In an effort to ensure that Development Finance Institutions worldwide respect human rights, CIEL and other civil society groups, formed the Coalition for Human Rights in Development (formerly Bank on Human Rights Coalition) in 2014. The coalition both engages and mobilizes global civil society to ensure that large, multi-national and international development institutions, such as the World Bank, conduct human rights due diligence in all lending activities. Additionally, the coalition’s grassroots strategy works to empower people at the national and local level by offering advocacy and technical support wherever development finance affects human rights.

At the 2014 World Bank Spring Meeting, the coalition led a discussion Smart Assessment: Capturing and Managing Human Rights Risks on how best to incorporate human rights assessments into the standard social and environmental framework. The coalition is also deeply engaged in the ongoing review of World Bank safeguard policies. CIEL is both a founding member of the Bank on Human Rights Coalition and sits on its Steering Committee.

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development website houses the innovative Early Warning System, a joint CIEL and International Accountability Project webtool that allows communities to track new development projects that pose a risk to human rights and the environment.