This briefing clarifies the landscape of programme conditions and project safeguards and what it implies for a move towards responsible lending standards.
Safeguards
Environment
Commentary
The World Bank and the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project
A critical analysis of the the World Bank-supported West Africa Gas pipeline, by Michael Karipko of Environmental Rights Action, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Accountability
News
Deforestation and double standards
As the Bank prepares to launch its Forest Carbon Partnership Facility forestry experts fear that this framework will benefit industrial scale logging.
Accountability
News
IFC: ‘badges of excellence’, dubious practice
The IFC is scaling up its investment in high risk and low-income countries "as part of its development mission", and is now on track to double financing for mining in Africa this year. However its attempts to position itself as an environmental and human rights 'expert' in these sectors lacks credibility.
Rights
Background
Chad-Cameroon pipeline: implementation, challenges and lessons learned
Minutes of meeting on the Chad-Cameroon pipeline
Environment
Background
The DRC's natural resources: a roundtable discussion on forestry, mining and the role of donor insti
Minutes of meeting
Rights
News
World Bank dams provoke hunger strikes in Pakistan
In February affected communities, and local NGOs undertook a hunger strike in protest against the implementation of the Bank funded water project of the Taunsa Barrage Emergency Rehabilitation and Modernisation.
Rights
Commentary
Mercury rising: The World Bank and the Nura river clean-up
In 2003 the World Bank approved a $40 million loan for the Nura river clean-up project in central Kazakhstan, however without the World Bank’s respect for basic public participation and environmental impact assessment standards, the project is at risk of causing unexpected and badly mitigated effects.
Rights
News
Bank mining advice boosts private profits
Two recent reports question the World Bank's involvement in the mining sector.
Rights
News
Bank directors bound by rights obligations
A report by a coalition of German NGOs finds that Germany extra-territorial obligations extend to its role in multilateral development banks.
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