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Many emerging-market economies (EMEs) have significantly improved their macroeconomic fundamentals and undergone structural reforms since the Asian crisis. These developments have enhanced the composition of capital flows to EMEs through an improved debt structure, a larger share of capital flows as foreign direct investment, and greater access to international debt markets for corporations in EMEs. Structural changes in the global financial landscape have also increased capital flows, bringing economic and financial benefits to EMEs. During the recent financial crisis, however, the opening up of capital accounts and increased financial and trade linkages left many countries vulnerable to external disruptions. Countries with sound fundamentals have weathered the crisis relatively well. Policy-makers in EMEs need to implement policies that support capital flows and ensure that controls imposed to deal with detrimental outflows during periods of stress or rapid inflows are only temporary.

The ability to conduct financial transactions using bank notes is crucial to independent living. Yet this can pose significant challenges for individuals who are blind or partially sighted. This article discusses the Bank of Canada's efforts over the past 30 years to meet the accessibility needs of a specific subset of the population–Canadians living with blindness or vision loss. It also reports the findings of expert and user assessments of the suite of accessibility features on the current series of bank notes and shares plans for the next series.

The results of today's term PRA operations are as follows.

In accordance with the schedule of term purchase and resale agreement (PRA) auctions announced on 20 October (see schedule), the Bank of Canada announced today that it will conduct a term PRA operation as follows.

Given improved conditions in funding markets, the Bank of Canada is announcing that, starting 2 February 2010, its temporary measure of allowing Large Value Transfer System (LVTS) participants to assign their non-mortgage loan portfolios as eligible collateral for LVTS and Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) purposes will be gradually reduced from 100 per cent to 20 per cent of each participant's total pledged collateral.

The Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada are seeking the views of government securities distributors, institutional investors, and other interested parties on issues relating to the design and operation of the domestic Government of Canada debt program for 2010-11 and beyond.

Senior Deputy Governor Paul Jenkins has announced that he will not seek renewal of his term of office and will leave the Bank of Canada when his seven-year term expires in April 2010.

Mr. Paul Jenkins, the current Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada, has advised the Bank that he will not seek renewal of his term of office and will leave the Bank of Canada when his current seven-year term expires in April 2010

While conditions in the Canadian economy have improved since we met with you in May, many of the basic challenges remain. Before Paul and I take your questions, allow me to outline some of the highlights from our latest Monetary Policy Report, which the Bank released last week.