Thirty-four African human rights and environmental groups sent a letter to the World Bank this week expressing concerns with a weakening of the Bank’s social and environmental policy framework. The statement reiterates the inputs of African civil society groups who throughout the multi-year “Safeguards Review” have called for robust protections to prevent harm to communities and the environment in the context of development activities. The groups expressed disappointment that those inputs do not appear to have been taken on board. In response to assertions that human rights protections, including protections for the rights of indigenous peoples, may somehow be incompatible with African nations, the statement explains how such norms and safeguards are in fact rooted in regional law and practice. The World Bank will vote August 4th on whether to approve a new draft environmental and social policy framework. The groups appealed to the World Bank Board and its member countries to “take the concerns raised in the statement into consideration and ensure that the shortcomings in the safeguards draft are remedied so that our communities are able to benefit from development and are protected from harm.” Read the statement here.
African groups call on World Bank to strengthen protections
Jul 22, 2016
We are excited to announce that, w/ our member @WRIEquity, we are developing a new initiative to protect Grassroots Environmental #Defenders!
The Standing Together for Environmental Defenders (#STAND) will offer training, financial support and collaborative partnerships 🧵(1/4)
📢 Save the Date! 📅 16:00CET, 9 April
Join BHRRC’s @ChristenDobson as she speaks at the online launch of new Indicators on Business & Human Rights, spearheaded by @ISHRglobal.
Register here👉: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5m9V1XgyQ0mN83ltukcjFg#/registration
🚨Today, as their hearing takes place, we urge authorities in #ElSalvador to drop all charges against 5 environmental rights defenders from @ades_sm.
The criminalization of HRDs for peacefully protecting their territory must end❗️
https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/upcoming-hearing-five-community-leaders-and-environmental-rights-defenders-facing-2
Very worrying news from #Kyrgyzstan, where the president has signed the controversial law on "foreign representatives", that risks stigmatizing and silencing critical voices.
https://cpj.org/2024/04/kyrgyzstan-president-signs-russian-style-foreign-agents-law/
In a recent letter, local & intl CSOs had called on development banks to take a stance to protect #civicspace and use their leverage to push the Kyrgyz govt to stop the law.
https://rightsindevelopment.org/news/kyrgyzstan-foreign-representative-law/
Standing in solidarity with our Kyrgyz partners, we hope the govt will now withdraw the other proposed law on NGOs and will not use the new bill on foreign repr to target critics & silence dissent.
Read more in this analysis by @ICNLAlliance 👇
https://www.icnl.org/post/analysis/analysis-of-the-kyrgyz-republic-draft-law-on-non-governmental-organizations