Tag Archive for: Global Governance

Communities and civil society advocate to influence the BID meeting in Chile

At the BID’s 2025 Annual Meetings in Chile, organizations and communities affected by projects financed by the institution are demanding greater transparency, participation, and respect for human rights and the environment, in response to the impacts of megaprojects in the region.

“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”.

Chile is hosting the sixty-fifth Annual Meeting of the Boards of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IDB Invest. The event began on March 20 in Punta Arenas, Magallanes, as part of the Investment Forum and the meeting of authorities, and continues in Santiago until March 30. It brings together the Ministers of Economy, Treasury, and Finance of the Bank’s 48 member countries, who define the main financing policies and strategies for the region.

In this context, communities affected by IDB-financed projects and civil society organizations are organizing to present our demands and highlight the resistance to the development model promoted by the institution.

The main demands include:

  • Full and understandable access to information about projects and their impacts
  • Effective participation of affected communities in decision-making
  • Protection of human rights and nature defenders to avoid retaliation
  • Financing aligned with climate justice and human rights
  • Guaranteeing the prevention, mitigation, and reparation of harm caused by their investments, through policies or frameworks for remediation and responsible exit

For years, resistance networks have denounced the harmful effects of projects financed by the BID and other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). Wind farms, lithium and copper mines, and mega-infrastructure projects have transformed ecosystems and ways of life without consultation or consent from affected communities. In Punta Arenas, the site of pre-Annual Meetings activities, opposition is growing to green hydrogen mega-projects, promoted without real public debate or consideration of Indigenous and local rights.

The BID Working Group, a network of civil society organizations of which we are a part, has been key in opening up advocacy spaces within the Annual Meetings. Thanks to their pressure, the Bank committed to reintroducing civil society participation in 2023, having eliminated it in 2013. The 2025 edition in Chile is a crucial opportunity to strengthen coordination among affected communities and reinforce advocacy strategies to challenge the BID’s role in the region.

The Voice of Communities and Organizations

  • On a Just Energy Transition and the Protection of Indigenous Peoples and the Environment:

“They need to study the places where they promote projects and who lives there. They should take the time to understand local customs and ways of life. It is not right for them to arrive in a place and disrupt communities that are used to living in peace, caring for and protecting nature and biodiversity.” — Spokesperson for the Chango People, Antofagasta (requested anonymity)

  • On the IDB’s Access to Information Policy:

“The BID must ensure effective and timely access to information about the projects it finances so that affected communities and populations can fully understand the status of a given project and participate in decision-making in an informed manner.” — Gonzalo Roza, Coordinator of the Global Governance Area, FUNDEPS (Argentina)

  • On the Protection of Civic Space:

“Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have a responsibility to respect human rights in their operations and to use their influence to ensure that their clients—governments and companies—create and maintain an enabling and safe environment for the exercise and defense of those rights. The BID Group must guarantee the effective implementation of its policies and improve its practices to fulfill this responsibility, ensuring they are systematically enforced.” — Suhayla Bazbaz, Director, Community Cohesion and Social Innovation–CCIS (Mexico)

  • On Remedy and Responsible Exit:

“Repairing the harm caused by the projects it finances must be a priority for the BID Group. It is time for the Bank to be at the forefront of best practices and policies, following the example of other development banks. The International Finance Corporation (the private sector arm of the World Bank) has already published its Responsible Exit Principles and is about to approve the Remedy Framework—two instruments aimed at preventing, mitigating, and repairing the harm caused by its investments. Like any financial institution, the IDB has the responsibility to remedy the harm inflicted on communities and the planet.” — Luisa Gómez, Senior Attorney, Center for International Environmental Law–CIEL (United States)

 

Agenda for Resistance and Advocacy in Chile

Civil society organizations and affected communities have outlined an action plan that includes:

  • Workshops and meetings in Santiago and Punta Arenas with local organizations, affected communities, and strategic allies to analyze the IDB’s impact on the energy transition and development financing.

  • A public discussion on the role of development banks in a just energy transition, as well as Chile’s case in the green hydrogen and mining industries.

  • Advocacy activities during the Annual Meetings aimed at creating spaces for dialogue with BID representatives and other key stakeholders.

  • Engagement with local and international networks to strengthen resistance strategies and globally highlight the impacts of projects promoted by the Bank.

The fight of communities against extractivist projects promoted by the BID is not new, but in a context where financing for strategic sectors such as energy and mining is expanding, amplifying our voices and demanding a just energy transition is more urgent than ever—one that prioritizes community rights and territorial protection.

Contact
Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

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We participated in the 13th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights

On November 25, 26 and 27, we participated in the 13th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, which took place at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.

“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 United Nations Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights is the platform for multilateral dialogue that assesses the progress of States and companies in implementing the three fundamental pillars of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (GHR): Protect, Respect and Remedy. In this way, every year it brings together key actors from governments, international organizations, civil society and companies, creating a broad space for dialogue.

The 13th edition of the forum, entitled “Making the ‘Smart Mix’ for Human Rights in Business Effective”, presented the perspectives of different stakeholders on how to implement a “smart mix” of national, international, voluntary and mandatory measures to strengthen the protection and respect for human rights in business activities. It analysed what has worked so far and what has not, highlighting what is still needed to make the changes proposed by this approach effective, especially for rights holders. The forum also sought to highlight positive practices that have enabled progress in the protection of human rights in the actions of States, companies and other actors.

Among the key themes reflecting important challenges, the Just Energy Transition was highlighted, where the need for companies to implement sustainable practices in a concrete manner and backed by verifiable commitments was discussed. In addition, the importance of recognizing indigenous communities as fundamental actors in the protection of their lands and resources was highlighted, although significant challenges persist in ensuring that their rights are effectively respected in the face of business activity. In this context, the role of development financial institutions was also addressed, emphasizing their responsibility to ensure that the projects they finance comply with human rights standards. Finally, Strategic Climate Litigation was mentioned, which has gained relevance as a tool to hold companies accountable for their negative impacts on climate change and human rights.

One of the key messages that civil society wanted to highlight during the forum was that the protection of human rights should not be seen only as a legal obligation, but as a collective responsibility. Governments, international organisations, civil society and businesses must work together to overcome challenges and achieve meaningful change.

 

More Information

 

Author

Julieta Boretti

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

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Necessary debates: Fundeps held a discussion on the Energy Transition in Argentina

The event organized by Fundeps (Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies), CAUCE Foundation (Environmental Culture – Ecological Cause), FARN (Environment and Natural Resources Foundation) and Siglo 21 University, held on November 11, was a meeting of analysis and debate on the main challenges facing Argentina in the context of the global energy transition.

“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 event, which was held in a discussion format, was organized into thematic panels, one of which was: “The role of China, multilateral banking and transnational corporations in the Argentine energy transition” with the participation of Dr. Virginia Busilli and Lic. Maitén Fuma (UCC), Valeria Enderle (CAUCE Foundation), Francisco Zanichelli (UNC) and Carolina Juaneda (Bank Information Center), moderated by Matías Cena Trebucq (FARN). The second panel, “The challenges of lithium exploitation in Argentina in a context of investment incentives and environmental deregulation”, was hosted by Edgardo Litvinoff (Red RUIDO), María Laura Carrizo Morales (Fundeps), Leandro Gómez (FARN), Federico Trebucq (UES21, CONICET), moderated by Paula Hernández (Fundeps).

On this occasion, Fundeps also presented the report “The exploitation of lithium in the high Andean salt flats: a socio-environmental analysis based on the Argentine case”, which aims to comprehensively address the different conceptual, legislative and discursive perspectives and components that intervene in this context of global energy transition. It also addresses the consequent acceleration in the demand for lithium in our country and region for an informed discussion.

Not every energy transition is a fair energy transition

The race to control the supply chain of so-called critical minerals, or minerals for the energy transition, opens a new chapter in the global geopolitical dispute. Countries in North America, Europe, and Asia, particularly China, are competing not only to dominate the technologies of the final products, but also for access to the deposits of these minerals. At the same time, it is evident that the search for developing “green solutions” is the politically correct narrative today, but is there really progress towards a fair energy transition in social and environmental terms? What roles do the global south and the global north adopt in this new “green” dynamic? What place do communities have in this process? These were some of the questions addressed in the discussion.

Argentina is today the world’s fourth largest producer of lithium and has approximately 50 projects in different phases. With the focus on generating foreign currency required to repay the external debt, provincial and national governments prioritize these investments without carrying out the corresponding studies to determine whether the operations can be carried out without causing irreversible damage to the environment and the communities that have lived there for hundreds of years. The loss of biodiversity, ways of life, knowledge and Andean cultures not only turns these territories into sacrifice zones for the hyper-consumerist model of the Global North, which does not seek to reduce its demand for minerals and nature, but also reinforces existing inequalities and blocks the possibility of thinking about a paradigm shift that places the care of the lives of people and ecosystems at the center, and that teaches us to live within planetary limits.

Undoubtedly, the consequences of the increased demand for lithium extraction and production in this “green race” generate debates of a social, environmental, legal, discursive and ideological nature, as the different meanings and objectives of the different actors involved come into dispute. During the more than two hours that the discussion lasted, experts and representatives of civil society, academia and journalists from Córdoba and other provinces debated and exchanged their opinions on the impact of lithium mining on the environment, the economy and local communities, making it clear that not every energy transition is a fair energy transition and that the extractivist logic reproduces the historical roles of the countries of the Global North and South and also replicates extractivist practices and human rights violations of local and indigenous communities, while reinforcing the vicious cycle of continuing to exploit nature.

 

More Information

 

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

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The exploitation of lithium in the high Andean salt flats: a socio-environmental analysis based on the Argentine case

This report aims to address the different conceptual, legislative and discursive perspectives and components that intervene in this context of global energy transition and the consequent acceleration in the demand for lithium in our country and region. It seeks to take a comprehensive approach to lithium exploitation in Argentina and the region, providing elements for an informed discussion.

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The IDB approves a New Access to Information Policy

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) took the final step of a process that lasted several years and culminated with the approval of a new Access to Information Policy (PAI) by the Board of Executive Directors.

“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 new policy, approved on July 26, 2024, which updates the current IDB policy, will go into effect on September 1, 2025

At Fundeps, together with other regional organizations, we actively participate in the process of updating and adapting the IDB’s PAI, sending comments and suggestions to each of the previous versions, as well as participating in various public consultations to strengthen the right. access to information and transparency in the Bank.

As improvements introduced to the new Bank Policy, mention can be made of the possibility of making anonymous information requests, the reduction in the IDB’s response times to information requests and the work that the institution is doing to increase the usability of the information. and the use of more accessible formats. Even so, it is imperative to consider that access to Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) is not universal or uniform.

Likewise, there are essential aspects that the PAI, or its next updates, must incorporate, such as:

  • The approach to access to information as a fundamental human right and, therefore, a pillar of the PAI itself.
  • The harmonization of the Access to Information Policy with the Escazú Agreement.
  • Eliminate ambiguities in the language of the standard, mainly in the “Exceptions” section, which must be more precise and establish clear criteria for its application.

Likewise, it is worrying that some criteria and parameters that will make the PAI effective are addressed in the Implementation Guidelines. In this way, the effectiveness and strength of the PAI will depend greatly on these Guidelines, which do not require mandatory compliance, as the PAI itself does.

Likewise, it should be mentioned that there were significant delays in the PAI review process. At the end of 2019, the IDB began this process that was suspended months later. Subsequently, in April 2022, it was resumed and the Bank presented a new policy proposal to the Board of Executive Directors, which was approved for public consultation with interested parties. It was only in January 2024 when the final version of the New Information Access Policy was approved, which did not take into account many of the comments and suggestions raised by civil society within the framework of the in-person and virtual consultations organized by the own bank.

As a next step, after the approval of the Access to Information Policy, the Implementation Guidelines for its application will be prepared, which, according to the IDB, will be circulated in a timely manner for comments from the public and civil society organizations. Given the great importance of these Guidelines, especially in this case, we hope that this will be the case and we reiterate the importance of the Bank placing people at the center and using the possibility of making effective and full the exercise of the right of access to information , also strengthening in this process the effective participation of civil society organizations, communities and people affected by their projects and populations in vulnerable situations.

 

More Information

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

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MapaInversiones Argentina Platform: Strengths and Aspects to Improve

MapaInversiones is a regional initiative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), whose objective is to support the improvement of transparency and efficiency of public investment by strengthening the provision of information on infrastructure and development projects in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Operating in optimal conditions, this tool allows citizens, authorities and other interested parties to access detailed and updated information on infrastructure and development projects through digital platforms that integrate and visualize public data.

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How to access information and make a complaint to the AIIB and the Belt and Road Initiative?

In recent years, Argentina joined two initiatives promoted by China of great potential and relevance: the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative. In this document we explain how to request information from these institutions and how to make complaints when their projects affect the rights of communities.

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The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative: what are they?

In recent years, Argentina joined two initiatives promoted by China of great potential and relevance: the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative. In this document we explain what they are and why we are interested in knowing them.

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China-driven financial initiatives: access to information and accountability

Much of what happens in Argentine foreign policy is linked to China, hand in hand with its growing global influence, which is why it is important to know initiatives such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative. , in which China is its main promoter. At Fundeps we share documents with basic and accessible information about these initiatives, placing emphasis on practical resources to access information and their accountability mechanisms.

“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 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) represents China’s flagship global connectivity and infrastructure development program that aims to boost trade and new political and economic ties with participating nations, primarily emerging and “developing” countries. ”. For its part, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank created in 2015 at the initiative of China that currently has more than 100 member countries around the world and finances projects in other regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean or Africa.

The AIIB is closely linked to the Belt and Road Initiative not only because the processes of formation of these two instruments were promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and occurred simultaneously, but also because the AIIB constitutes the main tool financing for projects that are part of the IFR. Likewise, both are part of a process of geopolitical reconfiguration where the center of gravity of the world economy turns towards the Asia Pacific. Furthermore, both have been the subject of criticism since their inception in relation to the negative environmental and social impacts that their projects have generated and the lack of transparency, accountability and citizen participation in their design and implementation.

The role that the AIIB and the IFR play – and will play in the medium-short term – in Argentina is much closer and more tangible than we believe: although they seem like initiatives or actors that are distant and unrelated to the local reality, through Their actions promote or facilitate the implementation of large infrastructure and energy projects in the country that, in turn, have – or may have – a direct or indirect impact on people’s daily lives and may affect social and/or environmental rights. , especially from the populations and communities linked to the projects. In fact, there is already a first approved project in Tierra del Fuego that will be financed by the AIIB for an amount of 65 million dollars and, within the framework of the IFR, there are various projects committed in our country. For this reason, it is essential to monitor them, know how to access information about the projects and how to file a complaint with the Bank’s accountability mechanism.

In addition to this and given the frequent lack of transparency of Chinese banking and the general lack of knowledge about it, at Fundeps we share these updated brochures with summarized information about the AIIB and the Belt and Road Initiative. We also added instructions on how to make a complaint to the Project Affected Persons Mechanism (PPM), the AIIB’s accountability mechanism.

How does the situation influence?

During the current government of Javier Milei, diplomatic ties between both countries have been strained due to the reconfiguration of the new administration’s foreign policy, with greater geopolitical alignment with the United States and the West. We can also mention certain measures such as the decision of the Argentine government to visit the Chinese space base in Neuquén or renounce Argentina’s membership in the BRICS bloc, the brake on infrastructure works with Chinese financing or even statements by the President himself or of Foreign Minister Diana Mondino. This has been reflected, among other things, in the difficulties in the negotiations to renew the swap with China – currency exchange between the central banks of both countries – or in the weakening of the commercial link, which has moved China to fourth place. place as Argentina’s trading partner, currently positioning itself behind Brazil, the European Union (EU) and the United States.

However, it is worth highlighting that the link between Argentina and China continues to be very important, and will continue to be so in the future, regardless of the government in power.

A bilateral relationship of a strategic nature

The bilateral relationship between the People’s Republic of China and Argentina has been strengthening in recent decades and has acquired greater relevance since the 2000s, becoming established, almost 10 years ago, as a Comprehensive Strategic Association. It includes an expansion in the areas of cooperation and covers not only economic and financial aspects but also political, commercial, technological, cultural, health and investment matters. This strengthening of ties was reflected in the incorporation of Argentina to the two initiatives mentioned here.

The signing of a Joint Declaration in 2004 and the Comprehensive Strategic Association in 2014 have been, at the diplomatic level, two unavoidable antecedents to understand Argentina’s entry into the IFR and the AIIB. Given the continuity and long-term projection of the Sino-Argentine link, it can be said that Argentina’s entry into the IFR (in 2022) and the AIIB (from 2021, as a non-regional member), are consistent with the rapprochement and consolidation of bilateral relations since their normalization in 1972 and crystallize this long-standing bond between both countries, posing both opportunities and challenges for our country.

 

 

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

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Belt and Road Initiative (or “New Silk Road”)

Infographic with basic and simple information about the Belt and Road Initiative (or “New Silk Road”).

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Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Infographic with basic and simple information about the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

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Various sectors of Córdoba met to talk about the rollback of rights

This Friday, May 24, the meeting “Córdoba has impact: Conversation for disputed rights” took place with the participation of more than 100 people at the Museum of Anthropologies. It was organized by Fundeps, with the participation of more than 30 spaces.

“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”.

For three hours, reflections were developed around:

  • how the reduction in public spending affects university education, the scientific-technological system, the popular sectors and the media;
  • the consequences of the pension and labor reform proposal, focusing on private home workers; and the unconstitutionality of DNU 70/23.
  • the regulatory regressions in relation to the exploitation of natural resources, how communities experience these deregulations and the environmental impact of the Large Investment Regime (RIGI).

The discussion brought together representatives from various fields, including academia, social organizations, communities, media and unions.

An event with diverse voices and perspectives that help us understand some of the challenges we face and how to build collective strategies against the regression of rights.