Egyptian NGO, Land Center for Human Rights, has filed an appeal on behalf of farmers in the Egyptian Delta, citing that the joint World Bank and Egyptian government ‘West Delta project’ violates the Egyptian constitution that should protect the rights of farmers, and not just the interests of wealthy investors. Press Release Summary Cairo, 9/15/2009 …
The Inspection Panel is to defer its recommendation to investigate into case of the World Bank’s “Institutional Reform Development Policy Grant” to Yemen, until after the implementation of Bank Management’s enhanced action plan, which seeks to address concerns raised by the Yemen Observatory for Human Rights in their Request to the Inspection Panel in April 2009.
Egyptian civil society groups suggest an alternative water route for the West Delta Irrigation Project, that could serve poor farmers as well as rich investors, but the World Bank refuses to consider it.
After meeting with World Bank President, Robert Zoellick, Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister of Regional Development, Silvan Shalom, stated that the World Bank had agreed to fund the Red-Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Program that involves Jordan, Palestine and Israel. However, Bank officials say that they have made no promises and that the project is still in the feasibility study phase.
For the first time in Inspection Panel history, an Eligibility Report is being held for board discussion. With little information, we are left wondering what is happening with the investigation into the Yemeni DPL case.
Bolivian government announced the creation of a 100 million dollars fund for four state businesses in the Amazon. for a lumber company, tropical frutes, and rubber. The government’s hope is that, with these new businesses the people in the north of Bolivia will have more opportunities to work and earn higher wages.
Groups in Bolivia’s Pando department, whose land rights have been historically compromised, look to the resettlement plan as a way to firmly establish their rights under the new constitution.
Indigenous peoples organizations emphasize that the government did not consult with them on various oil explorations. Because they were not consulted, there is no established forum for their complaints.
Minister of Land, Alejandro Almaraz, announced yesterday that according to a preliminary estimate the Government’s resettlement plan for 2,000 families in the department of Pando could require approximately US$21 million. Under the plan developed by the Government, there are 600,000 hectares of land to distribute this year in three regions of the country. 200,000 hectares of those are in the department of Pando.