On November 10, 25 civil society organizations from Latin America that are part of the IDB Working Group met with the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Ilan Goldfajn, with the purpose of strengthening dialogue and identifying opportunities to bring the institution closer to the peoples it seeks to serve.
The civil society representatives shared with President Goldfajn a series of recommendations to strengthen the links with civil society and communities impacted by IDB projects, hoping they could be considered in the IDB Institutional Strategy 2023-2030, which is currently being discussed. President Goldfajn then opened the floor to hear from the different groups about specific topics.
The IDB Working Group described the meeting as a positive sign from the Bank’s new administration, as it shows openness and willingness to strengthen dialogue with civil society. This session follows a previous meeting with the IDB President in March, during the Bank’s Annual Meeting in Panama, and one with the IDB Vice President for Countries, Anabel González, during the Finance in Common Summit held last September in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
“These spaces represent an opportunity for closer dialogue between the bank and civil society,” said Carolina Juaneda of the Bank Information Center, coordinator of the IDB Working Group.
According to Ivahanna Larrosa, regional coordinator of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, “the general perception is that it was a good meeting to present our messages and move forward in improving the Bank’s dialogue with civil society”.
Civil society representatives noted that the IDB Group’s 2023-2030 Institutional Strategy should promote a just, community-based energy transition that puts people and the environment at the center. The working group also called on the IDB to:
- meet the highest environmental and social standards and respect for human rights in its activities and the projects it finances, prioritizing and strengthening the implementation of the Environmental and Social Policy Framework (ESF), and improving upstream planning to identify appropriate projects;
- prioritize quality investments, redoubling the principles of good governance, especially transparency, access to information, participation and accountability;
- strengthen its commitment to impacted communities, ensuring full reparations to individuals;
- ensure a responsible exit from unsustainable projects and operationalize the commitment not to tolerate retaliation.
Civil society organizations are now seeking substantive participation in the IDB Group Annual Meetings, that will be held in March 2024 in the Dominican Republic, and they welcome the openness of President Goldfajn and his team to work towards greater interaction with civil society organizations and communities in the region.
About the IDB Working Group
The IDB Working Group is an articulation of more than 60 civil society organizations, both regional and international, that advocate with the IDB Group, promoting the highest environmental, social and human rights standards and supporting communities adversely impacted by Bank-financed projects. Some of its members have been working for three decades to strengthen the IDB’s processes of participation, transparency, access to information and respect for human rights.
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