1 / 14

Safeguarding Human Rights in World Bank Projects: A Critical Analysis

This review explores the urgent need to recognize and mitigate human rights risks in World Bank projects, highlighting failures to meet US standards. It delves into the negative impacts on the Mon State population in Myanmar, focusing on poverty, lack of education, and environmental hazards. The analysis uncovers unsafe work environments and poor livelihood prospects in projects like the Gas-fired Electricity Plant in Mon State. Recommendations include integrating human rights respect into all World Bank initiatives, enhancing due diligence for impact prevention, and granting the Inspection Panel authority to halt funding for violations.

tayten
Download Presentation

Safeguarding Human Rights in World Bank Projects: A Critical Analysis

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Preventing Negative Human Rights Impacts at the World Bank 12.20.13

  2. Contents for Review • Recognizing & mitigating human rights risks at World Bank Projects • Manageable prognostic process • Urgently needed • World Bank standards fail to meet US expectations

  3. Mon State Fast Facts(Government of Myanmar Household Survey 2011) • 50% of poor households are landless • 77% of households have no access to credit • 38% of residents live in slum dwellings (lack of sanitation, water, space, durability) • 24% of children suffer from wasting (malnutrition) • 61% of household heads have not completed primary school

  4. Mon State Fast Facts(Government of Myanmar Household Survey 2011) • Tatmadaw Regional Command • Tatmadaw Light Infantry Division • Tatmadaw Military Operation Command • Tatmadaw Battalion Headquarters • BFG / Militia Headquarters • Tatmadaw Outpost • BFG / Militia • NMSP Ceasefire Liasison Office • WB Electric Power Project

  5. Populations and Farmland • Villages • Cultivation • Dense Forest • Rubber Plantation • Sparse Forest (with some rubber) • Swamp • Water body

  6. Unsafe Chemical Handling

  7. Environmental Dangers

  8. Kayin Livelihoods in and around Thaton Plant • No employment • Lost lands • Dwindling opportunities • Poverty & Discrimination

  9. “Safety First” • No occupational health and safety programming • No accident or spill logs • No workforce training • Abysmal

  10. Project (Gas-fired Electricity Plant) Context (Mon State, Myanmar: Poor, ethnic minority population with low skill levels) Company (Unknown, but funded by the world bank) Elements of Analysis

  11. Assessing Impacts -12 to -25 -0.5 to -12 0.5 to 12 12 to 25

  12. Important Process, Small Cost Cost of the Project: Cost of an HRIA: $140,000,000 $40,000-65,000 0.036% of project budget

  13. Summary: • A Letter to Treasury • Respect for human rights across WB projects, programs and activities • Due diligence to foresee and prevent negative human rights impacts associated with World Bank projects • Inspection Panel authority to cut off funding for violations (i.e. revoking bad loans) • Incorporated into the WB Sustainability Framework

  14. Thank you.

More Related