Together with the rest of the organizations that make up GREFI, we publish a comparative analysis of the regulatory frameworks of the main institutions that finance development in Latin America, with a focus on the similarities and differences between traditional, emerging and chinese banking institutions.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The Regional Group on Financing and Infrastructure (GREFI), made up of FUNDEPS, DAR, Ambiente y Sociedad and Fundar, recently published its latest research paper on the regulations of international financial institutions (IFIs): Comparative Analysis of IFIs regulations Present in Latin America This is a comparative analysis that takes as an object of study the operational policies of different institutions: the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank (WB), the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), the Corporation Financiera Internacional (CFI), the Development Bank of Brazil (BNDES), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Development Bank of China (BDC) and the Chinese Bank of Exports and Imports (ExIm Bank). The essential objective was to be able to achieve a comparison between those traditional institutions, new development institutions and Chinese institutions. The anchoring of this study is given by the number of new actors that today are part of the financial and investment scenario in Latin America.

The analysis was carried out on four axes: access to information, citizen participation, indigenous peoples and social and environmental safeguards. The indicators for these categories were obtained from the best international practices in each of these subjects (the OAS model law on access to information, ILO Convention 169, among others). Each category was divided into different elements that received a score. The product of this work is presented in a statistical way, expressing at what level (percentage) the policies of the institutions achieve the highest standards.

The main results obtained in the study report that two banks categorized as traditional IBRD-BM (86%) and CFI (64%), in addition to an emerging CAF bank (62%), obtain the highest ratings. Among institutions rated less than 50% are two traditional IDB banks (45%) and CII (26%), one emerging bank BNDES (17%) and two Chinese banks BEIC (8%) and BDC (0%). An interesting finding is that only in the categories of traditional banking and emerging banking institutions with relatively high rating are observed. In contrast, Chinese banks stand out with the lowest evaluations according to the proportion of estimated adequacy. This is partly explained by the BDC bank, which does not obtain a qualification in any thematic axis, since, due to lack of access to its regulations, these are not known. (See the specific chapter on CDB).

More information:

Full publication Comparative analysis of the regulations of IFIs present in Latin America

Contact:

Agustina Palencia: agustinapalencia@fundeps.org

We participated in the C20 Summit, which took place on August 6 and 7 in the city of Buenos Aires and where the final communiqué of the C20 was presented, with recommendations for the leaders of the G20 countries.

El Civil 20 (C20) es uno de los siete Engagement Groups o Grupos de Afinidad del Grupo de los 20 (G20) y constituye un ámbito en el que la sociedad civil de distintas partes del mundo puede contribuir a las discusiones y debates que se dan en el marco del G20, buscando incidir en las decisiones adoptadas por dicho foro. En los últimos años, el C20 adoptó como modalidad de trabajo la división  en diferentes grupos de trabajo específicos, desde los cuales se abordan distintas temáticas en profundidad   y se elaboran documentos de alto nivel que luego son presentados ante el G20. El resultado final de todo el trabajo del C20 se refleja en un comunicado final, el cuál es entregado al G20, cuya Cumbre de Líderes tendrá lugar el 30 de noviembre y 1 de diciembre en Buenos Aires.

Fundeps es co-coordinador del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Inversión e Infraestructura del C20, por lo que hemos participado activamente en la coordinación de las discusiones y debates del grupo, tanto a nivel virtual como presencial; y en la elaboración del policy  paper del grupo, que se incorporó al documento de recomendaciones final del C20. A su vez, el 6 y 7 de Agosto pasados participamos de la Cumbre del C20 en la ciudad de Buenos Aires, donde se presentó el documento con recomendaciones de políticas de los grupos de trabajo, el cuál fue además entregado al Presidente Mauricio Macri durante su participación en la apertura del evento.

The document summarizes the recommendations for the leaders of the G20 countries of each of the 8 C20 Working Groups: 1) Anticorruption 2) Architecture of the International Financial System 3) Education, Employment and Inclusion 4) Environment, Climate and Energy 5 ) Gender 6) Investment and Infrastructure 7) Local2Global 8) Global Health.

In the case of the working group that we coordinate (Investment and Infrastructure), the Policy Paper includes the main points and recommendations of the two thematic sub-groups in which the work was divided: Infrastructure Financing and Responsible Business Conduct. In particular, it proposes a series of 12 recommendations, among which are:

  • Promote the transparent and impartial tools necessary to evaluate what type of financing is the most appropriate for a given project.
  • Adopt and promote a set of criteria for sustainable infrastructure and quality to ensure compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals.
  •  Decisions about projects should be guided by national development strategies and priorities, and adopted through participatory processes to identify, mitigate and manage the environmental and social impacts of projects.
  • The guidelines on contractual provisions for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) should take into account public policy considerations and should not favor the interests of private investors over the contracting authorities.
  • Promote radical improvements in the transparency and accountability of infrastructure projects, whether with public or private funds.
  • Implement and complement the standards that establish responsible business conduct; Ensure significant participation in investment decisions, guaranteeing access to information and participation of communities in projects, from their design, according to their own times and priorities, defending the right to free, prior and informed consent; and protecting human rights defenders and informants.
  • Guarantee access to effective remediation for communities impacted by business activities, strengthening judicial and non-judicial mechanisms and in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on business and human rights and the OECD guidelines for multinational companies.

After two days of debates and exhibitions by representatives of the C20 and other affinity groups, the C20 Summit closed echoing the commitment of President Mauricio Macri himself, who said that the Argentine presidency of the C20 would put people at the center of your policies. However, as expressed in the final communiqué of the C20, “speeches are not enough, genuine commitment is required through action”.

The Summit of G-20 leaders will take place at the end of November in Buenos Aires and until then, it will be the responsibility of the civil society organizations that participated in this process to bring these recommendations and claims not only to the rest of the civil society interested; but also to the affected communities and to the governmental representatives and political leaders not only of the countries that make up the G20, but of the whole world. In that sense, during the next four months we will continue coordinating the Investment and Infrastructure group, seeking to bring the recommendations reflected in the group’s policy paper to as many actors as possible.

More information:

Policy Pack: Recomendaciones del C20 al G20 de 2018

Documento del sub-grupo sobre Financiamiento de Infraestructura

Documento del sub-grupo sobre Conducta Empresarial Responsable

Página oficial del G-20

Página Oficial del C20

El C20 entregó sus recomendaciones a Mauricio Macri – G20 – 06/10/2018

La sociedad civil se reunió en el C20 – FUNDEPS – 17/04/2018

Contact:

Gonzalo Roza / Coordinador del Área de Gobernabilidad Global

gon.roza@fundeps.org

Report prepared by the Healthy Latin American Coalition (CLAS) was presented in the framework of a public consultation opened by the Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (REDESCA) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), with the to prepare a thematic report on inter-American standards in the area of ​​business and human rights.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The growing number of cases of human rights abuses and violations committed by companies has led to the treatment of the problem by the international community for some years now. In this context and within the framework of the inter-American system, the IACHR considered gathering information from different interested parties for the purpose of preparing a report that considers the regional reality, and that analyzes and systematizes the inter-American obligations and standards, in order to finally make recommendations on the matter.

Report presented by CLAS, a network that groups around 300 organizations in Latin America of which FUNDEPS is a part, focuses specifically on analyzing the link between companies and chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Thus, first, the report provides information on the impact of these diseases in the region, with special mention to the involvement of vulnerable groups. Secondly, the power of influence of companies in the process of formulation of norms and public policies is analyzed, as an obstacle when adopting, executing and advancing in health policies to prevent and reduce the impact of chronic noncommunicable diseases. . In this regard, the cases of the tobacco industry, the food industry and the alcoholic beverage industry are cited as examples.

The document also warns that the current regulations and action plans sanctioned by governments focus on the prevention of the risk factors of these diseases, without including a more general perspective on human rights and companies. It observes that only some countries have made slight progress in this regard, despite the fact that international evidence shows that the most effective measures to reduce the consumption of unhealthy products are those that control the actions of the companies that manufacture and promote these products; especially in relation to marketing and promotion strategies.

Beyond the efforts of Latin American governments to move forward with legislation for the prevention of NCDs, the intervention of companies in the design and implementation of public policies, as well as the lobby of the industry, constitute a great obstacle to effective implementation of norms that prevent the population from the health consequences of consuming unhealthy products.

Currently, at the international level, there are non-binding instruments and mechanisms that aim to protect human rights from the irresponsible actions of companies. These include: the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD guidelines and the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. Similarly, the work of the IACHR has focused on the search for the prevalence of fundamental rights against the power of corporations; and that is why this thematic report takes on a fundamental character. In this context, also, in the last three years, at the initiative of some States, it has begun to debate the possibility of having an international treaty that effectively forces companies to comply with and guarantee respect for human rights. We believe that an instrument with these characteristics would reinforce the existing regulations, while at the same time ending the abuses perpetrated.

More information

Report presented by CLAS

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni, <agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org>

The works of the Environmental Center of Villa Carlos Paz show an advance of 90% and estimate that in 30 days it will be in operation. Meanwhile, the concern of the residents of Malagueño continues asking for concrete measures to make effective the differentiated collection of waste as well as awareness campaigns.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The project “Environmental Center of Villa Carlos Paz” is being developed in a municipal area located near the National Route 20, which links it with the city of Córdoba, where the current open-air dump is currently operating. It will process the garbage of more than 100.00 inhabitants of the region that includes Villa Carlos Paz and neighboring localities (Villa Rio Icho Cruz, Mayu Sumaj, Cuesta Blanca, Tala Huasi, Cabalango and Malagueño).

In Centro Ambiental, it is integrated by three works: a sanitary landfill for the disposal of solid urban waste, a separation and treatment plant for leachates (toxic residual waste liquid) and the closure of the existing open-air dump for more than 50 years. years.

The works with a total investment of 188,403,896 pesos are being financed through the Environmental Management Program of Tourist Municipalities, executed by the Ministry of Tourism of the Nation with funds from the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) and the National State.

The construction of the Environmental Center began in mid-2017 and according to Horacio Pedrone, Secretary of Environmental Urban Development of the Municipality of Carlos Paz: “We think that by the second half of this year, we will have the new Environmental Treatment Center in operation of urban solid waste “.

While the works are advancing rapidly and the authorities of Carlos Paz announce that at the end of August the differentiated waste collection will begin in the city, in charge of the company Cotreco, in Malagueño there is uncertainty and concern.

In this regard, it is stated that although the Municipality of Carlos Paz has announced communication and awareness campaigns to the community on how to proceed when separating and collecting garbage, no concrete measures have yet been observed. The Malagueño authorities for their part say nothing about it, and taking into account that the Environmental Center will be inaugurated soon, the residents of Villa San Nicolás (Malagueño) fear that the place will become a new landfill.

The project foresees that once the construction of the Environmental Center is completed, the definitive closure of the existing open-air dump would begin, solving a problem that takes 58 years. Until recently, even the fire sources in the same one continued, affecting the smoke and the toxic gases emanating from the landfill to the San Nicolás neighborhood and other neighborhoods near the highway.

In addition, during the last months of December and January, the landfill was burning for more than 80 days, and therefore self-appointed neighbors organized protests calling for an environmental emergency to be declared as a result of the toxicity generated by the smoke from the burning garbage.

In short, the environmental damage affects the air that neighbors breathe, and due to the rains – which increase during the summer and tourist seasons – the ashes end in the San Roque dam that supplies water to 70% of the city ​​of Córdoba.

From FUNDEPS we follow this process and accompany the community of Villa San Nicolás to ensure respect for their rights to a healthy environment, health and access to information and citizen participation. Likewise, and as we have been saying for some time, we consider questionable the location of the Environmental Center next to the La Calera Defense Nature Reserve, and meters from San Roque Lake in areas that may have a higher filtration or percolation propensity towards the Napa of water.

More information

http://www.eldiariodecarlospaz.com.ar/sociedad/2018/6/14/en-agosto-comenzaria-la-recoleccion-diferenciada-de-residuos-52986.html

http://www.eldiariodecarlospaz.com.ar/sociedad/2018/5/15/asi-es-el-centro-ambiental-donde-se-procesara-la-basura-de-punilla-51764.html

https://lmdiario.com.ar/noticia/43262/malagueno-denuncian-problemas-respiratorios-por-los-incendios-del-basural

Contact

María Pérez Alsina – mariaperezalsina@fundeps.org

Gonzalo Rozagon.roza@fundeps.org

The private arm of the BID began the process of public consultation of its Access to Information Policy, which will be extended for 120 days and includes virtual and face-to-face consultations. This policy is key to being able to access information about the projects financed by the Institution, which is substantially expanding its portfolio of projects in Argentina and Latin America.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

BID Invest (previously called the Inter-American Investment Corporation) is the arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that is responsible for financing and advising companies and sustainable projects of the private sector that come from and are developed in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It has a portfolio of US $ 11,200 million in assets under management and 330 clients in 23 countries.

Currently, BID Invest is updating one of its operational policies. To this end, a draft of the new Access to Information Policy has been prepared, which will replace its current Information Availability Policy (in force since 2005) in 2019. It is around this draft (which is available in the BID Invest website) that the public consultation will be held, open to all international civil society. The draft was opened for consultation on May 23 and will receive comments for a period of 120 days.

In turn, the consultation will include virtual and face-to-face dialogues. The virtual consultation will be available through the BID Invest website, and face-to-face consultations will be carried out through meetings (whose dates are yet to be confirmed) in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Washington DC, where the body has its headquarters.

From FUNDEPS we will participate in this process of public consultation, reviewing the draft and sending comments to the Bank, in order to ensure that this new policy is framed in a true commitment to transparency in the exercise of its activities and to strengthen its governance and responsibility.

More information

Author

Agustina Palencia

Contact

Gonzalo Roza – gon.roza@fundeps.org

During the month of April, the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) published new guidelines for improvement in its Consultation Phase. It was a participatory process that involved different civil society organizations in the revision of the first draft.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

The Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI) is the entity in charge of receiving complaints regarding any project financed by the IDB Group. In this sense, any group of two or more people that is affected by a project financed by these institutions, can go to the mechanism in search of a solution. It should be noted that the complaints submitted should be about non-compliance with the bank’s operational policies and not about other national and / or international regulations.

In order to carry out its task, the ICIM has two functions or phases: (a) Verification of the Observance and (b) Consultation. The complainant may choose to use one or both functions. Verification of the Observance is carried out by the MICI exclusively and it is an investigation regarding the violation of any of the bank’s operational policies. The Consultation involves both those who file the complaint and the party that has taken the loan. This last function is a process similar to mediation and its objective is to achieve consensus among the parties involved to arrive at a solution.

On this second phase, the MICI elaborated a document for internal use that aims to improve the complaint process for those who decide to use this function of the mechanism. In this regard, it should be mentioned that this function must specifically address the needs of the parties involved and the context of the complaint. In these new guidelines, special attention was paid to the affected communities that file the complaint, as well as to the risks and dangers in which they may be involved. This is particularly important since the last few years have made it clear that human rights defenders live in a situation of constant danger.

In this sense, the presentation of a complaint before the ICIM can turn into something that can put at risk the life and / or safety of those who come to the mechanism. The new guidelines try to address this issue by arguing that the ICIM must act in the face of power imbalances, and at the same time ensure that the mediation process is appropriate to the needs of the parties. Within this logic, the guidelines propose to approach the consultation phase attending to six (6) very important principles: (a) the Co-Design of the processes, (b) the Action without Damage, (c) the Good Faith, (d) ) Voluntariness, (e) Sustainability and (f) Attention to Symmetries.

It follows from the latter that the aim of delineating these rules is to improve considerably the complaint process, while strengthening the general policy of the ICIM. We consider that this is a fundamental step in the adoption of better standards that guarantee the rendering of accounts of the financial institutions and the access to an effective remedy by the affected communities. Likewise, we applaud the adoption of these guidelines in consultation with civil society organizations. That made it clear that the MICI is willing to receive feedback from those who position themselves as users of the mechanism and who have been able to glimpse the shortcomings that the processes may have.

More information

Contact

Gonzalo Roza – gon.roza@fundeps.org

Agustina Palencia – agustinapalencia@fundeps.org

We were participating in the C20 meeting, a civil society affinity group for the G20 process. In it, we coordinated the discussions of the investment and infrastructure work group, and participated in meetings with authorities.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

On the occasion of the Argentine presidency of the G20 -which brings together the governments of the 20 largest economies in the world-, the meeting of the civil society group, called C20, took place on April 4 and 5 in Buenos Aires. It is organized into 8 working groups that address the following agendas: anti-corruption; architecture of the international financial system; education, employment and inclusion; environment, climate and energy; gender; global local; global health; and investment and infrastructure.

Within the working group of investment and infrastructure, the discussion was oriented to elaborate recommendations for the G20 governments, especially for the Argentine government for being leading the forum during 2018. Thus, issues concerning responsible investments were debated, with a focus in the impact of business activity on human rights, and different aspects related to infrastructure projects -financial, environmental, accountability, participation, among others-. These discussions began in March, through the online forum of the working group, and will continue in the same way for the elaboration of the conclusions as a group.

Likewise, during the second day, we participated in a meeting with Matías Mondino, Infrastructure Director of the Ministry of Finance and representative before the G20 infrastructure group. During the meeting, in addition to knowing about the government’s agenda for its G20 presidency on investments, the concerns of the organizations present in this regard were expressed about investments in infrastructure and public-private partnerships.

The result of the discussions held during the two days, will be reflected in a working document to be presented at the C20 summit to be held on August 6 and 7 in Buenos Aires. It is expected that the recommendations made by civil society will be taken by governments and reflected within the commitments of the G20. The purpose of the C20 process is to promote economic and financial policies that are attentive to the duties of the states in the area of ​​human rights, including in their agenda transparency and accountability.

More information

Contact

Gonzalo Roza – gon.roza@fundeps.org

Carolina Tamagnini – carotamagnini@fundeps.org

The virtual course will be held every Wednesday in May; It is free and proof of participation will be given to anyone who has completed the five modules of the course.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In recent years, the actors that finance extractive and infrastructure projects in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region have diversified, resulting in a more complex financial framework. In this sense, a large part of the projects present in the region are co-financed by different actors. In many cases a percentage of the total financing of the projects may come from private financial institutions, development banks, regional or state banks.

In LAC, in addition to traditional banking (World Bank Group, Inter-American Development Bank) the presence of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Bank of Economic and Social Development of Brazil (BNDES) have had an important presence. However, during the past decade, Chinese banks have gained importance. During 2016, the two main banks of development in this country had record amounts for the region as the third consecutive year. These international financial institutions (IFIs) have their own environmental, social and access to information frameworks, so when designing a territorial defense strategy, it is useful to incorporate these tools. The foregoing complements the normative frameworks of international and national law that should prevail. The virtual course aims to deepen these issues.

 

GENERAL PURPOSE:

  • Strengthen the knowledge of the participants regarding the tools for the defense of the territory against extractive and infrastructure projects in the region.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

  • Understand the main normative frameworks of international law related to the defense of the territory
  • Understand the normative environmental, social and access to information frameworks of the main IFIs present in the region.
  • To create a space that favors the exchange of experiences and strategies for the defense of the territory against the advance of extractive projects and infrastructure in the region.

Wednesday of May: 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

9 to 10.30: Guatemala

10 to 11.30: Colombia / Mexico / Peru

11 to 12.30: Bolivia

12 to 13.30: Argentina / Brazil

The course is free and proof of participation will be given to those who have completed the five modules of the course.

REGISTRATIONS HERE
Further information: cursogrefi@fundar.org.mx

On February 28, we presented to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OACNUDH) a report with comments on the draft ‘Elements‘ for the binding treaty on business and human rights.

In 2017, during the third session of the Intergovernmental Working Group for the Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights, a draft of elements to be included in the legally binding instrument was presented. The purpose of this document was to reflect the contributions made by the States and other relevant parties within the framework of the first two sessions. These were dedicated to the development of constructive deliberations on the content, scope, nature and form of the future international instrument. Once the third session was over, the States and other interested parties were invited to submit comments on the aforementioned draft.

Convinced that this process must move forward to finalize the legally binding agreement, a report was presented with comments and proposals for the text of the treaty. Among the most important points highlighted, the reference was made to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which is an example of how international regulations can deal with the impacts of transnational corporations on DD In addition, taking the same instrument as a reference, the need to reaffirm certain principles was highlighted: (1) the protection of the space for public decision-making, (2) the principle of progressivity in the fulfillment of human rights and (3) the environmental precautionary principle. These enumerated points become of vital importance, in the sense that they refer to the protection of Human Rights prior to the generation of any damage.

With reference to the actors involved, it was requested that the Multilateral Development Banks be included in the text. This, taking into consideration that this type of institutions, have traditionally been exempted from compliance with international regulations, claiming that their charters do not force them to consider human rights obligations when carrying out their activities.

In relation to the obligations of the States, the report presented by FUNDEPS highlighted:

  • The need to ensure transparency in interactions with transnational corporations with representatives of the State.
  • The establishment of mechanisms to prevent situations of conflict of interest.
  • The need for protection of human rights defenders.
  • The inclusion of impact assessments in human rights, ensuring the incorporation of the gender perspective.

We consider it of particular relevance that this process progresses in accordance with the mandate granted to the Intergovernmental Group. A legally binding instrument in this area is necessary in order to effectively and fully guarantee respect for human rights. In a scenario of globalization and transnationalization of financial and commercial activities, the national legislation is not enough to enforce the responsibility of protect for the DD.HH. In this regard, multinational companies must be accountable for their activities and operations; and for this, it is necessary to have an instrument of this caliber.

More information

Advancing towards a binding treaty on transnational corporations and human rights
Effective access to reparation measures at the center of the debate of the 6th United Nations Forum

Más información

Author

Agustina Palencia

Contact

Juan Carballo – juanmcarballo@fundeps.org

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development is making a call to fill the post of Program and Communication Officer, under the supervision of FUNDEPS. This position is full-time and will be responsible for providing support to the coordination and advocacy activities of the Coalition, while at the same time coordinating the institutional communication of the Coalition.

For this position, we are looking for a person in Communication, International Relations, Political Science, Advocacy or related careers who have experience in the field of human rights and in institutional communication. The person must have excellent oral and written command of English since communications with the Coalition are conducted in that language.

The post will have a contract with FUNDEPS and the Coalition for a year, starting in April this year, and with the possibility of renewing later, with fees set by the Coalition.

Those who apply should send the following documentation IN ENGLISH:

• Presentation letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Short sample of a written piece.

The documentation should be sent to info@fundeps.org with the subject “Program and Communications Associate” until Monday, March 5 inclusive. Applications in Spanish will be rejected.

To read the full call, click here.

Contact
Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

During 2018, the private sector investment arm of the Inter-American Development Bank, BID
Invest, will review its institutional policy on access to information. It is a process that is expected
to improve its current policy, in order to effectively guarantee this right.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

The investment arm of the private sector of the Inter-American Development Bank, BID Invest, will review its access to information policy during 2018. IDB Invest, is the entity in which the former Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) was transformed, as a result of the deepening that the IDB intends to carry out in its financing to the private sector.

The IIC (now BID Invest), like the other international financial institutions (IFIs), has operational policies that regulate the actions of the entity and present criteria for the granting of loans. The policies of access to information fall within the group of rules that define the actions of the institution. In particular, they claim the basic right of access to information that human beings have.

It is also important to mention the relevance that this right adopts in terms of development projects. For a true development to take place, it is necessary that those involved can be part of the information exchange process, and even more, that they can see their development priorities reflected throughout the project’s investment cycle. Only then, policies and projects will be able to provide real benefits to local communities.

In this regard, IFIs and their policies do not always account for the best standards and practices in terms of access to information. In a recent analysis, the organization International Accountability Project, found that the former Corporation failed greatly in guaranteeing this right. Numerous projects financed by this member of the IDB Group have not managed to make the affected communities have access to information or participation mechanisms. This situation has been fostered by a lax normative framework that does not guarantee access to this right in its fullness.

It is expected that in this 2018, with the change to BID Invest, the review of the policy will achieve maximum standards and good practices in what access to information is concerned. However, there are still few details about this process. The dates are not defined and it is not known if there will be any instance that allows participation and / or comments from civil society organizations. From FUNDEPS we will be following this process closely and getting involved in it.

More information

Author

Agustina Palencia

Contact

Gonzalo Roza – gon.roza@fundeps.org

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The year 2017 began with important and promising news for the Gasification Project of Localities of the Interior of the Province of Córdoba, better known by the people of Córdoba as the “main gas pipeline project”. During the first days of January, the Governor of Córdoba Juan Schiaretti and President Mauricio Macri were present at the inauguration of a Pressure Reducing Plant in La Calera, work carried out by the Brazilian company Odebrecht within the framework of the systems awarded to it after the public tender launched in 2015. The reduction plant constituted the first section inaugurated by the Córdoba-Gran Córdoba Ring System, comprised of 52 kilometers of gas pipelines. reinforcement, and that will benefit 300 thousand inhabitants of both Córdoba and La Calera and of Saldán, Villa Allende, Mendiolaza, Malagueño and Malvinas Argentinas, according to official information.

The presence of Macri at the inauguration of the work represented a gesture of political support for the Schiaretti government. Especially taking into account the strong questions and criticisms received by the provincial government for the involvement in this project of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, involved in a corruption scandal in Brazil and other Latin American countries, even in Argentina. Despite these questions, the Schiaretti government always defended the participation of the company by resorting to the debatable argument that the corruption events in which it is involved occurred between 2004 and 2013, while the tender in Córdoba was carried out only in 2015.

However, after a few days the project suffers a major setback: Schiaretti announces that, due to delays in obtaining loans from Chinese banks, 4 stretches of gas pipelines would be re-tendered to avoid postponing the start of the works in said sections, but in this case with the Province’s own financing. Recall that of the 10 trunk systems that were defined in 2015, 4 were awarded to Transitory Business Unions (UTEs) made up of Argentine and Chinese companies and financed by Chinese banks (ICBC and Bank of China); and the remaining 6 were awarded to Odebrecht (at first it was said that the Brazilian company would present its own financing for the start of the work, but finally this was not the case, making the province have to resort to indebtedness to start the works).

Thus, criticisms of the link with Odebrecht in the work will be added to questions about the delays in Chinese financing; the lack of relevant explanations regarding the reasons for the fall in financing; the need to re-tender the work and the decision of the provincial government to go back to the market to borrow to finance the work and even for the substantial increase in the cost of the work, which went from a budget of 8,600 million pesos in 2015 to 12,480 million pesos at the beginning of 2017 (an increase of 45% in almost two years).

After a new call for bids in February, in March the works of the four aforementioned systems were re-awarded to the same UTEs that had won in the first tender. In turn, the government issued a new batch of public securities for 460 million dollars to finance the start of works in the 4 tranches of the project, with the financial agent of Banco de Córdoba (Bancor).

Although in that same month of March advances were announced in the negotiations with the Chinese banks to finish making the committed credits for the work, surprisingly on April 21 the Governor Schiaretti announced the definitive fall of the Chinese financing and the signing of a decree that rendered ineffective the adjudication of the works of the 4 corresponding trunk systems. While Schiaretti himself blamed the Chinese banks for the fall in funding, arguing that they raised conditions “leonine, unacceptable to Cordoba and the national government,” the fact is that the government never made clear the true reasons and reasons that led to the fall of Chinese financing.

In this way, the government of Córdoba decided to launch a new tender for 437 million dollars for the construction of the 4 gas pipeline systems, which now in the new call would become 8 systems (in addition to the 6 remaining systems already awarded to Odebrecht ) and whose financing would come from the same province. In this case, the allocation of the new systems fell to national companies.

In early May, and despite criticism from the opposition, the provincial legislature approves a bill that enables new changes in the pipeline project: the negotiations with Chinese banks to finance 4 of the trunk systems are terminated, and it is approved that it is now the provincial government itself that must obtain the totality of the funds to complete the work (ratifying in this way the authorization granted by law 10,339 that enabled operations to take public credit to carry out the works). Just a few days later, the government made official through a decree published in the Official Gazette, a new debt collection for 450 million dollars to finance the work. By the end of June, Schiaretti himself would announce through his Twitter account that the province had obtained the total financing for the work through the placement of bonds in the international capital market.

In short, this strategic project for Córdoba that was going to have in the beginning with financing provided or managed by international actors (initially through the National Bank of Economic and Social Development of Brazil -BNDES-, then through Chinese banks and own financing provided by the Odebrecht company) to depend exclusively, for its concretion, on the province’s own resources or obtained through debt through the issuance of government securities.

The second half of the year would be marked mainly by the progress of the work (according to the government by the end of the year 14% of the work had been completed and the work was planned to be completed by mid-2019), but also by the constants and recurring questions from sectors of the opposition and civil society in relation to the project. Especially after Córdoba was mentioned in the framework of the Lava Jato case as one of the destinations where the Odebrecht constructure paid bribes in Argentina.

Although the national government of Mauricio Macri began a campaign to review and investigate the possible involvement of Odebrecht in the payment of bribes in numerous public works projects in Argentina (which even led the national government to suspend the company to carry out works at a national level), the gas pipeline project in Córdoba was strangely excluded from said revision and the relevant explanations were never provided to justify such exclusion. Even the company continues to operate in the province despite its suspension at the national level (its main work is precisely that of gas pipelines in Córdoba) and the requirements from the opposition that the same be done at the provincial level. Given the lack of answers at the national level, some opposition legislators traveled to Brazil in October of this year to ask the prosecutors of the Lava Jato case to investigate the link between the Brazilian company in the payment of bribes in the framework of the bidding process in 2008 for the construction of trunk pipelines.

In this way, between marches and counter-marches, the balance of 2017 in relation to the trunk gas pipeline project throws little light and many shadows and suspicions in relation to the transparency and execution of the project. Not only because of the never entirely clear fall of Chinese financing at the beginning of the year but also, and above all, because of the way the provincial government has handled the involvement of the construction company Odebrecht in the work and the numerous causes of corruption that splash throughout Latin America and even in Argentina itself. Although the government of Schiaretti has detached the company from any kind of connection with the possible delivery of bribes and corruption in the bidding of the work (even with the support of the national government of Macri itself that has initiated a kind of “Crusade” against the Brazilian company for its actions in the country during the Kirchner government), the truth is that the year that ends leaves many questions and aspects not clarified about the project.

Undoubtedly, 2017 has left a huge debt outstanding in terms of transparency and accountability in relation to this strategic and emblematic project for Córdoba. From FUNDEPS, we expect this debt to be paid in 2018.

More information

– Working Document: Transparency in the gasification project of localities in the interior of the province of Córdoba by Melanie Mackenzie – December 2017. FUNDEPS.

– Notes and publications of FUNDEPS in relation to trunk gas pipelines.

–  Main gas pipelines in Córdoba: a work that advances in the shadow of corruption by Agustina Palencia – December 2017. El Entramado. FUNDEPS.

Image source

La Voz del Interior

Authors

Macarena Lourdes Mustafa / Voluntaria del Área de Gobernabilidad Global

Gonzalo Roza / Coordinador del Área de Gobernabilidad Global

Contact

Gonzalo Roza / Coordinador del Área de Gobernabilidad Global

gon.roza@fundeps.org