The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) co-organised a roundtable discussion on the need for more parliamentary accountability and scrutiny of International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
A new evaluation of a $1.3 billion World Bank development policy loan to promote sustainability reforms at the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) that questions the effectiveness of DPLs due to weaknesses in existing Bank policy guiding their design and execution. This brief calls for the reform of Bank DPL policy as an urgent part of the ongoing revision of World Bank safeguard policies to ensure consistent management of risk across all World Bank operations.
On June 9, 2011, Management at the World Bank submitted to the Inspection Panel three water studies it had commissioned related to the Greater Beirut Water Supply Project. In a March 2011 meeting with the Bank’s Board of Directors which took place after the Panel recommended further investigation into the potential harms of this project, the Panel agreed to wait for the results of the above-noted studies to decide whether or not an investigation of the project would still be warranted. The three studies focused on the cost, quality and availability of water associated with the project as these were identified by the Panel as the main issues warranting investigation.
It took many years to establish the World Bank’s operational policies that safeguard society and the environment, and are some of the world’s highest development standards. As the Bank reviews these policies, civil society is organizing efforts to present their concerns and expectations, and offer their inputs as to what the outcome of the review should be.
Makatar Diop, the director of Brazil responds to civil society about their inquiry on the transparency of the activity involving DPLs between the World Bank and BNDES.
The World Bank, the Technical Advisory Panel, and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility present their comments on the latest draft of the the Colombia R-PP.
IFC’s funding of Tata Ultra Mega powerplant in India will be under probe following the eligibility finding of a complaint lodged by fishing villagers.
The World Bank and the Government of Bolivia recognize the observations of the TCO Takana I on deficiencies in the Indigenous Peoples Plan of the Ixiamas – San Buenaventura Highway project and accept to start a process to improve the Indiginous Plan even after the project was approved.
On March 14, 2011, the World Bank disclosed two documents related to the Inspection Panel case filed by 51 residents of the Greater Beirut area against the Greater Beirut Water Supply Project (GBWSP), a water project in Lebanon that is being financed by the Bank. The GBWSP aims to provide potable water for the citizens of the Greater Beirut area and the low-income neighborhoods of Southern Beirut from the Litani and Awali rivers.