World Bank Breaks Its Own Rules for Protecting Indigenous People

Documents seen by The Guardian show that the World Bank has repeatedly violated its own policies aimed at protecting the rights of indigenous people over the past decade by funding projects that pushed nearly 3.4 million slum dwellers, farmers and villagers from their land or dispossessed them of their livelihoods.

The Guardian reports:

The projects, into which the bank channelled more than $60bn (£40bn), aimed to boost electricity and water supplies and expand transport networks in some of the world’s poorest countries. But they have resulted in more than 1.2 million people in Vietnam being displaced over the past decade, as they made way for dams and power plants funded by the organisation. In addition, more than 1 million people in China were displaced by about $12bn of bank investment.

The bank has said its goals are to end extreme poverty and reduce income inequality worldwide.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and other outlets, including the Guardian, reviewed more than 6,000 World Bank documents as well as interviewing current and former bank employees and government officials involved in bank-funded projects.

In many cases, the organisation did not follow internal policies and safeguards requiring it to monitor evictions caused by its projects and provide resettled people with new housing options and job prospects, the investigation showed.

Read more here.

— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.