October 27, 2003

October 22, 2003

Mr. Fraser Reilly-King
Halifax Initiative
153 Chapel Street, Ste 104
Ottawa ON KIN 1H5

Re: Compliance program file number 2236--1-1-2003

Dear Mr. Reilly-King:
With this letter, I would like to report to you the status of the compliance program review of your letter of complaint dated July 28, 2003.

To reiterate, in your letter, you alleged that Export Development Canada (EDC) "violated the spirit of its disclosure policy, environmental review directive [(ERD)] and Code of Business Ethics" in relation to the Cernavoda 2 nuclear power plant transaction in Romania. You set out specific sections of each policy and proffered substantiating information for the allegations of non-compliance. You saw my role "as interpreting these policies in ways that ensure that they are implemented to their best intent."

The case against Candu, if only Parliament would talk about it

Susan Riley
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien will be trying to sell more Candu nuclear reactors to China when he travels abroad next week. Which raises the question: When did we have the national debate on whether we should be continuing to promote nuclear power?

ECA-WATCH PRESS RELEASE

Click here for pdf

Significantly destructive projects that violate host country law, international environmental standards and international human rights and labor laws continue to be considered and supported by ECAs. "Race to the Bottom, Take II: An Assessment of Sustainable Development Achievements of ECA-Supported Projects Two Years After OECD Common Approaches Rev 6" presents a civil society proposal for reforming the OECD Common Approaches on Environment and supports the proposal with nine case studies of ECA-backed projects from all over the world.

The projects include the Aracruz Pulp and Paper Factory in Brazil, the BTC pipeline in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, the Bujagili dam in Uganda, the Camisea oil and gas project in Peru, the Cernavoda 2 Nuclear Reactor in Romania, the Sakhalin II oil and gas project in the Russian Far East, the Sepon Gold and Copper mine in Lao, the Tehri dam in India.

August 1, 2003

Mr. Fraser Reilly-King
Halifax Initiative
153 Chapel Street, Suite 104
Ottawa, ON  K1N 1H5

Dear Mr. Reilly-King

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 28, 2003, and enclosed documentation. I acknowledge that your letter was also copied to Darlene Pearson, Director, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Auditor General of Canada.

You do not note in  your letter whether you attempted to resolve your concerns with Export Development Canada (EDC) by any other means. You have referred the matter to ma as Compliance Officer for EDC.

Pursuant to the resolution guidelines, upon receipt of such a letter, I must conduct an initial appraisal of your concerns to establish whether they fall within the mandate of EDC’s Compliance Program.

July 28, 2003

Mr. Fraser Reilly-King
NGO Working Group on the EDC
Halifax Initaitive
104-153 Chapel Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 1H5

Dear Mr. Reilly-King:

Thank you for your letter of May 16, 2003, concerning the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Project in China. I regret the delay in replying to you.

Mr. Fraser Reilly-King
Coordinator
NGO Working Group on the EDC
Halifax Initiative

April 22nd, 2003
 
The Hon. David Anderson
Minister of the Environment

December 12, 2002

Mr. James Wolfensohn
President
The World Bank Group
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20433 U.S.A.

Dear Mr. Wolfensohn,

We are writing to express dismay at the recent Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman report on the MIGA guarantee of the Bulyanhulu gold mine and to request your urgent intervention.

The CAO is a mechanism that non-governmental organizations have pushed hard to establish. Your personal support for the initiative played a major role in ensuring that the CAO was established. As all parties have observed, the CAO's effectiveness rests on the respect and trust it enjoys amongst the public: integrity, transparency, even¬handedness and thoroughness are thus critical to all aspects of its work.