October 2001
The World Bank involuntary resettlement policy states that project planning must avoid and minimize involuntary resettlement, and that if people lose their homes or livelihoods as a result of Bank-financed projects, they should have their standard of living improved, or at least restored. The policy was designed to address the plight of millions of people around the world whose homes are destroyed or whose livelihoods are adversely affected as a result of Bank-financed projects. According to World Bank figures, at least 3.2 million people are being affected by loss of land or livelihood as a result of projects under implementation.
Now the Bank is considering revisions to that policy, a process that CIEL has been monitoring for years. This page contains analysis, documents and background information to assist the public to provide input into the process.
Update, October 2001 – The draft resettlement policy has been scheduled for discussion and approval by the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on October 23, 2001. This is our final chance to rise concerns about the draft and demand changers.
- Read CIEL’s October 10, 2001 letter to the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, calling for modifications to the draft resettlement policy
Resettlement Policy – Proposed Drafts and Existing Policy:
- September 28, 2001 – Wolfensohn memo and background note re: resettlement policy conversion
- Draft OP/Annex/BP 4.12 (September 25, 2001 version)
- Chart comparing OD 4.30 and Draft OP/BP 4.12 (September 28, 2001)
- July 2001 – version of the draft resettlement policy:
- Ian Johnson July 2001 Memo Summarizing Changes to Resettlement Policy
- July 2001 Draft Operational Policy and Annex
- July 2001 Draft Bank Procedures (note: the Operational Policy, Annex and Bank Procedures together constitute the draft resettlement policy; they have been broken into separate files to make downloading easier)
- Link directly to the World Bank’s resettlement page for the March 6, 2001 Draft OP/BP/Annex and a matrix of Bank responses to public comments.
- Click here to see Matrix of Bank responses to Board member comments.
- Click here to see the March 6, 2001 redlined version of the World Bank’s revision to the resettlement policy.
- View the World Bank’s existing Resettlement Policy, Operational Directive 4.30.
Additional Resources:
Bank Information Center (www.bicusa.org)
Forest Peoples Programme (www.forestpeoples.org)
International Rivers Network (www.irn.org)
International Network on Displacement and Resettlement (www.displacement.net)