MPs, CSOs demand government response to Consensus Report on Extractives
Earlier editions of this publication reported on the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries (See IU Vol. I No 10; Vol. II Nos 6, 9, 11; Vol. III, Nos 3 and 6). The cross-country consultation process was a constructive, multi-stakeholder dialogue on the overseas operations of Canadian oil, gas and mining companies. Remarkably, it culminated with the release of a consensus-based action plan for the Canadian government to improve the accountability of Canadian extractive companies overseas. The plan, which is outlined in the Advisory Group Final Report, was endorsed by participating representatives from industry, civil society and academia. That was in March. Eight months later, there is still no response from the federal government.

For Immediate Release – November 7, 2007

International Appeal for the Publication of the Final Report of the Ministerial Commission on the Review of Mining Contracts in the Democratic Republic of Congo

November 5, 2007

Ms. Karyn Keenan
Program Officer
Halifax Initiative
104-153 Chapel Street
Ottawa ON KIN 1H5

Dear Ms. Keenan:

This is in response to your letter of September 17. Your letter contains many questions and comments which I will answer by focusing on the key issues that you raise.

The first issue raised refers to Export Development Canada’s practices related to public consultations and whether this is a requirement of our environmental review process.

World Bank’s long term strategy – business as usual?
100 days into his term, World Bank President Bob Zoellick has outlined his vision for an inclusive and sustainable globalization that seeks to “overcome poverty [and] enhance growth with care for the environment”. Importantly, it also seeks to better integrate the activities of the World Bank Group (WBG) and build a more financially robust and flexible institution. And it occurs at a time when the Bank is desperate to recapture new borrowers and build new markets in an environment that has a wealth of new sources of development finance.

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Rosemarie Boyle
Vice-President
Corporate Communications and External Relations
Export Development Canada
151 O’Connor St.
Ottawa, ON
K1A 1K3

September 17, 2007

Dear Ms. Boyle:

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Mr. Eric Siegel
President and Chief Executive Officer
Export Development Canada
151 O’Connor St.
Ottawa, ON
K1A 1K3

June 8, 2007

Re: EDC workshop on socially responsible mining practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Dear Mr. Siegel,

We would like to thank Export Development Canada for including the Halifax Initiative Coalition and Entraide missionnaire in its recent multi-stakeholder workshop on “how to best support the mining industry in the DRC.”  We were pleased to participate in this important discussion with representatives of the Canadian mining industry, Canadian government, consultants, international financial institutions and EDC, among others.

On April 26th, NSI President, Roy Culpeper, and KAIROS Canada's Global Economic Justice Coordinator, presented their views on the issues raised by the Government’s annual report on the Bretton Woods Organizations (the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank) before members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (SFAIT).  The meeting was called by the Standing Committee in response to a request by the Halifax Initiative Coalition. 

Beyond Wolfowitz: merit and leadership at the World Bank