November 20, 2003

Mr. A. Ian Gillespie
President and CEO
Export Development Canada
151 O’Connor Street,
Ottawa, ON K1A 1K3

The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of International Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive, Tower B, 5th Floor
Ottawa, ON   K1A 0G2

Dear Minister Pettigrew and Mr. Gillespie,

Thank you for forwarding me Rev. 2 of the OECD “Common Approaches on Environment and Officially Support Export Credits 2003.”

October 22, 2003

Mr. Fraser Reilly-King
Halifax Initiative
153 Chapel Street, Ste 104
Ottawa ON KIN 1H5

Re: Compliance program file number 2236--1-1-2003

Dear Mr. Reilly-King:
With this letter, I would like to report to you the status of the compliance program review of your letter of complaint dated July 28, 2003.

To reiterate, in your letter, you alleged that Export Development Canada (EDC) "violated the spirit of its disclosure policy, environmental review directive [(ERD)] and Code of Business Ethics" in relation to the Cernavoda 2 nuclear power plant transaction in Romania. You set out specific sections of each policy and proffered substantiating information for the allegations of non-compliance. You saw my role "as interpreting these policies in ways that ensure that they are implemented to their best intent."

Commonwealth Foundation
Brunei Darasalaam
July 22nd, 2003

The Role of IFIs
Pamela Foster
Halifax Initiative Coalition

I may have been asked to give this talk as I, among our Commonwealth colleagues, sit closest to Washington. As there is so much experience in the room in addressing issues of the World Bank and the IMF[1], I will merely start a list of all the ways that the IFIs are implicated in the relentless drive towards privatization of public assets.

First, I would like to quickly share two contextual comments regarding this push towards privatization. It must be situated within the drive towards the end of history, or the ultimate global supremacy of US-modeled capitalism. This victory was declared at the end of the Cold War. The end of history envisions the role of the state being limited to maintaining law and order and a sound investment climate.

Disclosure Policy
Room U-11-003
World Bank
1818 H Street
Washington, DC, 20433
USA

Halifax Initiative submission to consultation on draft information disclosure policy

“Whenever you are in doubt, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest man you have seen. Ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? Then you will find your doubt melting away”.
- Mahatma Gandhi

To: Mr. Callisto Madavo
Africa Region Vice President
World Bank

Mr. Peter Harrold,
Country Director for Ghana
World Bank

June 18, 2003

Halifax Initiative Objectives for the World Bank

TO begin a transition from its role in financing conventional power loans to a new role in financing sustainable energy technologies the World Bank should :

CHANGE ENERGY POLICY:

1. Institute a Moratorium on Lending or Guarantees for any project that involves new exploration for fossil fuel reserves in natural forests, pristine and frontier areas.

2. Phase Out Lending and Guarantees for any World Bank project that involves coal and oil extraction.

3. Institute a Moratorium on Lending and Guarantees for fossil fuel power projects pending :

Evaluations of all current and future power projects in full consultation with the communities most affected by the project, respecting the right of the local populations to decline a project which may adversely impact them;

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Submission

Appendix A

Final Report on the G6B (Group of 6 billion) People’s Summit
The Halifax Initiative participated in the G6B People’s Summit. We assisted in bringing to the Summit two Southern activists, with whom we work - Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian activist with the Lawyers Environmental Action Team, to discuss the impacts of foreign direct investment in mining, and Virginia Setshedi, a South African activist with the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee. As well, Pam Foster, Coordinator, participated on three panels, presenting on financial liberalization, the environment and the G8.

Click here for pdf

Click here for the Speech on Financial Liberalization

MEDIA RELEASE
Canada behind leaders in Export Credit Agency reform EDC continues to operate in secret
For immediate release.
Ottawa, March 31, 2002. Export Development Canada (EDC), Canada's export credit agency, released environmental and disclosure practices yesterday that fall far behind the leaders in export credit agency reform.