Sep 24 2004

Mr. John Mihevc Chair

Halifax Initiative Coalition

104-153 Chapel Street Ottawa, Ontario

KIN 1H5

Dear Mr. Mihevc:

PDF Version of letter available here

August 10, 2004

The Honourable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Finance
140 O'Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G5
Fax: 995-5176

RE: Cancellation of the NGO/PRESS Pass for the Fall Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund

Dear Minister Goodale,

We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the decision to exclude civil society from participation in the Fall meetings of the 60th anniversary of the Bretton Woods institution by canceling the NGO/PRESS pass. By canceling the NGO/PRESS pass the Bretton Woods institutions are restriction of the access of legitimate alternative voices and denying the hard fought rights of citizens in a democracy to an open and free press.

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.

Submitted to Department of Finance and CIDA before World Bank discussions at Fall 2003 meetings on Enhancing Voice and Participation of Developing Countries.

The Case for a New and Improved International Development Association

This discussion paper proposes that the International Development Association of the World Bank be transformed into an independent Secretariat that would act as a mechanism for disbursing development financing to the poorest countries. IDA-eligible countries could approach the IDA Secretariat for programme/project grant financing, in cooperation, if they choose, with one or more implementing agencies. Implementing agencies could include UN agencies, civil society and the multilateral development banks, dependent on priorities.

Follow-up brief to MPs who attended a Parliament Hill discussion on privatization, hosted by the Honourable Larry Bagnell, MP for the Yukon Territory. Other MPs in attendance included: Peter Adams, Alexa McDonough, Peter Stoffer, Alan Tonks and Judy Wasylycia-Lies. Legislative staff also attended from the offices of the Honourable Charles Caccia, the Honourable Irwin Cotler, Libby Davies and Brian Masse.

Revised - June 18 2003

Structural Adjustment in Canada
Most Canadians would be surprised to learn that economists from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) annually visit Canada to dispense advice. We tend to think of the IMF as an institution that prescribes strong medicine, known as Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), only to less developed countries. In fact our governments regularly follow the same bitter prescriptions.
 
In 1990 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney boldly declared that Canada needed to undergo structural adjustment which he promised to deliver through free trade agreements with the US and Mexico and harsh spending cuts. Little changed when the Liberals came to power. Much of the content of Finance Minister Paul Martin’s crucial 1995 budget that slashed our social safety net followed directives that came straight from the IMF.
 

The Honourable John Manley
Minister of Finance House of Commons
Ottawa, K1A 0A6

July 19, 2002

Dear Minister Manley,

Southern Africa is facing its worst food crisis in over a decade, with millions of people facing starvation. The UN World Food Programme has launched an emergency appeal for assistance, and Canada is responding promptly and generously.

As development, human rights, church and environmental organizations, our concern extends beyond the need for emergency aid. We are dismayed to see millions of dollars continue to be taken out of the region by creditors like the World Bank.

The Problem
The on-going debt crisis of developing countries is integral to the perpetuation of an unjust economic system, one that concentrates wealth and power in the hands of a few. EVERY SINGLE DAY in 1999, $128 million was transferred from the poorest countries to the richest in debt repayments. For every one dollar in aid to developing countries, more than seven dollars comes back to rich countries in the form of debt servicing.