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Success Stories: Networks/Partnerships Bank Information Center Issue(s) you addressed? Lack of transparency in the governance and operations of international financial institutions
Tools and Resources: an online, comprehensive database that tracks transparency standards at 10 leading IFIs, allowing the public to identify best practices and cut through often confusing IFI disclosure policies. (www.ifitransparencyresource.org) Analyses and advocacy: in-depth, comparative analyses of IFI disclosure standards. These and other analytical pieces have been used in advocacy efforts with Board and management at the IFIs and officials of national governments. Coalition building: the Global Transparency Initiative – an international network of civil society organizations committed to promoting transparency in the global arena -- was established which brings legal experts on national freedom of information laws to the debate around IFI transparency.
While a number of policy changes have been adopted at the IFIs, several outstanding concerns remain, namely: little information is disclosed during implementation of IFI projects; draft information is rarely available for public review; confidential business information is broadly defined and; the governing bodies of the IFIs continue to operate largely behind closed doors. Furthermore, implementation of IFI disclosure policies tends to be weak.
IFIs are clearly moving more towards a more accountable, request-driven system of information disclosure. Access to information policies exist at all major IFIs. Administrative appeal processes have been established at the ADB and EIB and are recommended for the IFC. A broader community of activists (i.e. those that work on national access to information laws) are increasingly becoming involved in IFI transparency debates.
Issue(s) you addressed? International Financial Institutions (such as the World Bank) -- had not been accountable to affected people, for the negative impacts of lending operations on the quality of their lives, including environmental health and essential natural resources; certain funded projects led to impoverishment instead of betterment of local communities. Particular need – an avenue for local people to be heard on their grievances about projects that violate environmental and social safeguards.
NWF co-founded and participated with many other actors in the development of a citizens’ network (eventually many groups in dozens of countries participated), to reform the policies and lending operations of the IFI’s. Used an array of “insider” and “outsider” tactics -- mobilization of citizen pressure (North coordinated with South); media including TV and radio programming; research; US Congressional and EU parliamentary hearings; and lobbying of decision-makers, to demand a list of reforms, including a set of IFI environmental and social safeguards policies.
The IFIs are now trying to water down the reformed policies, and circumscribe the mandate of the Independent Inspection Panel. The reforms we sought have been more successful in tackling specific environmental and social impacts than in challenging the damaging results of macro-economic policies, structural adjustment lending and trade liberalization that have been required by the IFI’s without appropriate safeguards for vulnerable groups and ecosystems.
While the safeguards policies were the most well-known victory, the really innovative achievement was the creation of the Independent Inspection Panel at the World Bank (and equivalent at some of the other IFIs), empowered to hear complaints brought by affected people as to projects that violate the reformed safeguards policies. This has spawned and will spawn transparency reforms at other institutions.
Issue(s) you addressed?
"Wall Street" banks were increasingly becoming drivers of international development among emerging markets. The absence of environmental and social standards among these banks, along with their lack of a development mission, undercut years of reform efforts at International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank.
In 1998, Friends of the Earth - US and National Wildlife Federation established an education and capacity building program among NGOs to create a network of NGO campaigners on private finance. Today this network is known as BankTrack.
One challenge of building this network was the long time frame needed to educate NGOs about high finance, provide financial assistance to them (through subsidies, for example), and ultimately convince them of the need to establish and resource their own financial advocacy programs. We are still under-resourced, and the network still needs to be built up. Also, there is the ever-present challenge of implementing and monitoring commitments from banks.
After being subjected to NGO advocacy efforts in their respective countries (US, UK, Germany, Netherlands), four international banks established the Equator Principles in 2003, the first set of environmental and social standards for project finance. Also, through NGO pressure, we are now creating a dynamic of "upward competition," by which individual banks are creating better and better standards (hopefully).
Issue(s) you addressed?
Challenges you faced and/or still face?
Corporate Accountability International
The global tobacco epidemic, which claims 5 million lives around the world each year -- a death toll projected to rise to 10 million a year by 2020, with 70% of those deaths in developing countries. This preventable epidemic is driven by transnational tobacco corporations based in wealthy countries -- Philip Morris/Altria, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI).
Organized support among governments and NGOs for the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the first global health and corporate accountability treaty. Organized US consumers to boycott Philip Morris/Altria's Kraft Foods subsidiary, exposing the truth behind the corporation's image and reducing its political influence. Initiated and built the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), more than 100 NGOs in 50 countries campaigning for strong corporate accountability provisions in the global tobacco treaty.
Interference by tobacco giants Philip Morris/Altria, BAT and JTI in national and international health policies. US exceptionalism in the international arena: throughout negotiations, US government fought to water down the WHO FCTC text. Bush Administration signed the treaty in May 2004 but has yet to submit it to the Senate for ratification.
Unanimous adoption of the WHO FCTC by the World Health Assembly in May 2003. Entry into force of the WHO FCTC by end of February 2005 -- one of the most rapidly embraced UN treaties of all time. 110 countries ratified in time to participate in the first Conference of the Parties in February 2006.
Issue(s) you addressed?
Developed The Access Initiative, a global coalition of civil society groups that apply a common assessment methodology to identify strengths and weaknesses of their governments' performance.
Issue(s) you addressed?
People of Latin American and Caribbean origin now represent the second largest ethnic group in the United States. Of that population, about half are immigrants, that is, people who were born outside of the United States. Despite this ever- increasing demographic trend, immigrant voices are often absent or scantily represented at the decision-making tables, even for policy initiatives that will have profound effects on the lives of immigrant communities
Over a period of two years, we carried out a coordinated set of activities aimed at building trust and capacity among immigrant organizations and providing opportunities for joint advocacy. For example, we carried out leadership training with seven Mexican Hometown Federations in Illinois and supported Central American immigrant groups doing community education around CAFTA. In February 2004, we Facilitated an "emergency summit" of immigrant leaders responding to Pres. Bush's announcement about immigration. The National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC) an immigrant-led platform for cross-issue advocacy emerged from that gathering. NALACC is an alliance of more than 70 immigrant-led organizations around the country. NALACC members are committed to a shared advocacy agenda for improving the lives of transnational communities.
NALACC members have a great deal of enthusiasm for working together and a strong commitment to volunteering time and expertise to their goals of improving quality of life for transnational communities. However, the community-based member organization are chronically under-funded and in many cases work entirely with unpaid volunteers. Meanwhile, immigrants have to content with an increasingly hostile political environment and ever-growing expectations for solving the poverty crisis in their countries of origin. At Enlaces, we struggle to provide the diverse set of advice and services (fundraising, strategic planning, policy analysis, etc) that immigrant groups want and need.
NALACC just celebrated its first 18 months at a General Assembly in Chicago, where members approved bylaws and elected a slate of leaders from across the country. More than 70 NALACC member organizations have formed a coordinated campaign for immigration reform called "Keep our Families Together," which highlights the human cost of current immigration policies. NALACC members have also designed a plan for educating immigrant communities about economic justice issues and a proposed peer learning program for continuing professional education and organizational strengthening. NALACC continues to grow every day and remains committed to a transnational, cross-issue advocacy agenda.
Issue(s) you addressed?
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