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As part of a Bank-wide strategic reorganization, the World Bank formally initiated a two-year safeguards review process in July 2012, following commitments made by management in response to a comprehensive internal evaluation of safeguard policy performance. Upon release of an “approach paper” for the Safeguard review process in early October 2012, the Bank began a three stage consultation process that will run at least through early 2015. CSOs from various countries and regions have participated, and continue to participate, in the safeguards review process.
On 30 July 2014, the Bank released its first draft of the Environmental and Social Framework (“Safeguards”). Civil Society Organizations and individuals around the globe have expressed their frustration over the produced draft. In October 2014, over three hundred organizations from around the world wrote a Joint CSO statement to World Bank President Kim describing their disappointment with the safeguards review process and its outcomes so far, including a clear rejection of the released draft. In particular, these organizations are frustrated with the fact that ”despite President Kim’s public promise that the Safeguards would not be weakened, the Bank’s draft “Environmental and Social Framework” dismantles the protections and public accountability that people’s movements fought for over decades. It fails to protect the environment and respect the rights of affected communities, workers, women, indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups. Rather than raising the bar for environmental and social standards and upholding universal human rights, it sets a dangerous precedent for governments and other multilateral institutions.”
A number of organizations from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region share this view. Representatives from two CSOs in Egypt attended a workshop in Bangkok in September 2014 to participate in discussions around the Safeguards policies and a potential “people’s safeguards”. The workshop issued this statement. In addition, 24 organizations from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen participated in drafting and signing the statement that was presented to President Kim in the 2014 Annual Meetings held in Washington DC in October. Moreover, representatives from a group of Egyptian CSOs engaged in a walk-out from the Bank’s official Safeguards Consultation held in DC on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings. Soumya Dutta, Convener of the Beyond Copenhagen Collective in India, read a walk-out statement outlining many weaknesses in the draft policies and informing the Bank of the decision of CSOs to reject the new draft. Participants in that official consultation meeting walked out to join a demonstration that was held outside the World Bank headquarters to demand that the Bank strengthen the Safeguards to protect people and the planet.
In addition, a group of Egyptian CSOs wrote their own comments on the draft Safeguards and presented these to the World Bank office in Cairo on 28 October 2014.
The Bank is currently in the process of conducting a second phase of consultations on the safeguards after it has produced its draft. Consultation sessions have been held in Egypt and Lebanon, with CSOs from Jordan and Yemen consulted remotely by phone. Another consultation session is planned to be held in Morocco.
For a schedule of World Bank consultation sessions around the world, please visit this World Bank page: http://consultations.worldbank.org/Data/hub/files/consultation-template/review-and-update-world-bank-safeguard-policies/en/materials/safeguards_review_consultation_plan_tentative_schedule_subject_to_change_sept_11_2014_9.pdf
For more materials regarding the safeguards review, please visit this BIC page: http://www.bicusa.org/phase-2-safeguards-consultation-materials/
For more information regarding the demonstration for stronger safeguards which was held in front of the World Bank headquarters in DC in October 2014 please visit: http://www.worldbankaction.org/