In order to accelerate multilateral debt relief and promote human and economic development and poverty alleviation in heavily indebted poor countries, the Congress urges the President to commence immediately efforts, with the Paris Club of Official Creditors, as well as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and other appropriate multilateral development institutions to accomplish the following modifications to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative:
(1)
Focus on poverty reduction, good governance, transparency, and participation of citizens
A country which is otherwise eligible to receive cancellation of debt under the modified Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative may receive such cancellation only if the country has committed, in connection with social and economic reform programs that are jointly developed, financed, and administered by the World Bank and the IMF—
(A)
to enable, facilitate, or encourage the implementation of policy changes and institutional reforms under economic reform programs, in a manner that ensures that such policy changes and institutional reforms are designed and adopted through transparent and participatory processes;
(B)
to adopt an integrated development strategy to support poverty reduction through economic growth, that includes monitorable poverty reduction goals;
(C)
to take steps so that the financial benefits of debt relief are applied to programs to combat poverty (in particular through concrete measures to improve economic infrastructure, basic services in education, nutrition, and health, particularly treatment and prevention of the leading causes of mortality) and to redress environmental degradation;
(D)
to take steps to strengthen and expand the private sector, encourage increased trade and investment, support the development of free markets, and promote broad-scale economic growth;
(E)
to implement transparent policy making and budget procedures, good governance, and effective anticorruption measures;
(F)
to broaden public participation and popular understanding of the principles and goals of poverty reduction, particularly through economic growth, and good governance; and
(G)
to promote the participation of citizens and nongovernmental organizations in the economic policy choices of the government.