22 June 2004
Update includes final draft Indigenous Peoples Policy, indigenous concerns about a hastily planned WB legal roundtable, and information about a planned briefing for the Board on Free Prior and Informed Consent
Indigenous Peoples Program Update: June 9, 2004
World Bank Indigenous Peoples Policy released
This final version of the World Bank's new Indigenous Peoples Policy was advanced to a limited number of indigenous advocates in May. The policy was scheduled to be sent to the policy committee of the Board of Directors (CODE) for approval on June 7, but that date has been postponed indefinitely. Indigenous leaders plan to send comments on the new version of the policy directly to the Board of Directors.
Free Prior Informed Consent at the World Bank?
Bank Information Center is coordinating an unprecedented briefing for World Bank Executive Directors about Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) on June 14, 2004. The World Bank Extractive Industries Review calls for recognition of the right to free prior informed consent (FPIC) for indigenous peoples and local communities. What does FPIC mean in international law? How can the World Bank implement FPIC? How has it been put into practice and what does it mean for development? At the briefing, a panel of experts will demonstrate that FPIC can be implemented to the benefit of World Bank investments to the extent that it is incorporated into all Bank policies and procedures.
Posted June 18: Read the contents of this briefing and a follow up letter sent to participants:
- Free Prior Informed Consent For Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities: A briefing for World Bank Executive Directors, Armstrong Wiggins,Indian Law Resource Center; Fergus McKay, Forest Peoples Program; Dr. Antonio La Vina, Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute; Miguel Palacin Quispe, Anne Perrault, Center for International Environmental Law; June 14, 2004 (Acrobat pdf 363 KB)
- NGO letter to Executive Directors following FPIC briefing, June 18, 2004
World Bank Legal Un-Roundtable on Indigenous Rights
The World Bank legal department held a meeting in New York last month in a meager attempt to comply with the long-standing indigenous call for a roundtable discussion between indigenous legal experts and the WB Legal Department. The meeting was a failure on many counts.
- Invitations were sent just a few weeks before the proposed meeting, with no possibility for indigenous participation in planning the event.
- No documents were distributed ahead of time. An advance copy of the indigenous people’s policy was given to participants the day before the event.
- The date of the event was changed a number of times during the week prior.
- The invitation was given too late to arrange for travel for any participants.
- Participation was limited to participants at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues, who were in New York for other purposes, and not prepared for this level of legal exchange.
- Participants were told at the meeting (Wednesday, May 19th) that they could submit comments on the policy by that Friday, the 21st at 12:00- an impossible request.
Indigenous participants made it very clear to the Bank that they did not consider that meeting to be the legal roundtable that World Bank Vice President Ian Johnson had promised them on a number of occasions, and they look forward to the actual roundtable.