US Congress opposes World Bank plan to weaken environmental and social protections
After months of global criticism of the World Bank’s July 2014 proposal to weaken longstanding environmental and social protections, or safeguards, the US Congress has weighed in forcefully. The 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which was adopted this weekend, instructs the US Treasury department to oppose any World Bank policy that provides less protection than the […]
Investigation finds IFC has a ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy about human rights abuses in its banking investments
An internal investigation released today finds that World Bank staff covered up a palm oil company’s role in a violent land conflict in Honduras, when proposing loans to one of Central America’s top ten banks that funded it. The investigation by the World Bank’s Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) focused on a series of equity […]
World Bank turns Its back on rights protections for the poor, global civil society response gathers momentum
(New York, London, New Delhi) – Civil society organisations around the world are decrying a leaked draft of the World Bank’s proposed new policies to avoid harmful impacts from the development projects that it finances. Despite earlier commitments by Bank President Jim Yong Kim that the policies would not be diluted and that safeguards on […]
World Bank: Commit to rights in 2030 vision – guard against human rights abuses
The World Bank’s “vision” statement will be undermined if it fails to recognize the importance of human rights, nine organizations warned today. The human rights and development groups called on President Jim Kim to make a firm commitment to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights in all of its activities. “Protecting poor people’s rights to […]
Calling for Cases: Forced displacement and resettlement caused by World Bank projects
Every year around 15 million people are forcibly evicted from their homes, communities and lands to make way for development projects such as mines, oil and gas pipelines, urban renewal schemes, mega-dams, ports and transportation infrastructure. Direct impacts of these projects, including land speculation, changes in land use and environmental pollution, further escalate the number […]