The HIPC Debt Relief Bill: making forgiveness compulsory

Abstract

Debt relief to the world's poorest countries has been an issue since the launch of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in the 1990s. Draft UK legislation – the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill – seeks to introduce a mandatory element to debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. This paper looks at the background to the Bill and its key features.