18 years 4 weeks ago.   Corporate accountability, Transparency and disclosure.   Norway cancels illegitimate debt On October 2, in an unprecedented move, Norway's International Development Minister, Erik Solheim, announced that the Norwegian government would unilaterally and unconditionally cancel US$80 million (NOK520 million) of illegitimate bilateral debt held by Ecuador, Egypt, Jamaica, Peru and Sierra Leone. Acknowledging that these debts stemmed from a “development policy failure”, Oslo also accepted that as a creditor country it had a shared responsibility for the debts. Furthermore, the cancellation will not form part of Norway’s Overseas Development Assistance, meaning that it will be additional to current aid spending.   Read more ...

18 years 1 month ago.   Corporate accountability, Government of Canada policies and positions.   THE GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTERCanadian Institute for Business and the EnvironmentFisherville, Ontario, CanadaTel. 416 410-0432, Fax: 416 362-5231   Read more ...

18 years 1 month ago.   Human rights.   http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=21228 Chronicles Mining controversies fly under the radar By Terry Glavin Publish Date: 12-Oct-2006 Last month, in Ecuador's Imbabura province, "ecoterrorists" kidnapped seven technical staff associated with the Vancouver-based mining company Ascendant Copper. Two of the workers escaped almost immediately; three were released the following day, and the last two hostages were freed after a four-day standoff, but only after 60 police officers moved in. The result was the arrest and conviction of two radicals from an extremist organization operating in the mountains.   Read more ...

18 years 1 month ago.   Human rights.   Canadian miners, explorers taken to task by African NGOs By: Rodrick Mukumbira Posted: '09-OCT-06 10:00' GMT © Mineweb 1997-2006 WINDHOEK (Mineweb.com) --A call has been made to the Canadian government by African civil society organisations for it to regulate Canadian mining companies operating internationally.   Read more ...