United States Senate asks the World Bank to maintain safeguards
The United States Senate has sent a letter to the US Treasury, calling for better enforcement of the World Bank’s social and environmental rules. These rules, the so called ‘safeguards’, are meant to prevent the World Banks projects from causing social and environmental damage. But these safeguards are not always adhered to, and are likely to become even weaker as the Bank’s Board is currently revising them. Therefore, Pieter Jansen from Both ENDS, together with different partners from civil society organisations from all over the world, informed Republicans as well as Democrats about the negative consequences of the investments of the World Bank on local communities. Successfully, as the letter shows.
Drama for local people
The projects the World Bank invests in often have unintended negative consequences for people and their environment. The Anuak population in Ethiopia, for instance, used to live in wide stretched natural lands, but now have to live in refugee camps because this land was taken away from them. The social-economic project which was started by The World Bank in Ethiopia, resulted in the Ethiopian government confiscating Anuak-land to give it away to the Tigray, the dominant ethnic group in the country. The Anuak were denied access to their land, their natural resources and their food supply. For years, Okok Ojuli, an Anuak himself, worked for the project executed by the World Bank in the region where he was born. The project turned out to be a nightmare: instead of helping people, it caused a lot of suffering.
Stronger safeguards, not weaker
After having resigned from the World Bank, Okok is now tirelessly drawing attention to the situation of his people. Unfortunately the Anuak are not the only people suffering from a World Bank investment: the Banks projects often lead to forced relocations of indigenous people without proper compensation. The World Bank Board has been reviewing its safeguards since 2012, to adapt them to the demands of present times. In practice, this means current safeguards will be further weakened and this will only worsen the position of local communities.
The demands of the US Senate
In its letter, the US Senate stresses that the World Bank should at least maintain the following safeguards: project developers have to hand in a decent environmental impact assessment before a project is accepted by the World Bank. Relocation plans – if necessary – should go hand in hand with plans to adequately compensate people affected, and should be made before starting a project. ‘The World Bank is planning on making its customers responsible for maintaining the safeguards’, says Pieter Jansen. ‘This is all very well, according to the Senate, as long as it is thoroughly checked. The World Bank would have to design a judicial frame in order to make this possible. This would also enforce the grievance mechanism of the bank and make it easier for people to participate in discussions about new projects, according to the obligatory Free Prior and Informed Consent.’
Big step ahead
The United States are a big shareholder in the World Bank and as such has a big influence on the Bank’s policies. The Senate’s letter is a big support for the work of many NGO’s around the world such as Both ENDS, who have been pledging for years to strengthen the safeguards and promote their enforcement. Both ENDS will continue these efforts, to prevent local people from suffering the way the Anuak and many other communities did and unfortunately still do.
Links to more info about World Bank Safeguards on our website
5 August 2015: World Bank standard no. 5 - Forced evictions
5 August 2015: Press release by 17 NGO's: World bank should strengthen its rules!
3 March 2015: Sengwer people evicted for controversial - World Bank funded - project in Kenya
22 december 2014: US Congress against weaker safeguards World Bank
Read more about this subject
-
News / 10 July 2025
Both ENDS and Global Witness condemn harassment of anti-reclamation activists in Manila Bay
Global Witness and Both ENDS strongly condemn the reported of harassment and surveillance by the Armed Forces of the Philippines of environmental activists and fishing communities in Navotas, Philippines. Pamalakaya-Pilipinas, a National Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organisation in the Philippines, has received credible reports that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are engaged in “red-tagging” their members.
-
News / 10 July 2025
Shell's Silent Exit: Evading Accountability in the Niger Delta
Following Both ENDS & Kebekatche Women Development & Research Centre participation in Shell’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a formal follow-up in writing, the response received from Shell plc raises more questions than it answers.
-
News / 2 July 2025
-
Blog / 2 July 2025
Women at the frontlines of climate action: local power for global change
By Tamara MohrLast week, GAGGA, the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action, with Both ENDS as one of the Alliance members, together with FCAM and Mama Cash, organised its Global Meeting in Indonesia. The goal of this meeting was to recognise, celebrate and look ahead at cross-movement and cross-regional connections, to strengthen the collective power of gender, climate and environmental justice movements.
-
Publication / 1 July 2025
-
News / 24 June 2025
Indigenous communities in Panama obtain recognition and partial mitigation measures by Development Banks FMO and DEG in relation to the Barro Blanco dam
Both ENDS and SOMO welcome the signing of the agreement of understanding between four Indigenous Ngäbe communities in Panama and the European development banks FMO and DEG on June 17th 2025. The arrangement includes a community development program that, together with a public statement issued by the banks, aims to recognize and mitigate some of the negative impacts caused by the Barro Blanco hydropower dam. We wish to congratulate the community-based organisation Movimiento 10 de Abril (M10) for its perseverance to seek justice for the affected communities, and we acknowledge the commitment of FMO and DEG to pursue a solution to their long-standing dispute with the communities arising from their partial financing of the hydropower project since 2011.
-
News / 23 June 2025
Who benefits from better protection of our oceans?
The ocean emerged strengthened from the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. More countries are supporting a ban on deep-sea mining, more marine protected areas are being established, and more pledges are being made to fight pollution. The question now is whether countries will follow through on their commitments. Because the ocean movement faces a camp of powerful interests.
This article was originally posted in Dutch on MO*Magazine.
-
article / 13 June 2025
-
News / 6 June 2025
Both ENDS at the UN Ocean Conference: voicing our environmental justice concerns about the “Blue Economy”
Next week, the United Nations Ocean Conference will take place in Nice, France. This conference is focused on the conservation and sustainable use of coasts, seas and marine resources. Both ENDS colleague Murtah Shannon will be attending. We’ve asked him to explain a bit more about his plans.
-
News / 5 June 2025
Op-ed: New trading partners, but not on the same terms
Since President Trump's trade war and tariffs, international trade has once again been thrust into the spotlight. In Europe and the Netherlands, there are growing calls for new free trade agreements to be concluded as quickly as possible, as reflected in recent opinions in FD and de Volkskrant. But that is the wrong reflex, writes our colleague Marius Troost.
-
News / 4 June 2025
Demanding Shell’s Accountability for decades of pollution in Niger Delta
Both ENDS and our Nigerian partner Kebetkache Women Development & Research Centre attended Shell’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), on May 20th, in London, to demand transparency and accountability for Shell Plc’s opaque divesment in the Niger Delta.
-
Blog / 3 June 2025
A food forest as an inspiring oasis between monoculture fields
Recently, we visited food forest Ketelbroek with a group of colleagues. This project was initiated by food forest pioneer Wouter van Eck and our own Pieter Jansen. What a beautiful place! Located between monocrop fields of ryegrass, beetroot and potatoes, the food forest is a green oasis. Birdsong fills the air and there is a constant buzz and fluttering all around. Hares, badgers, foxes and wild boars are regular visitors. And let's not forget the beavers.
-
News / 20 May 2025
Both ENDS and partners demand Shell to clean up the Niger Delta before divesting
At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shell in London, community leaders from the Niger Delta and international allies, including Both ENDS, are confronting Shell with a clear demand: Shell must take full responsibility for decades of pollution and human suffering in Nigeria’s Niger Delta before divesting from its on-shore oil operations.
-
News / 9 May 2025
Women’s leadership in agroecology flourishes in Eastern and Southern Africa
On 12 and 13 February 2025, women from Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe gathered in Nairobi for the Africa Women Leaders in Agroecology (AWOLA) Regional Networking Forum. The event marked a significant moment in the leadership programme of PELUM Kenya, which empowers young women in their role as leaders in the agroecological transition. This project was made possible thanks to support from Both ENDS as part of the Fair, Green and Global (FGG) Alliance.
-
External link / 29 April 2025
-
Blog / 23 April 2025
The power of trust
Trust builds trust. That is what I have learned from how Both ENDS works - within our team, with partners in joint strategies and advocacy, and in our relationships with partners as a funder. Trust is the foundation. It is what allows compassion to grow, what gives rise to hope, and what fuels real solidarity. This is especially powerful in contrast to the prevailing global trend of political and international leaders who prioritize hard measures and self-interest, ignoring relations of trust. It is even more reason for us to share what we have experienced when we put trust first.
-
Letter / 15 April 2025
African civil society urges Oman against EACOP support as east Africa trade expo kicks off
Just one day before the Oman East Africa Trade and Investment
Expo opens in Muscat on April 16, over 70 civil society organisations (CSOs) from Uganda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and beyond have published an open letter urging the Government of Oman to refrain from providing financial or diplomatic support for the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). -
Blog / 11 April 2025
FMO is very pleased with its own success – now the local population still needs to be
The FMO development bank is proud of its results and the opportunities it seizes where commercial banks fail to act. But do the bank's actions really help, ask Anne de Jonghe and Nick Middeldorp.
-
News / 7 April 2025
Food forest Ketelbroek: where food production and biodiversity come together
When Both ENDS-colleagues visit partners, they often go on a "field trip" to see how our joint work affects people and communities. This year, we did the same in the Netherlands. Food forestry pioneer Wouter van Eck demonstrates a group of Both ENDS partners how regenerative agriculture can offer solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises.
-
Publication / 1 April 2025