World Archaeological Congress Comments and Suggestions for Additions and Amendments:

‘World Bank Environmental and Social Framework First Draft for Consultation July 30, 2014’


The World Bank has published its policy paper ‘First Draft of Environmental and Social Fraework’ for the purpose of public consultation for the period between July 2014 and early 2015. For more information, see: http://consultations.worldbank.org/consultation/review-and-update-world-bank-safeguard-policies

 

The downloadable document can be found at:

 

http://consultations.worldbank.org/Data/hub/files/consultation-template/review-and-update-world-bank-safeguard-policies/en/materials/first_draft_framework_july_30_2014_0.pdf

 

The document includes the section entitled: ‘Environmental and Social Standard 8. Cultural Heritage’ (pp. 84-88). The WAC Executive Committee studied this section carefully and found that it does not sufficiently take into account the importance of Indigenous representation, laws, and value systems, particularly those pertaining to land rights, sovereignty, and unique perceptions of the environment. We are particularly concerned with the first draft’s lack of attention to the pre-consultation with local, descendant and Indigenous communities that must occur before launching World Bank-sponsored projects. We also find that the document fails to acknowledge the sensorial, perceptible and cosmological contexts for artifacts, landscapes and other natural features, which are increasingly recognised as important constitutive elements of cultural heritage.

 

Based on this finding, the WAC Executive compiled the following document:
World Archaeological Congress Comments and Suggestions for Additions and Amendments: ‘World Bank Environmental and Social Framework First Draft for Consultation July 30, 2014.

This document was submitted to the World Bank. A downloadable PDF version of the document can be found in ‘View Comments’ section at:

https://consultations.worldbank.org/forums/forum-review-and-update-world-bank-safeguard-policies

 

You can also find comments and suggestions submitted by individuals and other learned communities there as well. We encourage our members to study the document and submit their own comments and suggestions in addition to the document below.

 

Koji Mizoguchi

 

The President of World Archaeological Congress

 

Download Suggestions for Additions & Amendments PDF