Human Rights and Development:

World Bank
 Human Rights and Development
World Bank

Prepared by: Prepared for:

Shawkat Ara Begum Prof. Saber Ahmed Chowdhury
Roll: D1704007 Human Rights and Development
MDS, BUP
MDS-512
MDS, BUP
07/09/2018
 Topics Covered
• Past Projects and Past Violations
• Inspection Panel
• Present: Any Improvement?
• Conclusion
 Past Projects, Past Violations

• Sardar Sarovar Dam Projects in India: deeply flawed,

prompted WB to take revolutionary step in 1993

• 1996 Bank-wide review of projects involving large-scale

resettlement observed : betn 1986-1993, only about half of
all appraisal missions sent into the field had been provided
with the required resettlement plan, and that non-
compliance with resettlement requirements persisted on all
levels within the Bank and at all stages of the project-cycle.

• an internal body mandated to receive complaints from

victims of Bank-funded projects
 Inspection Panel
• 3 member Inspection Panel’s mandate (as laid down
in its Operating Procedures) : to serve as an
‘independent forum’ of last resort for people who feel
that ‘their rights or interests have been, or are likely
to be adversely affected
• Panel has several procedural weaknesses:
1. General Counsel Shihata
2. Only mandated to refer to the Bank’s own policy
documents, not to external obligations
3. ultimate decision-making power remains with the
Board of Executive Directors significantly curtails
Panel’s role
 The Present: Any Improvement?
• International Advisory Group (IAG) in 2001for the
Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline
Project.
• independent identification of ‘potential issues’ in the
realisation ‘issues of governance including human
rights’
• made important findings with regards to HR
• health hazards due to large concentrations of workers
in spontaneous camps, increase in prostitution of
young girls, systematic exclusion of labour unions from
work sites by oil consortium, and shortcomings in
resettlement compensation payments
 Findings of IAG
• Identifies a ‘two-speed’ implementation of the project

• direct contravention of the OPs’ requirement that social

development projects designed to mitigate detrimental
effects of infrastructural projects are to be realised

• None of the independent NGO findings have had

significant effects on completion of project,

• many communities have suffered negative effects:

pollution of water sources, lack of participation and
information, intimidation and harassment prior to initiation
of the project to drive them off the land designated for the
pipeline
 HR policy proposals to address:
• Shortcomings of existing World Bank policies and monitoring
mechanisms to be addressed by HR policy including 3
components:
1. Acknowledgement of HR obligations derived from int’ll law &
corresponding entitlements individuals hold against the
Bank.
2. Integration of such a HR policy into each stage of project
cycle. This may include requirement of a HR impact
assessment, similar to environmental impact assessment
procedure.
3. Effective monitoring and redress system, preferably through
an external body – the Bank could mandate UN HR
Commission, for instance, to review its operations, similarly
to the way it monitors countries’ performance.
Thank You!!