HIPC Initiative will not serve the world’s poorest with the IMF in control
28 Sept. 1999
The Halifax Initiative coalition of development, labour, human rights and environment organizations is deeply concerned that debt relief is still inappropriately conditioned on compliance with IMF-directed programs. The debt crisis continues to be used as a lever to force open economies, an inexcusable manipulation of poverty and human tragedy. The heart of the problem is that final control of the program remains in the hands of an unreformed IMF.

HIPC Initiative will not serve the world’s poorest with the IMF in control
September 18, 1999
 

Francois Page
Advisor to the Executive Director for Canada
World Bank
1818 H street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20433

Fax: 1-202-477-4155

16 July, 1999

Dear Mr. Page;,

Please thank Ms. O"Leary for forwarding to us the Draft Final Report on the Fuel for Thought: Environmental Strategy for the Energy Sector and the Proposal to Establish a Prototype Carbon Fund. We appreciate their provision in order to enable us to provide more relevant input to the Board discussion on July 20th. As you know, the Bank did not share your commitment to transparency. The Bank decision not to release the Strategy publicly is, as you can imagine, a great disappointment to all of us who have been engaged in consultations on this Strategy over the past year. We would appreciate if Canada can express its concern that the Strategy was not publicly released prior to the Board meeting.

Excerpts from a letter sent to the IMF & WB (July 1999)
Excerpts from a letter sent to: Tom Bernes, Executive Director for Canada, International Monetary Fund
Terrie O'Leary, Executive Director for Canada, World Bank

13 July, 1999

Dear Ms. O’Leary and Mr. Bernes,

I am writing, belatedly, on behalf of the Halifax Initiative, and the NGOs who joined us, to thank you both for meeting with us while we were in Washington for the Spring meetings. The meeting on April 26th, as well as the related meeting with Minister Martin on the 28th, was useful in learning more about the unfolding debt and financial architecture discussions as well as current Canadian positions in these areas. We also appreciated the opportunity to question you about the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) process and to briefly discuss the Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative (SAPRI).

"Two steps forward, one step back"
 
Presentation by Derek MacCuish, program coordinator, Social Justice Committee, Montreal, and policy analyst, Halifax Initiative Coalition
 
Forum: Debt after the Cologne Initiative, hosted by the North-South Institute, Ottawa
23 June 1999
 

 
MEDIA RELEASE
"Civil Society Takes Initiative on Reform of Global Financial Architecture"

For immediate release June 7, 1999
 

...what the World Bank and IMF require, and how it hurts the poor
The World Bank and IMF adopted new rhetoric about reducing poverty, and linking debt relief primarily to poverty actions in the fall. But countries entering the debt relief process are still facing the same old conditions that have nothing to do with poverty reduction, and can actually increase the hardships of the poor.

Guinea - Conditions for debt relief include: privatization of energy, privatization of telecommunications, deregulation of petroleum prices, removal of subsidies for public transportation (December 1999).

Honduras - Conditions for debt relief include: privatization of telecommunications, liberalization of mining sector, implementation of bank service fees (November 1999).

Here is what these kinds of "structural adjustments" have done, and are still doing, to the poor:

Halifax Initiative condemns debt relief conditioned on IMF austerity programs
April 27, 1999
Washington - The Halifax Initiative, a Canadian coalition of social justice, development, faith and environment oganizations, is dismayed by the failure of the international financial institutions to remove structural adjustment conditionality as a requirement for implementation of their debt reduction program.

Halifax Initiative condemns debt relief conditioned on IMF austerity programs
27 April 1999
Washington - The Halifax Initiative, a Canadian coalition of social justice, development, faith and environment oganizations, is dismayed by the failure of the international financial institutions to remove structural adjustment conditionality as a requirement for implementation of their debt reduction program.

Government action on debts of poorest countries a progressive move
says Halifax Initiative Coalition, and backs Canada to take a stronger position at the World Bank, IMF.
For immediate release 28 March, 1999
Ottawa -- Today's announcement that Canada will cancel 100% of debts owed by the poorest countries in the world is welcomed by the Halifax Initiative, a national coalition of environment, development, social justice and faith groups.