patth@ccnysci.UUCP (Patt Haring) (09/02/89)
/* Written 2:11 am Aug 29, 1989 by econet in cdp:sc.natlnews */ /* ---------- "--NGO Access Denied at World Bank " ---------- */ NGO Access Denied At World Bank Meetings The World Bank has denied a request by an international coalition of environmental organizations including the Sierra Club to follow the United Nations procedure of accrediting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) representatives to attend the bank's annual meetings. The bank will only admit representatives of NGOs that have been approved by their own governments, thus effectively silencing those NGOs at odds with a government policy. The formal request to the World Bank came as a result of many First and Third World NGOs being barred from attending the bank's last annual meeting in Berlin. Among those barred from attending were representatives from Brazil, Sri Lanka, Japan and West Germany. To combat this restrictive policy, the Sierra Club and other groups have urged the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to take it upon themselves to invite NGO representatives to the bank and IMF's annual meetings, and to provide a place for the them to gather during the meetings. The financial organizations refused the request, responding instead with an offer to give the NGOs who manage to gain access to the annual meetings a table from which literature can be distributed. "This hardly represents a major breakthrough for greater NGO involvement on the part of the World Bank," observes Larry Williams, Washington Director of the Club's International Program. "We are extremely disappointed that these institutions refused to take any meaningful steps to help facilitate NGO representation at their annual meetings. "This refusal by the Bank and the IMF to adopt procedures that are standard in the United Nations is just another example of the doublespeak we receive from these institutions. Mr. Conable, the president of the World Bank, and his staff all claim to welcome NGO involvement in bank activities until you ask them to make a meaningful policy change that would allow for such involvement." Bank officials have said that only through greater grassroots involvement in the borrower countries can the Bank be assured of quality development projects. But the World Bank and the IMF have not backed their words with action. The organizations still refuse to release any information on pending projects which would enable NGOs to participate in the development process in their own country; refuse to allow NGO representatives to attend the Bank-Fund annual meetings without receiving prior approval from the member government; and refuse to provide even a room for its own "Bank-NGO Committee" to gather during the annual meeting. "This response makes the Pelosi-Carper legislation [H.R. 2777], which would require the multilateral development banks to provide the U.S. Treasury Department with an environmental impact assessment of proposed development loans, all the more important," concludes Williams. "Not only is an environmental impact assessment badly needed by our decision makers at the Treasury Department, but it would also be a welcome tool for the Third World NGOs to become involved in the multilateral development process." [see NNR, July 6] Contact: Larry Williams, or Keren Ensor, Sierra Club International Campaign Assistant, (202) 547-1141 --- Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=- -- Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-