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Joint Civil Society Statement on IFC’s Draft Sustainability Framework
In December 2010, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) published the final proposed draft of its revised Sustainability Framework, which is intended to manage social and environmental risks associated with IFC activities. The undersigned civil society organisations are writing to express our deep concern that the current draft does not include adequate safeguards to ensure that the human rights of people and communities affected by IFC’s activities are respected and protected. Indeed, the removal of references to human rights that were included by IFC in its previous draft creates an impression that IFC is willing to pursue investment and development at the expense of human rights.
Commenting on The Social and Environmental Sustainability Policy, Performance Standards and Disclosure Policy
Introduction
The undersigned civil society organizations have prepared this joint submission to provide an overview of many of our concerns related to IFC’s Policy on Social and Environmental Sustainability, the Performance Standards, related guidance documents, and the Disclosure Policy. We believe these concerns should be explored and addressed further through IFC’s current consultation and review process.
Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Re: Forthcoming G-20 meeting on the global financial crisis
Dear Prime Minister:
As you head to London next week for the second Group of Twenty (G-20) meeting, we are writing to urge Canadian leadership on four key issues related to the impact of the financial crisis on poor countries that we feel have been neglected up until now.
To date, your government has focused primarily on addressing the immediate fallout of the financial crisis, and has taken steps to restore the flow of credit and consumer confidence, boost spending, and create jobs. Canada has also encouraged G-20 countries to avoid protectionist measures that will only exacerbate the current climate.
August 28, 2008
Mr. Robert B. Zoellick, President
World Bank Headquarters
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Dear Mr. Zoellick,
Re.: World Bank governance
That the world is at an historical crossroads is evidenced by the rise of powerful new global economies, financial crises in the US and Europe, the high prices for commodities most notably food and fuel, and the overwhelming climate change crisis. This reality has been recognized in numerous fora such as the recent Commonwealth Heads of State conference, which agreed that in the context of these global crises it is more important than ever to have ambitious reform of the international financial institutions.
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.
May 31, 2005
Mr. Gino Alzetta
Belgian Executive Director to the World Bank
Office of the British Executive Director to the World Bank
MC 12-041
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433, USA
Dear Mr. Alzetta,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us during the week of spring meetings, April 10th to the 16th. We appreciate the opportunity to share our concerns regarding World Bank Group (WBG) support for Glamis Gold's Marlin Mine in Guatemala. We are writing to: (i) update you on our conversations with the staff of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) during our meeting with them on Thursday April 14th; (ii) identify areas of ongoing concern, and; (iii) request your support in resolving problems surrounding this project.
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.
November 20, 2003
Mr. A. Ian Gillespie
President and CEO
Export Development Canada
151 O’Connor Street,
Ottawa, ON K1A 1K3
The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of International Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive, Tower B, 5th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
Dear Minister Pettigrew and Mr. Gillespie,
Thank you for forwarding me Rev. 2 of the OECD “Common Approaches on Environment and Officially Support Export Credits 2003.”
James Wolfensohn
President
World Bank
1818H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
USA
August 21, 2003
Dear Mr. Wolfensohn,
The fight against corruption is a central part of the World Bank mission to reduce poverty and improve the quality of people's lives.
The World Bank response to the loss of Acres International's appeal in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project of Friday, August 15th, 2003, will be indicative of how the World Bank approaches the fight against corruption.
We urge you to debar Acres International from future Bank-financed contracts. We also ask that all existing World Bank contracts with Acres be subject to review to determine whether Acres bid was carried out in a legal manner.
To: Mr. Callisto Madavo
Africa Region Vice President
World Bank
Mr. Peter Harrold,
Country Director for Ghana
World Bank
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.
Open letter to the G7 finance ministers
When the G7 heads of government met in Halifax in June 1995, leaders made a commitment to a series of measures to reform the Bretton Woods Institutions. The G7 called for the provision of multi-lateral debt relief for the poorest countries, the promotion of environmentally sustainable development and the reduction of poverty.
Seven years later, these promises are unfulfilled. The crisis of legitimacy confronting the World Bank and the IMF at the 50th anniversary of their creation led to the G7 to take up the reform of the international financial institutions (IFIs) in Halifax. As the G7 finance ministers return to Halifax, this question of legitimacy continues to haunt the institutions.
