Halifax Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of Canadian
non-governmental organization
s for public interest work and education on international financial institutions
.
Canadian non-governmental organizations formed the Halifax Initiative in December, 1994 to ensure that demands for fundamental reform of the international financial institutions (namely the World Bank
and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF)) would be high on the agenda of the upcoming June, 1995 Group of 7 meeting in Halifax.
The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of development, environment, faith-based, human rights and labour groups.
at the time of their 50th Anniversary. Canadian NGOs formed the Halifax Initiative in December 1994 to ensure that demands for fundamental reform of the international financial institutions (IFIs) were high on the agenda of the Group of 7's 1995 Halifax Summit.
Today, the Halifax Initiative is a coalition of 19 development, environment, faith-based, human rights and labour groups, and has established itself as the Canadian presence for public interest advocacy and education on IFI reform. Since their beginnings in 1994, they have worked through research, education, advocacy and alliance-building to fundamentally transform the international financial system and its institutions to achieve poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and an equitable re-distribution of wealth.
The coalition's work is focused on issues of:
Over the past fifteen years, the support of their members has proven essential to the success of meeting the Coalition's objectives.
, a form of capital control.
. The motion was originally brought forward by New Democratic Party
MP Lorne Nystrom
. The motion passed by a margin of 164 to 83, including that of 131 Liberal Party of Canada
members. As a result, discussions of the Tobin Tax reemerged in national referenda around the world and in United Nations
' studies, and lent growing support for global taxes.
, to take into account the environment and to disclose information to the public on the projects it supports. These changes came after over 130,000 Canadians demanded change in a letter-writing campaign facilitated by the Halifax Initiative.
During 2006/7, the Halifax Initiative participated in the multi-stakeholder Advisory Group to the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility
and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries (EDC). The participation of Halifax Initiative staff in the Advisory Group facilitated the inclusion of recommendations regarding EDC in the final, consensus-based report. Those recommendations concern the adoption of enhanced transparency, human rights and environmental policies by EDC.
The Halifax Initiative has been actively engaged in the mandate of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on business and human rights. In 2008, Halifax Initiative submitted an analysis on the human rights obligations of export credit agencies to the Special Representative, John Ruggie
. Mr. Ruggie acknowledged Halifax Initiative's work in this area and has called for enhanced human rights due diligence by export credit agencies.
. These projects were subsequently cancelled or suspended.
on international financial institutions
issues.
, privatization
, human rights
and international debt.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s for public interest work and education on international financial institutions
International financial institutions
International financial institutions are financial institutions that have been established by more than one country, and hence are subjects of international law. Their owners or shareholders are generally national governments, although other international institutions and other organisations...
.
Canadian non-governmental organizations formed the Halifax Initiative in December, 1994 to ensure that demands for fundamental reform of the international financial institutions (namely the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF)) would be high on the agenda of the upcoming June, 1995 Group of 7 meeting in Halifax.
The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of development, environment, faith-based, human rights and labour groups.
Members of the Halifax Initiative Coalition
- Development and Peace (Canada)Development and Peace (Canada)Development and Peace is the official international development arm of the Catholic Church in Canada. It is a member of Caritas Internationalis, and Halifax Initiative.-History:...
(Canadian Catholic Organization) - Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsCanadian Conference of Catholic BishopsThe Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is the national assembly of the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Canada. It was founded in 1943 and was officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. Since the Second Vatican Council, it became part of a worldwide network of Episcopal Conferences,...
, Social Affairs Office - Canadian Council for International Co-operation
- Canadian Friends of BurmaCanadian Friends of BurmaCanadian Friends of Burma is a federally incorporated, national non-governmental organization founded in 1991.- Objectives :...
- Canadian Labour CongressCanadian Labour CongressThe Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
- Canadian Auto WorkersCanadian Auto WorkersThe Canadian Auto Workers is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario's large auto plants of Windsor, Brampton, Oakville, St...
, Canada Social Justice Fund - Falls Brook Centre
- KAIROSKAIROSKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives is a Canadian faith-based ecumenical organization effecting social change through advocacy, education and research programs in: Ecological Justice, Economic Justice, Energy and Extraction, Human Rights, Just and Sustainable Livelihoods, and Indigenous...
: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives - MiningWatch Canada
- The North-South InstituteThe North-South InstituteThe North-South Institute is a Canadian research institute focused on international development.The Institute's website says that it is "dedicated to eradicating global poverty and enhancing social justice through research which promotes international cooperation, democratic governance, and...
- Oxfam CanadaOxfam CanadaOxfam Canada, founded in 1963, is an international development agency based in Canada, and is a registered charity . It has offices throughout Canada and works with partner organizations in Africa, Asia and the Americas...
- Oxfam Québec
- RESULTS Canada
- Rights & Democracy
- Social Justice Committee
- Steelworkers, Humanity Fund
- World Inter-Action Mond
History
The Halifax Initiative Coalition was formed in the context of an international movement of non-governmental organizations focused on evaluating the role and record of the Bretton Woods InstitutionsBretton Woods system
The Bretton Woods system of monetary management established the rules for commercial and financial relations among the world's major industrial states in the mid 20th century...
at the time of their 50th Anniversary. Canadian NGOs formed the Halifax Initiative in December 1994 to ensure that demands for fundamental reform of the international financial institutions (IFIs) were high on the agenda of the Group of 7's 1995 Halifax Summit.
Today, the Halifax Initiative is a coalition of 19 development, environment, faith-based, human rights and labour groups, and has established itself as the Canadian presence for public interest advocacy and education on IFI reform. Since their beginnings in 1994, they have worked through research, education, advocacy and alliance-building to fundamentally transform the international financial system and its institutions to achieve poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and an equitable re-distribution of wealth.
The coalition's work is focused on issues of:
- debt cancellation (developing countries' debtDeveloping countries' debtThe debt of developing countries is external debt incurred by governments of developing countries, generally in quantities beyond the governments' political ability to repay...
) and conditionality; - the reform of the World Bank, the IMF and export credit agencies’ social, environmental and human rights policies and practice, with an emphasis on the mining and resource extraction sectors;
- halting structural adjustmentStructural adjustmentStructural adjustments are the policies implemented by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in developing countries. These policy changes are conditions for getting new loans from the International Monetary Fund or World Bank, or for obtaining lower interest rates on existing loans...
programmes, with a focus on forced privatizationPrivatizationPrivatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
; and - mechanisms designed to control international currency speculation.
Over the past fifteen years, the support of their members has proven essential to the success of meeting the Coalition's objectives.
Key achievements
Since December 1994, the Halifax Initiative has built public and policy-maker support for reform of IFIs. Some results from their efforts include the following:Debt
Canada was the first among the Group of 7 to cancel the debt of some of the poorest and most indebted countries, and played a key role in deepening debt relief offered by the World Bank and the IMF.World Bank accountability
Halifax Initiative has also been involved in World Bank accountability. Canada was instrumental in the revival of the Inspection Panel in 1999 and in the creation of the Independent Evaluation Office of the IMF in 2000, two key mechanisms for increasing public accountability in the Institutions.Global financial architecture
Canada’s played a leadership role internationally in fostering debate over the reform of the global financial system, in recognition of the severe limitations of the IMF's ability to provide global economic stability. For example, Canada’s promoted emergency stand-still clauses, the creation of the G-20, and gave its support for the Tobin taxTobin tax
A Tobin tax, suggested by Nobel Laureate economist James Tobin, was originally defined as a tax on all spot conversions of one currency into another...
, a form of capital control.
Tobin tax work
On March 23, 1999, due in part to the Halifax Initiative work with Members of Parliament, members from all five political parties contributed to a vote which passed a private member motion on the Tobin taxTobin tax
A Tobin tax, suggested by Nobel Laureate economist James Tobin, was originally defined as a tax on all spot conversions of one currency into another...
. The motion was originally brought forward by New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
MP Lorne Nystrom
Lorne Nystrom
Lorne Edmund Nystrom, PC a Canadian politician, was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1993 when he lost his reelection bid. He returned to parliament in 1997 and served until 2004...
. The motion passed by a margin of 164 to 83, including that of 131 Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
members. As a result, discussions of the Tobin Tax reemerged in national referenda around the world and in United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' studies, and lent growing support for global taxes.
Export credit agencies
Halifax Initiative has also done work in relation to export credit agencies. In recent years, the Canadian government adopted legislation that requires Canada’s export credit agency (ECA), Export Development CanadaExport Development Canada
Export Development Canada is Canada's export credit agency. It is a Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada, which provides financing and risk management services to Canadian exporters and investors in up to 200 markets worldwide, with spread across all provinces in Canada, and...
, to take into account the environment and to disclose information to the public on the projects it supports. These changes came after over 130,000 Canadians demanded change in a letter-writing campaign facilitated by the Halifax Initiative.
During 2006/7, the Halifax Initiative participated in the multi-stakeholder Advisory Group to the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries (EDC). The participation of Halifax Initiative staff in the Advisory Group facilitated the inclusion of recommendations regarding EDC in the final, consensus-based report. Those recommendations concern the adoption of enhanced transparency, human rights and environmental policies by EDC.
The Halifax Initiative has been actively engaged in the mandate of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on business and human rights. In 2008, Halifax Initiative submitted an analysis on the human rights obligations of export credit agencies to the Special Representative, John Ruggie
John Ruggie
John Gerard Ruggie is the Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights and International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and Affiliated Professor in International Legal Studies at Harvard Law School...
. Mr. Ruggie acknowledged Halifax Initiative's work in this area and has called for enhanced human rights due diligence by export credit agencies.
Projects considered unworthy by the Halifax Initiative
The Halifax Initiative worked on advocacy and media work around the Western China Poverty Reduction Project, and the Alumysa Aluminum smelter in PatagoniaPatagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
. These projects were subsequently cancelled or suspended.
Relations between civil society and the Government of Canada
Among other things, Halifax Initiative institutionalized bi-annual civil society consultations with the Finance MinisterMinister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
on international financial institutions
International financial institutions
International financial institutions are financial institutions that have been established by more than one country, and hence are subjects of international law. Their owners or shareholders are generally national governments, although other international institutions and other organisations...
issues.
Public debate in Canada
Halifax Initiative has informed thousands of Canadians through their Teach-Ins, film-screenings, conferences, tours and press releases about issues related to and including the World Bank, IMF, G20, G8G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
, privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and international debt.