Tag Archive for: Social and Environmental Standards

Through a virtual meeting, the Board of Governors of the IDB elected the North American candidate, Mauricio Claver-Carone, as president of the Bank.

“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 September 12, the members of the IDB Board of Governors met virtually to elect Mauricio Claver-Carone as the new president of the Bank for the next 5 years. Despite the fact that at the beginning of the election process several candidates presented themselves, the pressure exerted by the United States led the candidate Laura Chinchilla from Costa Rica to step down and later, one day before the elections, the Argentine candidate did, Gustavo Béliz. The strategy of not giving a quorum in the election planned by some of the countries in the region opposed to the North American candidate and the break with the historical tradition in the presidency of the IDB also failed.

Claver-Carone will replace Luis Alberto Moreno on October 1 of this year and will be the fifth president of the Bank. In addition, he will be responsible for the operations of the IDB Group, that is, the IDB, IDB Invest and IDB Lab. The president-elect serves as Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs in the Security Council of The US was also the US Representative to the IMF and Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs in the US Department of the Treasury.

For a candidate to be elected president of the IDB, they must receive the majority of the total votes of the countries that are members of the IDB (48 member countries in total) and the support of at least 15 of the regional member countries (with Canada and USA the total of regional member countries is 28). In this case, Claver-Carone won with 67% of the shareholders in total and with the support of 23 of the 28 members of the region. The president is elected by the Board of Governors, the highest authority of the IDB. Each member country of the Bank has a Governor whose voting power is proportional to the capital that his country has in the IDB. Governors are generally the finance ministers, central bank presidents, or other public officials of member countries.

From civil society organizations, last month we issued a statement to the Bank’s Governors where we expressed our concern about the presidential elections of the Institution, the rejection of the nomination of the North American candidate and the lack of opening of the election process since the participation of social organizations and communities was considered. In the statement, we also highlighted the conditions that the new president should have, such as:

  • Strong commitment to multilateralism.
  • Extensive experience and knowledge of the context of Latin American and Caribbean countries.
  • Clear commitment to transparency, accountability and the participation of all communities and civil society in the Bank’s actions.
  • Knowledge and experience in development agendas that show a commitment to the public interest, the protection and promotion of human rights, gender equality, the need to quickly face the effects of climate change and implement a sustainable development model focused on indigenous peoples and communities.

What remains to be known is whether the president-elect, Mauricio Claver-Carone, meets all the aforementioned conditions and whether he will be able to distinguish himself from the presidency of Luis Alberto Moreno, marked by the lack of dialogue with civil society and affected communities. Will Claver-Carone be capable of opening spaces for dialogue with civil society and communities as well as responding adequately to the demands of Latin American and Caribbean countries in the context of the economic, social and climate crisis they are experiencing?

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Author

Sofia Brocanelli

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

Through a statement addressed to the Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank, civil society organizations, peasant communities, indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants and people with disabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean, we express our concern regarding the presidential elections of the Institution. In particular, we express our rejection of the decision of the United States government to present a North American candidate to preside over the Bank, and of the election process itself, which does not give rise to the participation of social organizations and communities.

“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 September 12 and 13, the Inter-American Development Bank -BID- will elect a new president who will replace Luis Alberto Moreno, after 15 uninterrupted years of management. The elections will take place through an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors to be held virtually. Different countries in the region have nominated candidates, such as Argentina, which nominated Gustavo Béliz, and Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla. However, what is causing concern in the current IDB presidential selection process is the nomination by the US of candidate Mauricio Claver Carone. This, in addition to going against the unwritten IDB rule that the Institution must be led by a Latin American representative, threatens the decision-making capacity of the Bank’s borrowing countries, given that the United States has the highest percentage of capital and votes within the Institution.

In a context marked by the crisis of multilateralism that the world is going through; the socio-ecological and climatic crisis that has a particularly serious impact on Latin America; the historical problems of inequity, inequality and poverty in the region; and the economic, social and health impacts and repercussions that the Covid-19 pandemic is generating, the transition in the presidency of the IDB is key for the future of the region.

Therefore, today more than ever the IDB requires a qualified leader who is capable of critically positioning himself with regard to the role that the Institution plays in the face of the complex panorama that the region is experiencing, and who is predisposed and capable of promoting a model different development. In this sense, the person appointed to the presidency of the IDB should necessarily meet a series of requirements that include, among others, the following:

  1. A clear and express commitment to multilateralism, at a time when the legitimacy of international institutions is being questioned and attacked;
  2. Extensive experience and knowledge of the reality of the countries of the region and the challenges they face in the current context;
  3. A clear commitment to transparency, accountability and the participation of communities, indigenous peoples and civil society in the actions of the Institution;
  4. Knowledge and experience in development agendas that reflect a commitment to the public interest, the protection and promotion of human rights, gender equality, the need to immediately face the effects of climate change and to bet on a model truly sustainable development focused on communities and indigenous peoples.

At the same time, the statement, to which more than 50 organizations joined, emphasizes that the election must go beyond voting and open spaces for dialogue between candidates and civil society and communities. After 15 uninterrupted years under the leadership of a presidency that impregnated particular characteristics, and in many cases questionable, the management and actions of the Bank, a unique opportunity is presented to learn more about the positions and proposals of the different candidates. facing the concerns and demands of communities and civil society; and in relation to the prevailing context in the region.

We hope that the IDB will rise to the current circumstances and take advantage of this opportunity to ensure that whoever becomes president of the Bank is truly the most qualified and appropriate person to lead it in the face of the complex moment the region is going through.

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Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

On Tuesday, August 5, we sent the IDB a new document with observations and comments on the second draft of the Environmental and Social Policy Framework from a gender perspective.

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 December 2019, the Inter-American Development Bank -BID- published the draft Environmental and Social Policy Framework -MPAS- to modernize its environmental and social policies. In January of this year, the face-to-face and virtual public consultations began, where Fundeps was present. In April, we sent a document with comments and observations on the draft MPAS from a gender perspective, which had the input of other civil society organizations. In this document we point out, above all, the lack of mainstreaming of the gender perspective in all the performance standards of the draft MPAS.

At the beginning of July, the Bank published the second draft of the MPAS in which it incorporated some of the recommendations sent by stakeholders (civil society, indigenous communities, Afro-descendant community) and began the second phase of the process for sending comments that It ended on Tuesday, August 5. From Fundeps, we analyzed this second draft of the MPAS and sent a new document with observations and comments from a gender perspective, with the aim of incorporating issues that we consider fundamental when considering the human rights of girls, adolescents, women and LGTTTBIQ + people. in the new social and environmental framework of the IDB.

Among the main points identified, we find positive aspects that have been incorporated as the reference to the Performance Standard -ND- 9 on gender equality in PS 1 (Evaluation and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts), PS 2 ( Labor and Working Conditions), PS 5 (Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement) and PS 10 (Stakeholder Engagement and Disclosure of Information). Another aspect to highlight is the incorporation of ILO Convention 190 against violence and harassment in the workplace and Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration.

However, there are still many aspects to be incorporated that we believe are essential to guarantee gender equality and the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in the projects financed by the Bank. Among the necessary issues to be added to the new MPAS is the Bank’s duty to explicitly and transversally incorporate current and future international Treaties, Agreements and Conventions that contemplate the rights of girls, adolescents, women and LGTTTBIQ + people. In addition, the Bank as the main person in charge must mainstream the gender perspective throughout the Framework to avoid gender blindness.

A worrying issue is the replacement of the Policy on Gender Equality in Development by PS 9. Here the Bank should maintain the validity of the Policy as a complement to PS 9 on Gender Equality. Finally, we emphasize the need for the IDB to incorporate the great diversity of gender-gender identities, since the MPAS does not mention LGTTTBIQ + people, but rather identifies them as sexual and gender minorities. Therefore, we insist that LGTTTBIQ + people are specifically enunciated to ensure visibility and recognition of their existence and rights.

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In early July, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) published the second draft of the Environmental and Social Policy Framework -MPAS- and began the second phase of the 30-day consultation process. This document was produced within this framework and contains observations and comments on the second draft of the MPAS from a gender perspective.

The objective of this document is to analyze the strategy, objectives and political motivations of the People’s Republic of China in Latin America and the Caribbean. This analysis seeks to complement the previous analysis carried out by the Regional Group on Financing and Infrastructure (GREFI) based on the Asian giant’s commercial and investment strategy in LAC, which led to the publication of “General Overview of Chinese Investments in America Latina: The cases of Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Peru ”in 2016. The document analyzes the Chinese political strategy in LAC by analyzing the relationship framework in certain multilateral and bilateral spaces in which China is present in the Region and in which it even exercises a leadership role. And special emphasis is placed on the Belt and Road Initiative promoted by China, and the role that the LAC region has to play in it. (Only in Spanish)

On the occasion of the process of modernizing the environmental and social policies of the Inter-American Development Bank, more than 50 civil society organizations in the region made a document with recommendations and comments on the draft of the new IDB Environmental and Social Policy Framework to avoid corrosion of social and environmental standards. The following document sent to the IDB is in Spanish and English.

In the framework of the public consultation process on the review of IDB environmental and social safeguards policies, together with a group of more than 50 civil society organizations in the region, we made comments and observations on the draft of the new Policy Framework. Environmental and Social, through a document that was sent to the Bank on Monday, April 20.

“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 December 18, 2019, the Executive Board of the Inter-American Development Bank -IDB- approved and published the draft of the new Environmental and Social Policy Framework -MPAS- on the occasion of the modernization of its environmental and social policies that govern the operations that lead to out the bank.

The proposal of this policy differs from the previous ones, since this draft Framework seeks to integrate environmental and social policies into a single policy. Thus, the draft of the MPAS is structured in two parts. In the first, it presents the Policy Statement that addresses the IDB’s responsibilities and roles and relevant issues such as human rights, gender equality, non-discrimination and inclusion, rights of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants and other traditional peoples, participation of interested parties. , reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and protection of Biodiversity, and natural resources and ecosystem.

In the second part of the draft, the ten environmental and social performance standards that must be met by the borrowers throughout the project life cycle are detailed. In addition, for the Bank, the Standards will serve as guides for risk assessment, classification, due diligence, monitoring and management.

The 10 Performance Standards are as follows:

  1. Assessment and management of environmental and social risks and impacts.
  2. Work and working conditions.
  3. Efficiency in the use of resources and prevention of contamination.
  4. Community health and safety.
  5. Land acquisition and resettlement.
  6. Conservation of biodiversity and sustainable management of natural resources.
  7. Indigenous villages.
  8. Cultural heritage.
  9. Gender equality.
  10. Stakeholder Participation and Disclosure of Information.

Following the Bank’s Public Consultation Plan, the public consultation process on the MPAS began in January through face-to-face consultations scheduled by the IDB in different parts of the world. It was not only possible to participate through face-to-face consultations, virtual consultations were also enabled through the sending of comments through the Bank’s website or through an e-mail address. This first phase of virtual consultations ended on April 20.

It was in this framework that more than 50 civil society organizations that we have been working collaboratively and jointly since last year, prepared and sent to the IDB a document with a large number of comments and observations on the draft of the new MPAS.

The document, with more than 80 pages, is structured in general comments and specific comments on each performance standard found in the framework, and not only identifies in detail each of the problematic aspects that we identified in the draft, but also provides particular recommendations to correct them. In this way, it seeks to avoid the evident dilution of environmental, social and human rights standards that would entail the approval of the draft of the new MPAS as it stands. The document was sent on Monday, April 20, the date on which the first phase of virtual public consultations on the draft of the new MPAS ended.

At the same time, from Fundeps, and with the support and collaboration of a group of civil society organizations specialized in gender issues, we sent particular comments regarding the draft MPAS from a gender perspective. In this document, we raise the need for the IDB not only to avoid weakening its current Gender Policy, considered one of the most advanced in the matter in relation to the rest of the IDB-related Financial Institutions, but also to decide to put itself decisively at the forefront In this matter, for which it must necessarily carry out a process of mainstreaming the gender perspective in all its financed policies and projects (See document).

Which are the next steps? The IDB will prepare a second draft of the MPAS in which it must incorporate the recommendations and observations received from civil society during the consultation process. However, previous experience in recent consultation processes carried out by the IDB shows that the Bank is unlikely to incorporate and take into account the most important recommendations provided by civil society. We hope that in this case this trend will be reversed.

When the Executive Board approves the second draft, the IDB will publish it on its website and begin the second stage of the consultation process, which will be virtual and for a period of 30 days. Once this period has ended, it will produce the final version of the Framework and a document with the response to the comments received. The approved MPAS would take effect in January 2021.

From civil society, we hope that the IDB will take into consideration the comments and observations that have been made not only to avoid dilution of the institution’s social and environmental standards, which have been built together with civil society in recent decades. , but also to take advantage of the opportunity to advance and strengthen them. Something that becomes even more necessary in a regional context marked by the weakening of the national socio-environmental framework in most countries.

From Fundeps, together with the participation of some international civil society organizations, we sent the IDB a document with comments and observations on the Environmental and Social Policy Framework from a gender perspective.

“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 December 2019, the Inter-American Development Bank -IDB- published the draft of the Environmental and Social Policy Framework (MPAS) in order to modernize its environmental and social policies. What does this MPAS mean? These are the requirements in environmental and social policy that the Bank or the Bank’s borrowers must meet when carrying out a project. In this statement, the Bank maintains a commitment to environmental and social sustainability, translated into a series of requirements and recommendations ordered in ten Performance Standards to be met in each project.

In January 2020, on-site and virtual public consultations began, in which Fundeps participated by presenting a review of what was proposed in social and environmental safeguards policies. This month, we led a document with specific comments and observations to Rule 9, on Gender Equality, and its lack of mainstreaming towards the rest of the MPAS Rules. This document was formulated together with another group of NGOs that adhered to the recommendations and together it was presented to the IDB. This work involved analyzing the entire draft of the Framework from a gender perspective and also contrasting it with previous gender policies published by the Bank.

As mentioned, the first shortcoming identified is the loss of mainstreaming of gender policy in project financing requirements. Taking into account that such projects directly and indirectly affect local communities, we demand that the Gender Equality Standard dialogue with other approaches such as race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, profession / activities, geographic location, among others. In other words, we demand that the problems be addressed from an intersectional vision, recognizing the coexistence of different vulnerabilities.

Regarding its conceptualization of gender equality, some inequalities of women with respect to men are mentioned, along with possible violence against trans people, so its approach in relation to LGBTTTIQ + people is scarce and superficial. Although it refers to ‘gender empowerment’ instead of ‘women empowerment’, there is no specific mention of gender, which manifests the reproduction of a binary, exclusive and regressive approach in terms of human rights. Furthermore, this means -not specifically mentioning the genres- the lack of incorporation of LGBTTTIQ people in the requirements to be met by the projects.

In its implementation measures, we note that the approaches proposed by the international human rights treaties for girls, adolescents, women, and LGBTTTIQ + people are not incorporated. On the other hand, the implementation measures required of borrowers do not include a proactive policy to advance on gender equality, as it was included in previous Bank gender policies. We continue with a preventive policy, although we identified an absence of a gender perspective in the design of strategies to mitigate and prevent violence, discrimination and inequalities.

In order to materialize progress regarding human rights in IDB-financed projects, we raise the need to strengthen the Bank’s commitment to the gender perspective, such as incorporating it at the internal level of its organizational structure. Taking into account the Bank’s ability to generate public policies through its choice of financing, we conclude that it must develop robust frameworks, operational policies, and accountability mechanisms that incorporate the gender perspective cross-sectionally and ensure the informed participation of affected people at all stages of all projects financed and undertaken by the Bank.

This document makes comments and observations on the draft of the IDB’s new Environmental and Social Policy Framework from a gender perspective. The comments and suggestions have been made with the aim of strengthening the Bank’s commitment to the gender perspective and its internal incorporation into its organizational structure. It also seeks to avoid the continued violation and corrosion of the rights of women and LGBTTTQ + people.

In the framework of the process of reviewing the environmental and social policies of the Inter-American Development Bank, we participated in public consultations held in the cities of Buenos Aires and Washington DC. Together with a group of civil society organizations, we raised certain concerns and recommendations regarding the review and consultation process, as well as the content of the draft of the proposed Environmental and Social Policy Framework.

“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 January, the IDB began the public consultation process on a new Environmental and Social Policy Framework (MPAS), which has included, up to now, face-to-face and virtual consultations in the cities of Brussels (Belgium), City of Panama (Panama), Kingston (Jamaica), Lima (Peru), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Washington DC (United States). In addition, the reception of a first round of virtual comments regarding the draft is contemplated until April 20.

From Fundeps, we participated both in the face-to-face public consultation carried out on March 10 in the City of Buenos Aires and in the consultation carried out on March 13 in the city of Washington DC. In turn, we plan to send written comments regarding the draft released by the Bank in the framework of a joint work we have been carrying out with a group of civil society organizations in the region.

In general terms, the draft MPAS proposes two different sections: a Policy Statement that basically establishes the roles and responsibilities that will correspond to the IDB in terms of compliance with the socio-environmental provisions and requirements of the new Framework; and a second section that includes the detail of the Environmental and Social Performance Standards with which the borrowers must comply. The draft proposes the inclusion of ten Standards: 1. Assessment and management of environmental and social risks and impacts; 2. Work and working conditions; 3. Efficiency in the use of resources and pollution prevention; 4. Community health and safety; 5. Land acquisition and resettlement; 6. Conservation of biodiversity and sustainable management of natural resources; 7. Indigenous peoples; 8. Cultural heritage; 9. Gender equality; and 10. Stakeholder participation and disclosure of information.

The IDB has argued that the proposed MPAS is based on five guiding principles: the non-dilution of current policies; results orientation (that is, effective implementation); the proportionality of the responsibilities and the established requirements regarding the level of risk of the project; transparency and the idea of ​​”doing good” beyond “doing no harm”.

However, the analysis that we have carried out together with the rest of the organizations involved in this process allows us to glimpse that, at least as proposed, the current draft is far from effectively complying with each of these guiding principles. In general terms, a dilution of policies and socio-environmental protection can be seen in many of the Performance Standards; it is not clear how effective the implementation of said MPAS will be; The idea of ​​proportionality is not reflected in many sections of the draft; and practically no sections can be identified in the draft that propose “doing good” in the sense that the Bank proposes: that of facilitating more sustainable social and environmental results.

In turn, the entire review process being carried out by the Bank is far from being transparent and “offering significant opportunities for participation by all interested parties” as established by the IDB. Precisely, as usually happens with the consultation processes carried out by the IDB, this process has had important shortcomings, especially in the objective of achieving effective participation by stakeholders.

We have duly expressed all these criticisms and problems to the Bank’s representatives in each of the consultations in which we participate and we accompany them with specific recommendations and suggestions that they should take into account when preparing the next draft of the Framework. In addition, these recommendations will be sent in writing in advance before the expiration of the term to send comments virtually.

Having completed the public consultations and once the period for receiving comments and suggestions virtually ends, the Bank must prepare a new draft of the Environmental and Social Policy Framework to be presented to the Board of Directors. Subsequently, the new Draft will be published for a new round of virtual comments for a period of 30 days, according to the Public Consultation Plan approved by the Bank’s Executive Board. Upon completion of this period, the IDB will develop the final version of the Framework that will be submitted to the Policy and Evaluation Committee of the IDB Board for final evaluation.

The IDB is a member of the IDB Group. It is a source of long-term financing for the economic, social, and institutional development of Latin America and the Caribbean and, unlike IDB Invest that invests in private sector projects, the IDB is responsible for investment in the public sector.

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The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) began the process of public consultations on the new Framework for Environmental and Social Policy. It will have both face-to-face and virtual instances and will be extended throughout the year 2020.

“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”.

With a statement on its website, the IDB announced the start of virtual and face-to-face public consultations on the draft of the new framework for environmental and social policy. According to the bank, this new framework aims to strengthen the environmental and social sustainability of the bank’s operations and, in turn, be more effective in responding to the challenges faced by the countries of the region to achieve the long-awaited growth. sustainable.

The Environmental and Social Policy Framework contemplates safeguards policies, lessons learned and good practices accumulated over the years. In addition, the policy mentions the bank’s commitment to environmental and social sustainability, and the 10 performance standards that borrowing member countries must meet.

Also, the draft policy contemplates environmental and social risks and impacts and highlights advances in human rights, gender equality, non-discrimination and stakeholder participation.

According to the consultation plan approved by the IDB Executive Board, the public consultation process will be significant, inclusive and transparent. However, a large part of civil society that has been working on agendas linked to the IDB over the last few years doubt that this is really the case, being guided by the bad experiences of the most recent public consultations carried out by the institution, which They characterized by their shortcomings in terms of public participation and transparency.

In-person consultation processes will take place at the Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. and in some countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Those interested in participating in face-to-face consultations may do so by registering here.

On the other hand, those who want to participate in virtual consultations, can send comments on the draft of the new policy through the website www.iadb.org/es/mpas or by sending an email to bid-mpas@iadb.org. The first phase of comments can be made until April 17.

Why is it important to participate?

For several reasons, it is necessary that civil society, citizens and, above all, indigenous communities and communities affected or potentially affected by IDB or IDB Invest operations actively participate in this process, contributing their experience and its recommendations and suggestions regarding the environmental and social safeguards of the institutions.

First, because both the IDB and the IDB Invest are, today and despite the diversification of financial actors operating in the region, key actors in financing for development in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the Bank itself: in 2018, with a historical amount of US $ 17,000 million approvals, the IDB and the IDB Invest were consolidated as the main source of multilateral financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB approved a total of 96 sovereign guaranteed loan projects for a total financing of more than US $ 13.4 billion, and disbursed more than US $ 9.9 billion. In turn, 2018 was a record year for IDB Invest, with approvals of US $ 4,000 million, 26% more in volume and 21% more in number of transactions than the previous year. The IDB Invest extended its support to sectors such as infrastructure and Fintech, adding to education, tourism, water and sanitation, transport and energy. In the case of Argentina, the IDB has historically been the main multilateral partner for the country’s development, with an average of recent annual approvals of US $ 1,360 million. The current active portfolio with the public sector is 54 operations for an approved amount of US $ 9,206.4 million and an unpaid balance of US $ 3,874.7 million, according to the information provided by the Bank itself.

Second, because a robust and effective system of environmental and social safeguards is key to avoiding the impacts at the socio-environmental level that, in many cases, bring infrastructure projects financed by institutions such as the IDB or the IDB Invest. When the design, application or implementation of environmental and social safeguards fails in these types of projects, the impacts and consequences especially in the communities involved are often complex, and unfortunately in many cases, irreversible. Cases such as Camisea in Peru or Hidroituango in Colombia reflect the bitter consequences of the bad, or even the lack of application of socio-environmental safeguards in projects financed by the IDB Group.

Third, because an active, informed, responsible and coordinated participation by the key actors of civil society and the indigenous and affected communities of the region would contribute to the objective of avoiding a possible (and latent) dilution of the system of environmental and social safeguards from both the IDB and the IDB Invest. Recent experiences of dilution of environmental and social regulatory frameworks after review and “modernization” processes not only in related institutions such as the World Bank or the International Finance Corporation (IFC), but also in the national regulatory systems of the countries of The region clearly reflects a trend that the IDB Group seems not to want to escape.

Sofia Brocanelli

Gonzalo Roza

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

The ICIM, accountability mechanism of the IDB and IDB Invest, on the occasion of increased reprisals towards applicants, has worked to improve the capacity of its team in dealing with these situations. Consequently, it has developed a series of Guidelines to address the risk of reprisals in the management of applications that will take effect in 2020.

“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 IDB and the IDB Invest have an accountability mechanism (IAMs), the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism, better known as ICIM.

The accountability mechanisms have been created by the IFIs so that communities can file claims against possible damages that have been caused by the investments that banks make and, therefore, that are not complying with environmental, social standards and transparency according to which the institutions carry out their work. The characteristics of this type of mechanisms are adapted to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, specifically its pillar 3 of access to reparation mechanisms by victims.

However, it has been frequently observed that applicants who file complaints in the ICIM suffer from reprisals, manifested in various ways. This does not cease to endanger the life of the applicants, who in most cases are environmental and / or human rights defenders. In 2018, the mechanism observed an increase in cases where confidentiality is requested for fear of reprisals or acts of intimidation towards the communities in which the Bank-financed project is being developed.

For this reason, the ICIM developed the toolkit ‘Guide for IAMs on measures to address the risk of retaliation in claims management’. This guide aims to assess the level of risk that would involve the intervention of a mechanism and what are the ways to prevent, mitigate, reduce or address it. In both sections, the document provides tools to guide the mechanisms and their respective institutions on what steps should be taken to address these situations.

In Latin America, environmental and human rights defenders suffer constant violations of their rights. For this reason, and in order for financial institutions to become more aware of this problem, the mechanism met with the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The central conclusion of this meeting was to ratify the centrality that human rights should occupy in financing for sustainable development. As a result, the ICIM, starting in 2020, will have the ‘Guidelines to address the risk of retaliation in the management of applications’.

The Guidelines have been created so that applicants, given the risk of reprisals before or after making a complaint before the mechanism, can effectively apply the MICI-IDB and MICI-IIC Policies. They constitute a tool to implement in regions or areas where there is simply the risk of retaliation.

The Guidelines will be used according to factors that create, increase or aggravate the risk of retaliation by applicants before the Mechanism; It is also intended to work with applicants to reduce and address the risk factors that are identified.

The guidelines document addresses the principles for case management where retaliation risk is detected. Some of these principles are:

  • Zero tolerance for retaliation,
  • Participatory and continuous risk assessment;
  • Action without damage;
    Honesty and transparency about the ICIM mandate on reprisals.

The guidelines should serve as a guide to train the entire work team in Retaliation Risk Management, disseminate the guidelines and provide training to other IDB Group units. In addition, it makes the document available for any institution to use, provided they do not alter its content.

Finally, the guidelines will have to be shared with applicants at the registration stage to analyze the existence of retaliation risk. If so, an ICIM team must prepare a Retaliation Risk Analysis (ARR). According to the level of risk identified in the analysis, the Mechanism team will develop a Joint Plan to reduce retaliation risk (PCRR) that may establish prevention or mitigation measures.

If these guidelines are applied correctly, it would mean an advance in the protection of environmental and human rights defenders, as well as communities, who make claims due to the negative social and environmental impacts of projects financed by international financial institutions.

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Author

Sofia Brocanelli

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org