The World Bank board's Committee on Development Effectiveness meets on Wednesday to review a new proposal that may change the way the Washington, D.C.-based institution assesses and mitigates the environmental and social impacts of its investments.
Much to the bank’s chagrin, the proposal draft leaked last week and sparked a quick reaction among human rights and environment watchers, who called it “disastrous” for the environment and a “shocking attempt to eviscerate protections for the poor.”
Wednesday’s meeting will not determine whether the proposal becomes official policy, but instead ask for the committee’s agreement to move forward with consultations, including with civil society and NGO representatives. Input from the consultations would then be used “to refine the proposals,” a World Bank spokesperson told Devex.
Read more on the World Bank:
• Jim Kim's moment of truth
• The World Bank's new country engagement strategy
• What Jim Kim thinks about a new BRICS bank
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
