3 September 2020
In a letter addressed to the French Development Agency, over 200 organizations around the world are calling for the principles of a human rights-based and community-led development to be included and prioritized both in the agenda and in the outcomes of the Finance in Common Summit, a high-level gathering of all Public Development Banks, which will take place in Paris on 9-12 November.
You can download the full letter in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. If you wish to endorse the letter and join our calls, you can sign up here.
From November 9th to 12th, 2020, the French Development Agency will convene the first global summit of all Public Development Banks (PDBs). Gathering PDBs from around the world, it is aimed to provide a collective response to global challenges, reconciling short-term responses to the Covid-19 crisis with sustainable recovery measures, redirecting financial flows towards sustainable development objectives.
The summit is highly relevant and timely, but for a truly comprehensive and inclusive dialogue, it should draw lessons from the past to shape the strongest future with full participation of the communities impacted by PDB projects and supporting civil society organizations. In many instances, PDB supported activities have exacerbated poverty and inequality and human rights abuses such as reprisals against human rights defenders and forced evictions, without meaningful redress for affected communities. The summit should include reflection and discussion on the importance of respecting international human rights standards in achieving sustainable recovery goals, including addressing human rights abuses widely documented in PDB supported investments and projects. The summit should contend with the challenges of increased investment from PDBs lacking robust standards for human rights, social and environmental protection, climate change, and anti-corruption, or where those standards exist, how to address failures to follow them in practice.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted and aggravated the failures of the health, social, and economic systems, requiring a deep rethinking of the way governments, PDBs, and other actors operate. Several grassroots community groups and organisations have been calling on PDBs to ensure that the funding and support they provide for the Covid-19 response, and during the economic recovery period, respects human rights and leads to economic, social and environmental justice for those who are most vulnerable. New impetus in attaining the core principle of “leave no one behind” is needed.
We welcome the opportunity to engage with PDBs during the summit to better serve the principles and goals of international human rights standards, the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), transparency, and accountability. To that end however, and as a matter of credibility and efficiency, it must be a priority to ensure human rights and community needs are explicitly discussed and part of the joint declaration foreseen at the end of the summit. As stated by OHCHR last year:
“with the most pivotal decade of SDG implementation ahead of us, human rights are not only the right way, but the smart way to accelerate progress for more equitable and sustainable development. Development is not just about changing the material conditions …. It is also about empowering people with voice … to be active participants in designing their own solutions and shaping development policy. … Empowering people means moving beyond purely technocratic solutions and treating people as passive objects of aid or charity. People are empowered when they are able to claim their rights and to shape the decisions, policies, rules and conditions that affect their lives.”
As SDGs are at the core of the summit, human rights and participation of communities are then key. That requires adapting the agenda and the expected outcomes. Our recommendations on ensuring an inclusive event follow:
1. Human Rights should be reflected in the core agenda of the summit, attendance and participation. As conceived, the research conference and summit do not appear to provide specific space to human rights defenders and community representatives. Commitment to public participation and protection of civil society space have long been recognised as essential to ensuring effective development. Human rights and grassroots organizations, human rights defenders, and communities should guide the future of the development model, and therefore should be involved in organizing, contributing to the agenda, and participating in the summit. It is a matter of priority to have human rights defenders and communities directly impacted by PDB activities at the table.
2. The principles of a human rights-based and community-led development should be included and highlighted on the expected deliverables of the summit including research papers and collective statements. We encourage governments and PDBs to make a commitment to reinforce and strengthen the principles of human rights-based and community-led development in PDBs’ mandate and governance; policies and practices; internal culture and incentives; what projects and activities they support and invest in; and how they work with other PDBs, governments and key actors. These commitments should lead to improvements, such as:
- Full and free participation of directly affected communities in all PDB supported activities and projects, and free prior and informed consent for indigenous peoples. Innovative approaches will have to be developed to address the closing space, risks and challenges for communities, human rights defenders and civil society to meaningfully participate in decisions that impact their lives, livelihoods, environment and resources. Zero tolerance policies against threats and reprisals by PDBs and their clients should be a basic requirement.
- Identifying investments that are aligned with international human rights, climate protection, and SDGs, and reorienting investments towards sustainable development that respects these standards, while ensuring that the priorities and needs of marginalised persons are met.
- Improving social and environmental requirements through inclusion of human rights standards. PDBs and their clients should adhere to human rights principles and standards enshrined in international conventions. Safeguard policies and procedures should ensure that activities financed directly or indirectly by PDBs, respect human rights, do not contribute to human rights abuse, and contribute to equitable, inclusive development that benefits all persons.
- Developing and improving transparency, monitoring, oversight, grievance and accountability mechanisms to actively prevent PDB activities and investments from undermining human rights.
- Ensuring private sector clients or partners also adopt high human rights and environmental standards, and do not avoid or evade taxes.
- Development of common guidance by PDBs on ex ante human rights due diligence and impact assessments in project investments and in support for economic reform policies or programs. This includes identification of contextual and specific risks, prevention and mitigation strategies, and remedy in line with international human rights norms. Ensure that these assessments are developed in close consultation with affected communities, and are updated iteratively based on changing conditions and new information.
- Developing coordinated approaches to ensure that PDB supported activities do not exacerbate debt or contribute to cutbacks in public expenditure that will negatively impact human rights or access to essential services for the most vulnerable.
As reiterated by the OHCHR, effective governance for sustainable development requires non-discriminatory, inclusive, participatory, and accountable governance. With the most pivotal decade of SDG implementation ahead of us — and in the context of intersecting health, environmental, economic and social crises building greater integration and coherence between the development and human rights agendas will be key:
“Human rights are not only a guide on the right way to achieve SDG implementation, but the smart way to accelerate more sustainable and equitable development”.
PDBs should open channels for the meaningful participation of communities, human rights defenders, and civil society groups in the appraisal, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their projects and activities, as well as in their decision-making processes. For these reasons, the agenda and the deliverable of the summit should duly reflect the centrality of human rights and community-led development to effective and sustainable development.
Signatories
- 350.org – Japan
- Abibiman Foundation – Ghana
- AbibiNsroma Foundation – Ghana
- Accountability Counsel – USA
- ACT Alliance Advocacy to the EU – Belgium
- Action contre la Faim – France
- Action Santé Mondiale – France
- ActionAid International – International
- Adivasi Nanjeewan Gathan Navjyoti Agua (ANGNA) – India
- Adivasi Navjeewan Gathan Navjyoti Agua (ANGNA) – India
- Al-Haq – Palestine
- Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities – Ghana
- Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities – Ghana
- Al-Marsad- Arab Human rights Center in Golan Heights – Occupied Syrian Golan
- Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) – Burma/Myanmar
- Alyansa Tigil Mina – Philippines
- Ambiente y Sociedad – Colombia
- Anti GERB Coalition – Bulgaria
- Arab Forum for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (AFRPD) – MENA
- Arab Watch Coalition – MENA
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft Regenwald und Artenschutz (ARA e.V) – Germany
- Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy – Asia
- Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) – Thailand
- Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) – Asia
- Asociacion para el Desarrollo Integral de las victimas de la Violencia en las Verapaces, Maya Achi (ADIVIMA) – Guatemala
- Asociación Unión de Talleres 11 de Septiembre – Bolivia
- Association Democratique des Femmes du Maroc (ADFM) – Morocco
- Association Green Alternative – Georgia
- Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP) – Myanmar
- Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons – Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir
- Association Rwandaise pour la Défense des Droits de la Personne et des Libertés Publiques (ADL) – Rwanda
- Association Tunisienne pour le Droit de Développement – Tunisia
- Autistic Minority International – Switzerland, Global
- Bank Information Center – USA
- Bankwatch Network Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) – Europe
- Both ENDS – Netherlands
- Bretton Woods Project – UK
- Buliisa Initiative for Rural Development Organisation (BIRUDO) – Uganda
- Business & Human Rights Resource Centre – Global
- Bytes For All – Pakistan
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) – Middle East and North Africa
- Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR) – Canada
- CARE France – France
- Catholic Board of Education Odisha – India
- Center for Economic and Social Rights – USA
- Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) – Global
- Center for Pan-African Affairs – USA
- Centre de Recherche pour un Développement Intégrale et Durable (CeRDID ONG) – Benin
- Centre for Citizens Conserving (CECIC ) – Uganda
- Centre for Human Rights and Development – Mongolia
- Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur – Manipur, India
- Centre International de Formation en Droits Humains et Développement (CIFDH/D) – DRC
- Centre Libanais des droits humains (CLDH) – Lebanon
- Centre national de coopération au développement (CNCD-11.11.11) – Belgium
- Centro de Estudios de la Región Cuicateca, Oaxaca – Mexico
- Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los derechos Humanos – Honduras
- Centro de Políticas Públicas y Derechos Humanos – Perú EQUIDAD – Peru
- Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, A.C. (CEMDA) – Mexico
- Centro Nicaraguense de Derechos Humanos CENIDH – Nicaragua
- Chairperson Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Organization Public Union – Azerbaijan
- Civil Society Institute NGO, Armenia – Armenia
- Climate Action Network – Europe
- Climate Action Network International – Mexico
- CNS/ Asha Parivar – India
- Coalition for Human Rights in Development – Global
- Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) – Bangladesh
- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) – India
- Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) – Nepal
- Community Resource Centre (CRC) – Thailand
- Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj – Guatemala
- Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos (CAFCA, CALDH, CIIDH, ECAP, ICCPG, ODHAG, SEDEM, UDEFEGUA, UNAMG) – Guatemala
- CooperAcción – Peru
- Coordinadora de Comunidades Afectadas por la Cosntruccion de la Hidroelectrica Chixoy (COCAHICH) – Guatemala
- Counter Balance – Europe
- Crude Accountability – USA
- Damascus Center for human rights studies – Syria
- Defenders Protection Initiative – Uganda
- Defenders Protection Initiative (DPI) – Uganda, Africa
- Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center in Palestine – Palestine
- Derecho Ambiente y Recursos Naturales – Peru
- Disabled People’s International (DPI) – International
- Displaced Kids Association – Iraq
- EarthRights International – USA
- Egyptian Center for Civil and Legislative Reform (ECCLR) – Egypt
- Endorois Welfare Council (EWC) – Kenya
- Environics Trust – India
- Environment Governance Institute – Uganda
- Environment Governance Institute – Uganda
- Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia – Mexico
- Equitable Cambodia – Cambodia
- ESCR-Net – Global
- European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad) – Belgium, Europe
- FIAN – International
- FIAN Austria
- FIAN Belgium
- FIAN Germany
- FIAN Sweden
- FIAN Switzerland
- First Peoples Worldwide – USA
- FOCSIV – Italy
- Forest Peoples Programme – Netherlands, UK
- Former UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs, Michel Forst (2014-2020) – France
- Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos (FOCO) – Argentina Dynamo International – Belgium
- Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) – Uganda
- Foundation for the Conservation of the Earth – Nigeria
- Freedom from Debt Coalition – Philippines
- Freedom House – Global
- Friends of the Earth Japan – Japan
- Friends of the Earth United States – USA
- Friends of the Siberian Forests – Russia
- Friends with Environment in Development – East Africa
- Front Line Defenders – Ireland
- Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN) – Argentina
- Fundacion Cauce (Cultura Ambiental, Causa Ecologista) – Argentina
- Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sustentables (Fundeps) – Argentina
- Gender and Social Justice
- Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) – Belgium/International
- Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – Global
- Global Policy Forum – International
- Global Social Justice – Switzerland
- Global Witness – Global
- Green Advocates International – Liberia
- Haki Jamii Rights Centre – Kenya
- Heartland Initiative – USA
- Heinrich Böll Stiftung – Washington, DC – USA
- Heinrich Böll Stiftung Washington, DC – USA
- HRM “Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan” – Kyrgyzstan
- Human Rights Center of Georgia – Georgia
- Human Rights in China (HRIC) – China
- Human Rights International Corner ETS – Italy
- Human Rights Watch – International
- iLaw – Thailand
- India Indigenous Peoples – India
- Indian Social Action Forum – India
- Indigenous Peoples Forum Odisha – India
- Inspire Girls Foundation (IGF) – Uganda
- Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) – Indonesia
- Instituto Mexicano Para El Desarrollo Comunitario Ac – Mexico
- Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense – Latin America
- International Accountability Project – Global
- International Dalit Solidarity Network – South Asia
- International Federation for Human Rights – International
- International Rivers – USA and Global
- International Trade Union Confederation – Global
- International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) – Malaysia
- International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) – Denmark
- Internationale Liga für Menschenrechte – Germany
- Jamaa Resource Initiatives – Kenya
- Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society – Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir
- Joy for Children – Uganda
- Just Associates (JASS) – Mesoamerica, Southeast Asia and Southern Africa
- Justice for Iran – Iran
- Kenya Union of Hair and Beauty Workers (KUHABWO) – Kenya
- Koalisi Rakyat untuk Hak atas Air (KRuHA) – Indonesia
- Lao Movement for Human Rights – Laos
- Las abejas – Mexico
- Latin America Working Group (LAWG) – USA
- Latvian Human Rights Committee – Latvia
- Lawyers for Human Rights, Manipur – India
- Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) – Nepal
- Leadership Initiative for Transformation and Empowerment(LITE) Africa – Nigeria
- League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran – Iran
- Lebanese Union of Persons with Physical Disabilities (LUPD) – Lebanon
- LGBT Centre – Mongolia
- Liga voor de Rechten van de Mens (Dutch League for Human Rights) – The Netherlands
- Ligue des droits de l’Homme – France (LDH) – France
- Ligue des droits humains – Belgium
- Lok Shakti Abhiyan – India
- Lumière Synergie pour le Développement – Senegal
- Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) – Maldives
- MANUSHYA Foundation – Southeast Asia
- Mekong Watch – Mekong Region
- Mitini – Nepal
- MONFEMNET National Network NGO – Mongolia
- Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos – MNDH Brasil – Brazil
- Narasha Community Development Group – Kenya
- National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NAFIN) – Nepal
- National Union of Domestic Employees Trinidad and Tobago – Caribbean
- NGO “Youth Group on Protection of Environment” – Tajikistan
- NGO Forum on ADB – Asia
- NomoGaia – USA and Global
- Odhikar – Bangladesh
- Odisha Adivasi Manch – India
- Oil Change International – Global
- OPEN ASIA|Armanshahr – Afghanistan
- Otros Mundos AC/Chiapas – Mexico
- Oyu Tolgoi Watch – Mongolia
- Pakistan Kissan(Farmers) Rabta Committee – United Kingdom
- Partnership for Policy Integrity – USA
- Peace Brigades International – Global
- Phenix Center for Economic & Informatic Studies – Jordan
- Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) – Philippines
- Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) – Philippines
- Policy Alert – Nigeria
- Press Freedom Advocacy Association – Iraq
- Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy, Northeastern University School of Law – USA
- Programme d’Appui à la Femme et à l’Enfance Déshéritée (PAFED) – Togo
- Project HEARD – Netherlands
- Project on Organizing, Development, Education and Research (PODER) – Mexico and Latin America
- Protection International – Global
- Psychological Responsiveness NGO – Mongolia
- Public Administration New Initiative NGO – Mongolia
- Public Interest Law Center (PILC) – USA
- Recourse – The Netherlands
- Red Internacional de Promotores ODS – Argentina
- Réseau Action Climat France – France
- Réseau Camerounais des Organisations des Droits de l’Homme (RECODH) – Cameroon
- Réseau d’information et d’appui aux ONG en république démocratique du Congo – Democratic Republic of Congo
- Réseau International des Droits Humains RIDH – Switzerland
- Resonate! Yemen – Yemen
- Rights and Accountability in Development (RAID) – UK
- Rivers without Boundaries Coalition – Mongolia
- Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition – Eurasia
- Sisters’ Arab Forum for Human Rights (SAF) – Yemen
- Social Initiatives for Growth and Networking (SIGN) – India
- Solsoc – Belgium
- Sri Lanka Nature Group – Sri Lanka
- Steps Without Borders NGO – Mongolia
- Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC) – Yemen
- SUARAM – Malaysia
- Sustentarse – Chile
- Swedwatch – Sweden
- Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression – France
- Tata Institute of Social Sceinces – India
- Tebtebba – Philippines
- The Community Association for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ACPDH) – Burundi
- The Lao Movement for Human Rights – Laos
- The PRINCESS center for girls and young women’s rights – Mongolia
- The Society of the Divine Word – India
- Thy Kingdom Come Foundation – India
- Tunisian Association for Governance and Social Accountability (GoAct) – Tunisia
- Tunisian Association for Local Governance – Tunisia
- Union for Civil Liberty – Thailand
- Universal Rights and Development NGO – Mongolia
- Urgewald – Germany
- VedvarendeEnergi – Denmark and international
- Verein für sozial-ökologischen Wandel – Germany and international
- Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) – Vietnam
- WATED – Tanzania
- Wedian Association for Social Development – Yemen
- Wemos – The Netherlands
- Witness Radio – Uganda – Uganda
- Women Engage for a Common Future – International
- WoMin African Alliance – Africa
- Yemen Observatory for Human Rights – Yemen
- Yemeni Organization for Promoting Integrity (OPI) – Yemen
- Youth For Environment Education And Development Foundation (YFEED Foundation) – Nepal