March 29, 2005
The Right Honourable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2
RE: Canadian NGOs Call on Canada to Vote Against the US Nomination for Next World Bank President.
Dear Prime Minister,
We the undersigned organizations find Paul Wolfowitz to be an unsuitable candidate for the next president of the World Bank. We call on the Government of Canada to oppose the U.S. nomination and instruct the Executive Director, Marcel Mass', to vote against Mr. Wolfowitz's nomination.
The current US nominee illustrates the need for fundamental reform of the selection process of the World Bank and IMF. The World Bank stands at a critical juncture. The Government of Canada cannot stand at the sidelines of the selection process. The government has a responsibility to clearly, publicly and strongly voice the need for fundamental reform of the selection process for the World Bank president.
Canada must ensure that an appropriate and democratically chosen candidate for the position is advanced and vote against the current nominee.
[Signed]
John Mihevc, Chair
Halifax Initiative Coalition
Cc: Hon. Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance
Hon. Aileen Carroll, Minister of International Cooperation
Mr. Marcel Mass', Executive Director for Canada, World Bank
Halifax Initiative Coalition members:
| Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Social Affairs Office Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) Canadian Friends of Burma Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR) CAW - Canada CoDevelopment Canada C U S O Democracy Watch Falls Brook Centre |
Friends of the Earth Canada KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives MiningWatch Canada North-South Institute Oxfam Canada RESULTS Canada Rights & Democracy Sierra Club of Canada Nuclear Campaign Social Justice Committee Steelworkers Humanity Fund Toronto Environmental Alliance World Interaction Mondiale |
Other organizations that have endorsed this letter:
| Alberta Council for Global Cooperation Blue Planet Project Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation (CIIAN) Canadian Lutheran World Relief Canadian Pugwash Group Executive Council of Canadians Interagency Coalition on Aids and Development (ICAD) One Sky - Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living |
Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Partnership Africa Canada Peterborough Coalition for Social Justice Polaris Institute Students Against Global AIDS UPA D'veloppement international (UPA DI) World Federalist Movement - Canada (WFMC) |