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• Monthly Issue Update - April 30, 2008 - 2008/05/01
  Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month: *Global food crisis, Bank and IMF respond *US Congress passes new bill on debt cancellation *Ruggie focuses spotlight on export credit agencies *Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events
  
  JUST THE FACTS: The new IMF quota deal – much ado about nothing?
• Letter to Eric Siegel, President and CEO, Export Development Canada, regarding the Tenke Fungurume concession in the DRC - 2008/04/25
  The Mining Contract Review Commission, an inter-ministerial body established by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to review numerous contracts that were awarded to mining companies between 1996 and 2005, recently released its assessment. The Commission concludes that the mining contract governing the Tenke Fungurume project is illegal and calls for its annulment. EDC is currently considering backing the project. This letter calls on EDC to immediately dismiss the application for support.
• Final Report: Changing Face of Global Development Finance (April 2008) - 2008/04/24
  This Final Report on "The Changing Face of Global Development Finance - Impacts and implications for aid, development, the South and the Bretton Woods Institutions", includes a summary of the presentations and discussions from the Halifax Initiative conference on February 1st and 2nd, 2008.
  
  Background reading, glossary of terms, the final agenda, speaker biographies, participants’ list, and presentations and speeches for the meeting are also available on the conference web site .
• Report Card on Finance Canada's 2007 Annual Report to Parliament on the BWIs (April 2008) - 2008/04/14
  For the past four years the Halifax Initiative Coalition has produced report cards on the annual reports to Parliament on the World Bank and IMF. In general, the 2007 Annual Report marks a substantial improvement over the 2005 and 2006 annual reports, both in format and in particular, in content. In all, the new medium term framework does a much better job of articulating a more coherent and consistent government strategy for the Bank and Fund, and providing benchmarks against which to evaluate the government’s performance in the coming years. Next year’s annual report would do well to include indicators against which to measure, more clearly, success in meeting these goals.
  Grade: B+
• Monthly Issue Update - March 31, 2008 - 2008/04/01
  Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month: *Innovative financing for development gets boost *EDC must reject Tenke *IMF begins drafting code for sovereign wealth funds * Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events
  JUST THE FACTS: What are sovereign wealth funds?
• Letter to Mnister Flaherty re peer review under the OECD Common Approaches - March 28, 2008 - 2008/03/28
  This letter urges Minister Flaherty to support the adoption, by the OECD Export Credit Group, of a peer review system regarding implementation of the 2007 OECD Revised Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits. The letter includes a proposal for a peer review system developed by ECA-Watch.
• Monthly Issue Update - February 29, 2008 - 2008/02/29
  Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month: *The changing face of global development finance *DRC government calls for contract renegotiation *“Responsible lending” key theme for 2008 *Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events
  JUST THE FACTS: Responsible lending – responsible to whom and for what?
• Op-Ed: February 29, 2008 - 2008/02/29
  At home and abroad, Canadian companies should have the same human-rights and environmental standards

  Our mining and oil and gas interests shouldn't act like a foreign fox in an overseas hen house (Globe & Mail)

• Letter to UN Secretary-General on external debt - February 29, 2008 - 2008/02/29
  At the end of this year, governments of the world will meet in Doha, Qatar to evaluate progress in implementing the Monterrey Consensus. One of the critical elements of this consensus is the issue of external debt and its role in financing for development. This letter highlights the critical policy issues around external debt today.
• Monthly Issue Update - January 31, 2008 - 2008/02/06
  Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month:
  *Corruption back on the Bank’s agenda? *Halt Canadian mining project, says National Ombudsman *Conditionality prevails at IMF, despite “streamlining” *Financing for Development discussion en route *Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events
  JUST THE FACTS: Draft Financing for Development (FfD) Calendar
• Export Credit Agencies and the International Law of Human Rights - January 2008 - 2008/01/24
  This paper was prepared to inform the mandate of the Special Representative of the United National Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights. The paper argues that currently, state obligations under international law are not being met in the provision of officially-supported export credit and investment insurance services. The paper provides recommendations for home states regarding export credit agencies and international human rights.
• Monthly Issue Update - December 21, 2007 - 2007/12/21
  Every month, the Halifax Initiative produces a monthly update on various issues related to the international financial system and its institutions. This month:*Increased donor funding boosts Bank, ignores bad policies *Notice Board, new publications and upcoming events

  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!