About

​In 2014, groups from around the world came together to form a coalition grounded in the Global South, with the goal to build power and secure human rights commitments from public development finance institutions. Since its early stages, the Coalition brought together diverse groups such as grassroots groups, social movements, Indigenous Peoples, women leaders, labour groups, groups working on disability issues, environmental activists and civil society organizations working at the local, national, regional and international levels. .

The first campaign of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development was to demand human rights due diligence during the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguards review. Soon, grassroots members and their allies questioned this initial focus on bank policy work at the global level. In response, Coalition members and partners started to prioritize and deepen collaborations with communities directly impacted by development finance. 

Local and national members of the Coalition also indicated preferences to coordinate efforts at the regional level. This led to greater regionalisation of the Coalition’s work,  including mobilization on regional development banks like the Inter-American Development Bank and the African Development Bank.

Additionally, communities and human rights defenders who were raising their voices about development finance-funded activities expressed concerns about escalating reprisals and how closing civic space stymied their participation. This led to innovative collective efforts to facilitate access to protection and security, and to leverage development finance as a protection strategy.

As more groups began to see the Coalition as a relevant and responsive network of relationships which they could shape to advance their collective goals, more members joined the Coalition. The Steering Committee of the Coalition also stewarded a growth in the budget and Secretariat size to be responsive to the growing membership and increased scope of the work.

 Today, we have over 100 members, and many more partners, who work together through several regional and topical working groups, campaigns and initiatives to advance human right based and community-led development.

The Steering Committee – currently composed of 10 member organizations – acts like the board of the Coalition and provides governance, oversight and accountability. As the highest body of the Coalition, the Steering Committee is responsible for overall strategy and objectives for the Coalition and approves any new areas of work, policy positions and admission of new members. It also provides oversight for hiring for key secretariat positions, fundraising and budgeting. The Steering Committee also has a role in outreach to new members, partners, and allies, as well as representation of agreed Coalition advocacy positions.