The World Bank has released its Forest Action Plan, but civil society raised concerns, including regarding lack of impact in light of the outcomes of the safeguards review and the links to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility.
Indigenous peoples
Rights
Commentary
Lessons from Kenya: Why the World Bank must apply the Indigenous Peoples Policy consistently
The World Bank’s support for a Kenya electricity programme is criticised for failing to comply with its Indigenous Peoples Policy, with implications for the Bank's future lending and the safeguards review.
Rights
News
Renewed warnings over World Bank safeguards “dilution”
Further concerns have been raised over dilutions of the World Bank’s proposed new safeguards framework, as controversy arose over a Bank waiver of the indigenous peoples policy for a Tanzania project.
Rights
News
Calls for World Bank safeguards without “policy dilutions”
CSOs have raised concerns about the World Bank’s safeguards review as the next phase of the consultation is set to be launched.
Private Sector
Analysis
New report shows IFC FI investments cause human rights abuses around the world
New evidence from Oxfam, the Bretton Woods Project and other NGOs reveals the impact of IFC investments in financial intermediaries on global human rights.
Rights
News
UN experts critique World Bank draft safeguards
UN experts have questioned the World Bank’s draft safeguards’ lack of references to human rights, meanwhile the consultation process continues to raise concerns by NGOs.
Rights
News
World Bank failed indigenous peoples in Ethiopia
A report by the World Bank’s Inspection Panel has confirmed that the Bank was non-compliant with its policies on a project in Ethiopia, including on indigenous peoples' rights.
IFI governance
Background
UK civil society meeting with UK World Bank Executive Director Gwen Hines
Notes of a meeting with World Bank executive director Gwen Hines in October 2014.
Infrastructure
News
Guatemala to pay reparations for World Bank funded Chixoy dam
The Guatemalan government has agreed to pay around $155 million in reparations to local indigenous communities who suffered human rights abuses as a result of the construction of the World Bank funded Chixoy dam
Rights
Commentary
Dangers of dilution: World Bank’s new weak environmental and social framework
World Bank’s new draft environmental and social framework is criticised as a step backwards that could lower the standards for the international development community.
Featured briefings
4 October 2023
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2023
3 October 2023
Assessing the Bretton Woods Institutions’ legacy
New collection of critical essays by authors from MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa do a retrospective of the BWIs involvement in the region, and the legacy of BWIs-supported unjust and extractionist world economic order.
2 October 2023
Reconceptualising Special Drawing Rights as a tool for development finance
Briefing examines the shortcomings of the current SDRs allocation system and calls to reform SDRs to ensure their targeted, needs-based and equitable distribution.