Jan 23,2017
Groups call for EBRD to reject an oil and gas project in Turkmenistan
Crude Accountability and civil society groups around the world are calling on the Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to reject financing for an oil and gas project in Turkmenistan. The $30 million loan to Circle Maritime Invest (CMI) for the CMI Offshore proj
Nov 10,2016
Assam workers demand action from World Bank and Tata
An investigation on Tata’s tea plantations in Assam, India vindicates the claims of Indian NGOs documenting the failure of the World Bank and Tata to uphold the fundamental rights of workers and their families. The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) which holds the World Bank’s pr
Oct 27,2016
UN Special Rapporteur released a new report on the state of environmental HRDs
This week Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, issued a shocking new report on environmental human rights defenders: “They spoke truth to power and were murdered in cold blood”. The report details the growing attacks on individuals and
Aug 11,2016
Cambodia: No Debt Relief to Railway Families
An article in Cambodia Daily details how the Asian Development Bank (ADB) continues to fall short in restoring the living standards of 1,000 families evicted as a result of a railway rehabilitation project. ADB’s independent accountability mechanism, the Compliance Review Panel (CRP), report
Aug 04,2016
World Bank approves new safeguards
The World Bank recently approved its new social and environmental safeguard policy. However the new policy has been met with criticism by civil society for its ambiguity, lack of measures to prevent human rights abuses and increased reliance on borrowers’ laws and policies without clear safegua
Aug 01,2016
Cotton Campaign: Hold Uzbekistan Accountable
The Cotton Campaign, a global coalition of human rights and labor organizations, recently submitted a letter to the World Bank urging the institution to incentivize the Uzbekistan government to end its use of forced labor in the agriculture sector. During the cotton harvest season, the governme
Jul 27,2016
UN Expert: it’s time for development banks to start listening
In an opinion piece in Foreign Policy magazine, Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, explains how the goal of sustainable development is under threat from growing restrictions on public participation in development and closing civ
Jul 27,2016
Cautious optimism as NDB wraps up 1st Annual Meeting
Devex reported that the 1st Annual Meeting of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), held from July 20 to 21 in Shanghai, China, conclude on a positive note, leaving development professionals, civil society leaders, and bank officials optimistic about the potential for the NDB to finance green and
Jul 27,2016
Labor Confederation calls out World Bank on Labor Standards
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) called on the World Bank to adhere to ILO standards in its proposed new labor safeguard policy. While the inclusion of a labor safeguard within the World Bank’s social and environmental policy is marked as a positive development, the
Jul 25,2016
BRICS bank open to expand its membership
The Financial Review reported that in the culmination of BRICS’ National Development Bank (NDB) Annual Meeting held last July 21 – 22 in Shanghai China, the focus centered around expanding the scope of the Bank’s membership. According to NDB Vice – President and Chief R
Jul 22,2016
World Bank backing coal power in Europe
The Guardian recently reported on the World Bank’s enthusiasm in supporting the Kosovo e re (New Kosovo) coal power plant. The $200 billion project is expected to have a capacity of 600 MW, and would be powered by lignite which is the dirtiest form of coal. This is despite the Bank’s pron
Jun 27,2016
World Bank Should Champion Human Rights
The New York Times editorial board today called on the World Bank to “champion human rights” through its new safeguards policy framework presently under consideration by the Bank’s board of directors. The Times cited that despite the fact that the institution’s own re
Jun 24,2016
AIIB approved $509 million for four projects
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be holding its 1st Annual Meeting on June 25 – 26, 2016 in Beijing, China. Prior to the meeting, the Bank approved four projects amounting to $509 million. These projects include co – financing with the World Bank on a slum redevelopment in Indone
Jun 23,2016
World Bank Allows Tanzania To Sidestep Rule Protecting Indigenous Groups
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists recently reported that the World Bank has chosen to waive their policy protections for indigenous peoples in a Tanzania investment project, despite serious impacts on indigenous peoples in the project area. The Southern Agricultura
Jun 21,2016
Al-Haq calls on World Bank to strengthen protection in conflict-affected areas
On June 16th, the Palestinian human rights organization, Al-Haq, urged the World Bank to explicitly address the need for human rights safeguards for investments in conflict-affected areas during the Bank’s ongoing safeguard policy reform process. The Bank has announced plans to increase inve