Ease of Doing Business Rankings, Social and Environmental Safeguard Policies

Some background reading to understand why people are  calling for the world bank to stop ranking counties on “ease of doing business”and stop weakening its safeguard policies:

World Bank:  Ease of Doing Business  & World Bank’s Doing Business Infographic

World Bank:  Safeguard Policies  & Proposal to review & update Safeguard Policies (2014)

World Bank:  Environmental and Social Framework (draft, July 2014).

Letter opposing this draft from 99 NGOs / civil society networks from Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America and Europe titled:  World Bank’s Draft Safeguards Fail to Protect Land Rights and Prevent Impoverishment: Major Revisions Required (July 2014)

Bank Information Centre PRESS RELEASE: World Bank Breaks its Promise Not to Weaken Protections for the Poor and Planet

Critique written by Bretton Woods Project: Dangers of dilution: World Bank’s new weak environmental and social framework

Our Land, Our Business: How World Bank Rankings Impoverish SmallHolder Farmers and other reports by the Oakland Institute. 

Oakland Institute Press Release: Farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and NGOs Take to Streets in Ten Cities Demanding an End to World Bank’s Morally Bankrupt Development

Notice: Rally in DC on World Bank Safeguard Policies and a Public Meeting with Medha Patkar

Demand that the World Bank stop weakening its social and environmental safeguard policies.  

Internationally renowned activist Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s Movements will be in Washington DC and will be present at a rally in front of the World Bank.  Friends of the Earth’s notice of the rally is here.