The World Bank is a development bank... for whom?
It's October, time for the annual meeting of the World Bank in Washington DC in which the annual results and future plans will be presented to the outside world. It also gives NGOs from all over the world an oppotunity to talk with World Bank’s administrators and relevant staff on future policies. Pieter Jansen of Both ENDS travelled to Washington together with three representatives of local organisations in the South: Yu Chen of Green Watershed from China, Mayra Tenjo of ILSA from Colombia and Ram Wangkheirakpam of NEPA from India. Their main purpose is to highlight the importance of social- and environmental requirements that the investments of the World Bank should meet, the so-called 'safeguards'.
Outdated policies of the World Bank
The main topic of discussion for the Bank is the new strategy it’s proposing to help the 40% poorest people of the world with its projects. According to the Bank, this can be achieved by investing in large projects such as hydrodams, to generate the energy needed for economic growth. As the policy makers of the Bank believe that economic growth is the best way to eradicate poverty in this world, its policies focus on large-scale infrastructure. To be able to compete with financers from countries like China, the Bank argues its safeguards should not be too strong.
To learn from mistakes
According to Pieter the Bank has not learned much from the fact that its policies have not had the intended results. “Its policies did not change much over the last decade, while many NGOs state that they have not contributed to poverty reduction at all. To the contrary, they have actually caused more inequality and poverty! We keep telling the Bank’s management and board over and over again that economic growth is not the miraculous solution to combat poverty.”
Experts by experience
"This time, I will not visit Washington on my own. I will be accompanied by people who themselves are harmed by the World Bank’s projects in their own regions and who will share their experiences. Ram, Mayra, Yu and I will mainly talk about the revision of the World Bank’s safeguards. We will meet the directors of the Bank and we will give two presentations: one on the forestry policies of the Bank and the related rules. Another presentation will be about the Bank’s safeguards which we think should become stronger instead of weaker.
Practical examples
“We illustrate our presentations with practical examples. Ram will tell about the impact of a project in Manipur, North East India. The World Bank attempts to introduce cash crops to some of the indigenous communities in this region. According to Ram and many others it is not at all favorable for the local communities to be drawn into the monetary system in the way that the World Bank would like to see it. It will cause even more inequality, disrupt local social relationships within the local communities and it will hamper the decision-making processes in the villages. Yu will point out to the World Bank that the social and environmental criteria of Chinese financers should not serve as an example for those of the World Banks. The Bank tends to take Chinese investments as an argument to weaken its own safeguards. 'If they don’t comply, why should we?'"
Reforestation for selling purposes
"Mayra will express her worries about the land rights of smallholder farmers which are threatened by the implementation of climate projects. On the one hand reforestation projects do benefit the environment (absorbing extra CO2), but on the other hand these projects hardly take into account the situation of local communities living in these areas. The Word Bank should think hard about how to use funds intended for climate projects. Using it for 'reforestation projects' in countries like Colombia is certainly not the way. These are not forests: they are enormous swaths of land covered with many trees of the same kind. This is extreme monoculture, and the wood will eventually be sold while local people do not share in the benefits. To the contrary: this 'reforestation' causes smallholder farmers to lose their farmlands and their livelihoods."
Prosperity
"I am pleased that Both ENDS was able to bring together these people and get them in touch with people from the World Bank. This way they could illustrate with their own examples that the Bank’s current path is not reducing poverty. The existing safeguards should promote sustainable development rather than disrupt communities and cause further environmental damage.”
More information?
Blog of Yu Chen (Green Watershed from China)
11 March 2013 - item on safeguards World Bank
Short video: Margarita Flores of ILSA on safeguards of the World Bank
Read more about this subject
-
Event / 12 December 2024, 13:00 - 14:30
Exploring new avenues of CSO participation in UNCCD processes
Enhancing inclusivity within UNCCD processes and its implementation by strengthening the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) and Indigenous Peoples.
-
Event / 11 December 2024, 13:00 - 14:30
Making strategic impact: Shifting resources and power to women-led initiatives for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
How donors, foundations and other funders can better support women-led initiatives in achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), focusing on challenges, collaboration, and opportunities for improved matchmaking.
-
News / 6 December 2024
South American Forest Fires Highlight Effects of Delaying EU Deforestation Law
On the 4th of December, the European Parliament voted in majority for a delay of implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Earlier, the European Commission and the European Council already endorsed this proposal for a delay with one year. Both ENDS and partners are worried about this decision, as there is no time to waste in our global fight against deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate change.
-
Event / 4 December 2024, 18:00 - 19:30
Enhancing the role of civil society in the UNCCD to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
Effective local action by land-using communities is at the heart of achieving LDN globally. However, their contributions are often not well recognized or adequately supported by governments and other agencies. Within the UNCCD framework, civil society organisations play a key role in engaging with policymakers in the context of recognizing and supporting these contributions by local communities. The side event will engage participants in a GEF-supported joint Drynet/ IUCN initiative to enhance the capacities of civil society to engage effectively in the achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) within the UNCCD framework.
-
Blog / 2 December 2024
COP29: devastating outcomes, but our partners are a beacon of hope
By Daan Robben and Marius TroostWhat to think of the outcomes of this year’s Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UNFCCC? As it has been so many times, we look back with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the negotiations had very devastating outcomes. On the other hand, working so close together with our many partners and feeling their commitment and energy, also gives a spark of hope.
-
News / 2 December 2024
Ten recommendations for the UNCCD COP16 to strengthen its efforts in combating desertification, land degradation, and drought
For decades, our local partner organisations have been developing and promoting effective ways to combat land degradation, desertification, and drought. This includes regions like the drylands, as well as forests, and wetlands. Supporting these locally-led actions is essential to reversing negative trends. For COP16, Drynet has developed 10 recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the UNCCD. Success at COP16 would mean turning these recommendations into action, fostering inclusive land governance and sustainable land management practices globally. By enabling locally-led actions—particularly those led by women, youth, pastoralists, and Indigenous Peoples—we can build a more resilient future.
-
News / 2 December 2024
Advocating for Local Solutions: Both ENDS at UNCCD COP16 to Champion Sustainable Land Management and Gender Equality
As the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) celebrates its 30th anniversary, the global community faces an urgent need to address the escalating challenges of land degradation, desertification and drought. At the forefront of these efforts, Both ENDS has long advocated for inclusive, locally-led solutions to these critical issues. In this interview, Nathalie van Haren and Yordanos Mulder, who will represent Both ENDS at the upcoming UNCCD COP16, share insights into the significance of the conference, the key issues on the agenda, and the crucial role of local communities in shaping effective land governance. They discuss Both ENDS' ongoing work to amplify the voices of marginalised groups and emphasise the importance of sustainable land management practices, particularly those driven by women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples.
-
News / 2 December 2024
Both ENDS at UNCCD COP16
Since 1994, Both ENDS has been advocating for inclusive governance in addressing desertification, land degradation, and drought, ensuring local communities have a strong voice in global discussions. As a member of Drynet, a network of over 20 civil society organisations, we champion the inclusion of women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples in land governance and highlight the importance of locally-led initiatives. Our work promotes gender equality, agroecology, and sustainable land management. This landing page serves as a comprehensive hub for all information and updates related to the UNCCD COP16 and Both ENDS' efforts to drive positive change. Here, you’ll find key resources, initiatives, and insights into how locally-led solutions can shape the future of land governance and environmental sustainability.
-
News / 26 November 2024
The Time to Rethink Investment Rules: Amplifying Civil Society Voices
At the core of the Fair, Green, and Global (FGG) Alliance’s mission is the commitment to building a just and sustainable world. As members of this alliance, Both ENDS, SOMO, and the Transnational Institute (TNI) recognise the urgent need to reimagine global investment frameworks. These frameworks, entrenched in outdated treaties such as Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), often prioritise corporate profits over human rights, environmental sustainability, and social justice.
-
Publication / 25 November 2024
-
Blog / 25 November 2024
The Need for Civic Space in Global Policymaking
and Kyra Pohlan
In today’s interconnected world, international forums play a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies that impact communities and the environment worldwide. These gatherings, whether they focus on climate change, water resources, or biodiversity, are critical venues where decisions are made that affect the lives of billions of people and species. However, for these decisions to be truly inclusive and effective, they must be informed by the voices of those most affected by climate change and environmental degradation.
-
News / 25 November 2024
Empowering Civil Society: Shaping investment policies for climate and sustainable development in Africa
From 26-29 November 2024, Both ENDS and its partners will host the Civil Society Forum on Investment Policies, Climate and Sustainable Development Goals in Entebbe, Uganda. Our colleagues Iván and Fernando explain the importance of this event: “Through this event, we aim to provide an in-depth perspective on the impact of current investment policies on climate and environmental issues, with a strong focus on the African continent.”
-
Blog / 19 November 2024
Building Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning systems based on mutual accountability and trust
Just before summer, on June 27th we participated in a panel discussion on inclusive conservation in a learning event organized by WWF Netherlands. Several organizations joined in a discussion on inclusive, decolonial, rights-based, and community-led approaches in conservation. We discussed the barriers, gaps and opportunities in how power is shared, inclusion promoted, and accountability practiced in our work. The question raised was: as Dutch-based organizations, are we doing enough to really work inclusive? In 2023 Both ENDS started an Examination of Power process to research how power is experienced in our partnerships. I share a couple of practical tips and insights that I feel might benefit the greater conversation around Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in our sector.
-
Blog / 18 November 2024
The global rise of authoritarian regimes demands global strategies
The global funding landscape for civil society movements is changing, and is increasingly faced with policies that restrict funding streams, limit philanthropic work, and silence critical voices. These are not incidental shifts but part of a broader pattern that erodes the support for those international networks and movements under the guise ‘necessary financial cuts’, ‘aid reform’ or ‘efficiency’.
-
Event / 15 November 2024, 12:50 - 16:45
#BothENDSatCOP29 Side Events
Both ENDS’ participation at COP29 includes three critical side events that will highlight gender-just climate finance, locally-led adaptation, and multilateral approaches to a just energy transition and industrialisation in the Global South.
-
Press release / 12 November 2024
Ruling climate case Shell: "Shell has an obligation to protect human rights."
The Hague, 12 November 2024 - The court has ruled in Shell's appeal in the Climate Case that Milieudefensie won against Shell in 2021. The Court of Appeal has ruled that the oil and gas giant has a responsibility to reduce its emissions, but has not imposed a reduction obligation.
-
Press release / 11 November 2024
Both ENDS's response to government letter on future cooperation with civil society organisations
DEN HAAG, 11 November 2024 - Today, the Dutch government published its policy on future cooperation with development organisations, both in the Netherlands and abroad. PVV minister Reinette Klever is putting the axe to this funding: she has decided to cut the budget for aid to international civil society by more than two-thirds: from roughly €1.4 billion to €0.4 billion in the period 2026 to 2030. This has major implications for critical voices at home and abroad, at a time when civic space for organisations around the world is already shrinking. Karin van Boxtel, director of environmental and human rights organisation Both ENDS: ‘This is an unprecedented step in exactly the wrong direction. Civil society organisations are essential for sustainable and social change worldwide. International movements fulfil multiple, indispensable roles: as a watchdog of the rule of law, as a driver of change, and as a counterforce against authoritarian tendencies. The weakening of support for these roles is a telling signal.’
-
News / 11 November 2024
Kenya Terminates Bilateral Investment Treaty with the Netherlands
The government of Kenya has officially terminated its bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with the Netherlands, marking a significant win for economic justice and environmental protection. Kenya’s decision reflects a growing global trend of rethinking outdated treaties that often prioritize corporate interests over public welfare. The Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development recently confirmed that Kenya unilaterally ended the treaty in December 2023, rendering it inoperative from 11 June 2024. Kenya now joins South Africa, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso as the fourth African country to terminate its BIT with the Netherlands.
-
News / 9 November 2024
Why is the Dutch climate case against Shell important to our partners in the Global South?
On November 12th, a new ruling will be issued by the Court of Appeal in The Hague in the climate case against Shell, in which Both ENDS is a co-plaintiff. Ahead of this ruling, we asked our partners why this Dutch lawsuit is important for the Global South.
-
News / 1 November 2024
Both ENDS at COP29: advocating for gender just climate finance
On November 11th, the 29th UN Climate Conference will start in Baku, Azerbaijan. Just like previous years, Both ENDS will be there to advocate for local access to climate finance, and to support our partner organisations in their advocacy work. How do we do that, and what are our hopes (and worries) about this 29th edition of the UNFCCC COP? We asked Marius Troost, who will be joining COP29 together with Daan Robben.