Dear all,
The World Bank is proposing to use national regulations rather than the Bank’s own social and environmental safeguard policies in a series of pilot projects. The Bank plans to widely expand this approach after a two-year test phase. Already now Bank projects have to comply with national regulations. As the letter below explains, no longer using World Bank standards will seriously weaken the standards used in Bank projects, and the Bank’s accountability for its own projects.
The World Bank is currently carrying out consultations on this proposal. They have posted the proposal on the web (see [url=http://www.worldbank.org/countrysystems]www.worldbank.org/countrysystems[/url] , and are conducting a series of consultation meetings. Meetings will take place, or have already taken place, in Dar es Salaam (November 11), Manila (December 1), Tokyo (December 3), London (December 8), Delhi (December 14), Brasilia (January 12), and Washington DC (January 14, date tbc). As often, the format of these meetings seems to be totally inadequate.
The NGO sign-on letter (please see [url=http://www.cenn.org/info/Please]http://www.cenn.org/info/Please[/url] endorse NGO sign.doc) protests against the weakening of World Bank standards. It is based on inputs from NGOs in the North and South, and follows an earlier letter that was signed by 186 groups from 60 countries, including many of you. The letter states what NGOs support (so that we don’t simply respond to the Bank’s agenda). It criticizes the Bank’s proposal generally, summarizes how the proposal will weaken the existing standards, and puts forward several requested changes.
Please endorse this NGO letter. Please send your endorsement (name, name of your organization, country) to [email]peter@irn.org[/email] The deadline is Saturday, December 18, 2004.
Many thanks for your support.