Organizations Promote the Creation of a Space for Sustained Dialogue With the IDB and Recognize the President’s Willingness To Articulate With Civil Society

On February 20, organizations from Latin America and the United States, members and allies of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development that monitor the work of the Inter-American Development Bank, addressed an open letter to the President of the IDB Group Ilan Goldfajn, requesting that the B

Feb 20, 2023 by CHRD

Open Letter From Civil Society Organizations to IDB President Ilan Goldfajn

More than twenty organizations from Latin America and the United States addressed a letter to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Ilan Goldfajn. They ask that the Bank strengthens its work by ensuring respect for human rights and the protection of the environment and by cre

Dec 20, 2022 by CHRD

“The power of collective struggles”: our December newsletter is out!

Welcome to the second edition of the Coalition’s quarterly newsletter, “The power of collective struggles”!  As 2022 draws to an end, we would like to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the powerful work that members and partners of the Coalition have been doing to advance community-l

Nov 07, 2022 by CHRD

Open Letter From Civil Society Group Regarding the Election Process of the Future President of the IDB

A group of civil society organizations from several countries in the region, partners and allies of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, addressed an open letter to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) regarding the current selection process for the Bank’s presidency. Th

Oct 14, 2022 by CHRD

#RightsInCommon: Finance in Common Shadow Summit

On October 19-20, the leaders of the world's public development banks will gather for the "Finance in Common" Summit.

Oct 06, 2022 by members

Civil Society Organizations Ask the Inter-American Development Bank to Strengthen the Revision Process of Its Access to Information Policy

A group of +25 organizations, members and allies of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, sent a letter to the Inter-American Bank Development (IDB), to strengthen the review process of its Access to Information Policy (AIP) and present their recommendations.  The IDB began this review

Sep 09, 2022 by CHRD

The power of collective struggles – newsletter september 2022

Welcome to the first edition of the Coalition's quarterly newsletter!

Jun 08, 2022 by CHRD

CSOs response to the World Bank consultation on the proposal for a Financial Intermediary Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response

Thirty-three organisations from around the world have signed a statement arguing that the World Bank has not learnt crucial lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and broader health financing evidence. Download the statement here In May, the World Bank (WB), in collaboration with the World Health O

Jan 31, 2022 by CHRD

COVID-19: You can’t have a recovery using the same bad medicine

We are beginning 2022 with the world reeling under rising Omicron cases. It has been two years since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. And we still have pressing questions around how we shepherd ourselves out of the pande

Jan 30, 2022 by CHRD

Missing receipts: what happened to the billions of dollars provided by international finance institutions for the COVID-19 response?

PRESS RELEASE 31 January, 2022 – International Financial Institutions (IFIs) have designated billions of dollars to respond to the pandemic and related social and economic crises. Yet, there is a concerning lack of transparency on how these funds were spent and serious doubts on whether t

Jan 25, 2022 by CHRD

#Dev4Africa: a new campaign to demand AfDB more transparency and respect human rights

#Dev4Africa is a campaign launched by grassroots groups, Indigenous Peoples, civil society organizations, communities, workers, women, and other right-holders and allies who share the common belief that fair and sustainable development in Africa is possible. The campaign supporters want t

Regional strategic conversation – Latin America

In June 2021, the Coalition held an online strategic conversation with its members and partners in Latin America, to learn more about the work in progress, reflect on challenges and achievements, and outline collective strategies. This infographic below summarizes the main results and the area

Nov 22, 2021 by CHRD

Nov 22, 2021 by members

More than 70 CSOs raise their concerns about the review process of AfDB’s Integrated Safeguard System

On November 19, more than 70 civil society organizations from across the African continent and international supporters addressed a letter to the African Development Bank (AfDB), to raise their concerns about the review process of its Integrated Safeguard System (ISS).

Nov 09, 2021 by members

Recommendations to strengthen IDB Group’s engagement with Civil Society and Project Affected Communities

On November 8, 2021, 30 civil society organizations - including many Coalition members - addressed a letter to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), expressing their concerns in regard to the process to review the second IDB Group-Civil Society Action Plan (2022-2024).

Oct 18, 2021 by members

Development banks have no business financing agribusiness

On October 18, ahead of the second edition of the Finance in Common (FIC) summit, over 280 civil society organizations and grassroots groups – including many members and allies of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development – have signed a letter calling on public development banks

Jul 19, 2021 by CHRD

Unhealthy Silence: Development banks’ inaction on retaliation during COVID-19

On Tuesday July 27 (1 pm UTC time) join us for a webinar where we will launch the report "Unhealthy Silence" and present its key findings.

Apr 30, 2021 by CHRD

IDB Invest and IFC’s new guidance on reprisals: a welcome step, but more is needed

In March 2020, IDB Invest and IFC’s released a new guidance which lays out 10 steps companies should take to screen, prevent and respond to reprisals. In this blog, Hannah Storey analyses the document and explains why, although this is a welcome and important step, much more is needed to truly tackle reprisals.

Mar 17,2021

Mar 17, 2021 by members

Covid-19 response in Myanmar: civil society organizations urge IFIs not to collaborate with the junta

International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and States must work directly with civil society and other stakeholders on COVID-19: collaborating with the junta on public health would jeopardize Myanmar’s COVID-19 response, legitimize the junta, and harm public health in the long term. On 17 Ma

Mar 02,2021

Mar 02, 2021 by members

Too little, too late: World Bank rents military land despite partial loans freeze, and MFI inaction risks legitimizing the junta

Myanmar’s nationwide civil disobedience movement (CDM), based on “no recognition, no participation,” is key to stopping the military from consolidating power after its 1 February 2021 coup d’état. Multilateral finance institutions (MFIs) must support the CDM, stating they will not deal with

Nov 30, 2020 by CHRD

Global Summit of Development Banks Fails to Learn from Destructive Past

In November, 450 public development banks from around the world met for the Finance in Common Summit at the Paris Peace Forum. They gathered to discuss how they can direct their combined investments of over USD 2 trillion – 10% of total investments in the world – “to support the transformation or the

Oct 08, 2020 by CHRD

Covid-19, development finance and attacks against journalists

Around the world, journalists, bloggers, medical workers, human rights defenders and all those who are raising concerns for the inadequate response to the Covid-19 pandemic are under attack. In an attempt to silence their dissenting voices, they are being accused of spreading false informatio

May 13, 2020 by CHRD

Article: Impacts of COVID19 on Frontline Communities Resisting Internationally Financed Development Projects

The Coalition uncovered several trends on how COVID-19 measures are impacting frontline communities opposing internationally financed development projects. Using data provided by its community engagement partners and allies, the Coalition found common trends among communities from Asia

Mar 20, 2020 by CHRD

Coalition Members and Partners Engage AIIB ESF Review

The Coalition for Human Right in Development members and partners submitted a position paper to the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) Review team in line with the on-going review.  The AIIB requested submissions from civil society organi

Oct 22, 2019 by CHRD

Webinar: Attacks Against Defenders and the Role of Development Banks

Join us for a Webinar October 30 to discuss the report “Uncalculated Risks: Threats and attacks against human rights defenders and the role of development financiers”. This groundbreaking report from the Defenders in Development Campaign uses 25 case studies from around the globe

Oct 10, 2019 by members

Environmental Activists at Mercy of Business at All Costs

Environmental activists at mercy of business at all costs - new report shows how investors must take action

Jun 04, 2019 by CHRD

PRESS RELEASE: New Report Reveals Uncalculated Risks to Defenders in Development

From Colombia to Kenya, 25 cases of threats and attacks against human rights defenders reveal how development financiers can fuel abuses or help fight them JUNE 4, 2019 – A new report from the Coalition for Human Rights in Development and the Defenders in Development Campaign reveals the ala

Jun 04, 2019 by CHRD

“Uncalculated Risks” exposes threats and attacks against defenders in development

Together with the Defenders in Development Campaign, we launched today the new report “Uncalculated Risks: Threats and attacks against human rights defenders and the role of development financiers.” With 25 case studies from around the world, the report exposes the risks of megap

Jan 21, 2019 by members

IAP produces Community Action Guides with local activists and partners

International Accountability Project (IAP) released a new set of community guides to help communities conduct their own research and in the process define their development priorities and aspirations. The “Community Action Guide on Community-Led Research” set of 3 booklets provides clear an

Jan 10, 2019 by members

Coalition members comment on resignation of World Bank President

January 9, 2019. The President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim, announced he is stepping down from his position this February 1, 2019 to take a position with Global Infrastructure Partners, a private investment firm that did extensive business with the Bank during Kim’s tenure. In a b

Nov 12, 2018 by CHRD

Release: Defenders in Development Campaign Welcomes IFC Position Statement on Reprisals

Groups encourage development of robust protocols for implementation given growing threats November 12, 2018 — Human rights groups and accountability organizations welcomed the International Finance Corporation’s recently released Position Statement on Retaliation Against Civil Socie

Sep 02,2018

UN Report on Criminalization of IPs

UN Special Rapporteur Victoria Tauli Corpuz  just released a hard-hitting report on “the drastic increase in attacks and acts of violence against, criminalization of and threats aimed at indigenous peoples, particularly those arising in the context of large-scale projects involving extrac

Aug 10, 2018 by CHRD

Indigenous tell IDBInvest to divest from Guatemala dams

This week as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, communities affected by the Pojom II and San Andrés dams in the microregion of Ixquisis, Guatemala, filed a complaint with the independent accountability mechanism of the Inter-American Development Bank urging IDB Invest, the bank’s p

May 22, 2018 by CHRD

Press Release: CSOs Urge AfDB to Promote the Interests of Ordinary Africans over Mega Investors at its Annual Meetings

As the African Development Bank (AfDB) meets in Busan, South Korea from May 21-25 to discuss Industrialising Africa, Civil society Organisations (CSOs) from across the continent red flagged the Bank’s steer towards mega investments without a clear action plan for human centred inclusive development.

Mar 13, 2018 by members

What a new US development finance institution needs to succeed

A bipartisan group of senators and representatives introduced the Better Utilization of Investment Leading to Development (BUILD) Act, which, if enacted, would create a new agency called the United States International Development Finance Corporation. The IDFC would absorb the Overseas Pri

Jan 11,2018

LAC groups call for increased transparency in the framework of the EITI initiative

Civil society representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean participating in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), held meetings from 28 to 30 November 2017 in Santo Domingo – Dominican Republic in the framework of the “EITI Regional Workshop in Latin

Dec 15, 2017 by CHRD

Communiqué from the Development and Investment in Africa Workshop

12-13 NOVEMBER 2017 PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA This is a communiqué reflecting the outcomes of the Development and Investment in Africa Workshop held on 12-13 November 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa, and organized by the Coalition for Human Rights in Development together with African Coalition for

Dec 11, 2017 by CHRD

A Dangerous Enterprise: Development Finance and the Fight for Human Rights

[This article was originally published online in July in Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales’ 2017 Environmental Report. It is being reposted here in honor of Human Rights Day]   Across Latin America and the world, governments and investors are pushing for a dramatic increase in

Oct 30, 2017 by CHRD

UN report calls on development banks to address attacks on human rights defenders

A UN report released last week (Oct. 25) highlights the growing attacks on human rights defenders in the context of business and investment activities, including development finance. “Through their financing and technical support, a complex range of public and private institutions continue t

Oct 23, 2017 by members

Guide to the AfDB’s accountability mechanism

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) was established by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2004 to address complaints made by any group of two or more people who have been harmed, or who are likely to be harmed, by a project funded by the AfDB Group. The IRM was designed to make sure that the AfDB f

Sep 27, 2017 by CHRD

Webinar: Demystifying Development Banks in Asia

On September 26, 2017, the Coalition for Human Rights in Development co-hosted a ‘Demystifying Development Banks’ webinar with a special focus on Asia, where many countries have been shown to be among the most dangerous for human rights and environmental defenders who confront infrastructure

Sep 08,2017

New Development Bank is BRICS’ best card

According to Caio Borges, Prof. Karin Costa Vazquez and Supriya Roychoudhury, if question marks on the future of BRICS are repeatedly raised, the New Development Bank (NDB) is probably the most concrete avenue through which the grouping can deepen co-operation. The NDB’s stated commitment to su

Jul 10,2017

FMO and Finnfund officially withdraw from Agua Zarca project

Two of the primary backers of the Agua Zarca hydropower dam project in Honduras have officially announced their exit from the project following years of campaigning by local indigenous groups and criticism from international civil society organizations. In a press release issued on July 6, the D

Jul 07, 2017 by CHRD

Presentation: The Private Sector in Development

Coalition Coordinator, Gretchen Gordon, recently participated in a webinar hosted by the CIVICUS World Alliance for the launch of their report, ‘State of Civil Society 2017.’ Gordon’s presentation, based on her guest essay accompanying the report, focused on how the private sector is playing a

Jun 14, 2017 by members

Asian CSOs Convene Workshop on Accountability in Bangkok

Representatives from 35 civil society organizations and community groups based in 11 countries in South and Southeast Asia participated in a workshop on how individuals and communities harmed by development projects can seek recourse.

Mar 08, 2017 by CHRD

Impact Report 2016

Read the full report: English | Spanish | French Partnering with Communities to Defend Human Rights In 2016 the Coalition engaged in partnerships with communities around the world to connect community struggles with strategic resources and campaign support and to bring community expertis

Dec 08, 2016 by CHRD

Time for Development Financiers to #Standup4HumanRights

Global groups call for action to protect human rights in development Ahead of Human Rights Day, December 10th, the Coalition for Human Rights in Development joins with over 50 civil society groups around the world to call on financial institutions, governments and businesses to stand up for human

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 22, 2016 by members

Groups call for greater openness and transparency at BRICS Bank in its first Annual Meeting

As government officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa wrapped up proceedings in Shanghai for the first Annual Meeting of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), development and environmental groups from BRICS countries called for greater transparency and engagement with ci

May 26, 2016 by members

Civil Society Declaration at the 51st African Development Bank Annual Meetings

African civil society groups, including Coalition member Lumière Synergie pour le Développement, called on the African Development Bank this week to increase its accountability and engagement with civil society and to embrace pro-poor investment strategies that support public sector servi

Mar 30, 2016 by CHRD

Sign-on statement on IFIs, Participation, and Human Rights

In the face of rapidly shrinking civil society space and growing attacks on human rights and environmental defenders, sign this statement (English, French, Spanish, Arabic) on the Responsibility of International Financial Institutions to Ensure Meaningful and Effective Participation and

Mar 29,2016

South Africa civil society critizes NDB for lack of transparency and social and environmental standards

With the BRICS New Development Bank set to open its regional office in Johannesburg and approve its first set of projects for financing in the next weeks, South African civil society groups raise concerns about lack of transparency or consultation with potentially affected communities. The NDB h

Feb 25, 2016 by members

African CSO’s urge AfDB to strengthen civil society engagement

Fourty-eight African civil society organizations sent a letter to the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) last week calling for more space for civil society engagement and a reform of the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Forum. The groups expressed concern over shortcomings in t

Feb 15,2016

Civil Society calls for human rights protections in World Bank activities

The World Bank consultation on proposed new social and environmental new safeguards will end one month from today. The Bretton Woods Observer reports how civil society organizations around the world have been calling on the Bank to adopt a strong framework for the protection of human rights.

Nov 30, 2015 by members

Groups Call on BRICS Bank to Engage with Civil Society

November 30, 2015: On the heels of the meeting of governors of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), civil society organizations from BRICS countries and countries that will likely be impacted by NDB projects called on the Bank to open a transparent and participative process for the development of

Jun 15,2015

UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association 2015

A report by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association discusses the importance of freedom of speech within natural resource extraction projects. Concludes the following: rights of freedom of peaceful assembly and association are essential to fair work on extraction of na