http://www.halifaxinitiative.org Halifax Initiative is a Canadian coalition of development, environment, faith, rights and labour groups. Our goal is to contribute to the fundamental transformation of the international financial system and its institutions to achieve poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and the equitable re-distribution of wealth hourly 1 2002-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.halifaxinitiative.org http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/images/BE/BE_logo-100x34.png http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/EDC_ECA_Reports/1096 http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Issue_Update/1097 Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month: *EDC in the spotlight – beyond responsible to accountable *Canada at the heart of mining conflict in the Americas *IMF watchdog tackles broader accountability debate *Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events *JUST THE FACTS: Export Development Canada's legislative review – what's at stake? http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/CNCA_Media/1098 The Kindness of Corporations - Globe and Mail, Report on Business http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/WorldBank_Factsheets/1095 On May 29, Bill C-293 or the "better aid bill", received royal assent, now legally requiring Canadian official development assistance (ODA) to contribute to poverty reduction, take into account the perspectives of the poor, and be consistent with international human rights standards(see our "Issue Update" for more). Finance Canada, among others, is in the process of developing plans on how to implement the Bill in practice. These comments are intended to help Finance Canada in its interpretation of the Bill for the various international financial institutions (IFIs) for which it is the lead agency. http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/WorldBank_Factsheets/1094 This powerpoint presentation was made by Paul Jensen, Global Research Coordinator with the Results Educational Fund, at the Halifax Initiative member's meeting and workshop. It explains how the IMF puts in place policies that essentially fix the size of government's budgets and determine how much of that budget they can dedicate towards their own national development priorities. http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Correspondence/1092 This letter from 28 groups urges all G8 Governments, as officials head to Japan for the G8 Finance Minister's meeting, to support immediate multilateral and bilateral debt cancellation for Haiti or a moratorium on all debt service payments until such a time as the debt is cancelled. http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Issue_Update/1090 Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month: *NGOs applaud adoption of "better aid bill" *EDC eyes Peru despite Ombudsman concerns *World Bank at fault for food crisis, critics charge *Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events *JUST THE FACTS: The Better Aid Bill – what it may mean for the IFIs http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/media_centre_press/1089 The Canadian government's annual reporting on its activities at international financial institutions is getting better, according to the authors, and to a Canadian civil society group which recently gave the latest report its best grade ever. http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Issue_Update/1087 Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month: *Global food crisis, Bank and IMF respond *US Congress passes new bill on debt cancellation *Ruggie focuses spotlight on export credit agencies *Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events JUST THE FACTS: The new IMF quota deal – much ado about nothing? http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Projects_correspond/1093 EDC thanks us for raising concerns around the project, and indicates that should they choose to support it, it would only be if they were fully compliant with their policies. http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Correspondence/1088 The Mining Contract Review Commission, an inter-ministerial body established by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to review numerous contracts that were awarded to mining companies between 1996 and 2005, recently released its assessment. The Commission concludes that the mining contract governing the Tenke Fungurume project is illegal and calls for its annulment. EDC is currently considering backing the project. This letter calls on EDC to immediately dismiss the application for support. http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Reports_Analysis/1086 This Final Report on "The Changing Face of Global Development Finance - Impacts and implications for aid, development, the South and the Bretton Woods Institutions", includes a summary of the presentations and discussions from the Halifax Initiative conference on February 1st and 2nd, 2008. Background reading, glossary of terms, the final agenda, speaker biographies, participants' list, and presentations and speeches for the meeting are also available on the conference web site . http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/canada_and_the_ifis/1085 For the past four years the Halifax Initiative Coalition has produced report cards on the annual reports to Parliament on the World Bank and IMF. In general, the 2007 Annual Report marks a substantial improvement over the 2005 and 2006 annual reports, both in format and in particular, in content. In all, the new medium term framework does a much better job of articulating a more coherent and consistent government strategy for the Bank and Fund, and providing benchmarks against which to evaluate the government's performance in the coming years. Next year's annual report would do well to include indicators against which to measure, more clearly, success in meeting these goals. Grade: B+ http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Issue_Update/1083 Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month: *Innovative financing for development gets boost *EDC must reject Tenke *IMF begins drafting code for sovereign wealth funds * Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events JUST THE FACTS: What are sovereign wealth funds? http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/Correspondence/1082 This letter urges Minister Flaherty to support the adoption, by the OECD Export Credit Group, of a peer review system regarding implementation of the 2007 OECD Revised Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits. The letter includes a proposal for a peer review system developed by ECA-Watch. Search the archives of Halifax Initiative query http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/search.php