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- CSOs urge ADB to deny Philippine loan for E-trikes
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| Hon. James Flaherty Minister of Finance Department of Finance Canada 140 O’Connor Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0G5 |
Hon. Lawrence Cannon Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 125 Sussex Drive Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2 |
1st February 2010
Ref: Immediate debt cancellation for Haiti
Dear Ministers Flaherty and Cannon,
We are writing to commend the government’s efforts to date to mobilise emergency assistance for disaster relief in Haiti and for speaking to the urgency and importance of debt cancellation for the country. The call to cancel Haiti’s remaining multilateral debt, including last week’s highly concessional $102 million loan from the IMF, benefits from a strong Canadian voice. We urge you to keep demonstrating such leadership in the government’s interventions at the Bretton Woods Institutions, and at Haiti’s largest multilateral creditor, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
December 22, 2008
The Honourable James Flaherty
Minister of Finance
Department of Finance Canada
140 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G5
Dear Minister Flaherty:
Re: 2008 consultation with respect to the “Official Development Assistance Accountability Act”
Letter to Minister Flaherty Re: Cancelling Haiti's bi-lateral and multi-lateral debt - June 12, 2008
12 June 2008
Hon. Minister Christine Lagarde Hon. Minister Giulio Tremonti,
Hon. Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Hon. Minister Peer Steinbrück Hon. Minister Jim Flaherty
Hon. Henry Paulson Jr., Secretary of the Treasury
Hon. Minister Fukushiro Nukaga Hon. Minister Alexei Kudrin
Re: Open letter to G8 Finance Ministers calling for immediate debt cancellation for Haiti
The undersigned civil society organizations from the Group of Eight (G8) nations and other European organizations urge all G8 Governments to support immediate multilateral and bilateral debt cancellation for Haiti or a moratorium on all debt service payments until such a time as the debt is cancelled.
May 22, 2007
The Honourable James Flaherty
Minister of Finance
Department of Finance Canada
140 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G5
Re: 2006 Annual report to Parliament on the Bretton Woods Institutions
Dear Minister Flaherty:
We would like to firstly congratulate you on the new 2006 Annual Report to Parliament on the Bretton Woods Institutions. We are pleased that some of the concerns we raised in previous meetings with Finance are reflected in the new format and content of the Report.
As in past years, the Halifax Initiative Coalition has developed a report card on this year’s annual report. The report card evaluates the transparency and accountability of Finance Canada to Parliamentarians. It does not assess the performance of the international financial institutions in these areas. We are pleased to enclose a copy for your records.
January 31, 2007
The Honourable James Flaherty
Minister of Finance
Department of Finance Canada
140 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G5
Re: Annual report to Parliament on the Bretton Woods Institutions
Dear Minister Flaherty:
We would like to thank you for taking the initiative to revise the Annual Report to Parliament on the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs), and would ask that you convey our appreciation to the staff of the International Institutions branch of Finance Canada for consulting civil society on this matter. Those who were able to attend the meeting were encouraged by the proposed changes to the content and format of the report.
December 15, 2005
The Honourable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Finance
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON,
K1A 0H5
Dear Minister Goodale,
The IMF is proposing to delay debt cancellation for 6 of the 18 countries that have already reached HIPC Completion Point. The IMF Board will decide to accept or reject the staff recommendation to further require 6 countries to undertake structural reforms next Wednesday.
We applauded your efforts in July and again in September to ensure that countries at, or upon reaching World Bank and International Monetary Fund "Completion Point" would receive immediate full cancellation of debts owed to the IMF, International Development Association and African Development Fund. The IMF is now proposing that at least 6 of the 18 have to wait to receive immediate debt cancellation until they further restructure their economies as per IMF advice.
Recieved December 21, 2005.
2005FIN174335
Mr. Graham Saul
International Program Director
Friends of the Earth Canada
Co-Chair of the Halifax Initiative Coalition
153 Chapel Street
Ottawa, ON KIN 1H5
Dear Mr. Saul:
Thank you for your correspondence of November 1, 2005 regarding the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) revision of its environmental and social safeguard policies.
The IFC's Policy and Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability are of fundamental importance not only for the operations of the IFC, but more broadly for the lead role that the IFC plays in setting standards for the private sector worldwide. Recognizing the importance of this IFC review, the Department of Finance has consulted closely with other government departments as well as with interested non-governmental organizations to formulate its recommendations.
March 17, 2005
The Honourable Ralph Goodale M.P., P.C.,
Minister of Finance
140 O'Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G5
Via Fax: 995-5176
RE: Canadian NGOs Call for the Government of Canada to Oppose the Nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to the position of President of the World Bank
Dear Minister Goodale,
We are writing to express our strong concern with the nomination by the US government of Paul Wolfowitz to become the next President of the World Bank. We call on the Government of Canada to direct its Executive Director to the World Bank, Marcel Massé to strongly oppose the nomination and to vote against it.
Recieved July 8, 2005
Mr. John Mihevc
Chair
Halifax Initiative Coalition
104 - 153 Chapel Street
Ottawa, Ontario KIN 1H5
Dear Mr. Mihevc:
As Minister of International Cooperation, I am pleased to respond to your letter to the Prime Minister, concerning Canada's international assistance efforts.
Financial taxes are complex matters, especially when they are meant to generate additional revenues for development and not, like past proposals such as the Tobin tax, to reduce market volatility. This is why my colleague, the Honourable Ralph E. Goodale, Minister of Finance, and I requested, at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings last October, that their staff conduct technical studies on the potential impact of various innovative financing proposals.
April 8, 2005
2005FIN153718
Mr. John Mihevc and co-signatories
Chair
Halifax initiative Coalition
104-153 Chapel Street
Ottawa, ON KIN 1H5
Dear Mr. Mihevc and co-signatories:
Thank you for your correspondence of January 28, 2005 regarding debt relief, additional financing and other development issues. I apologize for the delay of my reply.
SEP 28 2004
Mr. John Mihevc Chair
Halifax Initiative Coalition
104-153 Chapel Street
Ottawa, Ontario
KIN 1H5
Dear Mr. Mihevc:
Thank you for your letter in which you raised the issues of International Development Association (IDA) governance, debt relief and the independent review of the World Bank's role in extractive industries. With respect to the latter issue, I understand that my officials have been corresponding with the Halifax Initiative on your concerns.
July 6, 2004
The Honourable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Finance
L'Esplanade Laurier, East Tower, 21st Floor
140 O'Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G5
RE: Request for Canada to call for an extension of EIR Comment Period
Dear Minister Goodale,
On June 18, the World Bank Group Management released Draft Management Responses to the World Bank Group Extractive Industries Review, the OED/OEG/OEU Evaluation of Extractive Industries, and the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman Report. We appreciate that the World Bank Board requested the release of these documents for public comments.
Unfortunately, these drafts were available only in English during almost half of the allotted comment period. Ironically, one of the key recommendations in all three reports is to continue to improve public participation and access to information on various different levels.
The Honourable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Finance
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien
The following letter was sent to the Prime Minister with copies to the Finance Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister on March 14, 2002. It was signed by leaders representing over 100 Canadian development, social justice, labour and faith organizations.
The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Centre Block, 309-S
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
March 14, 2002
Dear Prime Minister,
We are writing to you, as representatives of Canadian non-governmental organizations, to express our dismay at the proposed outcomes of the UN Financing for Development process and Canada’s role in the negotiations leading to it. We call urgently for renewed leadership on the road to Kananaskis.
October 8, 1999
Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Minister for International Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0G2
By FAX: 996-8924
Eight pages including this page
Dear Minister Pettigrew,
This letter contains the formal response of the Working Group on the EDC to the Report on the Review of the Export Development Act, conducted by the firm Gowling, Strathy & Henderson.
The Working Group on the EDC is a coalition of Canadian non-governmental organizations concerned about the human and environmental impact of export financing agencies. The Working Group, which is a project of the Halifax Initiative, promotes adherence by export credit agencies, particularly the Export Development Corporation, to internationally accepted standards regarding human rights, environment and sustainable development.
