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Friends of the Earth
International Boycotts the IFC
consultations
Rio de Janeiro,
Brasil, September 27-29, 2004
In Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Forum of
NGOs and Social Movements, which represents
over one thousand national and local
organizations all across Brazil, including
Friends of the Earth Amazonia, decided to
withdraw from the consultation. The director
of the forum delivered a
statement
explaining why
they walked out of the meeting.
Washington, United States, October
4, 2004
In a concerted effort, international NGOs
in Washington DC decided not to participate
in a meeting about the IFC review. They
issued a
statement
that was
handed to the IFC.
Manila, the Philippines, October
27-29, 2004
Friends of the Earth Philippines and
others mobilized around 500 people during the
IFC consultation. The march stopped near the
Westine Plaza hotel, where the consultation
was taking place. There were speakers on the
key issues involved and the group marched in
front of the hotel chanting, "IFC get out of
the South!" Two activists gave copies of a
statement to the IFC officials and raised
issues on the projects sponsored by the IFC
in the country.
London, United Kingdom, November
1, 2004
Friends of the Earth in England Wales
& Northern Ireland and others issued a
press release protesting at the flawed
process and received a generous media
attention. The IFC decided to postpone the
next consultation in Berlin, after only two
NGOs showed up at the London consultation,
and an action was announced for Berlin. FoE
is concerned that it will weaken social and
environmental standards for loans and that
basic process requirements for the meetings
had not been met.
The World Bank Civil Society Dialogue on
Urban Water Supply and Sanitation, "Forging
Global and Local Coalitions for Reform," due
to be held in collaboration with WaterAid
from November 18-19, 2004 in London is also
the focus of a boycott. FoEI and others chose
to boycott the meetings when it became clear
that the World Bank did not intend to address
issues of concern to civil society. Nor could
the organizers guarantee that the dialogue
would take place in U.N languages in order to
include non-English-speaking
participants.
The IFC review process is at
www.ifc.org/ifcext/policyreview.nsf/Content/SafeguardPolicesUpdate
Civil society concerns with the process and
suggestions to the IFC:
www.grrr-now.org/?action=showdoc&typedoc=1&menu=24
World Bank water and sanitation:
www.citizen.org/documents/worldbank2004.pdf
Press release
Nariobi, Kenya, November
29-December 1, 2004
In Africa, 29 environmental and social
NGOs, including several African members
groups of Friends of the Earth Interntaional,
issued a statement saying that they would not
officially participate in the IFC
consultative process for Africa (
more information)
. They
demanded that the IFC improves the
consultation process, by giving a sufficient
and adequate time frame to allow
participation by stakeholders, including
civil society groups.
The statement also reads: "We feel
strongly that by this choice IFC has
subordinated public interest to corporate
interest and we feel obliged to spend our
time, energy and resources in alternative
important endeavours."
Press
release
Paris, France, Dec 3,
2004
Friends of the Earth France decided to
boycott the meeting organised by the IFC in
Paris, France. In the week running up to the
meeting, Friends of the Earth France was
contacted daily by the IFC, requesting that
they attend the meeting. In the end, only two
NGOs turned up, and more than ten supported
the boycott. Friends of the Earth France had
a banner outside the room claiming, "No
corporate power", and distributed press
releases and the demands participants.
Istanbul, Turkey, December 13-15,
2004
Friends of the Earth Middle East and
others issued a joint statement to coincide
with the consultation in Turkey. (
more information
)
What do we want?
The Chair of Friends of the Earth
International, Meena Raman, wrote to the IFC
on behalf of Friends of the Earth
International (
more information
). The
letter demands that the IFC goes beyond what
is currently on the table and makes sure the
institution reorients itself towards
protecting the rights of people and the
environment, rather than industry. It demands
that standards will be:
-
mandatory, detailed, unambiguous and
enforceable;
-
in support of international law and
agreements;
-
in recognition of local communities’
right to consent and to
self-determination;
-
in acknowledgment of the importance of
cultural and natural diversity;
-
supporting international right-to-know
principles
-
including an action plan to shift away
from mining and fossil fuel financing
towards sustainable renewable energy;
-
in recognition of the legacy of
ecological and social damage.
More than 200 civil society groups,
networks and socially responsible investors,
representing more than 1000 NGOs in 53
countries, called on the IFC to protect the
interests of the world's poorest and the
public when setting rules that govern global
private investment.
Links from the IFC website
General
Safeguards
Disclosure
For more information:
http://www.foei.org/ifi/safeifc.html
http://www.grrr-now.org/
http://www.bicusa.org/bicusa/issues/international_finance_corporation/1619.php
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