http://www.bicusa.org/en/Issue.49.aspx The latest news on IFC Policies and Standards Review from the Bank Information Center 10 http://www.infodev.org/images/infodev.gif http://www.bicusa.org/en/Issue.49.aspx The IFC's policy updates, approved by the board in May and coming into effect on the first of the upcoming year, have now been released to the public. BIC and partners will be writing an analysis of the gains and gaps in the new policies soon, but we congratulate the IFC on strengthening these vital policies. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12508.aspx Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:49:05 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12508.aspx Three weeks after receiving a complaint about the coal-based energy project, the IFC has agreed the case is eligible for inspection. The financial intermediary project raised several social and environmental issues. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12436.aspx Fri, 13 May 2011 12:11:24 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12436.aspx BIC's MENA program publishes a case study on a controversial IFC project, Omar Effendi (OE) in Egypt. The study examines OE's mismanagement and failure to comply with IFC standards as well as highlights the IFC's poor due diligence and implementation of its Policies and Performance Standards. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12426.aspx Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:50:41 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12426.aspx Papua New Guinean CSO Act Now! is petitioning its government to refuse an IFC plan for the creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), areas which are exempt from domestic economic laws. The organization says that the SEZs will come at a large social and economic cost. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12379.aspx Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:09:11 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12379.aspx Following the January consultation in Mumbai, several peoples' movements and civil society organizations have written an expanded critique of the draft IFC policy revisions. The document ranges from specific comments on details in the draft, to explanations of an overall vision of what the new policy should look like. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12367.aspx Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:57:45 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12367.aspx Heike Mainhardt-Gibbs is quoted in a Revenue Watch Institute article contrasting payment disclosure requirements in the Dodd-Frank law and current IFC disclosure requirements. She explains, "The Dodd-Frank provision requires disclosure down to the project level, and this is where the IFC falls short." http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12341.aspx Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:58:03 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12341.aspx Indian journalist Raji Bakshi looks into the IFC policy review and imagines what it could mean for the future of projects in her country. Bakshi argues, a well written policy could open up new space for citizen engagement, while still raising concerns over client complience. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12336.aspx Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:13:14 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12336.aspx The World Bank has published a review of its activities in the extractives sector for 2010. In previous years, the Bank has published the Extractive Industries Review implementation progress report, which detailed not just extractives investments but also how they relate to the commitments of the EIR. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12330.aspx Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:46:41 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12330.aspx With the release of the second draft of the IFC's new Policy on Social and Environmental Sustainability, the final round of consultations began. The final phase, which will last 75 days, gives civil society a final chance to comment before the final policy is written. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12328.aspx Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:12:07 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12328.aspx After a long process of consultation and consideration, the U.S. government has decided to endorse the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The treaty contains significant requirements for free, prior, and informed consent when dealing with native groups, a key demand in the ongoing IFC policy review. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12313.aspx Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:42:41 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12313.aspx Following the publication of IFC's 2011 "Doing Business" report, several Executive Directors have publically criticized the methodology and data used in the report, which ranks countries based on how business friendly they are. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12263.aspx Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:35:21 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12263.aspx Through successive infusions from BNDES, various Brazilian beef processing firms such as Frigorifico Bertin (JBS) is being transformed into global giants. BNDES has funded JBS growth in investments in Argentina, U.S., Australia and Italy on the order of R$ 10 billiones. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12252.aspx Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:58:04 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12252.aspx BIC publishes an article in The Huffington Post highlighting economist Jeffrey Sachs' arguments for transparency in the extractive industries. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12179.aspx Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:23:28 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12179.aspx NGOs challenge the institution at the 2010 Annual General Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Washington, DC, October 6th through 10th. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12157.aspx Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:20:49 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12157.aspx BIC highlights the work of Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of VOICE, a rights-based activist organization in Bangladesh. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12156.aspx Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:03:12 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12156.aspx Based on recent consultations and a draft framework document for World Bank engagement in the palm oil sector, eight CSOs wrote the letter to argue that the the Bank is not substantively engaging the criticisms of its previous involvement in the sector and urging specific action. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12140.aspx Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:53:51 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12140.aspx A coalition of stakeholders has demanded that the World Bank continue its freeze on palm oil investments until it has implemented an acceptable strategy for investment in the sector. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12120.aspx Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:44:18 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12120.aspx The United States Department of the Treasury has posted its official comments on its priorities for the IFC's ongoing review of its Policy on Social and Environmental Sustainability, including the Performance Standards, and Disclosure Policy. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12117.aspx Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:26:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12117.aspx The organizations found the June 25th consultation invalid due to the limited number of civil society representatives and overrepresentation of industry. They used the letter to put forward their recommendations for the review of IFC's policies on social and environmental sustainability http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12060.aspx Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:22:26 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12060.aspx At a series of ongoing consultations, many civil society actors have asked the U.S. to sign the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. BIC's Mark Rentschler and WRI's Kirk Herbertson discuss the importance of the declaration to work on the IFIs. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12043.aspx Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:22:36 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12043.aspx The World Bank's Board of Directors said studies for a potential mining project in Indonesia could move forward Tuesday but civil society groups, citing studies that have already been done, condemned the decision. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12011.aspx Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:39:41 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12011.aspx This month's edition of the BICECA Monthly Bulletin features a summary of the event entitled "Oil and Mining Booms and Sustainable Development: Lessons from Peru for Development Planning & Revenue Management at the National and subnational level" (Washington, DC, June 16, 2010). http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11979.aspx Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:44:08 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11979.aspx This month's edition of the BICECA bulletin includes an article on the International Finance Corporation's Policy and Standards Review in Latin America http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11954.aspx Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:45:09 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11954.aspx IFC clients need to adhere to the IFC's Performance Standards and the IFC ought to improve due diligence to ensure positive development outcomes and compliance with Standards. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11948.aspx Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:53:06 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11948.aspx BIC highlights the work of Mirvari Gahramanli of Azerbaijan's Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Organization. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11929.aspx Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:54:25 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11929.aspx Kirk Herbertson, Kim Thompson and Robert Goodland of the World Resources Institute ask why the World Bank Group – which is owned by the same governments that demanded a human rights policy at the EBRD – is hesitant to discuss human rights openly. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11918.aspx Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:30:02 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11918.aspx More than 50 representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs) and industry convened at the World Bank yesterday to provide feedback for International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Policy and Performance Standards Review. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11915.aspx Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:37:50 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11915.aspx On May 9, 2010, women and men from five villages of Sihanoukville in Cambodia gathered together and met with representatives of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the independent recourse mechanism for the IFC, the private sector lending institution of the World Bank Group. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11896.aspx Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:01:32 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11896.aspx In light of the International Finance Corporation's review of its Sustainability Policy, Performance Standards and Disclosure Policy, the Bank Information Center has outlined its major concerns and policy recommendations that it will be presenting to the IFC throughout the review process. BIC highlights the issues of extractive industries revenue and contract transparency; reporting on development outcomes; and the principle of free, prior and informed consent and broad community support for risky projects. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11894.aspx Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:06:44 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11894.aspx The IFC and MIGA's independent resource mechanism, the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman, has released its review of how the Sustainability Framework and accompanying policies have affected outcomes on the ground. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11880.aspx Mon, 17 May 2010 09:44:51 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11880.aspx BIC highlights the work of Sergei Vorsin of Tajikistan's Taraqqiet Development Centre. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11825.aspx Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:24:57 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11825.aspx The proposed capital increases for the World Bank and IFC would expand their size without expanding the scope of their reform. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11785.aspx Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11785.aspx A new letter from civil society organizations to the International Finance Corporation demands that the lender focus its loans more directly on social and environmental good to achieve poverty alleviation. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11802.aspx Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:05:24 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11802.aspx The staff of Senator Richard Lugar released a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations calling for reform of the IFIs before Congress approves upcoming capital replenishment requests for the institutions. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11797.aspx Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:10:34 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11797.aspx E&E News reports on the IFC's review of palm oil investments. Marcus Colchester of the Forest Peoples Programme is quoted as saying that the review will be extended to soy and cocoa. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11648.aspx Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:42:55 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11648.aspx The list represents organizations voluntarily clustered around particular interests related to the IFC policies and practices. Marked in bold, are organizations taking a lead on an issue, which, in cooperation with other organizations, collect and summarize analysis or positions on the chosen topic. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11644.aspx Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:09:22 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11644.aspx The Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES) and Friends of the Earth Japan have released a joint set of recommendations to the IFC for the ongoing review of their Policy on Social and Environmental Stability and the Policy on Disclosure of Information http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11640.aspx Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:14:36 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11640.aspx The World Bank is quietly preparing the first capital increase in nearly 20 years to replenish the coffers after unprecedented lending in 2008 and the coming two years. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11608.aspx Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:13:29 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11608.aspx The Annual Meetings of the World Bank/IMF in Istanbul were the site of the first in-person consultation for the IFC Social and Environmental Policy Review. This BIC article published by the Huffington Post discusses several key issues raised during the consultation. In addition to the in-person consultations, the IFC is hosting online discussions, including one on Wednesday, November 4. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11593.aspx Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:48:52 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11593.aspx BNDES has invested close to $R 5 bilion in the last two years as shareholders in the largest beef shippers, including JBS Friboi and Bertin. In Bertin alone, BNDES has purchased 27% equity position. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11565.aspx Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:55:18 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11565.aspx Civil society has voiced concerns regarding the Bank’s social and environmental sustainability policies. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11520.aspx Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:07:38 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11520.aspx The World Bank/IMF Annual General Meetings in Istanbul October 2-7th provide a window of opportunity for civil society to impact ongoing policy reviews. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11502.aspx Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:41:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11502.aspx IFC officially begins the review of its Performance Standards with launch of website. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11449.aspx Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:57:15 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11449.aspx DC civil society issue critique highlighting issues surrounding the implementation of IFC's Policy and Performance Standards and ambiguities with review process http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11372.aspx Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11372.aspx Nearly 150 CSOs write to IFC urging consultations with individuals and communities directly impacted by its projects as it reviews three years of implementation of the Performance Standards. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11370.aspx Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:26:23 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11370.aspx A new article by Dr. Korinna Horta of the Environmental Defense Fund outlines the World Bank's commitment to human rights to date and advocates that the institution integrate a human rights approach into its own policies and programs. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11308.aspx Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:09:42 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11308.aspx After an abrupt about-face, an agency frets about its footprint http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11276.aspx Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:39:50 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.11276.aspx