At the occasion of the European Investment Bank (EIB) annual dialogue with civil society on the 2nd of February, IPHR joins 15 organisations in a letter calling on the EIB Directors to guarantee the prioritisation of human rights in all the Bank’s operations.
Our key recommendations in light of the upcoming review of the EIB environmental and social standards include:
- Developing a solid three pillar human rights framework through a strong Statement on Environmental, Social and Human Rights Principles and Standards (replacing the existing Statement on Environmental and Social Principles and Standards); a new Human Rights Strategy; and a sound system of human rights due diligence at project level all through the project cycle.
- Enhancing stakeholder engagement and public participation through meaningful consultations at the project level; increased transparency; effective and independent complaints mechanism; implementation of the right to free, prior and informed consent; review and reinforcement of EIB’s criteria for assessing the applicability of its indigenous people’s standard.
- Protecting human rights defenders by developing specific policies on human rights defenders and protocols to prevent and respond to risks of reprisals; responding in a timely and effective manner to any threats or attacks carried out in reprisal and ensure the accountability of those at fault.
Read the full open letter here.