Forum Newsletter

Preparations underway for 4th International Conference on Federalism

In preparation for the Fourth International Conference on Federalism, to be held in New Delhi in November 2007, the Government of India's Inter-State Council Secretariat and the Forum of Federations organized a Theme Coordinators Work Session from April 28 to April 30th. The Inter-State Council Secretariat hosted the New Delhi event.

A delegation consisting of Indian and International experts led by Shri S.Laskhminarayanan, Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat and Dr.Raoul Blindenbacher, Vice President, Forum of the Federations met with the Honourable Shri Shivraj Patil, the Union Home Minister, and Chairman of the Conference Committee on April 28 to inform him of the organizational aspects as well as progress on content preparation for the fourth international conference on federalism.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the Minister to share his aspirations for the forthcoming international conference to be held from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10, 2007. Shri Patil expressed the view that Fourth International Conference ought to provide a forum where those interested in the practice of federalism can learn from both its successes as well as its failures.

During the two working days, the 29th and 30th of April, the theme coordinators met to identify the focus of the four conference themes, eliminate overlaps between, identify sub-themes and propose writers for sub-theme papers. The four themes of the conference are Building on and Accommodating Diversities, Emerging Issues in Fiscal Federalism, Interaction in a Federal System, and Local Government and Federal Systems.

Forum's Iraqi study tour on Canadian television

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) carried a 30-minute report on Iraq for the program titled Our World which was broadcast on April 1 and again on April 2. The reports, which were broadcast on the CBC's cable news network included interviews with two members of the Iraqi National Assembly, Ms Alaa Abdullah Alsaadoon and Mr. Ali Mehdi Aldabbagh, who participated in the Forum's training sessions on Federalism that took place in Switzerland and Canada from Feb. 13 to March 2. The CBC piece included an interview with Bob Rae, the former president of the Forum and now a Forum Fellow, who went on mission to Iraq last year for the Forum to participate in advising of Iraqi officials in the lead-up to the adoption of Iraq's constitution. The CBC's website http://www.cbc.ca/ourworld/ state gives 'a snapshot of the hardships of life in Baghdad and of the hopes of some politicians that Iraq can be rescued from the abyss of civil war.'

Head of international democracy body visits Forum

Vidar Helgesen, the secretary general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International Idea), met with Forum president George Anderson and senior staff on May 2. Idea is an intergovernmental body with 23 member states that promotes sustainable democracy worldwide. In their discussions, Mr. Helgesen and Anderson noted that International Idea and the Forum have a number of common governance-related concerns, and as such, the two organizations shall seek opportunities for future collaboration. The head of Idea was in Ottawa to participate in a seminar on the theme of supporting sustainable elections. Mr. Helgesen, a Norwegian national, was appointed to his post last December. He had previously served as Norway's deputy minister of foreign affairs from 2001 to 2005. (For more information on Idea, go to http://www.idea.int/index.cfm. To subscribe to Idea's newsletter, send an e-mail to news@idea.int)

Bob Rae and George Anderson participate in conference with Iraqis at Dead Sea

Forum Fellow Bob Rae and Forum President George Anderson participated in a conference with over twenty Sunni leaders on Iraq's constitutional future. The conference, held on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea in Jordan between March 6 and 10, was sponsored by the US Institute of Peace and the United Nations.

Ethiopian delegation learns about Canadian federalism

The Forum hosted a delegation of Ethiopian cabinet ministers, state governors and senior government officials in February, 2006. Canadian federalism was discussed and delegates shared their experiences and explained the current challenges facing Ethiopia including its capacity-building needs. They visited Canada's Privy Council Office to discuss intergovernmental affairs. A final session was used to brainstorm about potential areas of collaboration between the Forum of Federations, the Ethiopian government and civil society.

For more information: Africa Governance Page

Forum program development mission to Sudan and Ethiopia in March

The Forum's new director for programs in Africa, Shawn Houlihan, completed a three-week tour to Sudan and Ethiopia from February 13 to March 4. In Sudan he visited Khartoum and Juba to do groundwork in preparation for the Forum's program that will address issues of federalism in support of implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. In Ethiopia he assessed federalism capacity-building possibilities and met with government, university and NGO representatives.

Mexico becomes partner of Forum of Federations

The Government of Mexico became a partner country with the Forum of Federations in a signing ceremony on January 30, 2006, in Mexico City. Mexico joins Australia, Austria, Canada, India, Nigeria and Switzerland as partner countries. Signing the Framework Arrangement were the Hon. Carlos Abascal, Minister of the Interior of Mexico; and Professor Arnold Koller, Chair of the Forum of Federations and former President of Switzerland.

Participants in the signing ceremony also included Gian Federico Pedotti, Swiss Ambassador to Mexico; César Camacho Quiroz, President of the Mexican Senate Commission on Federalism and Municipal Development; Gloria del Carmen Muà±oz León, Co-ordinator of Mexico's National Institute for Federalism and Municipal Development (INAFED); Gaà«tan Lavertu, Canadian Ambassador to Mexico; Arturo Chà¡vez Chà¡vez, Deputy Minister, Ministry of the Interior; and Diana Chebenova, Program Manager (Mexico), Forum of Federations.

For more information: January 30, 2006: Mexico Signs (PDF)

Roundtables on foreign relations of 12 federal countries

From March to June, in twelve federal countries around the world, the Forum of Federations will be holding Global Dialogue country roundtables on foreign relations of federal countries. The countries include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. The person responsible for the overall content of this theme is Hans Michelmann, professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan. For more information on the country coordinators and events for this theme, check the Global Dialogue section of the Forum website. The Global Dialogue on Federalism is a joint program of the Forum of Federations and the International Association of Centers for Federal Studies.

For more information: Global Dialogue

Forum publishes book on federalism by Ron Watts in Arabic

The book Federal Systems, a special edition adapted from Ronald L. Watts' Comparing Federal Systems has been published in Arabic by the Forum of Federations with support from the National Democratic Institute. The book is 186 pages in Arabic and includes an Arabic-English glossary. It is available from the Forum for $10 plus postage.

For more information: All Forum Publications (PDF)

International board meets to set Forum's course for coming year

The board of the Forum of Federations, with members from eight federal countries, met from February 1 to 3 in Ottawa to set the direction for the Forum's work in the coming year. The Chair, Prof. Arnold Koller, former President of Switzerland, welcomed the members to the Forum's headquarters. All of the new board members who were appointed last spring were in attendance: Mr. S. Lakshminarayanan of India, Dr. Wolf Okresek of Austria, Dr. Wolf Linder of Switzerland, Mr. Roger Wilkins of Australia, and the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell of Canada. The board approved the Forum's annual plan and the budget for 2006-2007, and discussed a concept paper on the Forum's role, programs and methods. There are now seven partner governments who have signed a framework arrangement with the Forum of Federations, agreeing to support the Forum in program and finances and to sit on the Strategic Council, which provides broad policy recommendations to the Forum.

Two events in Brazil shared international experiences on fiscal federalism

The state of Bahia hosted the World Forum on Fiscal Federalism in Costa do Suà­pe, Brazil, on December 14 and 15, 2005. The Forum of Federations gathered experts from 13 countries on five continents, as well as state finance secretaries; federal, state, and municipal government officials and technical experts; directors of state companies; and other guests, to analyze and discuss themes related to fiscal federalism in Brazil and around the world. Issues related to public sector economy were addressed on the basis of lessons learned in other countries that have adopted a federal model.

The event followed the Global Dialogue International Roundtable, held on December 12 and 13. The roundtable is a program developed jointly by the Forum and the International Association of Centers for Federal Studies. Both the World Forum and the international roundtable were hosted by the Secretariat of Finance of the State of Bahia and by the Forum of Federations. The events also received support from national, foreign, public and private organizations.

For more information on 'World Forum on Fiscal Federalism': PDF

For more information on 'Global Dialogue International Roundtable': PDF

Forum to hold international seminar on fiscal federalism in Foz do Iguaà§u, Brazil

The Forum will hold an international seminar on fiscal federalism in Foz do Iguaà§u, Brazil from March 29 to 31. There are two themes in the seminar: Fiscal harmonization and subnational taxation - Value Added Tax, and public budgeting and intergovernmental co-operation. The Forum is bringing experts to speak at the event, including Roger Wilkins, Director General of the Cabinet Office, Government of New South Wales, Australia; David Péloquin from Finance Canada; Horacio Piffano, Professor of Political Science, National University of la Plata, Argentina. Michael Wisser of the German Bundesrat will also speak at the event, with sponsorship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Brazil.

More than 50 new books on federalism published in 2005

At least 51 new books on federalism were published between January 2005 and January 2006. They range from the Forum/Global Dialogue book, Constitutional Origins, Structure, and Change in Federal Countries, edited by John Kincaid and G. Alan Tarr (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press) to Muslim Civic Cultures and Conflict Resolution: The Challenge of Democratic Federalism in Nigeria by John N. Paden (Brookings Institution Press).

For more information: New Books on Federalism

Experts track growth of federalism in Asia

Forum President George Anderson attended a conference on federalism in Asia at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia on February 9 and 10. In addition to papers on existing federations such as India, Malaysia and Australia, the conference looked at the prospects for federalism or devolution in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, China and Myanmar ( Burma). Mr. Anderson spoke on oil and gas issues, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia, with comparisons to the United States, Canada and Nigeria.

For more information: http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts/icg/ICG_web-update/news/abstracts.pdf

Globalization and transition economies workshop in India

On March 27 and 28, the Forum of Federations and the National Institute of Public Finance, New Delhi, are holding a workshop to discuss the impact of globalization on fiscal federalism in transition economies.

The workshop, to be held in New Delhi, will examine the severe challenges from both economic liberalization and globalization that are facing fiscal systems in developing federations. Making the transition from a planned economy to a market economy and opening up economies for global competition mean reforming policies, implementation systems and institutional arrangements. The challenges are likely to be formidable, particularly in countries with relatively less-developed market institutions and in the wake of large inflows of trade, capital and migration.

Work session to plan the Fourth International Conference on Federalism in 2007

Theme coordinators for the Fourth International Conference on Federalism (to be held in New Delhi from November 8 to 10, 2007) are holding a work session in New Delhi, India, April 28 to 30, 2006, to develop the themes and sub-themes of the conference. The four main themes will be fiscal federalism, management of diversity, intergovernmental relations, and local and regional government. Each theme will be developed by a panel of Indian and international experts to highlight three sub-themes for discussion at the conference.

Forum Vice President speaks to cantonal and federal representatives in Switzerland

Forum Vice President Raoul Blindenbacher addressed 120 members of the federal and cantonal governments at the 18th annual seminar 'Gouverner aujourd'hui' in Interlaken, Switzerland, from January 4 to 6. Mr. Blindenbacher presented the conclusion of the panel on the future of federalism.

Forum President invited speaker at Université de Sherbrooke in March

Forum President George Anderson was the invited speaker at a special address to the Department of History and Political Science at l'Université de Sherbrooke on March 8. Mr. Anderson spoke to graduate students and faculty on 'Les fédéralismes comme solution de paix et de rapprochement'.

New book on comparative federalism

Thomas Hueglin and Alan Fenna are the authors of a new book, Comparative Federalism: A Systematic Inquiry, Broadview Press, Peterborough, ON Canada. Hueglin was a co-ordinator of a country roundtable on legislative and executive governance in Canada for the Global Dialogue project, a joint effort of the Forum and the International Association of Centers for Federal Studies. Hueglin is a professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Fenna teaches politics and government at Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.

For more information: http://www.broadviewpress.com/bvbooks.asp?BookID=738