of Canada's foreign policy archives.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Quora
4. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File