January 3, 2006

Mr. John Mihevc
Chair
Halifax Initiative Coalition
Suite 104, 153 Chapel Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 1H5

Dear Mr. Mihevc:

Thank you for your letter of September 12, 2005 regarding Canada's contributions to the global fight against poverty. I regret the delay of my reply.

The United Nations Millennium +5 Summit and the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) were extremely important opportunities to secure commitments to advance international efforts toward poverty alleviation. Canada was very active in the lead-up to these events and Canadian officials worked hard to ensure that there was no erosion of existing international commitments in the United Nations Summit Outcome document. In this, I believe, we were largely successful.

For pdf click here.

September 12, 2005

To receive debt reduction through the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), low- income countries must prepare of a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) to show how money freed up from debt servicing will be used to alleviate poverty. PRSPs describe the country's macroeconomic, structural and social policies and programmes to promote growth and reduce poverty, as well as outline associated external financing needs and major sources of financing. The World Bank and the IMF Board of Directors approve the PRSP produced in each country.

Internal Review Slams World Bank over Lapses at Guatemala Mine - Backgrounder

August 22, 2005

A forthcoming report by the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), a body responsible for conducting internal reviews at the World Bank’s private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), identifies glaring deficiencies in the due diligence the institution conducted for a controversial new gold-mining project in Guatemala. The project, currently under construction by Canadian company Glamis Gold in Guatemala’s indigenous western highlands, has been surrounded by controversy and conflict since before the IFC approved $45 million in support for the project in June 2004. In January of this year, a forty-day protest by local villagers worried about the mine’s potential environmental impacts ended in bloodshed as security forces clashed with protesters, resulting in one death and dozens of injuries.

G8 Debt Cancellation a Major Step - But G8 Leaders Still Have a Lot of Unfinished Business

The World Bank and Extractive Industries - The Divisive 'Demonstration Impact' of the Marlin Mine

The New President's Challenges ' Who's Going to Reform the World Bank?
This Wednesday Paul Wolfowitz will walk into an imposing glass and steel building on 18th Street in Washington, D.C. and start his first day in what could be the most challenging job he has ever held. As the 10th President in the 60-year history of the World Bank, Mr. Wolfowitz will have an unprecedented opportunity to help steer the direction of development as we rapidly move towards the Millennium Development Goal targets. 

His new position could allow him to help to truly bring opportunity, choice and prosperity to the poorest areas of the globe. But to do so he will have to confound his critics, defy skeptics and dramatically change both his approach to the international community and more importantly the attitude and engagement of the institution he now heads.

As Paul Wolfowitz begins work today (June 1) as the 10th President of the World Bank, 303 civil society groups from 6

May 31, 2005

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.