December 2003, Dr. Emil Salim
The EIR was designed to engage all stakeholders, ́governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), indigenous peoples' organizations, affected communities and community-based organizations, labor unions, industry, academia, international organizations, and the World Bank Group.
The basic question addressed throughout this process was, Can extractive industries projects be compatible with the WBG'́s goals of sustainable development and poverty reduction? Based on more than two years of consultations and research, the answer is yes, the Extractive Industries Review believes that there is still a role for the World Bank Group in the oil, gas, and mining sectors—but only if its interventions allow extractive industries to contribute to poverty alleviation through sustainable development. And that can only happen when the right conditions are in place. The three main enabling conditions are:
- pro-poor public and corporate governance, including proactive planning and management to maximize poverty alleviation through sustainable development;
- much more effective social and environmental policies; and
- respect for human rights.
In order for the WBG to be able to promote these conditions, the institution itself needs to implement a number of serious reforms, including improvements and reinforced implementation of its Safeguard Policies and changes in WBG staff incentives.
This report makes four major recommendations on how to restore that balance in the WBG - promote pro-poor public and corporate governance in the extractive industries, strengthen environmental and social components of WBG interventions in these industries, respect human rights, and rebalance WBG institutional priorities. These four recommendations have as the ultimate goal:
- to lift up civil society so it is balanced in the triangle of partnership between governments, business, and civil society;
- to raise social and environmental considerations so they are balanced with economic considerations in efforts at poverty alleviation through sustainable development; and
- to strive for a human-rights-based development that balances the material and the spiritual goals of life.
