Update and Consolidation of World Bank Safeguard Policies (2010-13)

The World Bank is currently undertaking a comprehensive process for ‘Updating and Consolidation’ of eight of its so-called ‘Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies’ and its policy on the use of Country Systems. ‘Safeguard Policies’ are policies intended to establish minimum requirements to minimise or remove the risk of social and environmental harms being directly caused by World Bank financed activities. The Country Systems policy is intended to allow countries to apply their own social and environmental safeguard systems if they are judged to be equivalent to the Bank’s own standards.

The ‘Updating and Consolidation’ process will have immense importance for indigenous peoples and others impacted by World Bank financing. In addition to all the normal areas of Bank financing, including for infrastructure, agribusiness, extractive industries and development policy loans, the Bank is increasingly involved in financing climate change-related initiatives, including those aimed at reducing deforestation and those designed to improve the adaptive capacity of both eco-systems and communities.

Given increasing pressures on the World Bank to compete with financial institutions in developing countries, there is a genuine concern that the ‘Updating and Consolidation’ process could result in a weakening of safeguards and reduced accountability of the World Bank and borrower countries. There may even be risks that some specific policies could be lost altogether. Forest Peoples Programme and many indigenous organisations and NGOs are engaged in tracking this process in an effort to ensure that it results in strengthened standards and greater World Bank accountability.

Begun in 2010, the process is proceeding slowly. An approach paper is expected in late 2012, and consultations will follow the release of that paper. A new set of policies should be in place in 2014.

This FPP website page will provide up-to-date information on the ‘Updating and Consolidation’ process and related critical issues as they emerge.

Relevant resources

FPP E-Newsletter Special Edition on Safeguards, April 2013 (PDF Version)

Forest Peoples Programme

29 April, 2013

As multiple international agencies adopt and update their social and environmental policies, this special edition Forest Peoples Programme E-Newsletter reviews experiences of communities and civil society with the safeguard policies of various international financial institutions.

English (4.6 MB)

Français (1.2 MB)

Español (1.3 MB)

Bahasa Indonesia (1.2 MB)

Introduction: Why safeguards matter

29 April, 2013

So-called “safeguard standards” for international finance institutions emerged as a consequence of destructive forestry, agricultural colonisation and extractive megaprojects financed by the World Bank in the Amazon, Indonesia and India in the 1970s and 1980s.[i] Since then many other multilateral development banks and development agencies have adopted their own safeguard policies and related complaints mechanisms. In addition to the need to protect community rights from destructive development investments, it is increasingly recognised that even well-intentioned conservation and ‘community development’ projects can cause damage and violate rights if they are poorly designed and fail to protect human rights and fragile habitats.[ii]

Forwards or backwards? The World Bank’s safeguard review and update (2012-14)

29 April, 2013

The World Bank is currently undertaking a two-year “review and update” of eight of its ten social and environmental safeguard policies. NGOs have highlighted how the World Bank must use the review as an opportunity to upgrade its standards and bolster implementation and compliance systems to increase Bank accountability and deliver sustainable development outcomes. At the same time, they have raised concerns that the Bank’s plan to “consolidate” its policies, with greater emphasis on the use of country systems to address safeguard issues, could end up in weakened standards and less accountability of the Bank and borrower governments to affected communities and the public.

The World Bank’s Forest Policy

29 April, 2013

As the World Bank reviews its environmental and social standards, a major opportunity to overhaul World Bank approach to forests must not be missed.

The negative impacts of World Bank-financed projects on tropical forests have been an issue of concern for civil society and forest peoples for decades. In the 1980s, World Bank megaprojects in the Amazon and in Indonesia in support for infrastructure projects, agricultural colonisation and transmigration generated major criticism from the public. This in turn generated the political pressure that was a key factor in leading the World Bank Group to adopt mandatory social and environmental standards, known as safeguards, to demonstrate its commitment to preventing harm to people and the environment [See Article 1].

Submission to the World Bank: 'Effective Implementation: the Key to Safeguard Reform'

FPP, Urgewald, Bank Information Center

26 April, 2013

The World Bank Safeguard Review and Update cannot be successful without explicitly ensuring that implementation is a central concern at every stage of policy review and expressly addressed in any new proposed outcome safeguard approach.

Endorsing organisations:

Submission - English (0.1 MB)

NGOs call on World Bank to adopt policies and take actions to uphold land rights, April 2013

18 April, 2013

A coalition of NGOs, including Forest Peoples Programme, have written to the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, to encourage the World Bank to elevate secure community land rights as a priority, and to ensure that all assistance, advice, and investments promote development models that fully respect local peoples’ human rights.

Letter - English (0.4 MB)

World Bank Safeguards & Development Policy Lending: A Primer on Why DPLs Should be Part of the Safeguard Review

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Global Witness

5 April, 2013

This briefing paper explains what Development Policy Loans (DPLs) are, why they are important and why they should be discussed in the current World Bank safeguards review.

Click here to read the briefing.

Briefing - English (0.4 MB)