This global review was initiated in July 2001 and culminated with the EIR recommendations published in the Final Report on December 2003. The EIR Final Report consists of six volumes available in English. Several volumes have been translated into Spanish with other languages pending. Executive Summary of the Report has been translated into Spanish, French and Russian languages.
Russian translation of Volume I and Volume V of the EIR Final Report (Striking a Better Balance) have recently been completed.
Dr. Salim is invited to present the insights of the EIR Report at the Second World Renewable Energy Forum 29-31 May, 2004 scheduled prior to the Governmental Conference for Renewable Energy in Bonn, Germany. The general Chairman of World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE), Dr. Hemann Scheer, has also written "Renewable Energy for Poverty Alleviation" in support of EIR recommendations on renewable energy.
The German NGO Forum on Environment and Development together with the international CURES network (Citizens United for Renewable Energies and Sustainability) has also invited Dr. Salim to present the EIR finding at the Renewable Energy Conference on 2 June, 2004.
A Joint Statement was prepared as the outcome of Dr. Salim and Mr. Wolfensohn's meeting in Paris,19 April 2004. Both have agreed to meet again in June prior to the World Bank Group’s formal response.
Eleven commercial banks which have adopted the Equator Principles expressed their concerns regarding implementation of EIR recommendations, in a letter to Mr. Wolfensohn.
More than 120 legislators from around the world have sent a letter to Mr.Wolfensohn in support of the implementation of the EIR recommendations.
Indonesian's Minister of Finance, Mr. Boediono, submitted a letter to Mr. Asumpinpong, Executive Director for the WB SEA Group, expressing his views and urging the Director to make a special effort in the WB Board to ensure that the EIR Report and Recommendations receive a fair and favorable hearing.
GLOBE International, a nonpartisan association of parliamentarians from around the world committed to working to address global environmental problems has sent a letter to Mr. Wolfensohn, expressing support for the EIR recommendations in the Final Report.
The European Parliament has recently passed a resolution on the World Bank-commissioned Extractive Industries Review.
CERES, a coalition of institutional investors and public interest group wrote a letter of support for the EIR recommendations to Mr. Wolfensohn.
Religious Working Group on the World Bank & IMF has submitted a letter in February 2004, urging the Bank to adopt the EIR Report’s recommendations as an integrated whole. The group also published a press release in March. Mr. Wolfensohn’s reply to the Religious leaders is available to view.
Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) has invited Dr Emil Salim as a Plenary Speaker at its national conference Sustainable Energy 2004 . to be held in Sydney, Australia from 28 March to 4 April. In addition, Dr Salim is also scheduled to meet government officials, in particular from the Australian Greenhouse Office in Canberra.
Dr. Salim was in Beijing, China to attend the UNDP's International Millennium Development Goal Conference, 24 to 28 March 2004. He met with China's Finance Minister, State Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration and Minster of Energy, Mining and Women Issues anddiscussed issues related to the EIR recommendations.
The civil society has developed a website compiling its views on the World Bank Extractive Industries Review.
Invitation to meet and discuss the EIR recommendations in April was accepted by Dr. Salim. In hisletter to Mr. Wolfensohn, Dr. Salim also clarifies several misconceptions surrounding the recommendations frequently asked during his recent tour to Europe.
Letters from Oxfam International, mines minerals and People (mmP), Indigenous People worldwide, association of renewable energy industry, and fund managers were sent to World Bank President, expressing support for implementation of the EIR recommendations.
Mr. Wolfensohn has decided to temporary delay submitting the management respond. More time is needed to consider all the EIR report's findings and assess further the positions of all stakeholders. A meeting with Dr. Salim is proposed for the 19 or 20 April, 2004.
In a letter to Mr. Wolfensohn, six Nobel Laureates for peace including Jody Williams and Archishop Desmond Tutu have urged the World Bank to adopt the EIR recommendations.
Responding to invitations from several European government officials and members of the civil society, Dr. Salim embarks on a tour in Europe. His two weeks trip started in Rome on 26 February, and will wind up in Oslo where a meeting with Ms. Hilde Johnson, the Norwegian Minister of Development is scheduled.
Compilation of press clippings and press releases re the EIR recommendations and the Word Bank Management's respond can be viewed on the Media page.
Following his return to Jakarta, Dr. Salim thanked Mr. Wolfensohn for the meeting. The letter also contains several suggestions that will facilitate Dr. Salim's comments to Management Respond prior to final submission to the Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE).
Dr. Salim and the EIR team went to Washington DC from 26 to 30 January, 2004. During the brief visit, they met with Mr. Wolfensohn, the President of the WBG, management of the Oil, Gas and Mining Division and various stakeholders to discuss the implementation of EIR's recommendations. The management's respond is expected to be made public for comment after 25 February 2004, before a final paper would be considered by the main Board.
In a letter of acknowledgement, the President of the WB thanked Dr. Salim and the EIR team for the efforts put in coordinating the consultation process and the EIR final report.
Eleven leaders of major environmental and public health organizations sent a letter to the President of the World Bank. It urges the World Bank to adopt EIR recommendations from the Final Report.
EIR has culminated the international consultation process by presenting Mr. Wolfesohn, the WBG President with a cover letter and the EIR Final Report on Thursday, 15 January 2004. The global review was completed in two and half years with active engagements from representatives of the civil society, industry, government and academia. Within three months of receivinthe consultation report (April 2004) , the management of the Mining Department, and the Oil, Gas and Chemicals Department of the World Bank Group will make recommendations regarding the future of the World Bank Group's involvement in these sectors, and internal processes.
New Documents Received
"World Bank recommends weakening of Environmental Standards", was submitted by International Rivers Network (IRN) as comments to the recent World Bank strategy paper proposing devolution of safeguard policies to borrowing governments.
The latest NMJD Newsletter "The Network" (March 2004) devoted to diamond mining in Sierra Leone.
Alburnus Maior, an NGO based in Romania has sent a letter to the World Bank in regards to the "Hazards Risk Mitigation and Emergency Prepardness Project"(HRMEPP) and Rosia Montana gold mine. "Masters of Gold", by Paul Christian Radu, is a review article on the complex issues surrounding the mine. Click here to view the link to Rosia Montana’s website.
Environmental Law Institute (ELI), Oxfam International and the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law have published a report entitled Prior Informed Consent and Mining: Promoting Sustainable Development of Local Communities.
The Secretariat of CAMMA (Ministerios de Minería de las Américas / Annual Mines Ministries of the Americas) has submitted input for the EIR in November 2003 in (Spanish / English), including CAMMA's declarations from Santiago, Chile (1996), Arequipa, Peru (1997), Buenos Aires, Argentina (1998), Caracas, Venezuela (1999), Vancouver, Canada (2000) and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (2001).
Korinna Horta and Delphine Djiraibe wrote " Africa's dangerous treasure" in Washington Post, covering issues pertaining to the impact of recent oil revenue in Chad from the Chad Cameroon Pipeline Project.
Bruce Rich from Environmental Defense Funds and others have written a draft critique to the World Bank Management respond on the Extractive Industries Review's recommendations. To view the initial draft response from the WBG Management, click the CEE Bankwatch website.
A letter with comments to the EIR Final Report from the Department for International Development (DFID), United Kingdom.
Konkola Copper Mine plc, Zambia submitted an example of private-public-community partnership in achieving poverty alleviation through sustainable development.
A submission from the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Union with comments on specific issues in the EIR Final Report.
The Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) sent a submission supporting the EIR recommendations on sustainable energy.
Members of ten European civil society submitted some suggestions for discussion on implementation of the EIR recommendations.
Members of two civil society groups from PNG sent a letter identifying issues of concern in the EIR Final Report.
Colectivo de Estudios Aplicados al Desarrollo Social (CEADES), a Bolivian NGO sent a letter with comments for inclusion in the Final EIR report. (Spanish / English).
Groupe de Recherche Alternatives et Monitoring du Projet Pétrole (GRAMP/TC) sent a letter to EIR secretariat in French. English translation is pending.
The US Department of Treasury sent a submission for inclusion in the EIR Final Report.
Carlos Zorrilla from Ecuador sent a letter to the President of the World Bank.
National coordinator for the Peruvian communities affected by mining (CONACAMI) submitted comments to the EIR Final Report (Spanish / English )and Information on Prior Informed Consent (Spanish / English).
ICMM submitted a letter and comments for the Final Report and comments for Executive Summary
Reactions from Oil Company representatives to the EIR Final Report
National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy of Peru (SNMPE) submission to the EIR Final Report
Submission from the World Coal Institute to the Final EIR Report
Executive Vice President of the Chilean Copper Commission sent a submission (Spanish / English) to Dr. Salim for inclusion in the EIR Final Report.
Published What You Pay Campaign sent a submission for inclusion in the Annex of EIR Final report.
Submission from Dominican Society of Geologist (Spanish / English)