Halifax Initiative

October 8, 2001

Mr. James Wolfensohn
President
World Bank Group
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20433

Dear President Wolfensohn:

We write to you today, regarding your commitment to an independent review of  the World Bank Group's support of extractive industries. In your statements in Prague you offered that the Bank Group would engage in a serious analysis  of the pros and cons of these industries, similar to the World Commission on Dams (WCD).

February 8, 2001

Hon. Paul Martin, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Finance House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Martin:

On behalf of the Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative and the Halifax Initiative Coalition, we wish to congratulate you on your decision to place a moratorium on the debt servicing re-quirements of eleven of the world's most heavily indebted poor countries. We believe that this measure, in the spirit of Jubilee, is a welcome contribution to ending the Third World debt crisis. Over the past two years Canada's leadership has played no small part in similar initia-tives by the UK, the US and France. Your initiative indicates to us a willingness to hear the concerns and arguments that we have expressed to you in person and through the petitions and letters of hundreds of thousands of Canadians who believe that it is time to give the poorest countries a new beginning.

Terrie O’Leary
Executive Director for Canada
World Bank
1818 H Street
Washington D.C.

12 July, 2000

Dear Ms. O’Leary,

I am writing to express our pleasure that the Board of Directors of the World Bank has cancelled its support for the Qinghai component of the Western China Poverty Reduction Project. This cancellation sends a much needed signal, following the approval of the Chad-Cameroon Oil and Pipeline project, that the Board will work to ensure that the World Bank accountability mechanisms are used to screen out projects that cannot meet even its own participatory, sustainable development standards.

Terrie O'Leary
Executive Director for Canada
World Bank, Room D12081
701 19th Street
Washington, DC, 20433

May 20, 2000

Dear Ms. O. Leary,

First, on behalf of the Halifax Initiative Coalition and our international allies, thank-you very much for meeting with us, following the Spring meetings. We appreciate every opportunity to exchange views on issues with you.

I am writing today to formally express our concerns over the proposed Chad-Cameroon Oil and Pipeline project, due for Board consideration on Tuesday, May 23rd. As you know, Directors have been asked to request that the Board be given one more month to review issues and documents related to this project.