Thinking the unthinkable – The global financial crisis as an opportunity for transformative and systemic change?
The role of the UN in addressing the crisis - Recommendations from the UN Commission of Experts
Dr. José Antonio Ocampo, Director, Program in Economic and Political Development, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University and member of the Commission of Experts of the President of the UN General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System.
Impacts of the crisis and expanding the agenda for change
Jomo K. Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
Causes of, and responses to, the global financial crisis
Chuck Freedman, Co-Director, Centre for Monetary and Financial Economics, Carleton University.
Thinking the unthinkable – The global financial crisis as an opportunity for transformative and systemic change?
Welcome and introduction to the panel.
Moderator: Kari Polanyi Levitt, Emerita Professor of Economics, McGill University
Experts address missing pieces of crisis response ahead of Canadian 2010 G8/G20 meeting
On October 19th and 20th the Halifax Initiative co-hosted a conference with The North-South Institute and the University of Ottawa on “What’s missing in the response to the global financial crisis?” The conference sought to engage the Canadian government in discussions with national and international academics, activists and policy-makers ahead of next year’s G8/G20. The conference touched upon a range of issues related to the causes of the crisis, policy and regulatory remedies, governance of the international financial institutions, tax havens and unfettered private capital flows, an emerging debt crisis, alternatives to the renewal of the Doha trade round, and the respective roles of the United Nations and G20. A policy brief with clear recommendations for the government is forthcoming.
Presentation regarding the principles for guiding a more democratic, representative and accountable G-20
by Fraser Reilly-King, Coordinator, Halifax Initiative Coalition
October 29, 2009
Thank you for inviting us to appear before the Standing Committee to discuss issues related to next year’s Group of Eight and Group of Twenty meeting in Huntsville, Ontario in June.
| Topic | Presentation | Speech |
| KEY NOTE: Thinking the unthinkable – The global financial crisis as an opportunity for transformative and systemic change? | Podcast | |
| Causes of, and responses to, the global financial crisis - Chuck Freedman, Co-Director, Centre for Monetary and Financial Economics, Carleton University |
Presentation regarding Bill C-300 - An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries
Karyn Keenan, Program Officer, Halifax Initiative
October 22, 2009
The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of human rights, environmental, faith-based, development and labour organizations. Our objective is to transform public international financial institutions to achieve poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and the full realization of universal human rights.
My work focuses on the operations of public institutions that provide support to the private sector, in particular the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group and Export Development Canada. The latter, a Crown corporation, is Canada’s export credit agency and will be the focus of my comments this morning.
Executive Summary
2010 will be a decisive year for Canada, and for the world. The deadline for meeting the world’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is only five years away. Our decisions on economic reform and climate change will determine the success of world’s efforts to reduce poverty and reverse dangerous global warming for the next generation and beyond. As host of the next G8 and G20 Summits, Canada can make the difference between relegating these aspirations to a distant hope in an uncertain future and confirming the possibility of achieving these goals in our lifetime. The consequences of reneging on our promises are unthinkable for the millions around the world looking towards a new model of globalization that is socially responsible, economically sustainable and environmentally just.
