In July, as the oil in the IFC-supported Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline (see Update 46) finally began flowing a year behind schedule, civil society groups from affected countries and elsewhere presented evidence of destruction, abuse and betrayal in relation to the project. The project has run 32 per cent over budget and has been dogged by construction failures and malpractice. Manana Kochladze, of Tblisi-based group Green Alternatives said that “the public banks have made up their mind the BTC is an unmitigated success story [yet] horrendous testimonies abound along the pipeline route of unpaid compensation, prostitution and trafficking, and failures to keep commitments to reduce poverty and create quality employment.” Nonetheless, the IFC continues to label BTC as a “development project”.

horrendous testimonies abound of unpaid compensation, prostitution and trafficking