Protecting the people and the environment are at the center of all World Bank-funded programs and activities. It is a necessary pillar to achieve our goals to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. The World Bank seeks to avoid, minimize and mitigate any harm to people and the environment through application of several social and environmental standards in programs that it supports. These standards are also known as “safeguards policies”.
The World Bank’s social and environmental standards have been undergoing a rigorous review since 2012. The multi-stage review, supported by several periods of global consultations with stakeholders, is being undertaken in response to the need to better address environmental and social issues that countries face today and to deliver better environmental and social outcomes in the projects and programs that the Bank supports.
The World Bank is pleased to invite participants to a consultation meeting on the World Bank’s proposed Environmental and Social Standards. This consultation meeting represents an important opportunity for civil society organizations (CSOs) in Central Asia to contribute to shaping this framework for the years and decades to come.
The consultation with CSOs will be held on November 3 at the World Bank country office in Bishkek from 2 pm – 6 pm (Bishkek time). The address of the World Bank country office in Bishkek is 214, Moskovskaya Street, and the contact phone numbers are: +996 312 62 52 62, +996 312 62 52 01.
There will be videoconference connections from World Bank offices in Almaty, Astana, Dushanbe, and Tashkent. Separate consultations will be held with government representatives on these proposed standards.
- Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
- Labor and Working Conditions
- Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention
- Community Health and Safety
- Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement
- Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living natural Resources
- Indigenous Peoples
- Cultural Heritage
- Financial Intermediaries
- Information Disclosure and Stakeholder Engagement
For those interested in participating at this event, please contact:
Almaty – Oxana Barysheva, obarysheva@worldbank.org, +7 727 377 8242
Astana – Shynar Jetpissova, sjetpissova@worldbank.org, +7 7172 691 449
Bishkek – Natalya Iosipenko, niosipenko@worldbank.org, +996 312 625 266, 625 262
Dushanbe – Umedzhon Nabiev, unabiev@worldbank.org, +992 48 701 5800
Tashkent – Irina Tsoy, itsoy@worldbank.org, +998 71 238 5950
Please contact by noon, October 30, 2014. Please also note that space at the World Bank offices is limited and therefore CSOs will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.
If you cannot attend the consultation meeting at any of these sites in person, but are still interested in providing your comments online, you can do so through the website or by email to safeguardconsult@worldbank.org
The proposed standards, along with additional information on the Review and Update process, the consultation plan, and background resources, are available on a dedicated consultation website: https://consultations.worldbank.org/consultation/review-and-update-world-bank-safeguard-policies.