Civil society organisations globally have stepped up their campaign against the International Finance Corporation's process to overhaul its safeguard policies.
Safeguards
Rights
Commentary
Boycott statement of London IFC/civil society meeting
Statement by UK civil society organisations regarding their reasons for boycotting the IFC's consultation meeting of 1 November 2004 on the revision of safeguards and disclosure policy
Rights
Background
IFC/civil society discussion on proposed update of environmental and social safeguard policies
This meeting, which had been set up by the IFC, was attended by World Bank and IFC staff, private sector consultants and law firms, and a small number of NGO representatives. However, it was boycotted by a large group of non-governmental organisations. A representative of the group outlined reasons for the group's decision not to participate at the meeting in a formal statement, signed by 24 civil society representatives.
Environment
News
Two decades of environmental and social protection policies at risk
Bank watchers fear that a new plan to harmonise Bank environmental and social safeguard policies with national rules will sacrifice years of hard-won policy provisions "in one big sweep".
Rights
News
Private sector safeguard review "fundamentally flawed"
Civil society organisations have expressed alarm at the process recently launched by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) - the World Bank Group's private sector lending arm- to overhaul its safeguard policies.
Rights
News
Bank board accepts status quo in oil and gas
The management response to the Extractive Industries Review (EIR) - described by development and environment…
Environment
News
Environment safeguards bypassed in Poland
A group of NGOs has called for a halt to Bank support for a highway modernisation project which threatens serious environmental impacts.
Rights
News
Indigenous issues still unresolved
Indigenous leaders have said that a meeting with the World Bank legal team was inadequate.
Rights
News
Guatemalan gold project gets financing
Campaigners worry that community rights will be disregarded by a Guatemalan gold mine backed by the IFC.
Private Sector
News
Haitian jobs hang in the balance in IFC-funded plant
The International Finance Corporation, the Bank's private-sector arm, has brought in labour mediators in an attempt to resolve a dispute that threatens to leave hundreds of employees at an IFC-funded plant in Haiti without work.