NGO Working Group
on the Export Development Corporation
A working group of the Halifax Initiative

Background paper
for the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade Hearings on Bill C-31 on the Export Development Act

October 15, 2001

The NGO Working Group on the Export Development Corporation is a coalition of 17 Canadian non-governmental organisations concerned about the social, human and environmental impacts of export credit agencies. The NGO Working Group has been participating fully in the legislative process on the Export Development Act since 1999, including the SCFAIT hearings in 1999, the public consultations on the EDC’s disclosure policy and environmental review framework, and the international campaign to reform export credit agencies which has focused on the OECD’s Export Credit Guarantees process.

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Submitted as part of EDC's consultations on the environment, this report makes a case for placing EDC under the provisions of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

Abstract

NGO Coalition accuses Government of having a double standard on trade, human rights and environment

Monday, February 20, 2001

INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES (USA) * URGEWALD (GERMANY) * REFORM THE WORLD BANK CAMPAIGN (ITALY) * GREEN GROUP (ITALIAN SENATE) * HALIFAX INITIATIVE (CANADA) * SIERRA CLUB (USA) * PROJECT UNDERGROUND (USA) * CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (USA) * ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE (USA)* RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK (USA) * AMIS DE LA TERRE (FRANCE) * BANK INFORMATION CENTER (U

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Prepared by the NGO Working Group on the Export Development Corporation, a project of the Halifax Initiative

The Canadian Export Development Corporation (EDC) is the main source of publicly supported export financing in Canada, designed to complement the private financial sector wherever possible. A federal Crown corporation, EDC provides Canadian exporters with financing products to help their customers, and with commercial and political risk insurance, particularly for higher-risk and emerging markets. In 1998, EDC worked with 4,183 customers in 200 countries, helping Canadian companies to generate nearly $35 billion in sales and foreign investments.

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Open Letter to Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, from 86 NGOs in 28 Countries Concerning the Chad/Cameroon Oil & Pipeline Project

July 9, 1998

James D. Wolfensohn, President
The World Bank
1818 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20433 Dear Mr. Wolfensohn, The 86 undersigned environment, development, human rights and religious organizations from 28 countries call upon you to suspend World Bank participation in the Chad/Cameroon Oil & Pipeline project until respect for human rights and compliance with World Bank environmental and other policies can be fully guaranteed.We are writing to draw your attention to the especially troublesome situation, including the severe violation of human rights, in southern Chad and to the inadequacy of the environmental impact assessment and environmental management plan for the project submitted to the Bank by Exxon.

FIDDLING WHILE ROME BURNS:
HOW WORLD BANK FINANCING OF FOSSIL FUELS
UNDERMINES THE
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (GEF)
INTRODUCTION