Canada. Health and Welfare Canada. Intergovernmental and International Affairs Branch : In the annual report for the Department of National Health and Welfare (NHW) for 1947, it was noted that Canada was becoming increasingly involved with international health matters. The first mention of a formal structure charged with these activities occurred in 1957, with the report of the Research Development and International Health Section of the Health Services Directorate. The Section was described as being responsible for coordinating all of the Department's international health interests and activities, primarily the Canadian involvement in the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Technical Assistance Plan (UNTA), UNICEF, and the administration of the Colombo Plan. The Section was also the designated agency for providing advice and practical assistance to the External Aid office of the government on the health aspects of bilateral aid programmes. In 1961, the International Welfare Division, a counterpart to the International Health Section, was created in the Welfare Branch. This new division's main task was to coordinate Canadian involvement in the United Nations Social Commission.
The International and Emergency Welfare Branch (IEWB) was created in 1971, encompassing Emergency Welfare Services Division (formerly part of the Medical Advisory Services, which would later become the Medical Services Branch), along with International Welfare Security and International Social Security. In 1974, the IEWB was composed of four divisions: Liaison with Non-Governmental Agencies, Intergovernmental Liaison, International Social Security, and Emergency Welfare Services.
A further re-organization in 1975 led to the dismantling of the IEWB. The newly created Federal-Provincial Relations Office took over the Emergency Welfare Services Division, and became responsible for ensuring communication between deputy ministers of social welfare and providing liaison between various federal and provincial departments. All remaining functions of the former branch were assumed by the Bureau of International Liaison (Welfare), which coordinated all Canadian participation in international activities relating to health and welfare, such as the various International Years (Child, Women, Disabled) and United Nations committees. The Bureau's three units were International Liaison, International Social Security, and Program Information.
The Intergovernmental and International Affairs Branch (IIAB) was created in 1977 by bringing together the Bureau of International Liaison (Welfare), the Federal-Provincial Relations Office (minus Emergency Welfare Services, which re-joined Medical Services Branch in early 1978), and International Health Services. IIAB coordinated, initiated, and monitored the application of departmental policies on health, social security and social welfare issues at the international and federal/provincial/territorial level, particularly where issues concerned more than one branch of the department, or required internal consultation.
In 1985, the IIAB assumed, on behalf of National Health and Welfare, responsibility for coordinating voluntary metric conversion in the fields of health, sports and recreation, and personal health care. A further advisory role was assumed in 1991, when the Office of the Senior Advisor, Status of Women became part of the IIAB.
The IIAB was dissolved in 1992, and the majority of its functions were transferred to the Policy, Planning and Information Branch (PPIB). The IIAB's former Health Affairs Directorate became the International Health Division, its Social Affairs Directorate became the Policy, International and Social Development Division, and the International Information Directorate became the International Affairs Division.
