Africa: World Bank Delays NGO Consultations

The World Bank says it has postponed a consultation with civil society groups in Berlin on its proposed social and environmental guidelines for lending after the NGOs boycotted the event and threatened to launch protests instead. The NGOs (non-governmental organisations) are angry because they say the meetings are merely a ”public relations exercise” and that the Washington-based bank is not serious about giving a greater say to indigenous and local people affected by bank-financed projects carried out by international companies. The bank has scheduled other consultations with NGOs in Bangkok, Johannesburg, Moscow, Washington and Tunis before the end of 2004.