Make Global Environment Facility Accountable

EARTHKEEPING NEWS
A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY

Volume Two, Number Five
May/June 1993

CALL TO ACTION :
MAKE THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY ACCOUNTABLE

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the only global funding agency for protecting our planet. Its mission is to help cover the costs of preventing global climate change, saving the ozone layer, reducing pollution of rivers and oceans, and halting the massive extinction of species.

More than 70% of humanity and two thirds of the world's species live in the developing nations of the South, few of which have money to spend on protecting the planet. If we are to deal effectively with these global threats, much of the funding must come from the wealthy industrialized nations.

In 1989 the French government proposed the establishment of a Global Environment Facility to help developing countries cover the costs of environmental protection.

Officially, the GEF is a joint project of the World Bank, the UN Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme. Unfortunately, the World Bank controls much of the GEF's work. Most people who run it are employees of the Bank, and it controls the Core Fund which contains most of the money and implements most of the projects.

The Bank consults with national governments, but has a poor record both on environmental issues and on consulting adequately with local people. The Bank has always been reluctant to disclose detailed information about its loans, and many of the national governments prefer to deal with the Bank in secret. Some of the Bank's most heavily criticized projects include the construction, without benefit of environmental impact assessments and without local consultation, of projects which open up rain forests for exploitation, and huge environmentally destructive dams which drive large numbers of people from their homes.

At the Earth Summit last year, the GEF was assigned a central role in solving global environmental problems. In the coming months decisions will be made about new funding and about guidelines for information disclosure. Public pressure is crucial if the GEF's procedures for public information and consultation are to be strengthened.

Send a message to Vice President Al Gore who has been put in charge of the newly created Office of Environment Policy to help ensure that the GEF is open, participatory and accountable, meaning:

CALL TO ACTION : MAKE THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY ACCOUNTABLE

CALL TO ACTION :
MAKE THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY ACCOUNTABLE