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As the World Bank Group (WBG or the Bank) is currently reviewing its safeguards policies, several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) began calling for the integration of human rights principles in the new policies, seeing human rights as an important aspect of development policies and countries programing.
But integrating human rights principles (HRPs) into the Bank’s programs is not always struggle-free. The challenge is particularly striking in non-western countries, some of which perceive, ardently, the Bank’s human rights agenda as a western alibi for political changes and infringement on sovereignty.
Not in Lebanon. In his recent letter to the Bank’s President and Board of Executive Directors, Dory Chamoun, the son of former Lebanese President Kamil Chamoun, who is currently the president of the National Liberal Party and member of Lebanese parliament, avidly urged the Bank to include human rights in its policies and operations. In the letter, Chamoun reminded the Bank of the important role Lebanon has played in drafting the Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR), a role, he said, that Lebanon will never shy away from.
Human rights are the basics for development to be just, effective, and sustainable. The Bank should adopt human rights safeguards in all of its investment dealings.