On December 24, 2013 the World Bank Inspection Panel published its eligibility report for the RESP-II agriculture project in Uzbekistan. The Panel stated that there were potentially valid concerns raised by the requesters about the link between the World Bank project and harm caused by widespread and systematic forced child and adult labor. The Panel …
Congressional Briefing: Human Rights at the World Bank On December 19, in conjunction with the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives, BIC was pleased to co-host a Congressional briefing on human rights and the World Bank with Human Rights Watch and the Center for International Environmental Law. The purpose of the …
An article published this week in The Hindu as well as one published November 7 in The Times of India featured BIC researcher Simpreet Singh and his recent study on the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). While the Bank touts achievements of the MUTP project—including reducing congestion on city streets and improving travel time for …
On December 2-6 2013, the Facility Management Team (FMT) of the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) held a workshop in Bogota, Colombia to facilitate capacity building and exchange of experiences among South American FCPF country participants. The workshop, entitled “Social Inclusion in the Processes of Preparation of National REDD+ Strategies,” was intended to …
On December 4-6, 2013, the Center for International Resources for Civil Organizations (CERI, El Centro de Recursos Internacionales para Organizaciones Civiles), held its third international congress in Pachuca, Mexico. The congress, entitled “Resources from North America for Social Causes in Mexico,” sought to provide Mexican civil society attendees with information regarding the available financial, human, …
This new issue shines the spotlight on the World Bank Group’s new Corporate Strategy and what it will mean for how the Bank sets plans in borrowing countries. It also spotlights BIC-MENA and partner CSO engagements with the World Bank during the 2013 Annual Meetings. The issue also provides brief summary and analysis of two …
Following their initial press release after World Bank President Jim Yong Kim’s rejection of reported Tata Mundra violations, Indian group Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) sent a letter this morning reiterating their concerns. The case has received growing media and community attention since Dr. Kim rejected CAO’s findings, which held that the IFC broke its …
Community Controlled Impact Assessment and Impact and Benefit Agreements: Relevance for upward harmonization of World Bank Group Safeguard Policies Presentation and Panel Discussion with Ciaran O’Faircheallaigh Professor of Politics and Public Policy in the School of Government and International Relations, Griffiths University, Australia Panel Moderator: Vince McElhinny, Sr. Policy Advisor, Bank Information Center Respondents: Meg Taylor, …
IFC’s dismissive response to the CAO’s findings regarding the Tata Mundra plant was met with immediate and heavy backlash from NGOs, especially those surrounding the Gujarati power plant. The full press statement from Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, along with the documents in question (IFC response, CAO audit), can be found here. Since that time, though, there …
The Peruvian Amazon, the fourth largest extension of tropical rainforest in the world, is a battleground for indigenous rights and defense of critical environments. Key issues facing indigenous peoples are playing themselves out every day – territorial encroachment, illegal logging, government-sanctioned extraction of natural resources, construction of other mega projects, informal gold mining, among others. …