International Organizations Call for Better Protection for Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala

For Immediate Release November 21, 2012 Contacts: Amanda Kistler – Center for International Environmental Law: [email protected] Kelsey Alford-Jones – Guatemala Human Rights Commission: [email protected] (Washington, D.C.) – In the context of growing threats against human rights defenders, particularly those working in defense of the rights of indigenous peoples and the right to a healthy environment, … Read More.

CIEL and its partners express deep concerns about the result of the EU Commission review of the legal framework for nanomaterials

For Immediate Release 23 October 2012 CIEL, together with a broad coalition of environmental, consumer and labor organizations, expressed deep concerns today about the conclusions of the second regulatory review of nanomaterials, published by the European Commission on October 3rd. Today, in the open letter sent to the European Commission, CIEL and partner non-governmental organizations … Read More.

CIEL advocates for transparency in investment arbitration at UNCITRAL negotiations

October, 2012   From the 1-5th of October 2012, the UNCITRAL Working Group II on arbitration and conciliation (WG) met in Vienna to negotiate a legal standard on transparency in treaty-based investor-state arbitration. The WG continued with the second reading of the draft rules on transparency currently under consideration. Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Norway, South … Read More.

Global chemicals conference moves forward on nanotechnology and endocrine disrupting chemicals

For Immediate Release September 23, 2012 For more information, please contact: In Geneva, Switzerland: David Azoulay: +41-75 78 75 756 (mobile); or [email protected] In Washington, D.C, USA: Baskut Tuncak: +1 206 669 7203; or [email protected] (Nairobi, Kenya) – Late Friday night, over 540 participants, representing more than 150 governments, and other SAICM stakeholders from international … Read More.

Guatemala’s Highest Court to Hear Landmark Indigenous Challenge of Mining Law

For Immediate Release July 20, 2012 For more information, please contact: In Amsterdam, for CIEL, Kris Genovese: +31-65-277-3272 (mobile); or [email protected]. Follow on twitter @ciel_tweets In Ottawa, for MiningWatch Canada, Jennifer Moore: 613-569-3439; or [email protected]. Follow on twitter @miningwatch Guatemala’s Highest Court to Hear Landmark Indigenous Challenge of Mining Law (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Guatemala’s … Read More.

CIEL’s contributes to the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.

5 March 2012 CIEL’s report on Environmental Impact Assessments in Practice contributes to the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food regarding “Guiding principles on human rights impact assessments of trade and investment agreements“. Additional info on CIEL’s contribution to the expert seminar on Human Rights Impact Assessments for Trade and … Read More.

Nanomaterials “Just Out of REACH” of European Regulations

February 6, 2012 Geneva— REACH, the European Union’s primary regulation on chemicals is failing to identify or control nanomaterials. That is the conclusion of “Just Out of REACH: How REACH is failing to regulate nanomaterials and how it can be fixed,” a new report by the nonprofit Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). Nanomaterials, tiny … Read More.

A wake-up call for human rights defenders in the Americas, not indicator of Goldcorp’s performance

For Immediate Release January 5, 2012 Contact Information: Jennifer Moore, MiningWatch Canada, jen(at)miningwatch.ca, 613-569-3439 Kristen Genovese, Center for International Environmental Law, [email protected], 202-742-5831 (Ottawa/Washington, D.C.) The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and MiningWatch Canada today expressed deep concern at the political pressure being brought to bear on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), … Read More.

“Sustainable Loreto”

Update, March 4, 2013 Oil palm is one of the major emerging threats in the Amazon, particularly because it often results in the clear-cutting of large tracts of remaining forest. As part of the Sustainable Loreto Project, we are analyzing satellite images to both document recent deforestation and predict future deforestation, all with the aim … Read More.

Negotiations on international chemicals management inch forward, and set the stage for a key conference in 2012

Belgrade, November 2011 Over 140 participants from governments, UN agencies, and NGO representatives of business and the public interest reached general agreement on the agenda for a pivotal global meeting next year on chemicals. The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a non-binding international agreement to protect human health and the environment. But progress … Read More.

This is a critical moment in the development of the international climate regime as Parties negotiate to decide the fate of climate action beyond 2012 in Durban, South Africa.

Update: December 11, 2011: At Climate Talks: Nations agree to do tomorrow what they should have done yesterday The Bigger Picture The first set of commitments by developed countries to reduce emissions under the Kyoto Protocol end in 2012. It’s almost the end of 2011 and, so far, negotiations to determine climate action beyond 2012 … Read More.

CIEL welcomes adoption of Maastricht Principles on Extra-Territorial Obligations in regards to human rights

CIEL welcomes the adoption of the Maastricht Principles on Extra-Territorial Obligations (ETOs) of States in the area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. These international legal principles clarify the human rights obligations of States beyond their own borders. The Maastricht Principles constitute the outcome of the deliberations of a group of 40 distinguished experts in … Read More.

Toxic wastes mandate renewed by U.N. Human Rights Council, despite resistance

September 30, 2011 – Geneva, Switzerland At the 18th Session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, following several weeks of tense negotiations, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Toxic Wastes was renewed. Since 1996, the Special Rapporteur on Toxic Wastes has reported to the U.N. Human Rights Council on the impacts of e-waste, shipbreaking, … Read More.

Goldcorp Removed from Dow Jones Sustainability Index

For Immediate Release September 21, 2011 Ottawa—Effective September 19th, Goldcorp has been removed from the Dow Jones North America Sustainability Index. The announcement comes in the context of ongoing allegations of human rights violations and evidence of environmental contamination in communities affected by Goldcorp’s mining activities. “Goldcorp’s removal from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index will … Read More.

UNEP release draft mercury treaty for third round of mercury negotiations.

July 22, 2011 This week, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a new draft treaty text designed to protect human health and the environment from mercury pollution.  During the second round of negotiations (INC-2) in January of 2011, countries negotiating requested that UNEP prepare a new draft of the treaty to reflect the full … Read More.

UN panel calls for immediate suspension of coal power projects in the CDM

12 July 2011 Washington D.C. As an United Nations panel of technical experts prepares to deliberate on the suspension of coal projects that, if approved, could lead to hundreds of millions of artificial carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM), the CDM Executive Board registers another contested “Ultra Mega” coal project. Days after the … Read More.

Senior attorney Anne Perrault and colleages discuss migratory connectivity and the conservation of mogratory animals

Migration is the repeated seasonal movement to and from a breeding area. The linking of individuals or populations of a given species within its range, including its breeding, migration, and wintering areas, is known as migratory connectivity. In this Article, we discuss how new technologies and approaches are enhancing our knowledge of migratory connectivity, which … Read More.

CIEL concludes 2011 Senate TSCA bill would enable U.S. leadership on global POPs treaty

June 24, 2011 Proposed federal legislation to revamp the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) could pave the way for the United States to join three important international treaties, according to a new CIEL publication.  “U.S. Law and the Stockholm POPs Convention:  Analysis of treaty-implementing provisions in pending legislation,” reviews the Safe Chemicals Act (S. … Read More.

CIEL reports on developments under the Stockholm Convention at COP5

May 2, 2011 Geneva –  April 29, 2011.  Over 160 countries reached agreement to phase out endosulfan, a dangerous pesticide still used around the world.  The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants lists 21 other chemicals that are toxic, long-lasting, and prone to accumulate in the food chain and in people. The decision was strongly … Read More.

CIEL submits report to the Basel Convention Secretariat regarding shipbreaking

On April 22, 2011, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) submitted a legal analysis of shipbreaking to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.  This submission, along with other submissions made by the Parties to the Basel Convention, will be discussed at the … Read More.

CIEL applauds proposed overhaul of US Chemicals law

“The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011,” a bill introduced April 14 by Senator Lautenberg and co-sponsored by Senators Schumer, Boxer and Klobuchar, would overhaul the woefully outdated Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA).  CIEL welcomes this proposal because it provides an important opportunity for Congress to address the concerns of millions of Americans about … Read More.

UN Human Rights body recognizes the human rights and environment linkage

April 15, 2011 On March 18, 2011, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on human rights and the environment (A/HRC/16/L.7 available via the 16th session of the Council’s website), by consensus, highlighting the human rights impacts of environmental degradation, and calling on States to adopt a human rights-based approach to sustainable development.  CIEL … Read More.

CIEL report critiques World Bank energy policy: Analysis Shows Bank Failed to Fully Consider Environmental and Health Costs in Controversial South African Project

For Immediate Release March 21, 2011 WASHINGTON, DC.  The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), www.ciel.org, a leading non-profit that uses international law to defend the right to a healthy planet, today announced the release of a new report, “Fossilized Thinking:  The World Bank, Eskom, and the Real Cost of Coal.” The report examines the … Read More.

Amicus Brief Highlights the Environmental and Human Rights Impacts of Mining in $77 Million Investment Arbitration Case

March 4, 2011 Washington, DC:  On May 20, 2011, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), on behalf of civil society organizations of the Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica (Mesa), filed a revised amicus curiae brief in the Pac Rim Cayman LLC v. Republic of El Salvador case, per instructions of the arbitral tribunal constituted under the International Center … Read More.

Getting the International Finance Corporation to respect and protect human rights

March 9, 2011 On March 2, 2011, CIEL, along with some 60 civil society organizations from different regions of the world, submitted a letter to the Vice President and CEO of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Lars Thunell.  The Joint Civil Society Statement on IFC’s Draft Sustainability Framework expresses civil society’s concern with IFC’s failure … Read More.

The right to development is necessary to effectively address climate change

February 24, 2011 On February 24-25, CIEL participates in an expert meeting to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development, and to examine the progress made to realize this right. Organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for … Read More.

Landmark judment in Ecuadorian suit against Chevron

February 15, 2011 On February 15, 2011, CIEL talked with KPCC-FM, the Los Angeles affiliate and Southern California Public Radio flagship station, about the unprecedented verdict against the Chevron Corporation for causing environmental destruction and violating human rights in Ecuador.  In one of the largest judgments ever handed down in an environmental case, a judge … Read More.

World Bank Inspection Panel under threat

February 2, 2011 The World Bank currently is proposing measures that would undermine the independence and effectiveness of its Inspection Panel.  The World Bank Inspection Panel is a quasi-independent mechanism created to make the Bank more accountable to people affected by Bank financing.  The Panel provides a forum for people affected by a Bank-funded project … Read More.

CIEL spearheads efforts for transparency in UN arbitration body

February 11, 2011 This week, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) resumes negotiations on including transparency and access to information in its rules for investor-State arbitrations at the United Nations headquarters in New York.  CIEL, together with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), has spearheaded the efforts to include transparency, access to information and … Read More.

CIEL hosts Human Rights and Private Sector Investment: Views from the Global South, February 1st, 2011

Experts from the Global South to share their experiences with human rights and private investment at the IFC February 1, 2011 Washington, DC–Multinational corporations, international financial institutions (IFIs), and free trade and investment agreements drive development projects that often violate the human rights and legitimate interests of the peoples whose lives will be affected.  With … Read More.

Cancun resurrects multilateral process, says CIEL; UN climate negotiations catalyze new process forward for climate agreement

December 2010 CANCUN, MEXICO.  December 11, 2010—As climate talks ended today with an important package of decisions, the Center for International Environmental Law applauded the outcome as a reaffirmation of the multilateral process.  Parties meeting here took important practical steps forward, including mandates to establish a new climate fund, develop guidelines on reporting, and establish … Read More.

CIEL presents 2010 Inaugural Recipient of the Frederick R. Anderson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Addressing Climate Change: Alliance of Small Island States

2010 Inaugural Recipient of the Frederick R. Anderson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Addressing Climate Change: Alliance of Small Island States The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is pleased to award the inaugural Frederick R. Anderson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Addressing Climate Change to the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). For two … Read More.

Environmental Defenders describe human rights abuses linked with the mining industry at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

CIEL holds Hearing at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on the Situation of Environmentalists in Mesoamerica   On October 25, 2010, at 10.15-11.00am, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), along with five environmental defenders from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama, provided testimony before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) … Read More.

Guatemala Suspends Marlin Mine: Human rights and environmental organizations applaud the decision, urge President Colom’s government to protect communities against retaliation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2010 Washington, D.C.-Guatemala’s President Alvaro Colom announced yesterday that he is suspending operations at the Marlin mine, which is operated by Vancouver-based Goldcorp, Inc. According to the Guatemalan government, the process to shut down the mine might take months. The Center for International Environmental Law and MiningWatch Canada are calling … Read More.

CIEL analyzes POPs provisions of twin chemical reform proposals in Congress

May 2010 Proposed federal legislation to overhaul U.S. regulation of chemicals could pave the way for the United States to join three important international treaties, according to the new CIEL study, “Analysis of POPs Treaty Implementing Provisions in Senate and House TSCA Reform Bills.” The CIEL analysis, prepared by Glenn Wiser and Daryl Ditz, offers … Read More.

CIEL and partner organizations fight to stop human rights abuses by Canadian mining companies operating in Guatemala

  Resource Page The Center for International Environmental Law is part of an international coalition working with Guatemalan organizations to defend the rights of communities adversely affected by Goldcorp and other Canadian mining companies in Guatemala. Press Releases: Guatemala Suspends Marlin Mine: Human rights and environmental organizations applaud the decision, urge President Colom’s government to protect communities … Read More.

Civil Society organizations from around the world call on the IFC to strengthen its environmental and social standards

For Immediate Release March 11, 2010 Today, nearly 100 civil society organizations from 38 countries are demanding that World Bank Group lending to private corporations be much more responsive to environmental and social concerns. A letter submitted to the director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Lars Thunell, describes that IFC’s lack of transparency and … Read More.

CIEL welcomes and supports African resolution on nanomaterials

Fifty-three African governments meeting in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire on 28th January unanimously adopted an ambitious resolution on nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials. CIEL played a leading role in assisting government delegates in the development and drafting of the resolution. Delegates adopted the resolution while meeting at the African regional meeting on the Strategic Approach to International … Read More.

CIEL submits brief to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights on Access to Information regarding Genetically Modified Organisms

February, 2010 On February 16, 2010, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) filed an amicus curiae brief in the case of Miguel Ignacio Fredes Gonzales y Andrea Tuczek Fries v. Chile, involving access to information on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The case is currently before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR). This dispute … Read More.

CIEL Calls on Governments to Adopt Precautionary Mechanisms for Nanotechnologies

December 22, 2009 Describing the current marketing of nano applications as a “life-scale experiment,” CIEL Senior Attorney David Azoulay called for the establishment of governance mechanisms based on precaution and sustainability for nanomaterials at recent workshops organized by the United Nation Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development … Read More.

CIEL Joins Health and Environmental Advocates in Call for US Leadership on Global Chemicals Pollution.

December 16, 2009 CIEL joined 45 environmental, health, and justice groups today who wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson seeking their support for congressional action on toxic chemicals. The letter asks these senior administration officials to express their support for “strong legislation that will protect all Americans from dangerous … Read More.

Guatemalan community leaders ask Canadian government to investigate human rights violations committed by Goldcorp Inc. at Marlin Mine

For Immediate Release December 9, 2009 Ottawa-A coalition of community groups from San Miguel Ixtahuacán, Guatemala filed an OECD complaint with the Canadian government today, requesting an investigation into human rights violations committed by Goldcorp Inc. at the company’s Marlin gold mine. “The Marlin mine has divided our town, harassed protesters, and made us afraid … Read More.

CIEL testifies at congressional hearing on priorities for chemical safety

November 2009 CIEL Senior Policy Advisor Darly Ditz testified before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection at a November 17, 2009 hearing on “Prioritizing Chemicals for Safety Determination.” The event demonstrates intensifying interest in revamping the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Drawing on international experiences with the Stockholm Convention on Persistent … Read More.

CIEL and Bretton Woods Project formally request that the U.N. Special Representative on Business and Human Rights help ensure that the Performance Standards of the International Finance Corporation provide a robust framework for securing human rights

A Submission to the U.N. Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises November 3, 2009   The Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability (Performance Standards) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have become the most widely accepted framework among international project financiers to address social … Read More.

CIEL Participates in discussions on U.S. Model Bilateral Investment Treaty.

October 23, 2009 CIEL participated in the work of the U.S. State Department’s Sub-committee on Investment that led to a report regarding revisions to the 2004 Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). This report was presented to the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy (ACIEP), which discussed it and transmitted it to the … Read More.

Tribunal in Piero Foresti, Laura De Carli and others v. the Republic of South Africa grants CIEL and human rights organizations access to documents by the parties

October 23, 2009 On October 5, 2009, the arbitral tribunal in the Piero Foresti, Laura De Carli and others v. the Republic of South Africa case, pending at the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), granted an NGO coalition the opportunity to file a written submission. The arbitral tribunal issued its decision almost … Read More.

CIEL speaks at international workshop on extraterritorial human rights obligations

September, 2009 From September 9-11, 2009, CIEL participated in an international seminar on States’ Extraterritorial Obligations Related to Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, held at Lancaster University in England. Organized by Lancaster University’s Law School, this workshop provided an opportunity to examine the theoretical and practical aspects of the concepts of extraterritorial human rights obligations … Read More.

CIEL and other civil society organizations express concerns over the 2004 U.S. model Bilateral Investment Treaty.

Updated August 2009 On July 31, CIEL along with a coalition of civil society organizations submitted written comments, as requested by the Obama Administration, in order to inform the Administration’s review of the U.S. model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). As the Administration reviews the current model bilateral investment treaty to assess whether changes should be … Read More.

CIEL Plays Decisive Role in Global Chemicals Conference

May 2009 The Second International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM-2) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, during the week of May 11-15, 2009. Delegates from more than 122 countries and dozens of public interest advocates, business associations, trade unions, and other stakeholders gathered to discuss progress toward the ambitious goal to use and produce chemicals by … Read More.

CIEL Expresses Concern about the Violation of Human Rights and Environmental Destruction Involved in the ATCA Case against Royal Dutch Shell

May 13, 2009 CIEL is gravely concerned about the increasing frequency of cases involving human rights violations and environmental destruction. For example, on May 26, 2009, oil company Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) will stand trial in federal court in New York for complicity on egregious human rights and environmental abuses in Nigeria. Wiwa v. Shell … Read More.

CIEL participates in two international conferences on extractive industries and indigenous peoples

March, 2009 CIEL participated in an International Conference on Extractive Industries and Indigenous Peoples, organized by the Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education (Tebtebba) in Manila, Philippines from 23-25 March 2009. The conference adopted the Manila Declaration, available here in English and Spanish. CIEL also participated in the International Expert Workshop on … Read More.

CIEL Applauds Breakthrough Agreement on Mercury

February 2009 World governments convening as the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ended years of indecision when they agreed on February 20th in Nairobi, Kenya to commence negotiations on a treaty to tackle the global mercury pollution crisis. The decision was made possible, in part, by the United States’ dramatic reversal … Read More.

The International Finance Corporation Improperly Interferes in Pending Investigation on Biofuels

February 9, 2009 Yesterday, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) asked the President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, to retract a letter written by the Agribusiness Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) that contains false and misleading statements regarding a pending complaint on biofuels. The letter jeopardizes imminent negotiations between the IFC … Read More.

Investigation Finds that OPIC Denied that Project-Affected Community is Indigenous, Did Not Comply with its Policies

For Immediate Release February 27, 2009 Washington, D.C.-In a report released this week, the Office of Accountability of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation found that OPIC staff failed to ensure that indigenous peoples were adequately compensated for the impacts of an OPIC-supported silver mine, San Bartolomé, operated by U.S. mining company Coeur d’Alene Mines … Read More.

CIEL participates in OHCHR consultation on Human Rights and Climate Change

November 2008 At a meeting of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), CIEL explains that States have a duty under human rights law to cooperate with the aim to effectively combat climate change and protect human rights. On 22 October the OHCHR convened an open-ended consultation meeting on the relationship between … Read More.

CIEL prepares analysis of the Asian Development Bank’s proposed “Country Systems Strategy” for civil society consultations on the ADB’s proposed “Safeguard Policy Statement

November 2008 The Asian Development Bank’s proposed Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) adopts the use of a “country safeguard systems” (CSS) approach to addressing the environmental and social impacts of projects the ADB funds. Pursuant to this approach, the ADB would use a country’s “system” — its legal and institutional framework — rather than the full … Read More.

CIEL plays central role in October 10, 2008 recommendation of governments on a global policy framework to address the mercury pollution crisis

CIEL applauds recommendation on global mercury policy framework October 2008 CIEL applauds  the October 10, 2008 recommendation of governments on a global policy framework to address the mercury pollution crisis. Meeting as the second “ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Mercury” (OEWG) in Nairobi, Kenya, government delegates from all regions, joined by representatives of environmental … Read More.

CIEL provides support for Maldives submission to UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights

October 2008 In March, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution, based on the Male’ Declaration, calling on the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a study into the effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights, especially economic, social and cultural rights; the … Read More.

UN Resolution adopted on Human Rights and Climate Change

On March 26, 2008 the U.N. Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution on human rights and climate change. The resolution was co-sponsored by 69 countries. The resolution recognizes that climate change poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities around the world and has implications for the full enjoyment of human … Read More.

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on business & human rights, John Ruggie, thanks CIEL and colleagues for the “extensive analysis” in their submission, “The International Finance Corporation’s performance standards and the Equator Principles: respecting human rights and remedying violations?”

October 1, 2008 Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on business & human rights, John Ruggie, thanks CIEL and colleagues for the “extensive analysis” in their submission, “The International Finance Corporation’s performance standards and the Equator Principles: respecting human rights and remedying violations?” Additional Materials: Statement by SRSG on Submission by the Bank Information Center … Read More.

CIEL and colleagues find that the International Finance Corporation and leading international banks do not have a robust framework for minimizing the social risks posed by their projects

August 7, 2008 A new study finds that international project financiers, including the leading international banks and the International Finance Corporation, do not have a robust framework for minimizing the social risks posed by their projects. The study — “The International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standard and the Equator Principles: Respecting Human Rights and Remedying Violations?” … Read More.

UN Body Supports Transparency in New Arbitration Rules

July 3, 2008 New York – On June 27, 2008, the main body of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) reached consensus that the UNCITRAL arbitration rules should provide for transparency in arbitrations brought by investors against States, referred to as investor-State arbitrations. It mandated the group currently revising those rules (Working … Read More.

CIEL and IISD call for an end to an era of secrecy in investor-State arbitration: UN body must support transparency in new arbitration rules

Friday, 27 June in New York, a UN body will make a critical decision about whether new arbitration rules will include transparency in investment arbitrations against States. “While secrecy may be appropriate for arbitrations between private parties, the lack of transparency is unacceptable in arbitrations brought by foreign investors against States,” said Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder of … Read More.

CIEL discusses options for suspending intellectual property protection to enforce WTO Dispute Settlement Rulings

On May 6, 2008 CIEL organized a workshop in Geneva with developing country delegates and other stakeholders to discuss a new CIEL paper on Suspending IP Obligations Under TRIPS: A viable alternative to enforcing prevailing WTO rulings? The paper provides a comprehensive introduction and analysis of the opportunities and problems surrounding intellectual property (IP) cross-retaliation. … Read More.

CIEL urges Inter-American Development Bank Executive Directors to ensure much-needed reform of the IDB Accountability Mechanism

April 4, 2008 The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) stands alone as the only multilateral development bank without an adequately functioning accountability mechanism. The IDB’s 2005 proposal to improve the Independent Investigation Mechanism (IIM) fell short of providing project-affected people with an effective voice at the bank and was ultimately shelved without ever securing the needed … Read More.