The World Bank Group is currently rolling out their new Country Engagement Approach, moving towards engagement based on rigorous analysis and the inclusion of citizens as active stakeholders. As input to this process, civil society groups who work to monitor and engage with the World Bank recently presented recommendations to the Bank as it refines …
On January 21 and 22, BIC hosted a child rights expert meeting to discuss how to operationalize the World Bank’s proposed new requirement to assess risks to children in its investment loans. The Bank’s latest draft of the updated safeguards, now known as the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), was released in the summer of …
On December 28 2015, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim announced the cancellation of funding to the deeply troubled Uganda Transport Sector Development Project (TSDP), a project BIC’s child rights program has long been raising concerns about. The project cancellation was due to concerns over labor issues, social and environmental concerns, poor project performance, …
Access Bangladesh Foundation which advocates and promotes equality for disabled, underprivileged and extremely poor people in all spheres of life, through education, health care, appropriate training, employment, communication, and barrier free environment released a video on the World Bank funded Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) in Bangladesh. The video, a summary of the in-depth …
[Postal Savings Bank of China / Financial Times] BIC Executive Director Chad Dobson was quoted in a Financial Times article by Shawn Donnan about the Postal Savings Bank of China and the IFC, which has “become emblematic of the often subtle ways in which Beijing and Washington battle for influence behind closed doors at the …
Sixteen faith groups have sent a letter to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, calling on the Bank to adopt a Zero Deforestation Policy: The Paris climate agreement is meant not only to begin a transformation of the world’s energy systems, but also to save the world’s forests. Dozens of countries put forests at the center …
During the 4th Annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva from November 16-19, 2015, BIC’s Maggie Federici participated in a panel entitled Development Finance Institutions: Human Rights Obligations and the Right to Remedy. Development finance institutions (DFIs) have a mandate to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development. But, in many cases, projects funded by …
New research today reveals that not one of the world’s main development banks is on track to help keep the world below 2 degrees warming. Instead, the banks – funded by tax-payers – continue to support fossil-fuel projects in developing countries. Worst performers include the World Bank’s private sector lending arms[1] which promote fossil fuels …
World Bank president urged to commit to Zero Deforestation declaration, speak out on deforestation at COP21 in Paris Conserving forests is one of the most important climate change mitigation solutions, and is essential to addressing the World Bank’s twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. As many progressive governments and private sector …
BIC is thrilled to be contributing to the 2015 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva November 16-18! Board members Katie Redford and Vicky Tauli-Corpuz (pictured right) are in attendance. BIC Safeguards Program Assistant Margaret Federici was featured as a panelist on “Development Finance Institutions: Human Rights Obligations and the Right to Remedy,” alongside …