Tell the World Bank that online consultations won’t cut it for Phase 3. Communities have the right to be heard!

We are now entering the third and final phase of the World Bank safeguards review, with a final draft of the safeguards expected to be released for consultation this July. The safeguards review provides an opportunity to strengthen the Bank’s framework to ensure that human rights are respected in Bank-financed projects.  Unfortunately, rather than holding robust, accessible and inclusive in-person consultations in its member countries, the Bank is considering holding an on-line consultation within a short timeframe.

We have just a few days to make sure communities have a chance to be heard. The plan for this final phase of consultations will be decided by the Bank’s Board at a meeting on June 24. To be most effective, communication to the Bank should be sent by June 17. If you would like to have an in-person consultation in your country, please consider emailing the World Bank Executive Director who represents your country on the Bank’s Board and requesting that a consultation be held in your country, with broad outreach to civil society, including community and grassroots groups. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide:

1. Open a new email
2. Find the World Bank Executive Director for your country, and add his/her email address in the recipient line. Copy the World Bank Vice President for your region. Contact information can be found here.
3. Insert the sample text below into the body of the email, and adapt, modify, or rewrite
   Please do not support the plan to rely on on-line consultations for Phase 3 of the safeguards review. As an organization keenly interested in providing input into the safeguards review, we strongly recommend that the Phase 3 consultation process be robust, inclusive, and accessible, as these policies are critical to ensure that development actually benefits communities and reduces poverty. As you are well aware, an on-line consultation would not be accessible for the majority of project-affected people in our country. We therefore respectfully urge you to advocate that an in-person consultation be held in our country with targeted outreach to communities who have been or stand to be impacted by Bank-financed projects. Sincerely,
4. Sign the email and be sure to include your address/country
5. Press send!

You can find additional recommendations for the Bank leaders in this letter.

Originally posted on June 10, 2015.