IFI policies and positions

Dean Baker, Co-Director, Centre for Economic and Policy Research

2010 G8/G20 Canadian Civil Society Coordinating Committee
Parliamentary Roundtables on the G8/G20 Agendas

Roundtable 2: The Global Financial Crisis

Monday, April 26th, 2010 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Room 2-2, National Press Building, 165 Sparks Street, Ottawa

HI Resource Types: 

Roundtable 2: The Global Financial Crisis

2010 G8/G20 Canadian Civil Society Coordinating Committee
Parliamentary Roundtables on the G8/G20 Agendas

Roundtable 2: The Global Financial Crisis

Monday, April 26th, 2010 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Room 2-2, National Press Building, 165 Sparks Street, Ottawa

HI Resource Types: 

Monthly Issue Update - April 30, 2010

IMF, European Union look to bail out Greece
Greece’s debt crisis is finally coming to a head, with International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans to deal with the country’s deficit and heavy debt load being hammered out in Athens. The European Union and the IMF are negotiating the terms of a bailout as fears mount that Greece’s crisis could soon spread to other countries in Europe and beyond. Other nations carrying significant debt loads, including the United States, are concerned that the Greek crisis is a harbinger of things to come, closer to home.

Fifteen years is enough - March 2010

Fifteen years is enoughWhat’s changed in the international financial system and its institutions, what hasn’t and what needs to

Executive Summary
Back in 1995, the G7 met in Halifax during a “time of change and opportunity.” The meeting took place in a context of mounting deficits and debt crises in countries in the South; in the wake of economic collapse in Mexico; and amid strong global criticism from civil society, the media and governments about the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) austere neo-liberal structural adjustment policies.

A lot has changed since then, partly in response to the Halifax G7 Summit and subsequent G7 and G8 meetings. Too many of these improvements, however, exist only on paper. Beyond the surface, the neo-liberal, market-oriented bias that guides the Bank and Fund’s agenda and thinking has not altered.

The 2010 G8 Summit in Toronto in 2010 takes place during another “time of change and opportunity.” The financial crisis has spurred many civil society organizations (CSOs) to insist on far-reaching changes to the global financial system and its institutions. Clearly, as this publication will illustrate, 15 years of refusing to deal with the manifest shortcomings of the global economic system is enough.

Event: Parliamentary roundtables on the G8/G20 Agendas - April 20, 26 and 27, 2010

Parliamentary Roundtables on the G8/G20 Agendas

2010 is an important and unique moment for Parliamentarians to engage with Canadians on some of the most important global issues facing our planet and our future.  On June 25th, 2010, Canada will play host to leaders from the Group of Eight countries in Muskoka, followed by a meeting of G20 leaders in Toronto on June 26-27.

To date, there has been little discussion among parliamentarians about the themes leading up to the 2010 summits, and Canadian civil society is looking to engage members from all parties in a discussion around some of the issues highlighted in our civil society platform, An Agenda for Global Development: G8/G20 Civil Society Coalition Platform, endorsed by over 60 organizations across the country.  The platform discusses specific, measurable, realistic recommendations to put poverty eradication, economic recovery for all and environmental justice at the centre of the international agenda.

To facilitate the conversation, Canadian civil society is organizing three parliamentary roundtables to discuss party perspectives on climate change, the financial crisis and the millennium development goals (MDGs). The Roundtables will occur as the G20 Finance Ministers meet in Washington, as G8 Development Ministers meet in Halifax and as Canada hosts the Africa Partnership Forum in Toronto.

Roundtable 1: Climate change
When:     Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 - 9:00 am –11:00 am
Where:    Room 2-2, Booth Building, 165 Sparks Street, Ottawa

Roundtable 2: Global financial crisis
When:     Monday, April 26th, 2010 - 5:00 pm –7:00 pm
Where:    Room 2-2, Booth Building, 165 Sparks Street, Ottawa

Roundtable 3: Millennium Development Goals
When:     Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 - 9:00am –11:00am
Where:    Room 2-2, Booth Building, 165 Sparks Street, Ottawa

ROUNDTABLE DETAILS

Canadian G8 G20 Civil Society Platform

Roundtable Agendas

Moderator, MP and Expert Bios 

Podcasts

Civil society organizations demand reform of World Bank Group lending to private corporations

Submission by Civil Society Organizations to the International Finance Corporation

Commenting on The Social and Environmental Sustainability Policy, Performance Standards and Disclosure Policy

11 March 2010
 

Introduction

The undersigned civil society organizations have prepared this joint submission to provide an overview of many of our concerns related to IFC’s Policy on Social and Environmental Sustainability, the Performance Standards, related guidance documents, and the Disclosure Policy. We believe these concerns should be explored and addressed further through IFC’s current consultation and review process.

Policy Paper: What’s missing in the response to the global financial crisis? - January 2010

Rethinking the international financial system during a time of crisis

Introduction
On October 19 and 20, 2009, the Halifax Initiative held a conference, co-hosted by The North South Institute, the University of Ottawa and the School of International Development and Global Studies (SIDGS), entitled "What’s Missing in the Response to the Global Financial Crisis?" The meeting brought together experts from a range of backgrounds to analyze the challenges facing the global economy, discuss the ways in which the international community has responded to the current financial crisis, and identify shortcomings in these responses.

Monthly Issue Update - January 31, 2010

CSOs push for Common Approaches revamp
Members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are currently reviewing a 2007 Council Recommendation regarding export credit agency (ECA) operations. The Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits (Common Approaches) is a “gentlemen’s agreement” that seeks to establish a level playing field regarding ECA environmental practice. CSOs argue that the Recommendation’s impact is undermined by the lack of effective accountability mechanisms to ensure consistent and effective application by member governments.

Gordon Betcherman

Governance and institution - Global economic governance in crisis: new players, new power

Moderator: Gordon Betcherman, Professor, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa

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