As we prepare to celebrate Human Rights Day on December 10th, we stand with dozens of other civil society groups around the world that are calling on development finance institutions, governments, and businesses to Stand up for Human Rights in Development On the 10th of December, Human Rights Day will be observed in honor of …
Washington, DC—Trustees of the Calvert Social Investment Fund are considering a ban on purchasing World Bank bonds, in response to proposed changes to the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) that weaken protections for Indigenous Peoples. Since 2012, the Bank has been revising the ESSF, which is intended to identify and minimize harm caused by …
Image Source: Rightsobserver.org 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) …
In the weeks following the murder of Berta Cáceres, leader of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (Copinh) and leader of the resistance against the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque river, there has been international outcry for justice for Berta and security for her colleagues. The Agua Zarca dam …
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, …
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 …
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 …
On September 30th, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a hearing at the United States Congress on international financial institutions (IFIs) and human rights, chaired by Congressman Jim McGovern. Witnesses included BIC’s Nezir Sinani from Kosovo, Milton Sanchez from Peru, and Obang Metho from Ethiopia, who testified on the human rights impacts of World …