World Bank hold consultation in India
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 05 2015:
The World Bank on Thursday organised Phase 3 Consultation on the Review and Update of the World Bank's Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies (ESS) at Vivanta by Taj Ambassador Hotel, Sujan Singh Park, New Delhi.
Around 45 representatives of Civil Society organisation attended the consultation.
Onno Ruhl, Country Director of World Bank welcomes the participants and the consultation process was moderated by Dr NC Saxena.
Participants welcome the World Bank move to hold third round of consultation and praise the text of the draft ESS was improving from the first draft to second and to the third one.
Most of the participants spoke about involuntary resettlement and the process of consultation and the grievances mechanism and focus on urban project.
Speaking at the consultation C Lalremruata, Director of Zo Indigenous Forum states that the ESS 7 should be the main reference of the Bank and the borrower for projects affecting the Indigenous Peoples and reiterates that ESS 7 is aligned with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous (UNDRIP) particularly on the recognition on the rights of the indigenous peoples to their land, territories and resources, development, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and cultural heritage among others.
Commenting on the draft he states that ESS 7: For Para 9 and 10 that the participation of the affected indigenous peoples including indigenous experts should start in the determination of its impact - direct and indirect economic, social, cultural (including intangible cultural heritage), environmental and social impacts assessment) and not just during project design and implementation.
On Para 9: "We should not solely rely on the Bank or borrower to determine whether indigenous peoples are present in or have collective attachment to the project areas.
It should involve indigenous experts and indigenous representative from the proposed area or at the sub-national or national level" .
Regarding to FPIC Para 19 has been reframed in other words from the documents of Second Consultation documents Para 9: There can be no alternative approach, when FPIC of the Indigenous Peoples why the project should go ahead.
He also he request government of India to withdraw its reservation in relation to Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) on the terms Consent to into Consultation.
The World Bank peoples are saying that they take note on the importance of IPs participation and did not makes comments on alternative approach and FPIC.